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]

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

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

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

Footnotes

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