Nerik; accordingly, offerir.gs are made to the Storm-god of Nerik, the Sun-goddess of the Earth,

Urunzimu, and primeval gods. Cf. Haas 1970: 14061: Moore 1975: 142ff,; Haas 1994a: 603; 1998.

In this instance, it- is probably a local avatar of the Sun-goddess of Arinna/Wumnsemu,

Worshiped at Nerik after the town was reeonquered by Hattusili III (see 3.2.3); on another occa-

sion, sacrifiees were ofiered up to the Sun-goddess in the temple of Za(s)h(a)puna together with

Za(s)hapuna, DINGIR.MAH and deities fro.ro her circle., and the river M&rassanta/Kizilirnxak.

And all other rivers, cf. KUB 58.39 vi 1071, Garcia Trabazo - Groddek 2005: 103; Taracha 2007b:

190. The epithet of the Sun-goddess of Arinna in this text. [KI»as?j AMA ‘Mother [of the Earth},’

Confirms the Interpretation of Hattian Wurunsemu.

48

Hittite Anytoija

In the Hattian tradition, the War-god Wurunkatte ‘King of the Land’ and Throne-

Goddess fjanwasuit (Hittite Halmasuit) were also connected with the ideology of

kingship,thus explaining their place in the state cult.'“!> Halmasuit represented

The ceremonial throne in the form of a dais recalling the Persian takht, which the

939

Royal couple was seated on during cult ceremonies.

The worship of the ceremonial throne distinguishes Hittite Anatolia from other

Areas of the Anderst Near East. The mythical builder of the throne was the god

Zilipuru/i. 240 Another old myth teils the story of the Throne-goddess living “in the

Mountains” and protecting the king, ’ bringing the king power from the sea and

GIS •

A earriage (huluganni) which symbolized this power and which he used during

242

Cult ceremonies. The sea in this tale does not necessarily refer to the tradition of

Zalpa 011 the Black Sea.' Halmasuit was the divine patron of the dynasty of Pithana

And Anitta from Kussar, too, which seized power in Karies toward the end of the

Assyrian Colony period (2.1). Interestingly, texts from the Empire period mention

The goddess of Kanes, Anna (unless it is a case of homonymy here) together with

The Sea, Zarnizza, and river Sarmamma, among the primeval deities wor

Shiped in the cult of the goddess Huwassanna from the Southern city of Hubesna

Cf. Gurney 1958; Carini 1982; Marazzi 1982. See also Beckman 1995; Haas 1999.

238 The proud appellation of the War-god, ‘King of the Land,’ and his ties with the ideology of kingship

Cotdd be iinked to the Hattian tradition which saw him sometimes as the father of the Storm-

God; cf. Pecchioli Daddi 2001; 403 with n. 4. This brings to mind the role of Enlii and Dagan as

Royal gods, respectively, in Early Dynastie Mesopotamia and in the West Semitic tradition on

The mid-Euphrates, going back to the third millennium BC. See, e.g., George 1996: 383; Annus

F.; Feliu 2003: 305. Considering change in the ideological model of kingship in Syria,

Otto (2006: 267) remarks: “Der Zeitpunkt des Wandels fällt mit einer grundlegenden Umstruktu

rierung der politischen Landschaft Syriens zusammen, dem Entstehen einer dominanten Gro ß

macht anstelle zahlreicher rivalisierender Stadtstaaten. Es ist die Zeit des Aufstiegs des König

reiches Jamfead mit Hauptstadt Hamb zum mächtigsten Staat in Syrien. Der Hauptgott dieses

Reiches war der Wettergott Adad. Sein Aufstieg zum wichtigsten... Gott könnte daher ein Reflex

Des politischen Geschehens sein. Dieser Gott beerbte seinen Vater Dagan offensichtlich nicht

nur in gewissen Zuständigkeiten, sondern auch in manchen ikonographischen Elementen...”

Similarly, in the period of the first unification of the Sumerian cities under a single city-state

(beginning with Lugalzagesi) eternai kingship was handed over by Enlii to his first-born son

Nmurta/Ningirsu. 1

Archi 1966; Starke 1979; Popko 1978: 59ff.; 1993: 3211; Klinger 1996: 162xf.; Popko 1999b,

KUB 2.2 iii 171, Schuster 1974: 71.

24.1 Cf. Lombard! 1996. 1

242 KU ß 29.1 i 23f., Kellerman 1980: 11, 26: Garcia Trabazo 2002: 486f. |

Bor this Interpretation, see, e.g.. Otten 1973: 64; Neu 1974; 125 with n. 303; Haas 1977a;

The Old Hittite Period

49

(modern Eregli) (see 3.2.4). In their cult practice, Hittite kings of the new dynasty

Referred to the Old Hittite conception of the origins of kingship. In the thirteenth