INTERPRETATION ON SOME POSSIBLE DEPICTIONS OF THE HITTITE TUTELARY DEITY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE

Serkan Demirel

Article Details

INTERPRETATION ON SOME POSSIBLE DEPICTIONS OF THE HITTITE TUTELARY DEITY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE

Authors:

Serkan Demirel

Publisher:

Ege University

Main Topics:

Siyasi Tarih (Diğer)

Journal:

Tarih İncelemeleri Dergisi Vol.38 Issue 1, pp.61-80

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001297988

pISSN:

0257-4152

Keywords:

Abstract:

 This paper focuses on the depictions of deities on stag seen in Anatolia and its surroundings during the second millennium BC. DLAMMA.LĺL Tutelary Deity of the Countryside can be considered as one of the deities represented by the name rendered as DKAL. Although the deity is identified with the hunting deity and the Stag-god KuRuntiya and InnaraAnnari in the Assyrian Colony Period, as suggested earlier, further support for this identification is rendered in this paper. Additionally, there are criticisms on the differentiation in the iconographic appearance of the deity during the second millennium BC and other depictions associated with this deity. Concordantly, the deity is depicted on a stag in the Assyrian Colony Age, with a bird in his hand emphasizing the deitys hunting character and a lituus in the other hand. The iconographic features of the deity seem to have been preserved during the transition from the Colony Age to the Hittite Period. The depictions associated with the deity in Hittite Period can be divided into three groups. The first group comprises imagery whereby the deity holds a lituus in his hand, which may be related to the deitys rise to prominence in the state cult. The only difference in the second group, which is other similar to the first group, is that the deity stands on the ground instead of standing on a stag. The deity, assumed to be equated with the Tutelary Deity of the Countryside and included in the descriptions that can be called the third group, is depicted in a typical libation scene, sitting on a cross stool and holding a bird in his hand. However, this latter deity must obviously be a different deity in terms of its iconographic features. The Stag-god, who is the deity of wildlife and hunting in the Late Hittite Period art, stands on a stag. However, the hunter title of the deity is represented sometimes by a bird he holds in his hand, and sometimes by a bow and spear. This can also be associated with hunting. It is during this period that the winged sun disk instead of lituus, can be interpreted as a continuation of the custom also regarding the deity in the state cult, as it began to appear in the depictions of the deity.

 This paper focuses on the depictions of deities on stag seen in Anatolia and its surroundings during the second millennium BC. DLAMMA.LĺL Tutelary Deity of the Countryside can be considered as one of the deities represented by the name rendered as DKAL. Although the deity is identified with the hunting deity and the Stag-god KuRuntiya and InnaraAnnari in the Assyrian Colony Period, as suggested earlier, further support for this identification is rendered in this paper. Additionally, there are criticisms on the differentiation in the iconographic appearance of the deity during the second millennium BC and other depictions associated with this deity. Concordantly, the deity is depicted on a stag in the Assyrian Colony Age, with a bird in his hand emphasizing the deitys hunting character and a lituus in the other hand. The iconographic features of the deity seem to have been preserved during the transition from the Colony Age to the Hittite Period. The depictions associated with the deity in Hittite Period can be divided into three groups. The first group comprises imagery whereby the deity holds a lituus in his hand, which may be related to the deitys rise to prominence in the state cult. The only difference in the second group, which is other similar to the first group, is that the deity stands on the ground instead of standing on a stag. The deity, assumed to be equated with the Tutelary Deity of the Countryside and included in the descriptions that can be called the third group, is depicted in a typical libation scene, sitting on a cross stool and holding a bird in his hand. However, this latter deity must obviously be a different deity in terms of its iconographic features. The Stag-god, who is the deity of wildlife and hunting in the Late Hittite Period art, stands on a stag. However, the hunter title of the deity is represented sometimes by a bird he holds in his hand, and sometimes by a bow and spear. This can also be associated with hunting. It is during this period that the winged sun disk instead of lituus, can be interpreted as a continuation of the custom also regarding the deity in the state cult, as it began to appear in the depictions of the deity.

