What did Hittites believe could happen when a god withdrew in anger?

In the context of Anatolian religion, the Hittites believed that when a god withdrew in anger, it caused life on Earth to wither and cease. This withdrawal resulted in a blight upon the land, as the deity was no longer present to attend to their duties.12

To address this crisis, the Hittites utilized specific rituals involving prayer and magic to invoke the absent god and induce them to return. These myths often describe a search conducted by other deities—such as the sun god or the grandmother goddess Hannahanna—to locate the missing god and restore life and vigor to the world.12