Tauriša
Tauriša was a Hittite cult city in the heart of the country Ḫatti . Based on the Hittite texts, it must have been on the way from Ḫattuša to Tawiniya . Since the mountain god Taḫa was also worshiped here, it cannot have been too far from Zippalanda . The city's cults show Luwian and Hurrian influences.
Several sanctuaries are attested to Tauriša and its vicinity. The main temple was that of the patron god of Tauriša ( Luwian : Tauriššizzaš wašḫaz Runtiyaš "Taurišean holy runtiya"). He was considered the son of the sun god Tiwaz and the goddess of healing Kamrušipa . A second temple was dedicated to the weather god of Ḫalpa , who came to Central Anatolia through Hurrian mediation. Other sanctuaries were the mysterious “Garden of Secrets” ( Hittite : GIŠ KIRI 6 ḫarwašiyaš ), where the patron god of Tauriša and Ea were worshiped. The rock sanctuary called “God's Rock ” (Heth. Ḫekur šiunaš ) was probably outside the city . There was a cedar tree in the Tauriša forest. In addition, seven or nine springs were venerated in the city, as well as the two spring goddesses "Mother Kalimma" and Kuwannani ("the copper blue").
The 32nd day of the AN.TAḪ.ŠUM festival was celebrated in the Tauriša forest, where three AN.TAḪ.ŠUM plants, bread, pastries, flour, beer and wine and animals are offered to the patron god of Tauriša and other deities with the Kalimma spring receiving an extra bread. The gods sacrificed here were in turn the patron god of Tauriša, the mother Kalimma, the originally Hattic blacksmith Ḫašamili , Kuwannani, the Luwian Aššiyant ("beloved"), the weather god of the forest, the river goddess Zuliya , the patron god of the river and the gatekeeper Šalawaneš , as well as several personifications, such as "little place" (Heth. Tepu pedan ), which possibly means the grave, "true tongue" (Heth. Lalaš ḫandanz ), "time of separation" (Heth. ZI.PU šarrumar ) and "Auspicious day" , the latter both are euphemisms for the hour of death and the day of death.
literature
- Gabriella Frantz-Szabó: Tauriša. In: Michael P. Streck (ed.): Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Aräologie . Volume 13, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / Boston 2011-2013, ISBN 978-3-11-030715-3 , pp. 481-482.
- Volkert Haas : History of the Hittite religion (= Handbook of Oriental Studies . Sect. 1 The Nahe and the Middle East. Vol. 15). Brill, Leiden et al. 1994, ISBN 978-9-004-09799-5 .