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Egyptian Blue is a soft smoky blue hue considered the world's first synthetic color. The original formula to create Egyptian blue pigment is not preserved. Although Egyptian blue is used since the Fourth Dynasty (c. 2600 BCE), it falls out of favor in Roman times c 400 CE. See also: Anubis: Jackal-Headed God of Egypt Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Using period and modern analytic resources scientists are able to reconstruct the color Egyptian Blue. The first record of the name comes from England in 1809. The ancient Egyptian word wꜣḏ translates as blue, blue-green, and green. Egyptian blue is made of silica, lime, copper and an alkali or salt. See also: Apep - Primal Chaos God of Egypt Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant Blue Gem of Ancients Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle A calcium-copper tetrasilicate like talc, the pigment has the same chemical composition as the naturally occurring blue mineral cuprorivaite (CaCuSi4O10). In this way scientists are able to break it down to known components. In the ancient Egyptian language the color is called ḫsbḏ-ỉrjt (khesbedj irtiu), which refers to artificial lapis lazuli (ḫsbḏ). In the ancient world Egyptian blue is popular as a versatile blue pigment. See also: Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books It's used to color different media such as stone, wood, plaster, textiles and papyrus. As a dye Egyptian blue is used for cotton, flax (linen) and hemp, all of which Egypt is producing by the third millennium BCE. Egyptian blue is also used in the production of objects such as cylinder seals, beads, scarabs, inlays, pots, and statuettes. It's found in tomb paintings and home decor. See also: Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt Sun Goddess of the Earth: Hittite Underworld Arabian Leopard: Bronze Age Predators Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In ceramics it may be used to glaze pottery. It's easy to confuse with Egyptian blue faience (above), which is more a process of creation rather a specific color. The Egyptian blue hue comes from copper, which is also used for green tints and dyes. A favorite copper-bearing green stone is malachite. See also: Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Carnelian - Gems of the Ancient World Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Copper is also responsible for the colors of turquoise, azurite and the blue blood of lobsters. The brilliant blue of lapis (lazurite) comes not from copper but a sulfur reaction. Although enamored of the colors of such gems as turquoise and azurite the Egyptians have limited resources and demand is rising. While turquoise is mined in Egypt it's expensive and heavily used for trade. See also: Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In order to meet the demand for these colors, Egyptians have to find a solution. They put their extensive metal and mineral expertise to work to create the pigment synthetically. Naturally there is a period of trial and error. Experimentation with metals and mixtures forms the base of alchemy, another branch in which ancient Egyptians come to excel. See also: Alchemy: Science, Philosophy, Magic Copper - Ruddy Metal of Mystic Magic Aruna, Hittite God of the Sea Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books No written information exists in ancient Egyptian texts about the manufacture of Egyptian blue. The ingredients and process would have been a well-kept secret. Egyptian blue is first mentioned in Roman literature by architect engineer Vitruvius in the first century BCE. He calls it caeruleum (sky blue). Later it's Anglicized to cerulean. See also: Ebony - Precious Wood of Ancients Zagros Mountains - the Way to Kur Wadjet - Winged Snake Goddess of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In his work De architectura Vitruvius describes how the color is produced. Sand, copper and natron (natural baking soda) are ground together, shaped into balls and heated at high temperatures in a furnace. Lime is needed and scholars believe lime-rich sand is used. In the 4th century BCE Greek philosopher Theophrastus calls the color κύανος (kyanos, blue), a name previously used for lapis lazuli. From this comes cyan. However, the term for the poison cyanide applies to the element extracted from Prussian blue c. 1800 CE. See also: Gnomes: Earth Spirits of Renaissance Mythology Lukka: Bronze Age Warrior Sea People Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Egyptian blue is formed into cakes of pigment ready for the market. Processing tools to create the color are found in excavations such as Qatar and Amarna. Blue color cakes appear in Libya. Artifacts of Egyptian blue are found in West Asia and the Mediterranean. Sometimes scrap bronze metal is used in the manufacture, apparent by minute particles of tin. A vessel of unused pigment is discovered at Pompeii. See also: Volcanic Wipeout - 1600 BCE Eruption of Thera 1st Peace Treaty 1258 BCE - the Queens Joyful Arrival of Hapi in Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Egyptian blue pigments or pots of paint are common grave goods for artisan painters in the ancient world. The color is found in Etruscan wall paintings. During the Renaissance, Raphael uses Egyptian blue in his famous painting Triumph of Galatea. See also: Jade - Jadeite, Nephrite & Jade Roads Cyclades Islands: Paradise of Ancients Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Back to Top

The Terramare (Terramara) culture of Bronze Age Italy develops in the fertile black earth of the Po Valley c. 1700 - 1150 BCE. The term Terramare comes from terra marl or marl earth. Marl comprises the sediment deposits of a lake or watershed. See also: Urnfield Culture: Bronze & Iron Age Europe Potnia: Mystery Goddess of Ancient Greece Suri (Śuri): Ancient Etruscan Fire God Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Marl is common in post-glacial lake-bed sediments. It can be any natural earth color including black. The reason for the black soil is the botanical macroalga Chara, also called stonewort. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Chara flourishes in shallow alkaline lakes. A saltwater and brackish water plant, it might be found in salt water fish tanks. Over time the stems and fruiting bodies calcify or harden. See also: Copper - Ruddy Metal of Mystic Magic Despoina - Goddess of the Mysteries Early Fire Gods - Vulkan of Germania Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle When the alga dies, the calcified components break down into fine carbonate particles. The particles mingle with silt and clay to produce marl. From this comes terra marl or terramare. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Through the Po Valley runs the Po River, Italy's longest river at about 652 km (405 mi). Originating in the Alps, it flows over mountainous terrain fans out into a basin of alluvial deltas running into Adriatic Sea. See also: Cassiterite - Tin Source of Ancients Dragons: German Harvest & Nature Spirits Baba Yaga - Slavic Forest Nature Witch Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Over 140 tributaries stream into the big river, heading for the Adriatic Sea. Rich fertile soils fill the valley and the countless caverns beneath caused by the monumental collisions of tectonic plates. The Po Valley shows traces of habitation dating back to c. 780,000 BCE. The first major Pleistocene glaciation period occurs about this time. Throughout geologic history the Po Valley is underwater in warm periods. See also: Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Mythology: Gods of Mycenean Greece Rise of the Phoenicians - Early Years Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Before the Terramare culture the Poloda people dwell in the area, building houses on poles or stilts. The Po River is subject to extensive flooding as snow melts in the highlands and rushes downstream, picking up nutrients to deposit in the generous silt of the delta. Cultures which have thrived on natural alluvial floods include the ancient Egyptians with the annual flooding of the Nile. The Mesopotamians also make successful use of the flooding of fertile Tigris and Euphrates river deltas and marshes flowing into the Persian Gulf. See also: Aruru - Violent Vegetation Goddess Bronze Age Trade of Mesopotamia Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Terremare culture occupies the central part of the Po valley in northern Italy. They build upon hills inland above the watercourse. Even on higher ground, some homes are on stilts, and some on the ground. Elevated buildings are ideal as granaries or storage for produce. Grain has to stay dry or it will rot and the people starve. Stilt buildings have an important use even in non-flooding areas with regular rain. See also: Lord Rodent (Ninkilim) Sumerian Pest God Caspian Tiger: Bronze Age Wild Predators Divine Twins: Germanic & Greek Mythology Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Settlements of the Terramare are rectangular designs or trapezoids of well aligned buildings and streets. A strong earthwork with buttresses surrounds the settlement, along with a wide moat. Over sixty such villages and habitations are known, most in the area of Emilia. The Po River forms Emilia's northern border. Today Bologna is the capital of the region. See also: Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Taurus Mountains: Bronze Age Bounty Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The settlements