Inar

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Inar is a Hittite goddess of Hattic origin who is connected to nature, rural areas and wild animals. She is the city goddess of Ḫattuša .

The goddess Inar has several names. Her Hattic name is Inar, the Hittite name Inara. Inar is sometimes also written with the sumerograms DINGIR LAMMA and DINGIR KAL, which mostly denote male protective deities such as Kurunta or Innara . The deity Kammamma is also written with the sumerogram DINGIR LAMMA.

Inar is considered to be the daughter of the highest pair of Hittite gods, the weather god Tarḫunna and the sun goddess of Arinna . Together with her parents she formed the state triad in the Old Ethite period. The identification of Inar as the daughter of the supreme pair of gods is based on reading the sumerogram DINGIR LAMMA with Inar. But other LAMMA deities such as Kammamma could also be included in the state triad as children of the weather god and the sun goddess, although of course they ousted Inar from that place. There is no doubt that Inar, the city goddess of Ḫattuša, held a prominent position in the Hittite pantheon.

The shepherdess Ḫapantali is considered to be Inar's companion, but this is again based solely on reading the sumerogram DINGIR LAMMA as Inar. Ḫapantali often appears in lists of gods directly after the LAMMA deity of the Hittite state triad.

Myths

Illuyanka myth

Inar plays a significant role in one of two known versions of the Illuyanka myth. This describes how the weather god Tarḫunna in the village of Kiškilušša fights with the serpent dragon Illuyanka, the embodiment of winter, and loses against him. In his need, the weather god calls the other gods to help. Inar listens to his call and has prepared a feast for which she procures kettles full to the brim with wine, marnuwant beer and walḫi drink.

However, since Inar Illuyanka cannot conquer alone, she seeks the assistance of the man Ḫupašiya from the city of Zigaratta . Ḫupašiya promises to help the goddess if he can only sleep with her. Inar grants and fulfills his wish. She then leads Ḫupašiya to the place where the festival was prepared and hides it.

After Inar has adorned himself, she calls Illuyanka from his cave so that he can attend the festival. Illuyanka comes to the festival with all of his brood. The snakes eat and drink until they are so drunk that they cannot find their way back into their cave. Ḫupašiya takes advantage of this situation and ties Illuyanka, who is then killed by Tarḫuna.

After these events Inar built a house on the top of a rock in the land of Tarukka , in which she let Ḫupašiya live. The goddess forbids him to look out of the window when Inar is on his way, because then he would see his wife and children. After twenty days, Ḫupašiya breaks the ban and sees his wife with their children through the window, whereupon he longs for his family and demands that Inar be allowed to return home. The lines of text with the following events are only very fragmentary, but it can be seen that Inar is annoyed by Ḫupašiya's request. It is possible that Inar will kill him as a result, even if the text does not allow any further statements. It is known, however, that in the second version the son of Tarḫunna, who fulfills roughly the same function as Ḫupašiya in the first version, is killed after the task is completed. It is therefore conceivable that Ḫupašiya will experience the same fate, especially since he entered into a holy marriage with the goddess Inar. After these events Inar goes to the town of Kiškilušša. She surrenders her house and the river of the flood to the Hittite king . In memory of the mythical events, the Hittites celebrated the purulliya festival .

More myths

The mother goddess Ḫannaḫanna promises Inar in a text fragment that she will give her land - possibly Ḫattuša ? - and I'll give a man. It is uncertain whether said man is identical with Ḫupašiya from the Illuyanka myth or not.

Another myth tells of Inar's disappearance. Although not much is known about this myth, it can be assumed that, like many similar myths, it was part of a soothing ritual that was intended to induce the deity to return.

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Volkert Haas, Heidemarie Koch: Religions of the ancient Orient: Hittites and Iran . Göttingen 2011, p. 225.
  2. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia . Wiesbaden 2009, p. 42.
  3. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia . Wiesbaden 2009, p. 27.
  4. ↑ Volkert Haas, Heidemarie Koch: Religions of the ancient Orient: Hittites and Iran . Göttingen 2011, p. 225.
  5. ↑ Volkert Haas, Heidemarie Koch: Religions of the ancient Orient: Hittites and Iran . Göttingen 2011, p. 225.
  6. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia . Wiesbaden 2009, p. 110 f.
  7. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia . Wiesbaden 2009, p. 46.
  8. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia . Wiesbaden 2009, p. 46.
  9. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia . Wiesbaden 2009, p. 45.
  10. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia . Wiesbaden 2009, p. 42 f.
  11. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia . Wiesbaden 2009, p. 84.
  12. ↑ Volkert Haas: The Hittite literature. Berlin 2006, p. 97 f.
  13. ↑ Volkert Haas: The Hittite literature. Berlin 2006, p. 99.
  14. ↑ Volkert Haas: The Hittite literature. Berlin 2006, p. 99.
  15. ↑ Volkert Haas: The Hittite literature. Berlin 2006, p. 99.
  16. ↑ Volkert Haas: The Hittite literature. Berlin 2006, p. 99.
  17. ↑ Volkert Haas: The Hittite literature. Berlin 2006, p. 98.
  18. ↑ Volkert Haas: The Hittite literature. Berlin 2006, p. 99.
  19. ↑ Volkert Haas: The Hittite literature. Berlin 2006, p. 99 f.
  20. ↑ Galina Kellerman: La deesse hannahannah. In: Hethitica. VII, 93-107, ISBN 90-6831-081-X , p. 129.
  21. ↑ Volkert Haas: The Hittite literature. Berlin 2006, p. 97 f.
  22. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia . Wiesbaden 2009, p. 156.