The Weather god of Zippalanda was a Hittite

weather god A weather god or goddess, also frequently known as a storm god or goddess, is a deity in mythology associated with weather phenomena such as thunder, snow, lightning, rain, wind, storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Should they only be in charge of ...

, who was worshipped in the Hittite city of

Zippalanda Zippalanda was a Hattic administrative and religious center of the Hittite Old Kingdom. Although its name was known from inscriptions, it was not until the latter 20th century that scholars placed it in Sorgun District of Yozgat Province, Turkey, ...

. The weather god of Zippalanda had several names, such as Ziplantil, Wašezzili,Piotr Taracha: ''Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia''. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 55. Wašezzil and Wašezzašu.

Role

In ancient Anatolia, weather gods were the rulers of the sky and the mountains.Volkert Haas, Heidemarie Koch: ''Religionen des alten Orients: Hethiter und Iran''. Göttingen 2011, p. 228. They cast down thunder, lightning, clouds, rain and storms. The weather god of Zippalanda was also worshipped as a sender of rain. He was also worshipped as a fertility deity. Additionally, Wašezzili was referred to as a "lion" among the gods and therefore as a divine hero.

Family

In the official state pantheon of the Hittites, the Weather god of Zippalanda Wasezzili was regarded as the son of

Tarḫunna Tarḫunna or Tarḫuna/i was the Hittite weather god. He was also referred to as the "Weather god of Heaven" or the "Lord of the Land of Hatti". Name Tarḫunna is a cognate of the Hittite verb ''tarḫu-zi'', "to prevail, conquer, be power ...

, the 'Weather god of Ḫatti', and the Sun goddess of Arinna. As the son of the Sun goddess of Arinna, he functioned as a divine intermediary with his mother. However, in his cult centre at Zippalanda, Wasezzili's mother was different; he was considered the son Tarḫunna and the Sun goddess of the Earth.Volkert Haas, Heidemarie Koch: ''Religionen des alten Orients: Hethiter und Iran''. Göttingen 2011, p. 236. There he was worshipped with the Weather god of the Heavens as half of a divine dyad. His partner was the goddess

Anzili Anzili or EnziliPiotr Taracha: ''Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia''. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 56. was a Hittite goddess who was worshiped in Tamita and Zapišḫuna. Her name is sometimes written with the Sumerogram IŠTAR or the compound IŠTAR ...

or Enzili, who played a role in the rituals of Hittite childbirth. However, she was also presented as the partner of the Weather god of Šarišša.Piotr Taracha: ''Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia''. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 56.

References

Bibliography

Volkert Haas Volkert may refer to: People * Edward Charles Volkert (1871–1935), American painter * Georg Volkert (1945–2020), German footballer * Stephan Volkert (born 1971), German rower * Volkert Doeksen (born 1963), Dutch money manager * Volkert van der ...

Heidemarie Koch Heidemarie Koch (17 December 1943 – 28 January 2022) was a German Iranologist. Life and career Koch was born in Merseburg, Saxony, Prussia, Germany. She studied mathematics as her major between 1963 and 1966. Subsequently, she worked as a tea ...

: ''Religionen des alten Orients: Hethiter und Iran''. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2011, . * Piotr Taracha: ''Religions of Second Millennium Anatolia''. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2009, {{ISBN, 978-3-447-05885-8. Hittite deities Hattian deities Sky and weather gods