Aruna was the Hittite God of the sea, whose name is identical to the Hittite word for sea. It is unknown whether the sea was named after the deity or vice verse. Compounding this mystery is the curious resemblance to the (colloquial) Armenian word արուն “arun,” meaning blood. This article delves into a theory that seeks to connect the Armenian word for blood with the Hittite word for sea and the deity bearing a similar name.
The term “aruna” signifies sea in Hittite, yet linguists propose the possibility of it being a loan from Hattic, given the absence of a plausible Indo-European etymology. Alternatively, some suggest a Hurrian origin, especially as Aruna’s worship found a stronghold in the southeastern part of Anatolia. Key insights into Aruna’s existence come from Hurrian texts, specifically “the song of the sea,” discovered in the Hittite capital of Hattuša, chronicling his battles with the storm God Teššub. In these tales Aruna would raise the seas up to the heavens to challenge the supremacy of the heavenly gods over earth. Either through offerings, arranged marriages or battle the storm God however often appeared victorious over the sea deity.
Numerous documents of Hurrian origin discovered in Hattuša attest to the fact that the story of the Storm-god’s combat with the Sea was known amongst the Hurrians—and thence inherited by the Hittites…
…The oddity of the reference to it here is striking in light of the fact that, when the story begins, it takes place as was indicated by I. Singer in the region of Lake Van in Armenia, the Hurrians’ homeland.
Should the deity have been adopted from the Hurrians, it’s plausible that it permeated the Armenian lexicon via the same route. The Hurri people, considered proto-Armenian ancestors, later played a significant role in the formation of the united Armenian kingdom of Urartu (also known as Ararat or the kingdom of Van).
The Hurrian and Urartian reliance on suffixes prompts the possibility that Aruna might have been pronounced simply as Arun. Examining Hurrian texts mentioning Aruna reveals the use of suffixes like -an, -i, -aš applied to the root word “arun,” implying that the deity’s name may have been articulated as “Arun,” with additional letters serving as suffixes.
Now, the question arises: how can the word ‘sea’ be related to the word ‘blood’? Beyond the shared liquidity, the sea traditionally invokes the color “blue,” while blood is unequivocally “red.” However, antiquity held a different perspective. Deciphering the symbolism of “sea” and “blood” demands an understanding of ancient perceptions, where the ancients, including Armenians, perceived the color “blue” as a shade of red. The absence of a distinct word for blue in various ancient languages supports this concept. In the Odyssey, Homer describes the sea as “wine-dark,” offering a glimpse into a world where colors held meanings beyond contemporary comprehension.
See the video below for a quick explanation.
To the ancients, the sea’s color likely appeared as a shade of red. Parallel insights from Armenian traditions emerge in a song recounting the birth of the Armenian god Vahagn, which refers to the sea as “purple.” This linguistic nuance suggests a shared perception of colors and their symbolic connotations across ancient cultures.
In the medieval Armenian historian Khorenatsi’s account, the ancient “Song of Vahagn” for example depicts the birth of the Armenian deity Vahagn from a “purple sea.”
Roman era stela likely depicting Vahagn.
In travail were heaven and earth,
In travail, too, the purple sea!
The travail held in the sea the small red reed.
Through the hollow of the stalk came forth smoke,
Through the hollow of the stalk came forth flame,
And out of the flame a youth ran!
Fiery hair had he,
Ay, too, he had flaming beard,
And his eyes, they were as suns!
While the Proto Indo-European explanation commonly accounts for the etymology of the Armenian word for blood, the precise relationship between this term and the Hittite word for sea remains shrouded in mystery. Notably, the Bronze Age Hittite kingdom, ultimately an Indo-European realm that extended across a significant portion of the Armenian Highlands, offers a historical backdrop for potential connections. Particularly in the eastern and southeastern regions, the Hittites engaged with proto-Armenian communities like the Hurrians.
Considering the historical context, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest a link between the Armenian word for blood and the Hittite word for sea, especially given the Hittite deity’s prominence in the eastern reaches of their domain. The intricate web of interactions between these ancient cultures invites speculation on linguistic and cultural exchanges, hinting at a possible shared influence in the linguistic tapestry of the region.
German linguist, Peter Jensen, from the University of Marburg proved “Hittites” were the ancestors of Armenians and one of the most ancient Armenian empires. At the time they called themselves Hatio and Jensen’s work shows that this is where the name Hay originates. There were/are deliberate efforts to bury his and many others’ works, since they prove linguistically and archaeologically that Armenians are the indigenous people of the entire region. Some of his work has been digitized and there are even English translations, though sadly not enough. What is there, though, is fascinating and should be widely studied.
German linguist, Peter Jensen, from the University of Marburg proved “Hittites” were the ancestors of Armenians and one of the most ancient Armenian empires. At the time they called themselves Hatio and Jensen’s work shows that this is where the name Hay originates. There were/are deliberate efforts to bury his and many others’ works, since they prove linguistically and archaeologically that Armenians are the indigenous people of the entire region. Some of his work has been digitized and there are even English translations, though sadly not enough. What is there, though, is fascinating and should be widely studied.