are under 2 ha (5 acres) in the Middle Bronze Age, with one settlement per 10 sq mi (26 sq km). In the Late Bronze, some sites grow to up to 60 ha (150 acres). The remains of the society are found in the 19th century and sites intensely evacuated. The ancient Terramare culture uses fewer stone objects and concentrates on bronze, an alloy typically of 88% copper and 12% tin. See also: Tin Trade Routes - Ancient Networks Striped Hyena - Bronze Age Wild Lusatians - Nordic Bronze Age Cultures Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Items recovered include cutting utensils and weaponry or tools such as knives, axes, swords, daggers and sickles. Razors, brooches, needles and pins are also found, along with a number of stone and clay molds for casting bronze. Other finds include bone and wood items, coarse and fine pottery, Baltic amber and glass paste similar to Egyptian faience. Of several small clay figures found among settlements, most are of animals. The occasional human appears. See also: Tumulus Culture - Nordic Bronze Age Bronze Age Europe - the Amber Roads Lisin - Medicine Goddess of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The people practice both burial and cremation methods. In cremation the remains are placed in a box or ossuary. There's no sign of funerary urns as in the northerly Urnfield culture. No grave goods are included with the remains of the deceased. The diet of the Terramare people is more varied than that of the southern cultures. Terramare are hunters who also keep livestock, such as sheep and goats. They're adept metal workers or metallurgists, with the contemporary technology of bronze-making. See also: Pagan Solstice Fests: Saturnalia Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As well they're farmers and agriculturalists. They cultivate grapes, wheat, beans and flax. Flax seeds are edible whole or ground into flour meal. Edible linseed oil can be extracted from the seeds. Oil extraction from seeds goes back to before c. 5000 BCE. Presses are used in the Indus Valley (Pakistan) region to extract oil from sesame seeds. See also: Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Natural linseed oil has a nutty flavor. After pressing, the organic remnants make quality animal feed. The fibrous flax plant can also be processed and woven into linen, the world's oldest fabric. Then, in c. 1200 BCE, mass evacuations empty the settlements. On the coasts, attacks by unknown sea people are frequent and lethal. In Greece many island cultures are razed and outright destroyed. See also: Herbology & Lore: Stinging Nettle Bronze Age Cultures - the Hittites Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Trade routes are in upheaval, causing economic collapse further inland. The Hittites, once the mightiest people of Anatolia, take a last gasp and vanish forever. In the Po valley, by 1150 BCE the area of Emilia is deserted. Several centuries pass and the land remains unoccupied. In the first century BCE the Greek historian, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, considers the fate of an early group he calls the Pelasgians, a pre-Greek people. See also: Before the Vikings - Nordic Bronze Age Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Trzciniec - Bronze Age Baltic Culture Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Due to a series of unexplained famines in their once-fertile land the Pelasgians must desert their villages. Many travel south. They are subsequently assimilated by other cultures. The lack of population on the land for so many years afterward could be an indicator of a period of infertile and barren soil. See also: Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Greeks generally equate the Pelasgians with Tyrrhenians and thence the Etruscans. An ancient people of Etruria, Italy, the Etruscans establish a civilization between the Tiber and Arno rivers west and south of the Apennines. They reach their height of power in the 6th century BCE. See also: Thapsos - Trade Center & Necropolis Aya - Goddess of Dawn, Mesopotamia Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Back to Top

Egyptian faience treatment of ceramics begins by the 2nd millennium BCE. This artisan technique creates a lighter, more porous ceramic or molded glass. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Glaze colors range from translucent earth brown tones to green, aqua and brilliant blue. Deep blue faience resembles the color of desirable gemstone lapis lazuli. See also: Minoan Genius (Genii) Helper Spirits Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Apis - Sacred Sacrificial Bull of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The beautiful work above is a statuette of Egyptian Goddess Taweret, patron of women, pregnancy, childbirth and protector of young children. Images of Taweret appear on children's feeding cups and other household objects from c. 2055 BCE. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Goddess guardians of pregnancy, childbirth, infants and nursing mothers are prominent cross-culturally. They include the Greek Goddess Eileithyia, the Kotharat of Ugarit, and Asherah of the Levant. See also: Asherah: Goddess of Childbirth & Fertility Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Heqet, Frog Goddess of Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Faience is made using a process of sintering quartz to coat the base material with vitreous glaze. The sintering technique applies high heat to ground quartz. The quartz coalesces into a solid or porous mass. The high heat causes quartz to vitrify or become like glass. It can also stimulate a color change. Quartz can dramatically change color with heat, as seen in the stone ametrine. See also: Amethyst - Divine Purple Quartz Gemstone Weapons & Warfare of Bronze Age Europe 1 Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Road Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Temperatures have to be hotter than 1,000 °C (1,830 °F). The ceramic treatment creates a bright luster of various colors most often in transparent blue or green isotropic glass. In Ancient Egypt the process and effect are known as tjehenet. Modern archeological terms include sintered quartz, glazed frit and glazed composition. See also: Wild Women and Winter Tales Copper - Ruddy Metal of Mystic Magic Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books "Egyptian faience" distinguishes from faience, the tin-glazed pottery from Faenza in north Italy. Faenza is a busy center of production in the late Middle Ages. Deep blue faience resembles lapis lazuli, the first is a glass product often with a depth of several glazes, the second a brilliant blue stone. Lapis is a compound of lazurite, pyrite (fool's gold) and calcite. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Faience can be confused with the color Egyptian Blue. A light smoky shade, Egyptian blue is considered the world's first synthetic color. It's also used in blue glazes and tints. Egyptian faience is exported and traded widely in the ancient world, and made locally in some regions. It's found as an item of trade in Mesopotamia, around the Mediterranean and in northern Europe including Scotland. See also: House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Warrior Queen: Kriemhild of the Burgundians Cult of the Bull: Divine Sacrifice Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Greek / Northern connection is established in the Bronze Age with the creation of trading routes for Baltic amber. The Amber Roads connect from the coasts of the Baltic or North Sea. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure They travel to Mediterranean hotspots such as the Mycenaean coast, Levant, Crete and the Cyclades. Routes lead to the ancient near East and Egypt. By the middle Bronze Age trade networks include the Tin Roads and Steppe Routes. The Silk Roads come later, c. 2nd century BCE. See also: Baltic Amber - Gold of the North Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Road Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The term Egyptian faience is falling out of favor, with museums and archaeologists using the term "glazed composition" instead. The British Museum clarifies: "The term is used for objects with a body made of finely powdered quartz grains fused together with small amounts of alkali and/or lime through partial heating. The bodies are usually colorless but natural impurities give them a brown or greyish tint. Colorants can also be added to give it an artificial color." See also: Sobekneferu - Queen of the Pharaohs Herbology & Lore: Caraway German Nature Spirits: Evolution Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books "It can be modelled by hand, thrown or molded, and hardens with firing. This material is used in the context of Islamic ceramics where it is described as stonepaste or fritware. Glazed composition is related to glass, but glass is formed by completely fusing the ingredients in a liquid melted at high temperature." "This material is also popularly called faience in the contexts of Ancient Egypt and Ancient Near East. However, this is a misnomer as these objects have no relationship to the glazed pottery vessels made in Faenza, from which the faience term derives." See also: Sacrificial Creation Myths: Early People Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Links Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books "Other authors use the terms sintered quartz, glazed frit, frit, composition, Egyptian Blue, paste or (in the 19th century) even porcelain, although the