Luwian religion
It was strongly affected by foreign influence in all periods and it is not possible to clearly separate it from neighbouring cultures, particularly Syrian and Hurrian religion.
After the collapse of the Hittite empire, several Late Luwian states formed in northern Syria and Southern Anatolia, which came partially under Aramaean influence and were conquered by the Assyrians by the 8th century BC.
The Luwian religion is attested up to the early Roman period in southern Anatolia, specially in Cilicia, mostly in theophoric personal names.
In Hittite text, pieces of Luwian language often appear in magic rituals, intended to bring rain or heal the sick.
The pantheon of the city of Ištanuwa [de], which is thought to be in the area of the Sakarya River, belongs to the Luwian religious zone.
According to the evidence of theophoric personal names from ancient Anatolia, mainly Cilicia and Lycaonia, the Luwian religion survived into the Roman period.
Similar traces, but with clear differences, can be seen in the religion of the Lycians and Carians, who were close relatives of the Luwians.
Tarhunt, Tiwad, Arma, Runtiya, and Šanta can be pointed to as the typical Luwian gods, which were always worshipped (the Syrian Kubaba probably also belongs to this group).
[2] The Hurrian element, which included Syrian and Babylonian influences, becomes visible later on, with deities like Iya, Hipatu, Šaruma, Alanzu, and Šauska.
It is assumed that the Greek winged horse, Pegasus, which carried Zeus' thunderbolt, derives its name from this Luwian epithet.
[3] According to Late Luwian texts, Tarhunz gave the king royal power, courage, and marched before him in battle.
King Warpalawas of Tuwanuwa depicted him with ears of grain and bunches of grapes on the İvriz relief.
In the Iron Age he completely merged with the moon god [de] of Harran and is often referred to in inscriptions as "Harranian Arma".
The goddess of fate Kwanza [de] and the plague god Iyarri are only attested indirectly in Late Luwian names.
Originally she was the civic goddess of Carchemish, but in the Iron Age, her cult spread over the whole of Anatolia and she was adopted by the Lydians as Kufaws/Kubaba.
She is depicted as an enthroned goddess together with Saruma (Hurrian Šarruma), standing on a mountain, who was her son according to Hittite sources.
Sauska is depicted on the Late Luwian relief at Melid as a winged goddess with an axe, standing upon two birds.
