Shivini

Shivini (Urartian: 𒀭𒅆𒄿𒌑𒄿𒉌, romanized: ^dši-i-u₂-i-ni), also known as Siuini, Artinis, Ardinis, was a solar god in the mythology of the Iron Age kingdom of Urartu in the Armenian Highlands.^[a] He is the third god in a triad with Khaldi and Theispas. The Assyrian god Shamash is a counterpart to Shivini. He was depicted as a man on his knees, holding up a solar disc. His wife was most likely a goddess called Tushpuea who is listed as the third goddess on the Mheri-Dur inscription.^[2]

Armen Petrosyan and other scholars argue that his name derives from a Hittite source, and is, therefore, of the same Indo-European origin as the names of Ancient Greek Zeus and Roman Jupiter.^[3]

Gallery

Armenian postage stamp, 1993
Shivini god
Shivini's bronze caldron
The caldron's bronze-sculpted handle

Footnotes

^ He was also called Šimigi by the Hurrians.^[1]

References

^ Lurker, Manfred (2004). A Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons. Routledge. p. 325. ISBN 0-415-03943-6
^ Piotrovsky, Boris B. (1969). The Ancient Civilization of Urartu: An Archaeological Adventure. Cowles Book Co. ISBN 0-214-66793-6.
^ Petrosyan, Armen. "Collegiality and Interchange in Armenian Studies". In: Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies Vol. 20 (2011): 145 and footnote nr. 26.

Badalyan, Miqayel. "Šiuini: The Urartian Sun God." In Over the Mountains and Far Away: Studies in Near Eastern History and Archaeology Presented to Mirjo Salvini on the Occasion of His 80th Birthday, edited by Avetisyan Pavel S., Dan Roberto, and Grekyan Yervand H., 46–57. Summertown: Archaeopress, 2019. doi:10.2307/j.ctvndv9f0.10.