Lelwani

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lelwani
Goddess of the underworld

Lelwani or Leluwani was a Hittite goddess of the underworld,[1][2] equated with the Hurrian Allani under her Akkadian name Allatum.[3] She lived in the Dark Earth (the Hurro-Hittite underworld).

Gender and syncretism[]

Lelwani was originally a male Hattian[4] chthonic deity incorporated into Hittite religion, referred to as "lord" and "king" (katte in Hattic[5]), and later became a female deity of the underworld [6] due to syncretism with female deities during the period of growing Hurrian influence on Hittite state cult.[7]

Allani and Lelwani coexisted as separate deities in god lists and in rituals. Allani was equated with the Hittite and Luwian Sun Goddess of the Earth, but Allatum - the Akkadian form of her name - was assigned to Lelwani instead.[8]

Cult[]

Lelwani was worshiped during festivals associated with the so-called ḫešta-house, such as purulli, described in the Hittite text CTH 645. Much like Lelwani, purulli had Hattic origin. While it was meant to celebrate renewal of life in spring, the invoked deities were linked to the underworld and in addition to Lelwani included the Hittite Šiwat (or Izzištanu in Hattic; a deity representing "Propitious Day" - the day on which a person dies) Ištuštaya and Papaya, among others.[9]

In purulli and a ritual connected to building a new palace Lelwani was invoked alongside Ḫašammili, a divine blacksmith.[10]

Queen Puduḫepa prayed to Lelwani to secure long, healthy lives for her family (an example can be found in KUB 21.27(+) III 31-38).[11]

References[]

  1. ^ Burney, C. A. (2004). Historical dictionary of the Hittites. Lanham, Md : Scarecrow Press. p. 178.
  2. ^ Leick, G. (2002). A dictionary of ancient Near Eastern mythology. London ; New York : Routledge. p. 164.
  3. ^ P. Taracha, Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia, 2009, p. 124
  4. ^ P. Taracha, Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia, 2009, p. 124
  5. ^ A. Archi, The Anatolian Fate-goddesses and their different traditions [in] E. Cancik-Kirschbaum, J. Klinger, G. G. W. Müller (eds.), Diversity and Standardization. Perspectives on ancient Near Eastern cultural history, 2013, p. 3
  6. ^ Leick, Gwendolyn. A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology. Routledge. 1998. p. 110. ISBN 9780415198110
  7. ^ G. Wilhelm, Unterwelt, Unterweltsgottheiten. C. In Anatolien [in] Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Archäologie vol. 14, 2014, p. 345
  8. ^ A. Archi, The Anatolian Fate-goddesses and their different traditions [in] E. Cancik-Kirschbaum, J. Klinger, G. G. W. Müller (eds.), Diversity and Standardization. Perspectives on ancient Near Eastern cultural history, 2013, p. 4-5
  9. ^ A. Archi, The Anatolian Fate-goddesses and their different traditions [in] E. Cancik-Kirschbaum, J. Klinger, G. G. W. Müller (eds.), Diversity and Standardization. Perspectives on ancient Near Eastern cultural history, 2013, p. 2-3
  10. ^ A. Archi, The Anatolian Fate-goddesses and their different traditions [in] E. Cancik-Kirschbaum, J. Klinger, G. G. W. Müller (eds.), Diversity and Standardization. Perspectives on ancient Near Eastern cultural history, 2013, p. 3
  11. ^ A. Archi, The Anatolian Fate-goddesses and their different traditions [in] E. Cancik-Kirschbaum, J. Klinger, G. G. W. Müller (eds.), Diversity and Standardization. Perspectives on ancient Near Eastern cultural history, 2013, p. 4

See also[]

  • Hittite mythology
Stub icon

This article relating to a myth or legend from the ancient Middle East is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""