Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

118 HebeSYNONYMSKUBABA.CENTER(S) OF CULTpossibly Hepatu; HANNAHANNAS;Hattusas [Boghazköy andYazilikaya]; Arinna; other sanctuaries within theHittite Empire extending down into the northSyrian plain.ART REFERENCES seals and seal impressions;sculptures; monumental rock carvings.LITERARY SOURCES cuneiform and hieroglyphictexts from Boghazköy, etc.Hebat was adopted from the Hurrian pantheonas the principal goddess of state religion in theHittite Empire, though because of name changesher precise role is not always clear. She isdescribed as the “great goddess.” In some textsshe is also the “sun goddess of ARINNA” (a religiouscenter near Boghazköy thus far lost toarchaeology) but her relationship to the sun god,in one fragmentary text called Kumarbi anddescribed as the king of the gods, god of rightand justice, is unclear. She is more intimatelylinked with the weather god TEŠUB, “king ofheaven, lord of the land of Hatti” and god of battlewho, according to the same legend, displacedKUMARBI as king of the gods.Hebat is often drawn as a matronly figure, withoutweapons, but generally in company with alion. In a famous procession of gods carved onrock faces at Yazilikaya, the leading goddess iscalled Hepatu.NOTE: these sanctuaries were often createdwhere vertical rock facades suitable for carvingrelief sculptures existed near water.HebeGoddess of youth. Greek. The daughter of ZEUSand HERA and the consort of HERAKLES. Thecup-bearer of the gods of Olympus. In the Romanpantheon she becomes JUVENTAS.HegemoneGreek. The name given to one of the GRATIAE inthe traditions of Athens.HehPrimordial god. Egyptian. One of the eightdeities of the OGDOAD, representing chaos, he iscoupled with the goddess HAUHET and appears inanthropomorphic form but with the head of afrog. The pair epitomize the concept of infinity.He is also depicted greeting the rising sun in theguise of a baboon. In another context he isdepicted kneeling, frequently on a basket whichrepresents the hieroglyph for universality. Hemay carry the ankh symbol and hold palm rubs ineach hand.HEIMDALL (earth-watcher)ORIGIN Nordic (Icelandic). Of uncertain statusbut probably a guardian deity.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP Viking period (circaAD 700) and earlier, through to Christianization(circa AD 1100). SYNONYMS Mardall; possiblyRig; “the white god.”CENTER(S) OF CULT none known.ART REFERENCES none known but probably thesubject of anonymous carvings.LITERARY SOURCES Icelandic codices; Prose Edda(Snorri); place names.Heimdall is an enigmatic deity to whom there isconsiderable reference in the codices. He isdrawn as the sentry or guardian, a tirelesswatcher over Asgard, needing no sleep and ableto see in the darkest of nights. According tomythology, he lives beside the rainbow bridgeconnecting Asgard with the other realms. Hissymbol is the Gjallarhorn which is used to alertthe gods to the onset of Ragnarok (doom). He