How was the Hittite male sun god different from the sun goddess of Arinna?

In Hittite religion, the male sun god and the sun goddess of Arinna were distinct deities with different roles and iconographic representations.1

The sun goddess of Arinna, also known by the epithet Arinnitti, served as the patroness of the Hittite state. She was a supreme figure, often acting as the spouse of the weather god, and was closely linked to the monarchy, with the king and queen serving as her high priest and priestess. While she was primarily a solar deity, she also possessed chthonic or underworld characteristics and could be identified with the ruler of the netherworld.1

In contrast, the male sun god, known in Hittite as Istanu, was a separate entity. He was often associated with specific natural phenomena, such as the "sun in the water," which likely referred to the sun's reflection in a lake. Iconographically, the male sun god was depicted wearing the robes of the king, whose own royal title was "My Sun". Unlike the state-focused role of the goddess of Arinna, the male sun god was part of a broader solar theology that included the sun's nightly journey through the underworld.1