last two terms are very inappropriate as they also describe imitation gems and a type of ceramic. Frit is technically a flux." The faience pieces below from Egypt show the enemies of Egypt at the time of Ramesses III (1182-1151 BCE). From left to right: two Nubians; a Philistine, an Amorite, a Syrian and a Hittite. Multi colored techniques are created with layers of glaze. Despite some age damage the given characteristics of the enemies are clear. See also: Amethyst - Divine Purple Quartz Gemstone Wild Women and Winter Tales Ancient Cultures: Yamnaya Steppe People Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Of all the color glazes and combinations none are so striking as the brilliant blue and turquoise tones, either as a translucent glaze or vitreous creation. Blue amulets and statues are traded, sold and included in burial chambers. Clear blues reflect the intense colors of sea, rivers and sky, while glazing gives a feeling of depth and refracts light for a mystic glow. Blue faience is sometimes used as a substitute for turquoise or lapis lazuli. See also: Warrior Queen: Kriemhild of the Burgundians Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Ebony - Precious Wood of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Egyptian faience is more porous than glass. It can be cast in molds for small vessels, jewelry and ornaments. Faience is remarkable in that it contains major components of glass (silica, lime) but no clay until later periods. Despite this, Egyptian faience is often included in the class of ancient pottery. It's closer to pottery styles than to ancient Egyptian glass. See also: Nature Spirits of German Mythology Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Before the Viking Age - Gods of the Sámi Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books From an ancient tomb to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the above piece (informally known as William) shows off skilled techniques and expressive artistry. Lotus flowers were painted on William's body before application of the glaze. In ancient Egypt the hippopotamus relates to life, regeneration, and rebirth. The element Water has similar qualities. Hippos are also at the top of the world's most dangerous animals lists. See also: Volcanic Wipeout - 1600 BCE Eruption of Thera Luwians - Mysteries of Ancient Anatolia Hepat - Sun Goddess of Aleppo Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Pharaoh Menes, legendary first king of a unified Egypt, (c. 2925 BCE) is killed by a hippo after a reign of 62 years. The ancient Egyptians revere the power of these animals, and observe how mother hippos fiercely guard their young. Depictions of hippos, such as statuettes, seals, artifacts and amulets can grant the qualities of animals to the owners of the talismans. Trade in god statuettes is lucrative. Some deities such as Bes are adopted by other cultures. See also: Ammitt - Devourer of the Dead Sphinx - Mythical Monster of Ancients Nixies - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Bes originally comes from the Land of Punt, south of Egypt, and is adopted by the Egyptians. A pygmy god with protective powers, he may also be depicted in doorway reliefs. See also: Primeval Deities: Goddess of the Dawn Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe Land of Punt: Pre-Bronze Age Kingdom of Riches Back to Top

Aruna is the God of the Sea worshiped by the Hittites (c. 1600 - 1187 BCE). At their greatest range under King Šuppiluliuma I, the Hittites control the sunny eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Isuwa - Bronze Age Hittite Foes Sun Goddess of the Earth: Hittite Underworld Purulli: Hittite New Year & Spring Fest Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Son of Kamrushepa, Goddess of Magic and Medicine, Aruna is born without a father. His name is identical to the Hittite word for "sea". Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Loosely defined a sea can be fresh or salt, or both, like the Black Sea. Aruna can refer to a large body of water or the divine essence thereof. See also: Kiashe (Kiaše) - Elemental Sea God Hapkis - Hittite & Kaska Hostilities Nanshe - Nature Goddess of Justice Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The worship of Aruna is local to such cities as Hubeshna (Ḫubešna) and Tuwanuwa. Most of his known attestations come from southeastern Anatolia. Aruna is a true Hittite god, where other Hittite sea gods are Hurrian in origin. His Hurrian equivalent is Kiashe, who allies himself with Kumarbi against the younger gods. See also: Ebony - Precious Wood of Ancients Hahhima - Deadly Hittite Frost Demon Zagros Mountains - the Way to Kur Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Aruna appears in the Hittite myth, "Telipinu and the Daughter of the Sea God." When Aruna kidnaps the Sun God of Heaven, Storm God Tarḫunna sends his son Telipinu, God of Agriculture, to confront Aruna in his domain. Aruna releases the Sun God but gets frightened by the anger of the deities, and offers his daughter Ḫatepuna to Telipinu as a bride. Hatepuna marries Telipinu and becomes an agriculture goddess. See also: Hayasa-Azzi - Hittite Bronze Age Foes Nature Spirits of German Mythology Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Emboldened, Aruna demands a bride price. Tarhunna agrees, pays the bride price for his son's wife, and all is well. Not the most exciting myth, but some are created to fill a void, for example, explaining the origin of a wife for Telipinu. Aruna also appears in a myth of the frost demon Ḫaḫḫima who kidnaps the Sun God and freezes the land. In this myth Aruna is seen in heroic aspect among other deities who go forth to save the Sun God. See also: Bronze Age Trade of Mesopotamia Lord Rodent (Ninkilim) Sumerian Pest God Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Aruna emerges as a god of contrasts. The sea can be mild and calm, or angry and destructive. It can lead to prosperity or ruin. Shipwrecks and pirates are real threats along the turquoise coasts. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Not just human predators await unfortunate seamen. The Mediterranean Sea is home to 47 species of shark but only two during the Bronze Age: porbeagle shark and some hammerhead species. Both are known to take a nip of human once in a while. See also: Hattusilis III - Great Hittite Kings Pala, Anatolia - Bronze Age Mysteries Kamrushepa: Hittite Goddess of Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The shrines or temples of Arunu on the way to the Mediterranean seacoast provide a chance for seagoing travelers to make offering, or pray for the benevolence of the Sea God to keep the waters calm and the evil creatures away. In the north, Hittites make tantalizing grabs for the coast of the Baltic Sea. Kaska warriors and allies prevent them from going past Nerik in northern Anatolia. They focus their sea efforts on the Mediterranean. See also: Eileithyia: Birth Goddess of Ancient Greece Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Asherah: Goddess of Childbirth & Fertility Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The world's first sea battle is undertaken by the last Hittite King, Suppiluliuma II, against Cypriots of Cyprus in c. 1210 BCE. It's a resounding victory for the Hittites. It's also their last victory. Kaska hordes sack Hattusa in 1190 BCE. By 1187 BCE, the Hittite Empire has vanished. With it goes the extensive Hittite mythology, including that of the Sea God. See also: Sherden Sea Peoples in Ancient Egypt Lukka: Bronze Age Warrior Sea People Anatolia - Alaca Höyük City of the Sun Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A combination of factors come together in the disastrous upheaval of the Bronze Age Collapse. Earthquakes, ongoing drought, internal revolt and increasing attacks by people of the sea bring one of the greatest Empires in history to the end of its four-hundred-year reign. See also: Salt Trade - the Most Precious Mineral Abzu - Primal Waters of Creation Nanaya - Goddess of Erotic Love Back to Top

Isuwa is a Bronze Age Hittite kingdom founded by the Hurrians. Also called Išuwa or Ishuwa, it's one of the many states or kingdoms occupied by the relentless Hittites. Isuwa becomes a vassal state of the Hittite Empire c. 1600 BCE. See also: Hayasa-Azzi - Hittite Bronze Age Foes Hattusilis III - Great Hittite Kings Purulli: Hittite New Year & Spring Fest Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Bronze Age, Isuwa is on the eastern bank of the river Euphrates, opposite modern-day Malatya, in southeastern Turkey. The Euphrates has its source in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey. The crossing of the River Euphrates from Malatya to Elazığ in eastern Anatolia is an important route mentioned in Hittite texts as the 'Isuwa crossing'. Ancient Isuwa is the rough range of today's eastern Turkish province Tunceli. See also: Hapkis - Hittite & Kaska Hostilities Nerik: Ancient Life in the Kaska Zone Tumanna: Ancient Black Sea Kingdom Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Receiving plentiful rains and water from springs and streams, the plains and Isuwa river valley has a mild and favorable climate for intensive agriculture. The earliest settlements in Isuwa show cultural contacts with southern groups. Agriculture beings earlier than some regions due to the favorable climate. Isuwa is at right at the outskirts of the early Mesopotamian Uruk period culture. Taurus Mountains: Bronze Age Bounty Copper - Ruddy Metal of Mystic Magic Hashamili - Metal Work & Smith God Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The people of Isuwa are skilled in metallurgy, reaching the Bronze Age in the fourth millennium BC. Copper is first mixed with arsenic, later with tin. Early Bronze Age culture is associated with the Caucasus regions in northeast Anatolia. In the Hittite period the culture of Isuwa shows evolution runs parallel to Central Anatolian and south Hurrian cultures. The people create monumental architecture influenced by Hittite rock carvings. See also: Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant Blue Gem of Ancients Pala, Anatolia - Bronze Age Mysteries Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Field irrigation is basic and effective without a need for dams or canals. The river valley is well suited for intensive agriculture. Livestock such as sheep and goats thrive in the upper altitudes. Abundant deposits of copper are mined in antiquity. The Isuwa River Valley develops agriculture early in the Neolithic period. Urban sites appear in the Upper Euphrates river valley c. 3000 BCE. See also: Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Carnelian - Gems of the Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The first states are dated back to the 3rd millennium BCE. The name Isuwa is not known until the literate Hittite period a thousand years later. Primary source material about Isuwa and its people comes from Hittite texts. The Isuwans leave no records. The lands have no written history beyond that of the Luwians. Etymologicaligist Aram Kosyan identifies Hittite, Luwian, Indo-Iranian (possibly connected to Mitanni), Hurrian and Kaskian personal names in Isuwa. See also: Inara & the Dragon - Purulliya Festival Telipinu - God of Farming & Crops Dragons: German Harvest & Nature Spirits Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle West of Isuwa, aggressive Hittites force boundaries. Records show the Hittite king Hattsili 1 (c. 1600 BCE) takes his army across the Euphrates and lays waste to habitations. Archaeologists discover burnt destruction layers at town sites in Isuwa corresponding to this date. Hittite king Suppiluliuma I writes how in the time of his father, Tuhaliya II (c. 1400 BCE), the land of Isuwa grows hostile toward the Hittites. See also: Caspian Tiger: Bronze Age Wild Predators Pirwa - Horse God of Ancient Hittites Figs - Food of the Ancient World Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Nearby, the warlike Hurrians occupy the kingdom of Mitanni. Hittite and Hurrian aggressions increase when Mitanni tries to form an alliance with Isuwa against the Hittites. In a partial Hittite letter, the Mitanni King Shaushtatar is described as waging war against Hittite king Arnuwanda I (r. c. 1390 - 1380 BCE), with the support of Isuwa. These wars last into his son Suppiluliuma's own reign. See also: Ancient Arabia - Stone Age to Bronze Belet-Seri: Underworld Scribe Goddess Çatalhöyük (Catal hoyuk) Ancient Anatolia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In c. 1350 BC Suppiluliuma I crosses the Euphrates and invades the land of Isuwa with his troops. He claims to have conquered Isuwa, and makes it his subject. For many years, Isuwa is ruled by vassal Kings to the Hittites. A few names are recorded, such as Ehli-sharruma, Isuwa King in the13th century BCE. Also King Ari-sharruma is mentioned on a clay seal found at Korucutepe, an important early Copper Age site in Isuwa. The site is now flooded. See also: Nanshe - Nature Goddess of Justice Gula - Medicine Goddess of Mesopotamia Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Also in the 13th century BCE, rumblings in the Earth foretell disaster. Periods of drought set in. Earthquake activity increases and so does migration. Seafaring people raze the Mediterranean coast. In the Hittite Empire, internal rebellion grows bolder. Battles erupt between among settled and displaced people. Outlying territories fall into enemy hands. See also: Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Gibil - Fire God of Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Tribal aggressors like the Kaskians swarm south toward Hattusa, the capital. In c. 1190 BCE, the Kaska sack Hattussa. In c. 1187 BCE the Hittite Empire dies with the last of its Kings, Suppiluliuma II. After the fall of the Hittites a new state emerges in Isuwa. The city of Melid becomes the capital of Kammanu, a Luwian state. Phrygians settle to the west. To the east the kingdom of Urartu is established. See also: Ancient Cultures: Yamnaya Steppe People Hurrian Primordial Gods & Creatures Joyful Arrival of Hapi in Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Today the ancient Kingdom of Isuwa is almost completely underwater in the Euphrates River, due to several dams. High and dry, an important archaeologicial site is Arslantepe, across the river from the modern city of Malatya, in Eastern Anatolia. See also: Asteria - Starry Gems of Myth & Magic Before the Vikings - Early Northern Cultures Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Back to Top

Hayasa-Azzi is a confederation of states in Bronze Age Anatolia from the Pontic regions at the Black Sea to the Armenian highlands. Fierce foes of the Hittites, the Hayasa-Azzi or Azzi-Hayasa gather strength in the 14th century BCE in eastern Anatolia. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Hattusilis III - Great Hittite Kings Purulli: Hittite New Year & Spring Fest Hapkis - Hittite & Kaska Hostilities Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Hayasa is the northern neighbor of Azzi. The confederation is thought to be one reason of many for the catastrophic crash of the Hittite Empire by c. 1187 BCE. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Hittite inscriptions refer to the mountainous country, Hayasa-Azzi, lying to the east of Hatti, in the Upper Euphrates region. The Euphrates emerges in the Taurus Mountains south of the Black Sea Coast. See also: Shakhar & Shalim: Divine Twins of Ugarit Amorites - Titans of the Bronze Age Al-Mi'raj: Unicorn Hare of Arab Myth Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The river travels 2800 km (1739 mi) through southern Turkey, Syria and Iraq. It spreads out into the mouth of the delta, connects with the Tigris River, and flows into the the Persian Gulf. Though the lands of Hayasa and Azzi retain separate identities they share language sources and political views. The exact borders of the region are disputed by scholars. See also: Bronze Age Cultures - the Hittites Nerik: Ancient Life in the Kaska Zone Rise of the Phoenicians - Early Years Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Hayasa-Azzi region did however occupy the part of Anatolia which is modern day northeast Turkey. The people inhabit the mountains and steppes toward Armenia. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Hittite King at the time, Suppiluliuma I, tries to implement a land border treaty with the inhabitants. He refers to them as the "people of Hayasa", which leads scholars to argue whether the Hayasa and Azzi are the same. See also: Mountain Gazelle: Wild Ancient World Ammitt - Devourer of the Dead Kaska - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books These groups arise from the Trialeti-Vanadzor culture (Vanadzor, Armenia), 6000 - 4000 BCE. They're previously known as the Trialeti-Kirovakan people. The culture is named after the Trialeti region of Georgia. Significant development of the area by the Hasaya-Azzi group goes back to the late 3rd and early 2nd millennium BCE. See also: Kulullu - Fish Man Monster of Tiamat Ephedra - Medical Stimulant Plant of Ancients Tarhunna (Tarḫunna) Storm God of the Hittites Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books After merging with one or more other cultures the Trialeti people evolve into the Mushki and Hayasa-Azzi. The Mushki are an Iron Age warlike tribe who rise in power after the fall of the Hittites. The Hayasa-Azzi get a head start in the 14 century BCE. Location of or existence of a Hayasa-Azzi capital city is unknown. The main fortress is named as Ura. It may be located somewhere near modern Bayburt or along the Kelkit River, both in northern Anatolia. See also: Romanesque - Magic of Light & Stone Belet-Seri: Underworld Scribe Goddess German House Spirits: Beer Donkey (Bieresel) Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books King Tudhaliya II or III sends general Suppiluliuma, who would later serve as king himself, to the northeastern frontiers of the Hittite empire to bring Hayasa-Azzi under control. At first the Hayasans avoid direct confrontation. According to Hittitologist Trevor R. Bryce, Tudhaliya and Suppiluliuma eventually invade Hayasa-Azzi and undertake a battle against King Karanni near the city of Kumaha. The outcome of the battle is damaged or missing, but events tell of a Hittite victory. See also: Hesperus (Vesper) the Evening Star Amethyst - Divine Purple Quartz Gemstone Mušḫuššu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Hayasa-Azzi becomes a Hittie vassal state. Suppiluliuma draws up a treaty with the current ruler, Hakkana. The Hayasans are forced to repatriate all captured Hittite subjects and cede "the border [territory] which Suppiluliuma claims belongs to the Land of Hatti." King Karanni first demands return of his people taken prisoner by the Hittites. Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Pirwa - Horse God of Ancient Hittites German Myth - Headless Horseman Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Cuneiform tablets of Boğazköy, near the Black Sea, tell of at least three different Kings of the Hayasa-Azzi lands. They are Karanni (or Lanni), Mariya, and Hakkani (or Hukkana). When Suppiluliuma becomes King, Hakkani marries Suppiluliuma's sister. The Hittite king reminds him of certain morals: "My sister, whom I gave you in marriage has sisters; through your marriage, they now become your relatives. Well, there is a law in the land of the Hatti. Do not approach sisters, your sisters-in law or your cousins; that is not permitted. In Hatti Land, whosoever commits such an act does not live; he dies. In your country, you do not hesitate to marry your own sister, sister-in law or cousin, because you are not civilized. Such an act cannot be permitted in Hatti." See also: Rhytons - Animal Vessels of the Ancients Tumanna: Ancient Black Sea Kingdom Animal Spirits - Goat, Hare, Falcon Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the mid-14th century BCE the Hittites are struck by plague today called rabbit fever, then called the Hittite Plague. It's thought to originate in Egypt. Parasites on rabbits, hares and other rodents transfer the disease to humans, who pass it on. It severely weakens the Hittite forces. Both Suppiluliuma and his oldest son, Arnuwanda II, die of the plague. See also: Telipinu - God of Farming & Crops Shurpu: Ancient Rite of Curse Removal Rabbit Fever Plague & Warfare: Hittites Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Hittite lands are shaky. Enemies draw closer with greed in their eyes. Warrior groups like the Kaska, Azarwa and Hayasa-Azzi sharpen their weapons. The Azarwa to the west consider this a perfect time to attack the Hittites. However, as the story goes, the Azarwa warriors are startled by the appearance of some large rams. They take the rams back to their encampment, not knowing the sheep are infected with the disease. See also: Kamrushepa: Hittite Goddess of Magic Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Disease Demons & Doctors: Ancient Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle By the time they figure it out, it's too late. Rabbit fever spreads through the Azarwa legions and lands, wreaking havoc. This occurrence is considered to be the first instance of warfare using a disease. Despite attacks by hostile forces, rebellions in outlying lands such as North Syria, and a ravaging plague, Mursili II keeps the Hittite Empire alive. In 1315 BCE, a King of the Kaskas, Pihhuniya, is crowned. See also: Erra - Plague Demon of Mesopotamia Hashamili - Metal Work & Smith God Cress, Watercress: Natural Health of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Taking advantage of this move, Anniya, who calls himself "Lord of Azzi", raids the Land of Dankuwa, a border region of the Hittites. Anniya takes the Hittite population back to his kingdom. Despite diplomacy and threats by the Hittite King, Anniya refuse to give the people back. This becomes a long and bitter battle. Two years later Anniya has still not returned the people. See also: Bau - Healing Goddess of Babylonia Ereshkigal Goddess of Underworld & Night Botanical Alchemy - White Dead Nettle Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Mursili is also known for "Mursili's Eclipse", a full solar eclipse happening about noon, just before he launches a campaign against the Hasaya-Azzi. It's considered a good omen and it is, as Mursili decisively defeats Anniya. In his Annals, Mursili describes the action. "The people of Nahasse arose and besieged" (name indecipherable). Other enemies and the people of Hayasa likewise. They plundered Institina, blockaded Ganuvara with troops and chariots. See also: Bronze Age - Corded Ware Culture Ebony - Precious Wood of Ancients Elixir of Life: Alchemy & the Emperor Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books And because I had left Nuvanzas, the chief cup-bearer, and all the heads of the camp and troops and chariots in the High Country, I wrote to Nuvanzas as follows; 'See the people of Hayasa have devastated Institina, and blockaded the city of Ganuvara.' And Nuvanza led troops and chariots for aid and marched to Ganuvara. And then he sent to me a messenger and wrote to me; 'Will you not go to consult for me the augur and the foreteller? Could not a decision be made for me by the birds and the flesh of the expiatory victims? See also: Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Chicken Soup: Chickens in German Folklore Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle And I sent to Nuvanza this letter: 'See, I consulted for you birds and flesh, and they commanded, Go! because these people of Hayasa, the God U, has already delivered to you; strike them! And as I was returning from Astatan to Carchemish, the royal prince Nana-Lu came to meet me on the road and said, 'The Hayasan enemy having besieged Ganuvara, Nuvanza marched against him and met him under the walls of Ganuvara. See also: Winter Tales - 4 Novellas Inara & the Dragon - Purulliya Festival Nefertari Queen of Peace Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ten thousand men and seven hundred chariots were drawn up in battle against him, and Nuvanza defeated them. There are many dead and many prisoners." Once more, Hayasa-Azzi becomes a vassal state of the Hittite Empire. After Anniya's defeat, Hayasa-Azzi never appears again in the Hittite or Assyrian records as a unified nation. The campaign of Mursili II establishes the dominance of the Hittite Empire once more. See also: Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt Arabian Leopard: Bronze Age Predators Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As a fighting power Hasaya is almost eliminated by Mursili II. Azzi continue to appear after reference to Hayasa dwindles. Hasaya and/or Azzi join forces with the Hittites against the Egyptions, serving in the military as war charioteers. Breakup of the Hayasa-Azzi confederation comes at the end of the 13th century BCE. Many previous districts and towns of Hayasa-Azzi form independent city-states. See also: Queen Eleanor & the Calamitous Crusade Nabarbi - Rustic Goddess of Pastures Nature Spirits of German Mythology

Tarhunna (Tarḫunna) is the Storm and Weather God of the Hittites, a warrior people who occupy much of Anatolia in the Bronze Age. Tarhunna is leader of the Gods, naturally stepping into the role. He's often equated with Hurrian Storm God Teshub. His consort is the lovely Sun Goddess of Arinna. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Ishara - Goddess of Death & Desire Ebla - Shining Jewel of the Bronze Age Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A god of several names depending on region, he's also called Tarhun, Tarhunda, Tarhunza, Taru, Tarhunt and Tarḫunz. Tarhunna is a warlike deity and his power is ferocious. He's thought to originate from the Hatti people as Taru. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure He can send light rain to nurture the thirsty crop or unleash a tempest of destruction. His weapons are lightning bolts. His voice is thunder. He often wields an ax or mace and wears armor of leather and shining bronze. See also: Lelwani - Hittite Underworld Goddess Primeval Deities: Goddess of the Dawn Cult of the Bull - Prehistoric Aurochs Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle He's King of the Gods in Hittite religion. As weather god he holds dominion over the clouds, rain, storms and fertility of the earth. Tarhunna decides whether a region has drought or prosperity. He determines the success of agriculture. In this way he relates to Thunder God Thor of later Norse mythology. Like Thor he's given offerings, praises and pleas in times of famine. See also: Ereshkigal Goddess of Underworld & Night Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Road German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Tarhunna is often portrayed standing on the backs of mountain gods Namni & Hazzi. Earlier depictions show him as a bearded man with pointed cap and scepter. As weapons he has three-pronged thunderbolts. Later he's shown with a battle ax in the shape of an adze. As King of the Gods Tarhunna also legitimizes the rule of the mortal Hittite monarch, making him King by divine decree. See also: Yazilikaya: Sacred Site of the Hittites Puduhepa - Queen of the Hittites A Myth of Hahhima, Frost Demon God Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The children of Tarḫunna and the Sun Goddess are Telipnu, god of agriculture; Kammamma, tutelary protective deity; and Mezulla, who with her daughter and mother forms a Divine Trinity. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Another of his children is Inara, goddess of wild animals. She's a separate deity from Inar/Inarra, Hittite god of wild animals. Inara is later equated with the Greek Artemis (Roman Diana). See also: Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Hashamili - Metal Work & Smith God Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books He also fathers the Weather God of Zippalanda and the Weather God of Nerik. He has two brothers. Šuwaliyat is a vegetation god. Aranzaḫ is the Hurrian brother of Tarhunna. He's the deific personification of the Tigris River. He's born from the blood and sperm of the god Anu, the oldest god, after Kumarbi bites off his testicles and is sent to the Underworld or Dark Earth of the Hittites. See also: Wild Women and Winter Tales Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Hannahanna - Great Grandmother Goddess Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Tarhunna's Hurrian equivalent is Teshub (Teššub, Teššop). In Canaanite myth he equates with Baal. The god's name appears in personal names. The oldest example is "Tarḫuan", from a 19th-century BCE Hittite text at Kültepe. As ruler of the Hittite gods, Tarḫunna is depicted in front of a long line of male gods in rock reliefs at the sanctuary of Yazilikaya. He is personally worshipped as a tutelary god by King Ḫattušili III and Queen Puduḫepa in the 13th century BCE. See also: Cassiterite - Tin Source of Ancients Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Bronze Age Trade of Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, a Roman revival period brings Tarhunna to the fore once more. He's identified with the Armenian and Roman god, Jupiter Dolichenus. See also: Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Uluburun - Bronze Age Shipwreck Back to Top