 This paper focuses on the depictions of deities on stag seen in Anatolia and its surroundings during the second millennium BC. DLAMMA.LĺL Tutelary Deity of the Countryside can be considered as one of the deities represented by the name rendered as DKAL. Although the deity is identified with the hunting deity and the Stag-god KuRuntiya and InnaraAnnari in the Assyrian Colony Period, as suggested earlier, further support for this identification is rendered in this paper. Additionally, there are criticisms on the differentiation in the iconographic appearance of the deity during the second millennium BC and other depictions associated with this deity. Concordantly, the deity is depicted on a stag in the Assyrian Colony Age, with a bird in his hand emphasizing the deitys hunting character and a lituus in the other hand. The iconographic features of the deity seem to have been preserved during the transition from the Colony Age to the Hittite Period. The depictions associated with the deity in Hittite Period can be divided into three groups. The first group comprises imagery whereby the deity holds a lituus in his hand, which may be related to the deitys rise to prominence in the state cult. The only difference in the second group, which is other similar to the first group, is that the deity stands on the ground instead of standing on a stag. The deity, assumed to be equated with the Tutelary Deity of the Countryside and included in the descriptions that can be called the third group, is depicted in a typical libation scene, sitting on a cross stool and holding a bird in his hand. However, this latter deity must obviously be a different deity in terms of its iconographic features. The Stag-god, who is the deity of wildlife and hunting in the Late Hittite Period art, stands on a stag. However, the hunter title of the deity is represented sometimes by a bird he holds in his hand, and sometimes by a bow and spear. This can also be associated with hunting. It is during this period that the winged sun disk instead of lituus, can be interpreted as a continuation of the custom also regarding the deity in the state cult, as it began to appear in the depictions of the deity.

 Bu makalede, MÖ II. binyıl boyunca Anadolu ve yakın çevresinde görülen geyik üstündeki tanrı betimleri üzerinde durulmuştur. DLAMMA.LĺL Kırların Koruyucu Tanrısı, DKAL lologramı ile gösterilen tanrılardan birisi olarak değerlendirilebilir. Bu bağlamda konuya ilkişkin daha önce ileri sürülen ve Koloni Çağındaki avcı tanrı ve Geyikli Tanrı KuRuntiya ve InnaraAnnari ile bu tanrının eşitliği bu makale içerisinde kabul edilmekle birlikte, bu görüş bazı yeni fikirlerle desteklenmektedir. Tanrının ikonografik görünümünde meydana gelen değişim ve yine bu tanrı ile ilişkili görülen bazı betimler üzerine değerlendirmelerde bulunulmuştur. Buna göre tanrı, Koloni Çağında bir geyik üstünde, elinde avcı karakterini vugulayan bir kuş ve diğer elinde bir lituus ile betimlenmektedir. Tanrının ikonografik özellikleri Koloni Döneminden Hitit Çağına geçilirken korunmuş görünmektedir. Hitit Çağında, tanrı ile ilişkilendirilen betimler üç gruba ayrılabilir. İlk grupta tanrı, kraliyet kültü içerisinde önem kazanmasına paralel olarak elinde lituus tutarken betimlenmiştir. İlk gruptaki ikonografinin büyük ölçüde korunduğu ikinci grup betimlemelerdeki temel farklılık tanrının bir geyik üzerinde durmak yerine zemine basar vaziyette betimlenmesidir. Kırların Koruyucu Tanrısı ile eşitlenmek istenen ve üçüncü grup olarak adlandırabileceğimiz betimlemelerde yer alan tanrı, standart diyebileceğimiz bir libasyon sahnesinde betimlenmiştir ve çapraz bir tabureye oturarak ve elinde bir kuş ile betimlenmiştir. Ancak ikonografik açıdan sahip olduğu özellikler itibariyle açıkçası farklı bir tanrı olmalıdır. Geç Hitit Dönemi sanatı içerisinde yer alan vahşi yaşam ve av tanrısı olan Geyik Tanrı betimlemelerinde, tanrı yine bir geyik üstünde durmakla birlikte, tanrının avcı sıfatı bazen elinde tuttuğu bir kuş bazen de yine avla ilişkilendirilebilecek yay ve mızrakla yapılmıştır. Önceki dönemlerde tanrının devlet kültüne dahil edilmesinin bağlamında yorumlanabilecek kanatlı güneş motifi, geç dönem betimlemelerinde yer almaktadır.

Article Details

INTERPRETATION ON SOME POSSIBLE DEPICTIONS OF THE HITTITE TUTELARY DEITY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE

Authors:

Serkan Demirel

Publisher:

Ege University

Main Topics:

Siyasi Tarih (Diğer)

Journal:

Tarih İncelemeleri Dergisi Vol.38 Issue 1, pp.61-80

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001297988

pISSN:

0257-4152

Tutelary Deity ot the Countryside

Stag-god

DKAL

DLAMMA.LĺL

Assyrian Colony Age

Hittites

Late Hittite PeriodKırların Koruyucu Tanrısı

Geyikli Tanrı

DKAL

DLAMMA.LĺL

Asur Ticaret Kolonileri Çağı

Hititler

Geç Hitit Dönemi

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Serkan Demirel

Publisher: Ege University

Main Topics: Siyasi Tarih (Diğer)

Journal: Tarih İncelemeleri Dergisi Vol.38 Issue 1, pp.61-80

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2023

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2001297988

pISSN: 0257-4152

Issues

Authors:

Serkan Demirel

Publisher:

Ege University

Main Topics:

Siyasi Tarih (Diğer)

Journal:

Tarih İncelemeleri Dergisi Vol.38 Issue 1, pp.61-80

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001297988

pISSN:

0257-4152