How was Tarhun associated with bulls in Hittite monuments and religious worship?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

In Hittite religion, the weather god Tarhun was closely associated with the bull, which served as his sacred animal and a primary symbol of his power.12

In Hittite monuments and iconography, this association was expressed in several ways:
* Symbolic Representation: The bull could stand alone as a symbol of the god, sometimes depicted carrying an enigmatic pyramid on its back, which likely represented the weather god himself.13
* Depictions of the Deity: Tarhun was frequently portrayed standing directly on a bull.1
* Processional Imagery: He was also shown appearing on monuments either attended by a pair of divine bulls or driving across mountains in a chariot drawn by bulls.2

Within the context of religious worship, the connection was so profound that Tarhun might even be represented by a bull in the cult itself. This tradition of the god on the bull persisted into later periods, notably influencing the Roman-era worship of Jupiter Dolichenus.21