Tumanna is a northern Anatolian settlement of the ancient world. Embracing the south coast of the Black Sea, in the late Bronze Age Tumanna is bordered by Pontic mountains. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Kaska (Kashka, Kaška) warriors advance from the east and Hittite-occupied Pala dominate the southwest. Further south, Hittites rule the land. See also: Pala, Anatolia - Bronze Age Mysteries Pirwa - Horse God of Ancient Hittites Zagros Mountains - the Way to Kur A city kingdom or state in the northern reaches of Anatolia, ancient Tumanna (Tummanna, Tummana) is bordered by the Black Sea Coast at the north, the Pala lands to the west and those of the aggressive Kashka to the east and encroaching. At least one Tumanna King is mentioned in correspondence but not named. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Later Hittite inscriptions call this area Pontus, today the Pontic Mountains. The range stretches along the southern coast of the Black Sea. See also: Ebony - Precious Wood of Ancients Bronze Age Cultures - the Hittites Inara & the Dragon - Purulliya Festival Hittite attempts to settle Pala and the outlying regions meet with rebellion and disaster. In the north they establish the town of Nerik, famous for the Purilli festival, a spring and Hittite New Year celebration. READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure No one invites the Kaskians but they come anyway. After all, no one invited the Hittites to punk a city down in Kaska-owned lands. See also: Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt Ḫurri & Šeri - Hurrian Divine Bulls By c.1590 BCE Nerik is overrun by hostile Kaska. The town is abandoned to the barbarians and the festival moves south to the Hittite capital, Hattusa. Tumanna falls under Kashka dominance in the fourteenth century BCE. Kaskians sweep the Black Sea Coast, gaining dominion of the entire south coast except the extreme west. See also: Bronze Age - Corded Ware Culture Telipinu - God of Farming & Crops Shurpu: Ancient Rite of Curse Removal The people of Tumanna move south, leave the region or join forces with Kashka. In the 14th century Tumanna is still on the map, but not on the coast. Shortly thereafter the city of Nerik is re-conquered by King Šuppiluliuma I during his expeditions against the hostile tribes. This victory in the early part of his reign strengthens the Hittite holdings. See also: Ephedra - Medical Stimulant Plant of Ancients Yazilikaya: Sacred Site of the Hittites Spiritual Magic - Numbers Three & Nine In the latter part of his reign, around 1330 BC, Šuppiluliuma I has to return, at least to the region of Mount Kasu (Kaššu). Mount Kasu, between Canaan in the Levant and Khilikku, in the Hurrian land is the home of great god El. The destination city is an incomplete name (... Naggara). Šuppiluliuma I has already been to this area in his first campaign as King to quash the Kaska. See also: Kulullu - Fish Man Monster of Tiamat Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Before the Vikings - Nordic Bronze Age Around 1300 BC the Tumanna region is integrated into the vassal kingdom of Hakpis. Hapkis specifically is created by Hittite King Muwatallis II to contain the attacks of the hostile Kashka mountain warriors. Muwatallis II gives the kingdom to his brother Hattusilis, who will later become one of the most influential Hittite Kings under the name of Hattusilis III. The area of the Hapkis Kingdom, including Tumanna, covers the central northwest. See also: Nature Spirits of German Mythology Hannahanna - Great Grandmother Goddess Scorpion Men of Babylonia For ten years Hattusilis repopulates the land and negotiates among tribes, either with a silver tongue or an iron fist. After the death of Muwatlallis II, Muwatlallis' son Mursilis III ascends to the throne. He separates Tumanna from the kingdom of Hakpis and takes it into his own domains. This type of behavior soon leads to civil war. Hattusilis III overthrows his nephew Mursilis. He puts himself on the throne, with his wife Puduhepa as Queen. She herself becomes one of the most important women of the ancient world. See also: Tarhunna (Tarḫunna) Storm God of the Hittites Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Cleopatra the Alchemist of Greece What happens to Tumanna after that is classic. Eventually the region is incorporated into the surrounding lands like Hakpis, people disperse, and another kingdom sinks quietly into the sands of time. See also: Alchemy: Science, Philosophy, Magic The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Ishara - Goddess of Death & Desire Back to Top

Hapkis is an ancient vassal kingdom created to contain the unruly Kashka (Kaska, Kaška, Kaskians) of the Pontic Mountains. The range runs along the south coast of the Black Sea. The Kaska occupy most of the northeast, with Pala and Tumanna to the west. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure See also: Kaska - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Nerik: Ancient Life in the Kaska Zone Kamrushepa: Hittite Goddess of Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Kashka raid early settlements of the Hittite Kings, especially rich trade cities like Alaca Hoyuk. Some they burn to the ground, restore them and have them burned to the ground and retaken by the armies of the next Hittite king. It's a ceaseless power struggle. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure By c. 1320 BCE the Kashkas establish themselves at the city of Pishuru in the northeast Hittite Empire. For the nomadic mountain tribes it's the beginning of an organized state system. See also: Ebony - Precious Wood of Ancients Potnia: Mystery Goddess of Ancient Greece Uluburun - Bronze Age Shipwreck Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In the Hittite highlands, the cities Ishupitta and Daistipassa also fall beneath the battle axes of the the Kaska. After some negotiations, the cities ally forces with the Kaska against the Hittite Empire. Kashka begin to make forays south. They attack and seize control of Hittite territories including Landa to the east of Hattusa, and Marista in the highlands to the southeast. See also: Pirwa - Horse God of Ancient Hittites Zagros Mountains - the Way to Kur Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Continuing the spread south they cross the Maraššanda River, today known as the Kızılırmak River. It originates in the mountain region of İmranlı and creates a fertile delta at the Black Sea coast. The river forms a natural border, so crossing it is a bold move by the Kaska. They forge further south to the prosperous trade city of Kanesh (Kültepe) in central Anatolia. See also: Zababa - Bronze Age War God of Kish Humbaba: Giant Mountain Forest Man Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Along the way, the Kashka hook up with at least three more cities against the Hittite domination. With a growing army they advance toward central Anatolia. The city of Durmitta to the east of Kanesh also joins with the Kaskians. From there the Kaska launch attacks throughout the region. The Kashka phenomenon explodes through the land of Ippasanama (Ippaššanama, also east of Kanesh) and further east to Suwatara. See also: Brunhilde: Tragic Germanic Warrior Queen Weapons & Warfare of Bronze Age Europe 2 Teshub: Hurrian Bronze Age Storm God Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Suwartara is the southernmost conquest of the Kaskians. Only two cities, Istahara and one which can't be read, escape Kashka attacks. Later, Hattusilis reconquers the occupied cities. