Arinnitti : The Sun Goddess

Arinnitti

Introduction

The sun goddess Arinnitti was the patron deity of the monarchy and the Hittite empire. Her consort, Tahrun, was also important but not as much, suggests that she may have originated during a matriarchal period. Her origin might have been linked to the fertility and earth goddess Anatolia. Arinnitti was a righteous woman with royal authority and functioned as a powerful protector whom the queen of the Hittites, Puduhepa, chose for her protection. Her seal showed that the queen embraced the goddess.

Physical Traits

In the city of Tarunpa, various solar disc statues were made and displayed. Each year, King Ulmi-Tsseup of Tarununta donated a Sun disc containing silver, gold, and copper to the goddess along with three sheep and a bull as gifts. Arinnitti was often depicted as a woman, and some of the statues depicted her with a halo and as a solar disc.

Queen Puduhepa said she would give her many deer in exchange for the protection of the sun goddess. It is believed that the vessels used for the worship of the sun goddess were made from the remains of a deer. The golden deer statues that were found in the Kzlrmak River during the Bronze Age were also associated with the Sun goddess’ cult.

Family

The sun goddess Arinnitti and the weather god Tahrun formed a pair that ruled the Hittite state’s pantheon. Their daughter, who was known as Mezulla had a daughter known as Zintuhi. Their other children were Nerik, Telipinu the corn god, and the weather god Zippalanda. The eagle served as their messenger.

Other Names

In Hittite mythology, Arinnitti was known as “queen of all lands” and was also referred to as Wurunsemu. The name Ištanu is the Hittite form of the Hattian name Eštan and refers to the Arinnitti as well.

Powers and Abilities

The Hittite kings and queens of Arinna worshipped Arinnitti, who was also known as the goddess of the sun. Arinnitti was attributed with righteous judgment and was seen as one of the most important deities in the Hittite pantheon. She was said to be the mother of all humans, and she was the source of all warmth.

Modern Day Influence

Despite being a very important deity for the Hittites, there is a lot of confusion surrounding Arinnitti as there has been numerous references and similarities with the various Middle Eastern mythologies. It becomes difficult to clear out the fact from the unclassified and undocumented information that is available out there. Research and information about Arinnitti is still very unstructured and fragmented with a lot of assumptions being made to fill in the gaps.