The winged disc deity riding the bull on Metal objects in Reza Abbasi Museum

Year 2020, Issue: 2, 38 - 53, 30.12.2020

مریم Dara

Abstract

Urartians used the motif of a winged disc deity riding a bull, sometimes surrounded by the flames of fire, on several armors. This motif is recognized by scholars as the challenging motif but some of them called him Ḫaldi, Teišeba or Šiwini. The winged disc, the bull and the fire are supposed to be the symbol of three deities. It is also possible that this figure was the symbol of triumph or protection among the Urartians by calling the functions of three supreme deities. It is also possible that the symbols of all of the deities seemed to be illustrated as one figure or all of them were the ultimate punishers of the enemies. Therefore, the author thinks the function of the motif is significant not his name and accordingly she suggests that this motif was possibly a protection symbol of the person used the weapon or wore the armor and also bestowed power and triumph to the person.

Keywords: Ḫaldi, Teišeba, Šiwini, Triumph, Protection.

Keywords

Haldi, Teisheba, Shiwini, triumph, protection

References

• Badalyan 2015 M. Badalyan, “The Urartian Weather God Teišeba”, Aramazd IX/1, 125-142.
• Badalyan 2019 M. Badalyan, “Šiuini: The Urartian Sun God”, P. S. Avetisyan- R. Dan- Y. J. Grekyan (eds.), Over the mountains and far away, Archeopress, Oxford, 46-50.
• Barnett 1950 R. D. Barnett, “Excavations of the British Museum at Toprakkale near Van”, Iraq 12/I, 1-43.
• Barnett- Curtis 1973 R. D. Barnett- J. E. Curtis, “A review of acquisitions 1963-70 of western Asiatic antiquities”, British Museum Quarterly XXXVII, 133.
• Bashashkanzaq 2004 R. Bashashkanzaq, “Bracelet inscription of Tul-e Gilan”, Archaeological excavations in ancient sites of Tul-e Gilan Talesh (Kavoshhaye bastanshenasi dar mohavatehaye bastaniye Tul-e Gilan- Talesh, RICHT, Gilan, 83-90.
• Batmaz 2013 A. Batmaz, “A lion-headed shield from Ayanis: An identifier of the Urartian Culture?”, SOMA 2012, Identity and connectivity, Proceedings of the 16th Symposium on Mediterranean Archaeology Florence, Italy, 1-3 March 2012, Florence, Universita Degli Studi Firenze, 243-252.
• Belli 1976-7 O. Belli, “Van bölge müzesindeki çivi yazili Urartu tunç eserleri”, Anadolu Araştirmalari, 177-225.
• Belli 1991 O. Belli,“Ore deposits and mining in eastern Anatolia in the Urartian period: silver, copper and Iron”, R. Merhav (ed.), Urartu: a metalworking center in the first millennium B.C.E, (The Israel Museum, Jerusalem), May 28 - October 1991, Jerusalem, 16-41.
• Belli 1999 O. Belli, The Anzaf fortresses and the gods of Urartu, Arkeolohi ve Sanat Yayinlari, Istanbul.
• Belli 2003-2004 O. Belli, “Historical development of the kingdom of Urartu”, Urartu: war and aesthetics, Yapi Kredi Cultural Activities, Istanbul, 45-73.
• van den Berghe- de Mayer 1982-1983 L. van den Berghe- L. de Mayer, Urartu een vergeten cultuur uit het bergland Armenie, Centrum voor kunst en cultuur, Saint Petersburg.
• Bienkowski- Millard 2000 P. Bienkowski- A. Millard, Dictionary of the ancient Near East, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia.
• Black- Green 1992 J. Black- A. Green, Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia, British Museum Press, London.