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Finally the Hittite King Muwatallis II notices an aberrance in the north quickly becoming a threat. For the purpose of containing the Kaska he establishes a vassal kingdom in the north. He gives it to his brother, Hattusilis, to rule as governor or vassal King. See also: Lukka: Bronze Age Warrior Sea People Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods A Myth of Hahhima, Frost Demon God Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Hittites re-conquer and fortify the nearby towns of Anziliya and Tapikka. Then Muwatallis goes back to the trappings of civilization in the new Hittite capital at Tarhuntassa, named for Storm God Tarhunna. He moved the capital from Hattusa to Tarhuntassa, further south, due to the Kaska threat. After his reign the capital goes back to Hattusa. See also: Disease Demons & Doctors: Ancient Mesopotamia Cleopatra the Alchemist of Greece Owl - Death, Messages, Mystic Wisdom Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The regions and people of northern Anatolia have fallen under Kaskian dominance. Hattusilis himself calls the kingdom "hollow lands". The capital is placed at Hakpis. Settlements of the new Kingdom include Ishupitta, Marista, Hissashapa, Katapa, Hanhana, Darahna, Hattena, Durmitta, Pala, Tummanna, Gasiya, Sappa, the Hulanna River, Hakpis and Istahara. See also: Luwians - Mysteries of Ancient Anatolia Saffron - Most Precious Ancient Spice Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Ruler of a frontier region, surrounded by rebels, mercenaries and enemies, Hattulisi rises to the challenge. His powers of autonomy give him the freedom to govern and campaign as he chooses and lay down national laws. He has absolute control over the kingdom's army. With an effective combination of military strength and diplomacy, Hattusili restores order and repopulates many regions over the course of ten years. See also: Rise of the Phoenicians - Early Years Pomegranate - Food of the Ancients Asherah: Goddess of Childbirth & Fertility Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The highlight of his campaigns is military victory over the Kaskian city of Pishuru. In the south, his brother the King is unhelpful, sending only 120 wagons for the fight against the eight hundred armored wagons of Kaska, and no soldiers. No problem. With the resources he has, Hattusili marches on Pishuru and takes the city by force. He inspires courage, faith and loyalty. Once Pishuru falls, the re-conquest of the ancient Hittite cities meets little resistance. See also: Hannahanna - Great Grandmother Goddess Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Hattusilis erects a stele in Wistawanda. Shortly afterwards Hattusilis restores Hakpis, which has endured recent harassment from the Kashka. Nerik, now part of the Hakpis Kingdom, revered as the site of the ancient Purilli Festival, is re-captured by the Hittites. Hattusilis takes the city by storm and defeats the Kaska. He thus returns the worship of the Storm God to Nerik, See also: Eileithyia: Birth Goddess of Ancient Greece Telipinu - God of Farming & Crops Soap & Medicine Herb of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Several years after Hittite king Mursilis III assumes the throne, he tries to take Nerik, Hakpis and Tumanna regions from his uncle Hattusilis into his own holdings. Hattusilis rebels, overthrows Mursilis III and becomes King of Hittites c. 1275 BCE. See also: A Myth of Hahhima, Frost Demon God Herbology & Lore: Stinging Nettle Primeval Deities: Goddess of the Dawn Back to Top

Purulli is a spring festival acquired by the Hittites from the Hatti, previous occupants of the Anatolian lands. It also celebrates the Hittite New Year. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Hittites rise to power in Anatolia about 1600 BCE. They assimilate the pre-existing Hatti people and adopt much of their mythology, pantheon and sacred rites. See also: Hapkis & Hittite Kaskian Hostilities Nerik: Ancient Life in the Kaska Zone Kamrushepa: Hittite Goddess of Magic Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books They keep the name Land of the Hatti, by which people know these regions. They also retain many of the Hattic traditions. Fierce warriors, the Hittites also know the advantages of alliance vs. attack. Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure The Festival of Purulli (Puruli, Purulliya) is a spring celebration dedicated to the mother Goddess Hannahanna. A high point to the revelry is her marriage to a new king. Hannahanna is an earth mother figure and the wedding symbolizes the beginning of the new year's cycle. See also: Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Pretty Poisons: Holly, Yew, Mistletoe Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The ritual also centers around the story of the dragon  Illuyanka, the embodiment of Winter. The Storm God can't defeat the dragon but Inara, the Hatti Goddess of Wild Animals, has an idea. The Purulli Festival has similarities to Akitu or Akitum, the Assyrian and Mesopotamian celebration of spring and the new year. It's held on the first day of the Babylonian Nesin (Nissan, Nisanu), the fourth month, corresponding to April in the western calendar. See also: Chicken Soup: Chickens in German Folklore Inara & the Dragon - Purulliya Festival Telipinu - God of Farming & Crops Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Akitu festival lasts for twelve days, also called the 12 Days of Zagmuk, with different rituals and observances dedicated to various days. The whole city celebrates among the different cultural classes: awilu (upper class) muskena (middle class) wardu (lower class) High Priest King See also: Enuma Elish: Marduk & the Chaos Monsters Mušḫuššu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Sherden Sea Peoples in Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Here it's the Babylonian hero Marduk who prevails against the dragon. The dragon is chaos personified, Tiamat the Queen of the Primal Seas. In physical form Tiamat may appear as a woman or a snake-monster. In today's Anatolia (Turkey), people celebrate the festival as Nevruz and it begins March 21. At the time of the Hittites, Nevruz is known as Purilli or Purulliya comes from the prefix pur-, a Hattian term. Purilli means variously earth, place or country. See also: Pala, Anatolia - Bronze Age Mysteries Kaska - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Ebony - Precious Wood of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books On clay cuneiform tablets the word is written various ways, such as puruli-, purulli-, ṷuurulli-, puruliš-, ṷurulliya-, purulliya-, purulliyan or purulliyaš. In Hurrian it means house or temple. House can also mean temple, as in the Mountain Houses of gods. The Purilli festival also includes the appeasement and reverence of such gods as Telipinu, the agriculture god, and Tarhunna (Tarhunz) the storm god. The Legend of Telipinu describes the fate of the Earth when Telipinu disappears. See also: Pirwa - Horse God of Ancient Hittites 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Anubis: Jackal-Headed God of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The traditional site of the Purilli Festival is in northern Anatolia at Nerik. After the capture of Nerik by Kaskians in the 15th century BCE, the festival is moved to Hattusa, the Hittite capital. There, the celebrations are twice as grand, with plenty of food, spectacles, contests, theatrics and acrobatics, music, and dancing. Apart from its other functions the feast honors the sowing of barley. See also: Hahhima - Deadly Hittite Frost Demon Yazilikaya: Sacred Site of the Hittites Lukka: Bronze Age Warrior Sea People Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books An important part of the festival is known as "the ritual of the city of Nerik". Here, the King is accepted by the Gods to rule another year. Altogether the Purulli celebrations at Hattusa and throughout the country last about a month. The King undertakes a ceremonial journey from Hattusa. See also: Amurru: Amorite Bronze Age Kingdom Bronze Age Europe - The Amber Roads Cilicia (Kazziwatna) - Bounty & Booty Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books He stops at Taṷiniya and Ṷarkataṷi, from there to Zippalanda. From there he might go to Arinna, Kashtama and finally, Nerik. Due to the Kaska takeover with their allies in the north, the final part of the journey is for a while amended. Festivities are not carved in stone and can vary depending on the Hittite ruler at the time. For example, during the reign of Muṷatalli II, the short form of the holiday to honor Telipinu is celebrated in the region of Utruna. See also: Byblos, Vibrant Port City - Bronze Age Arcadia - Greek Lands of Ancient Gods Bizilla - Shining Love Goddess Sukkal Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle While the city of Nerik is under Kaska control, Nerik rituals are held in Hapkis (Ḫakmiš(ša) Ḫakpiš(ša) or Utruna. Sacrifices are given to Telipinu and other deities according to ritual guidelines. Later the people partake of the feast. With the recapture of Nerik by Hittite King Hattusili(s) III, the Purulliya Festival returns to its ancestral home. Queen Puduhepa, also a High Priestess, takes the journey with the King and their son. See also: Wadjet - Winged Snake Goddess of Egypt Uluburun - Bronze Age Shipwreck Saffron - Most Precious Ancient Spice Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Puduhepa is among the most influential women of the ancient world. She introduces the gods of southern Anatolia into the north. She lists, categorizes and promotes the thousands of Hittite deific entities. Her diplomacy wins powerful friends. She's also a driving force behind the signing of the world's first peace treaty. See also: Chaoskampf: Order & Chaos Battle Out Lotan - Chaos Sea Dragon of Ugarit Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Back to Top

