Hittite Mythology
The Hittites were religious people who created an empire that was centered in what is now Turkey. Most of the stories that related to the mythology of the Hittites are lost. The tablets that were found at the Hittite sites at Hattusa and other locations lack the elements that would have balanced a view of the religion. There are no canonical scriptures, discourses, or theological disquisitions. Some religious documents were made available to young scribes, and most of them survived for several decades before the sites were destroyed. Scribes in the royal administration had various responsibilities, such as maintaining royal orders and overseeing the various activities of a temple. The surviving texts are mainly composed of reports of diviners and temple organization.
The mythology of the Hittites is based on the various readings of stone carvings and the iconology found in seal stones. They also believed that gods were depicted on the backs of their animals. The Hittites also believed that certain gods were identifiable by their animal form. The Hittites’ mythology was heavily influenced by the mythology of the Hurrians, who were also from what is now known as Anatolia. Unfortunately, most of the information about the Hittites came from artistic sources, which makes it difficult to determine exactly what was written about this subject. The mythology of the Hittites is typically based on the readings of stone carvings and the iconology found in seal stones.
Scholars believe that the Hittite creation myth revolved around a woman known as the Hattian mother goddess, who is believed to be related to the great goddess concept found in the Neolithic site known as atal Hyk. This woman was presumably a consort of a storm god from Anatolia, who was related to other mythological deities such as Zeus and Thor. The Hittites’ religion and mythology were also heavily influenced by the beliefs and practices of the Hurrians.
