Weather god of Zippalanda

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The Weather god of Zippalanda was a Hittite weather god, who was worshipped in the Hittite city of Zippalanda. The weather god of Zippalanda had several names, such as Ziplantil,[1] Wašezzili,[2] Wašezzil[3] and Wašezzašu.[2]

Role[]

In ancient Anatolia, weather gods were the rulers of the sky and the mountains.[4] They cast down thunder, lightning, clouds, rain and storms.[4] The weather god of Zippalanda was also worshipped as a sender of rain.[5] He was also worhipped as a fertility deity.[6] Additionally, Wašezzili was referred to as a "lion" among the gods and therefore as a divine hero.[2]

Family[]

In the official state pantheon of the Hittites, the Weather god of Zippalanda was regarded as the son of the Weather god of Ḫatti and the Sun goddess of Arinna.[7] As the son of the Sun goddess of Arinna, he functioned as a divine intermediary with his mother.[8]

However, in his cult centre at Zippalanda he was not considered to be the son of these gods, but of the and the Sun goddess of the Earth.[3] There he was worshipped with the Weather god of the Heavens as half of a divine dyad.[3][9] His partner was the goddess Anzili or Enzili, who played a role in the rituals of Hittite childbirth.[10] However, she was also presented as the partner of the Weather god of Šarišša.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 44.
  2. ^ a b c Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 55.
  3. ^ a b c Volkert Haas, Heidemarie Koch: Religionen des alten Orients: Hethiter und Iran. Göttingen 2011, p. 236.
  4. ^ a b Volkert Haas, Heidemarie Koch: Religionen des alten Orients: Hethiter und Iran. Göttingen 2011, p. 228.
  5. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 54.
  6. ^ Volkert Haas, Heidemarie Koch: Religionen des alten Orients: Hethiter und Iran. Göttingen 2011, p. 224.
  7. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 91.
  8. ^ Volkert Haas, Heidemarie Koch: Religionen des alten Orients: Hethiter und Iran. Göttingen 2011, p. 241.
  9. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia. Wiesbaden 2009, pp. 42, 55.
  10. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 56 & 156.
  11. ^ Piotr Taracha: Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 56.

Bibliography[]

  • Volkert Haas, Heidemarie Koch: Religionen des alten Orients: Hethiter und Iran. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2011, ISBN 978-3-525-51695-9.
  • : Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2009, ISBN 978-3-447-05885-8.
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