The Hittite pantheon and Tarhunna

Hittite and Anatolian Gods: A Pantheon of a Thousand Deities

A source-aware guide to the Hittite and Anatolian divine world, major figures, relationships, evidence, and Atlas family tree.

This guide introduces the Hittite and Anatolian divine world without forcing it into a single modern family tree.

Explore the Hittite and Anatolian figures in the interactive Atlas.

Principal figures

Storm God of Hatti, Sun Goddess of Arinna, Telepinu, Hannahanna, Kumarbi, Shaushka, Hebat.

How this religious system was organized

Hittite religion incorporated Hattian, Hurrian, Luwian, Syrian, and Mesopotamian traditions.

Texts often identify deities by city and title rather than one simple personal name.

Treaties, festivals, myths, and temple inventories reveal a plural imperial religious system.

Hittite and Anatolian Gods: A Pantheon of a Thousand Deities
A visual reference for Hittite and Anatolian Gods: A Pantheon of a Thousand Deities.

How to read the family tree

Genealogy is only one layer. City, sanctuary, household, profession, political office, ritual calendar, title, and historical period may matter more than biological descent. Relationships shown in the Atlas identify their evidence type.

Evidence guide

  • Primary text or inscription: direct historical witness with its own context.
  • Archaeological or visual evidence: object, monument, image, or excavated setting.
  • Later literary or folklore evidence: valuable but later than the period described.
  • Modern reconstruction or association: clearly labelled contemporary interpretation.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one complete Hittite and Anatolian family tree?

No. Sources and local traditions vary, and a single diagram is a learning model rather than one ancient canonical chart.

Are similar gods from other cultures the same?

Ancient people sometimes identified foreign and local gods, but modern comparison should preserve historical differences and identify the evidence for each link.

Continue exploring

Use the Atlas filters, Family Tree mode, historical timeline, comparison tool, and source indicators to move from this overview to individual figures.

Last reviewed: August 1, 2026.

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