| Teshub | |
|---|---|
Teshub being worshipped by king Warpalawas of Tyana. |
|
| Other names | Tarhun, Tarhunt, Tešup |
| Spouse | Hebat Arinna |
| Children | Sarruma and Inara |
| Parents | Kumarbi |
| Relatives | Anu (grandfather) Alalu (great-grandfather) Tigris (brother) Tashmishu (brother) Ullikummi (brother) |
Teshub (also written Teshup or Tešup; cuneiform dIM) was the Hurrian god of sky and storm. He was derived from the Hattian Taru. His Hittite and Luwian name was Tarhun (with variant stem forms Tarhunt, Tarhuwant, Tarhunta), although this name is from the Hittite root *tarh- to defeat, conquer.[1][2][3]
He is depicted holding a triple thunderbolt and a weapon, usually an axe (often double-headed) or mace. The sacred bull common throughout Anatolia was his signature animal, represented by his horned crown or by his steeds Seri and Hurri, who drew his chariot or carried him on their backs.
The Hurrian myth of Teshub's origin—he was conceived when the god Kumarbi bit off and swallowed his father Anu's genitals—is a likely inspiration for the story of Uranus, Cronus, and Zeus, which is recounted in Hesiod's Theogony. Teshub's brothers are Tigris (personification of the river), Ullikummi (stone giant) and Tashmishu.
In the Hurrian schema, Teshub was paired with Hebat the mother goddess; in the Hittite, with the sun goddess of Arinna—a cultus of great antiquity which may ultimately derive from the bull god and mother goddess worshipped at Çatalhöyük in the Neolithic era. Myths also exist of his conflict with the sea creature (possibly a snake or serpent) Hedammu (CTH 348). His son was called Sarruma the mountain god. According to Hittite myth, one of his greatest acts was the slaying of the dragon Illuyanka.