• Calmayer 1979 P. Calmayer,“Zu den Eisen-Lanzenspitzen und der ‘Lanze des Haldi’”, W. Kleiss (ed.), Bastam, Ausgrabungen in den urartäischen Anlagen 1972-1975, vol. 1, Gebr.Mann Verlag, Barlin, 183-195.
• Calmayer 1991 P. Calmayer, “Some remarks on iconography”, R. Merhav (ed.), Urartu, a metalworking center in the first millennium B.C.E., (The Israel Museum, Jerusalem), May 28 - October 1991, Jerusalem, 312-319.
• Çilingiroğlu 2007 A. Çilingiroğlu, “Ayanis Tapinak alaninda bir ocak ve bereketli¬lik kültü ile ilişkisi”, G. Umurta- Ş. Dönmez- A. Yurtsev¬er (eds.), Refil Duru’ya armağăan (Studies in honor of Refik Duru), Istanbul, Graphis Matbaa, 265-269.
• Dalalian- Grekian 2004 T. Dalalian- Y. Grekian, “An Urartian bracelet from Gilan”, I ran and The Caucasus, vol. 8.1, Brill, Leiden-Boston, 1-6.
• Dara 2014 M. Dara, “Was Ḫaldi the Triumph Fire God of the Urartians?”, International Journal of the Society of Iranian Archaeologists, Vol. 1, No.1, Winter-Spring 2014 , 97-107.
• Dara 2015 M. Dara, “Urartian disc with the Urartian inscription in Tabriz Archaeology Museum (Disc-e mefraghi-e katibedar-e afsar-e asb-e urartuee dar muzeye bastanshenasi-e azarbayjan-e sharghi”, Zabanshenakht 1, 61-78.
• Dara 2017 M. Dara, Urartain cuneiform inscriptions from Iran, RICHT, Tehran.
• Dara 2018 M. Dara, “The diversity of cursing formulae in Urartian royal inscriptions through time (tanavo-e negaresh-e nefrinha dar tul-e zaman dar sangnebeshtehaye shahi-I urartuee)”, Zendeginame va khadamat-e elmi va farhangi-e marhoum ostad doctor mohammadjavad mashkour, Anjoman-e asar va mafakher-e farhangi, Tehran, 209-233.
• Dara 2019 M. Dara, “New Observations Regarding the Urartian Inscription of the Tul-e Talesh Bracelet, P. S. Avetisyan- R. Dan- Y. J. Grekyan (eds.), Over the mountains and far away, Archeopress, Oxford, 187-190.
• Frankel 1979 D. Frankel, The ancient kingdom of Urartu, London.
• Ghrishman 1964 R. Ghrishman, “Deux oeilléres en bronze des rois d’Urartu”, Artibus Asiae 27, 49-60.
• Goldman 1961 B. Goldman, “An oriental solar motif and its western tension”, JNES XX/4, 239-251.
• Grekyan 2006 Y. Grekyan, “The Will of Menua and The Gods of Urartu”, Aramazd, vol.I, 150-195.
• Gropp 1981 G. Gropp, “Ein Pferdegeschirr und Streitwagen aus Urartu”, IA XVI, 95-123.
• Harutjunjan 2001 N. V. Harutjunjan, Korpus Urartskich Klinoobraznych Nadpisej, Nacional’naja Akademija Nauk Respubliki Armenii, Institut Vostokovedenija (Izdatel’stvo “GITUTJUN”), Yerevan.
• Hawkins 1972 J. D. Hawkins, “Building Inscriptions of Carchemish: The Long Wall of Sculpture and Great Staircase”, Anatolian Studies 22, 87-114.
• Hmayakyan 1990 S. Hmayakyan, Vani t'agavorutyan petakan kronә (The State Religion of the Van Kingdom), Yerevan.
• Jakubiak 2004 K. Jakubiak, K. “New aspect of God Teišeba;s Iconography”, AoF 1, 87-100.
• Kendall 1977 T. Kendall, “Urartian Art in Boston: Two Bronze Belts and a Mirror”, Boston Museum Bulletin, Vol. 75, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 26-55.
• van Loon 1966 M. N. van Loon, Urartian art (Its distinctive traits in the light of new excavations), Nederlands Historisch-Archaeologische Institute.
