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Dark Gods (Anatolian)
The Dark Gods or Dark Ones, also known as the Heptad, were a group of malevolent deities from the religions of the ancient Anatolian peoples. Name The Dark Ones This group of deities was known in Luwian language, Luwian as () and (), and in Hittite language, Hittite as (), all meaning . The Heptad The Dark Gods were also referred to in Hittite as ( and ), that is the Heptad. was a loanword from the Akkadian , meaning , due to its similarity for the Proto-Indo-European term for this number, ''*''. In the ritual text KUB 59.26, this group of gods was referred to as "the Dark Heptad" ( hit, , translit=Dingir, ᴰŠēpittaš Dingir, ᴰMarkuwayaš). History The Dark Gods and the plague-god Iyarri to whom they were associated might have originated from the Babylonian Erra (god), Erra and the Sebitti who accompanied him, with whom they were identical. Despite their foreign origin, the Dark Gods and Iyarri had cult places primarily in Central Anatolia and the regions inhabited by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iyarri
Iyarri, also known as Yarri, was a god worshiped by Hittites and Luwians in Anatolia in the Bronze Age. He was associated with plague and war, and was portrayed as an archer whose arrows inflicted people with illnesses. While it is generally assumed that Iyarri was male, a female form of this deity is mentioned in a single text. It has been proposed that Iyarri might have developed from the Mesopotamian god Erra (god), Erra, or that he was influenced by him. A different proposal considers his name a cognate of that of Greek Ares, though the evidence in favor of this view is not conclusive. Evidence of the worship of Iyarri in Hittite religion and Luwian religion comes mostly from central Anatolia, and includes documents such as oath formulas, treaties and descriptions of rituals. Temples dedicated to him existed in Ḫarranašši and Guršamašša. He is also attested in a number of theophoric names. References to him postdating the fall of the Hittite Empire are infrequent, and i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |