Iyaya
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| Iyaya | |
|---|---|
Spring goddess | |
| Major cult center | Lapana, Tiura |
| Animals | mountain sheep |
| Genealogy | |
| Spouse | possibly Šanta |
Iyaya was a Hittite and Luwian goddess. Her functions remain uncertain, though it has been suggested she was associated with water or more broadly with nature. She might have been associated with the god Šanta, though the available evidence is limited. Her main cult centers were Lapana and Tiura, though she was also worshiped in other cities.
The precise origin of Iyaya's name cannot be established, though it is agreed that it was neither Hattic nor Hurrian in origin.[1] In scholarship she has been described both as a Hittite[2] and Luwian goddess.[3]
Not much is known about Iyaya's specific role in the Hittite pantheon.[1] She has been described as a spring goddess,[4] and as a deity responsible for dispensing water.[5] A Hittite text listing the statues of various deities describes her as accompanied by two mountain sheep.[6] The presence of animals might indicate she was a nature deity.[1]
Associations with other deities
According to Piotr Taracha, it can be assumed that Iyaya was regarded as the wife of Šanta.[4] An inventory of sacred objects from the otherwise unknown settlement Tapparutani mentions a depiction of both deities together, with Iyaya portrayed seated and Šanta standing next to her.[7] However, no other evidence for an association between them exists, and Federico Giusfredi has questioned if assumptions can be made based on this isolated reference.[8] Gary Beckman accepts the existence of a connection between Šanta and Iyaya, but he points out that it was seemingly not recognized in Emar, where this god instead appears alongside Ḫandasima.[9]
In some locations Iyaya was worshiped alongside the spring goddess Kuwannaniya.[10][11][a] It is presumed these two goddesses were closely linked.[13] It has been suggested that Iyaya was also a spring goddess herself.[14]