Why did Hittite religion contain so many different names for gods?

The Hittite pantheon contained a vast number of divine names primarily because the kingdom was composed of several distinct peoples—including the Hittites, Hattians, Luwians, Palaians, and Hurrians—each of whom maintained their own unique pantheon and local cult centers.1

Hittite theologians regarded the deity of each city as a distinct personality, even when they shared similar functions. This led to the creation of numerous specific manifestations of gods; for instance, there were separate, individual weather gods for lightning, clouds, rain, the palace, the royal person, the scepter, and the army.1

Furthermore, the Hittites frequently practiced religious assimilation. As the kingdom expanded and interacted with other cultures, they identified their own deities with those of other nations, such as the Hurrian gods. Consequently, a single deity might be known by different names depending on the linguistic or cultural tradition, such as the chief weather god, who was known as Tarhun in Hittite and Luwian, Taru in Hattian, and Teshub in Hurrian.12