Tiwaz (stem: Tiwad-) was theLuwianSun-god. He was among the most important gods of the Luwians.
The name of the Proto-Anatolian Sun god can be reconstructed as*Diuod-, which derives from theProto-Indo-European word*dei- ("shine", "glow").[1] This name is cognate with the GreekZeus, LatinJupiter, and NorseTyr. While Tiwaz (and the relatedPalaic godTiyaz) retained a prominent role in the pantheon, theHittite cognate deity,Šiwat [de] was largely eclipsed by theSun goddess of Arinna, becoming a god of the day, especially the day of death.
InLuwian cuneiform of the Bronze Age, his name appears asTiwad-. It can also be written with theSumerogramdUTU ("God-Sun"). InHieroglyphic Luwian of the Iron Age, the name can be written asTiwad- or with the ideogram (DEUS) SOL ("God-Sun").[2]
Tiwaz rarely appears in personal names. The oldest example derives from 19th century BCKültepe, a person called "Tiwatia".[3] The hieroglyphic Luwian nameAzatiwada [de] ("Beloved of Tiwaz") is the root of thePamphylian town ofAspendos. The local name of the town, according to the legends on its coins wasEstwedi- (ΕΣΤϜΕΔΙΙΥ). Unlike other Luwian gods' names, Tiwaz is not attested in southern Anatolian personal names of theHellenistic period. ALycian women's name, Tewidarma (Τευδιαρμα; "Sun-Moon") and aLydian patronym, Tiwdalis, are derived from Tiwaz.
The name also appears inḪUR.SAGTiwatašša, the Hittite name for a mountain located somewhere in southwestern Anatolia.
Tiwaz was the reflex of the male sky god of theIndo-European religion,Dyeus, who was superseded among the Hittites by theHattian Sun goddess of Arinna.
In Bronze Age texts, Tiwaz is often referred to as "Father" (cuneiform Luwian:tatis Tiwaz) and once as "Great Tiwaz" (cuneiform Luwian:urazza-dUTU-az), and invoked along with the "Father gods" (cuneiform Luwian:tatinzi maššaninzi). His Bronze Age epithet, "Tiwaz of the Oath" (cuneiform Luwian:ḫirutalla-dUTU-az), indicates that he was an oath-god. In this role he received sacrifices of sheep, red meat and bread. The Luwian verbtiwadani- ("to curse") is derived from Tiwaz's name.
According to Hittite sources, Tiwaz andKamrušepa were the parents of the tutelary god ofTauriša [de]. Like Kamrušepa, Tiwaz is closely associated with sheep. The godHapantali, who worked with Kamrušepa in purification rituals, looked after his sheep in the myth ofTelipinu.[4] His followers include theIlaliyanteš [de], who generally appear in bad situations.
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In theHittite andHurrian religions theSun goddess of the Earth played an important role in the death cult and was understood to be the ruler of the world of the dead. For the Luwians there is a Bronze Age source which refers to the "Sun god of the Earth" (cuneiform Luwian:tiyamašši-dU-za): "If he is alive, may Tiwaz release him, if he is dead, may the Sun god of the Earth release him" (Boğazköy cuneiform inscription, 35.48 ii 19.23).
There are no known Bronze Age depictions of the Luwian Sun god. There are two reliefs from the Iron Age, which show Tiwaz with the moon godArma. He is marked out by awinged sun above his head. The image fromArslantepe closely resembles the depiction of the Sun god from the Hittite sanctuary atYazılıkaya.