Shivini, a drawing based on an image on an object (a belt) from the History Museum of Armenia

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

Footnotes

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

References

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

Further reading