Arinnitti : The Sun Goddess

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.

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.

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