• van Loon 1991 M. N. van Loon, “Anatolia in the earlier first millennium B.C.”, Iconography of religions 15-12, Brill, Leiden, 1985-1990.
• Mayer 2009 W. Mayer, The text and translation of Sargon expedition to Urartu in 714 B.C. (Matn va tarjomeye gozaresh-e lashkarkeshi-e sargon be urartu dar 714 P.M), F. Najd Samiee (trans.), ICHTO and Ganjineye Honar, Western Azerbaijan.
• Merhav 1991a R. Merhav, “Schields”, R. Merhav (ed.), Urartu, a metalworking center in the first millennium B.C.E., (The Israel Museum, Jerusalem), May 28 - October 1991, Jerusalem, 134-139.
• Merhav 1991b R. Merhav, “Everyday and ceremonial utensils”, R. Merhav (ed.), Urartu, a metalworking center in the first millennium B.C.E., (The Israel Museum, Jerusalem), May 28 - October 1991, Jerusalem, 200-243.
• Parrot- Nougayrol 1948 A. Parrot-L. Nougayrol, Un document de fondation hurrite, RA 42, 1-20.
• Payne 2006 M. Payne, Urartu çiviyazili belgeler kataloğu, Istanbul, arkeloji ve sanat yayinlari.
• Piotrovskij 2004 B. B. Piotrovskij, Urartu civilization (Tamadone urartu). H. Khatifshahidi (ed. and trans.), RICHT and ICAR, Tehran.
• Razmjou 2004 Sh. Razmjou, “A bronze bracelet with the Urartian inscription from Tul-e Gilan (Yek dastband-e mefraghin ba neveshteye urartuee az tul-e gilan)”, Archaeological excavations in ancient sites of Tul-e Gilan Talesh (Kavoshhaye bastanshenasi dar mohavatehaye bastani-e tul-e gilan-e talesh), RICHT, Gilan, 92-97.
• Reade 1983 J. E. Reade, Assyrian sculpture, London: British Museum Press.
• Ruder- Merhav 1991 A. Ruder- R. Merhav, “Technologies of production of metal artifacts in the Urartu culture”, R. Merhav (ed.), Urartu: a metalworking center in the first millennium B.C.E, (The Israel Museum, Jerusalem), May 28 - October 1991, Jerusalem, 333-353.
• Sabouri Nojehdehi 2012 R. Sabouri Nojehdehi, “Urartian helmets in Reza Abbasi Museum, Iran”, A. Çilingiroğlu and A. Sagona (eds.), Anatolian Iron Ages 7 (The proceedings of the seventh Anatolian Iron Ages Colloquium held at Edirne 19-24 April 2010), Peeters, Leuven-Paris-Walpole, 211-219.
• Salvini 1980 M. Salvini, “Iscrizioni cuneiformi urartee su oggetti di metallo”, ISMEA 22, 181-190.
• Salvini 1989 M. Salvini, “Le pantheon de l’Urartu et le fondement de l’état”, Studi epigraphici e linguistic sul vicino Oriente Antico 6, 79-89.
• Salvini 2008 M. Salvini, Corpus dei Testi Urartei, vol. I, CNR, Roma.
• Salvini 2012 M. Salvini, Corpus dei Testi Urartei, vol. IV, CNR, Roma.
• Seidl 1980 U. Seidl, “Einige urartäische Bronzezylinder (Deichselkappen?)”, AMI 13, 63-82.
• Taşyurek 1975 O. A. Taşyurek, “Some inscribed Urartian bronze armour”, Iraq 37, Issue 2, 151-155.
• Tiratsyan 2008 N. Tiratsyan, Luwian Gods in Urartu? ,Aramazd, Vol. III, Issue 1, Yerevan, 79-86.
• Wartke 1991 R. B. Wartke, “Production of iron artifacts”, R. Merhav (ed.), Urartu: a metalworking center in the first millennium B.C.E, (The Israel Museum, Jerusalem), May 28 - October 1991, Jerusalem, 321-331.
• Zimansky 1998 P. Zimansky, Ancient Ararat (A Handbook of Urartian studies), Caravan Books, Delmar-New¬ York.
• Zimansky 2012 P. Zimansky, “Imagining Haldi.” H. D. Baker- K. Kaniuth- A. O. Münster (eds.), Stories of Long Ago. Festschrift für Michael D. Roaf, Ugarit-Verlag, 713-723.