Nerik is one of the northernmost cities established by the Bronze Age Hittites in Anatolia (Turkey). Surrounded by unforgiving landscapes and hostile tribes, Nerik is the site of the Hittite New Year and the ancient Purilli Festival. See also: The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Tumanna: Ancient Black Sea Kingdom Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Today the town of Oymaağaç Höyük, with a population of under 1700 people, occupies the site of Bronze Age Nerik. The old city is on the east bank of the Kızılırmak River, the longest river entirely in Turkey. Known as Maraššantiya by the Hittites, the river flows from İmranlı in the northeast. It curves gently around the province to empty into its watershed at the Black Sea South Basin. See also: Flooding of the Nile - Nature & Myth The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Hattusa Green Stone - Mystic Secrets Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle By alluvial deposit it creates the most important delta and wetland ecosystem of the south basin. The area is a protected wetland and bird sanctuary today. Nerik lies inland about 120 km (74.5 mi) from the Black Sea coast. In the middle and late Bronze Age the town is consistently inhabited, not always by the same people. Nerik is a bone of contention between the Hittites and the warlike mountain Kaska or Kaskians. See also: Kaska - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Pala, Anatolia - Bronze Age Mysteries Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The city is originally a Hattic settlement called Narak. The Hatti people precede the Hittites and become assimilated into Hittite culture. The Hittites adopt Hatti gods and keep the sanctity of holy towns. As they rise to power, the Hittites hold the city sacred to the Storm God of Nerik. The God's mother is the Sun Goddess of Arinna, a town just north of Hattusa. See also: Ishum: Night Watchman & Fire God Telipinu - God of Farming & Crops Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Storm Gods and Weather Gods are commonly associated with mountains and the Storm God of Nerik is no exception. His mountain is Mount Zaliyanu near Nerik. His deific duty is to supply rain for the city. The Storm God of Nerik is honored in the springtime Purilli (Purili, Purilliya) Festival, the New Year of the Hittites. See also: Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Pagan Solstice Fests: Saturnalia Disease Demons & Doctors: Ancient Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle At the Purilli Festival, a big attraction is the acting out of the myth of the dragon Illuyanka. The dragon is slain by Hittite Storm God Tarhunna thanks to a feast laid out by Inara, Goddess of Wild Animals. Sacrificial offerings are made and a feast prepared. Music is a big part of festivities, described in Hittite texts as an important element of religion. Lyres, lutes, pipes, cymbals, drums, clapping, singing and shouting elevate the mood. See also: Before the Viking Age - Gods of the Sámi Bronze Age Cultures - the Hittites Kultepe: Kārum City of Trade Anatolia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A type of ritual rattle, the sistrum is a complex instrument in which the movement of certain parts creates a range of musical sounds. Around the 16th century BCE, the Kaska make a decisive move. They raid and sack Nerik, leaving ruins and looted buildings. As the townspeople flee, the Kaskians take over the town, sit back and thumb their noses at the Hittites. See also: Lapis Lazuli: Vibrant Blue Gem of Ancients Victorian Health: Sea Water Hydrotherapy Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books From the reign of Hittite King Tudḫaliya I in the early 14th century, Kaskians occupy the city of Nerik. Agriculturalists among them settle the riversides and, like Egypt and Mesopotamia, use the natural fertility created by flooding of the land to produce grain and other essential crops. Writings from Hattusa attest: "Because the men of Kaška have taken the land of Nerik for themselves, we are continually sending the rituals for the Storm God in Nerik and for the gods of Nerik from Ḫattuša in the city of Ḫakmišša, (namely) thick-breads, libations, oxen, and sheep." See also: Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Mercury (Quicksilver): Miracle Metal of Alchemy Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Kaskians are adaptable. If crops fail they hire themselves out as mercenaries. During the reign of Muwatalli II in the late 13th century, the king's brother Hattusili drives out the Kaska and recaptures Nerik for the Hittites. He rebuilds the city as its governor and High Priest. Along with his military prowess Hattusili is a devout man in serving the Goddess Inanna, whom he credits with saving his life when he was a child. See also: Winter Tales - 4 Novellas Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Inanna (Ishtar) - Goddess of Ancients Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Seven years after Muwatalli's son Mursili III becomes Hittite king, Mursili reassigns Nerik to another governor and takes the region of Tumanna into his own holdings. Outraged, Hattusili incites a rebellion. He deposes his nephew and becomes one of the greatest Hittite kings in history. See also: A Myth of Hahhima, Frost Demon God Anatolia - Alaca Höyük City of the Sun Kultepe: Kārum City of Trade Anatolia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Nerik disappears from public record about the time of the fall of the Hittite Empire. The Kaskians sack Hatussa in 1190 BCE, and the city crumbles into ruin. By 1187 BCE, the Hittes and most of their allies are gone. See also: Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Ancient Greece - the Mycenean Invasion Ereshkigal Goddess of Underworld & Night Back to Top

Also known as the Storm God of Nerik, or by the names Nerak or Nerikkil, the Weather God protects the town, and in turn the people compose odes of praise and offer sacrifices to him. In the ancient near East, especially to the south in Mesopotamia, many believe humans are created to serve the Gods. Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books See also: Weather God of Zippalanda: Bronze Age Gods Shaushka (Šauška) - the Great Goddess House Spirits of Germanic Mythology Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Local gods and goddesses are common in ancient Anatolia and environs during the Bronze Age. Organized religion includes god lists, offering lists or kaluti, defining each entity's hierarchal place, city or sphere of influence, consorts who must be honored. Sukkals or attendants and associated dieties or entities also require offerings. People like the Hittites in Anatolia were fond of picking up the occasional god or goddess from nearby cultures. Although the Hittites have warrior blood they also have the smarts to know the benefits of assimilation over forced conquest. See also: Ancient Greece - the Mycenean Invasion Before the Vikings - Nordic Bronze Age Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Many of their gods are influenced by the Hattic culture assimilated by the Hittites, and the nearby Hurrians. According to the Hittites, the Storm God of Nerik is the son of Wurusemu, the Sun Goddess of Arinna. She protects the territories of the Hittites, and is sometimes called 'queen of all the lands.' Along with the Sun Goddess of Arinna, the people pray to the Sun Goddess of the Earth and Sun God of Heaven. See also: Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Warrior Queen: Kriemhild of the Burgundians Winter Tales - 4 Novellas Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Weather God of Nerik is associated with nearby Mount Zaliyanu. He's responsible for delegating rain for the local crops such as barley and wheat. Although Tarhannu is the overall storm God of the near East Anatolian region, the Weather God of Nerik has great power in his sacred city. Located in north central Anatolia the site of Nerik is identified as Oymaağaç Höyük, on the east shore of the Kızılırmak (Red) River. Ancient Hittite tablets help identity the town. It's prime raiding and looting domain for the mountain people, Kaska, Kashka or Kaskians, who control the southern coast of the Black Sea. See also: Copper - Ruddy Metal of Mystic Magic Wiedergänger - One Who Walks Again Industry & the Age of Monsters Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Kaska are weavers and swine keepers, but better known as fearsome raiders and mercenaries. Kaskian culture is a loose but lethal organization of tribes and clan groups. In the 15th and 14th centuries BCE the Kaskians push through the barricades and occupy the city of Nerik. Writings from Hattusa attest: "Because the men of Kaška have taken the land of Nerik for themselves, we are continually sending the rituals for the Storm God in Nerik and for the gods of Nerik from Ḫattuša in the city of Ḫakmišša, (namely) thick-breads, libations, oxen, and sheep." See also: Pagan Solstice Fests: Mithras & the Sun Herbology & Lore: Rowan (Mountain Ash) Art, Power and the Calamitous Crusade Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Nerik was founded as Narak by Hattians who occupied the area before the Hittites moved in. A Hattic incantation (spell, charm, prayer) for a festival, Purulli, has been found there. After their occupation the Hittites maintain the festival, a spring celebraton to honor the Storm God of Nerik and the Earth Mother Goddess Hannahanna. The festival also centers on the story of Illuyanka the dragon serpent, and how he is slain by Tarḫunz the sky god (equated to sky god Hittite sky god Tarḫunna and Hurrian Teshub). Two different versions of the story exist, one more gory than the other, and Tarḫunz slays Illuyanka either way. See also: Cult of the Bull: Divine Sacrifice Romanesque - Magic of Light and Stone German Myth - White Ladies & Changelings Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle When Kaskians occupy Nerik, the Hittites move the Puruli festival to Hattusa, their capital to the south. The later King Hattusili recaptures the city Nerik from the Kaska to build up again. By c. 1187 BCE, Nerik comes to an end along with the rest of the Hittite Empire. See also: Ḫurri & Šeri - Hurrian Divine Bulls Warrior Queen: Kriemhild of the Burgundians A Viking Christmas Yule Back to Top