Inara is the goddess of wild animals, hills and forests in Hittite mythology. The Purulliya Festival of spring comes from an older Hatti tradition and marks the Hittite New Year. Goddess Inara can identify with deities such as Astarte, Artemis and Diana.
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See also: Telipinu - God of Farming & Crops
Inara is a tutelary deity of the Hittite capital, Hattusa. The father of Inara is Storm God Tarhunna (Hurrian: Teshub, Luwian: Tarḫunz). With her father and mother, Sun Goddess of Arinna, she forms the sacred trinity of Hattusa.
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A divine huntress, Inara has the title potnia theron or Mistress of Animals, a name later held by Artemis from the 8th century BCE. Her own name is close to that of the male Inar or Inarra, god of wild animals in Hittite myth, but she's a separate deity.
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Inara corresponds to the Canaanite Astarte, Greek Artemis and Roman Diana. Her symbols include deer, wolves and the moon or lunar barque crescent of the Moon God Sin (Nanna). Associated with the moon thence Underworld connections, Inara may occasionally show her dark side.
The Name Game
In some stories Inara is called Inar although she's named as a goddess. Inar is her Hattian name before the Hittites adopt her into their pantheon and change her name to Inara. She also appears as Inaras.
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As a goddess of Hatti she's known as Inar or Inara. The Hittite male god answers to Inar or Innara. It's possible they're originally meant to be assimilated, a practice favored by the Hittites, but Inara develops her own cult.
Forest glades, groves and thickets are sacred to Inara. Her worship is generally outdoors among the trees. Earthy and sensual, she ensures the fertility of wild forest animals.
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She relates to sexuality and propagation of natural life. With these qualities she's often equated with the Canaanite Astarte (Ashtarah), goddess of love, sex and war.
According to her myths, Inara doesn't get pregnant herself, and she has no children, similar to the later virgin goddesses Artemis and earlier versions of Diana. She's not as chaste as the Greco-Roman ladies though, again better identified with a goddess of passionate love, Astarte.
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Inara is often pictured together with animals. Her name is invoked by hunters before they set out. Inara ensures the hunt is timely and wise. Although societies work with agriculture the hunt is a vital way to supplement crops and dietary needs.
Inara isn't known to have consorts, though in one story she uses sex as a bargaining tool to gain the help of the mortal Hupasiyas of Zigaratta. In the story her father the Storm God lost a battle to the ravaging dragon Illuyanka, the embodiment of winter.
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When Tarhunna (Tarḫunna) is beaten by the dragon, he asks the gods for help. Inara has an idea. She prepares a feast, and acquires great vessels of wine, marnuwant beer and walḫi potion. Manuwant is an extra strong beer or beer drink, while walhi equates to 'a drink' assumed to be alcoholic.
Inara asks Hupasiyas to help her father. He requests sexual favors in return. The Goddess agrees, and the feast is laid out. Inara sings and dances, calling the dragon to partake in the banquet.
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The ceremony is considered to be the Purulliya Festival (Purulli, Puruli). It's a Hattian spring festival and the Hittite New Year.
Revels are traditionally held at Nerik, in the foothills of the Pontic Mountains in north Anatolia (Turkey). During the festival Hannahanna marries a new king. It's marked by feasts, copious drinking, singing, dancing, contests and games.
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Before long, Illuyanka hears the invitation to celebrate. He comes sniffing around with fiery drool. Inara wisely disappears. The dragon sees this marvelous spread with unlimited food and drink and sets about slurping it all up.
He gets fat and sluggish with food, and intoxicated by strong beverages. Soon he's barely able to slither. Hupasiyas leaps into action and ties him up. Tarhunna and his son Sarruma then slay the drunken dragon.
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In a Hurrian version, dating c. 1050 - 850 BCE, the Storm God is Teshub. Upon the god's defeat, lluyanka takes his eyes and heart, rendering the Storm God powerless.
In vengeance, Teshub marries a poor man's daughter. Their son Sarruma grows up to marry the daughter of the dragon Illuyanka.
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The Storm God tells his son to ask for the return of the Storm God's eyes and heart as a wedding gift. He does so, and the Storm God is restored. Teshub goes to face Illuyanka once more.
As the Storm God is about to vanquish the dragon, his son hears of the battle and realizes he's been used. He demands his father take his life along with that of Illuyanka. Without blinking an eye, Teshub kills them both.
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With the dragon dead, Hupasiyas asks Inara for his reward. She takes him to her Mountain House. She has to leave and tells him he must not look out the window while she's gone, or he'll regret it.
Naturally he disobeys and looks out the window. He sees his wife and children. In the luxurious Mountain House of Inara he has already forgotten them.
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Bombarded with guilt and sorrow, he misses them severely. When Inara comes home he begs to be allowed to go back to them.
In most popular versions of the myth, Inara loses her temper and kills him on the spot, outraged at his betrayal. He's a mere mortal, after all. In others versions he's banished to some kind of torment, and in others, he simply returns home.
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After these events, Inar goes to the town of Kiškilušša. She givers her house and the "river of the flood" to the Hittite king. The Purulliya Festival commemorates these stories, and honors the Goddess Inara.
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