Manzat (goddess)

Manzat (Manzât), also spelled Mazzi'at, Manzi'at and Mazzêt, sometimes known by the Sumerian name Tiranna (dTIR.AN.NA) was a Mesopotamian and Elamite goddess representing the rainbow. She was also believed to be responsible for the prosperity of cities. In Elam Manzat was worshiped in the lowlands in the proximity of Susa, especially in the area known as Hubshen, associated with the archaeological sites Deh-e Now and Tappeh Horreeye, while in Mesopotamia she was associated with Der, though there is also evidence that she was venerated in Nippur, Larsa and other cities. Manzat's name is an ordinary Akkadian noun and means "rainbow", though the word's precise etymology is uncertain. A Sumerian form of this goddess' name, Tir-anna ("bow of heaven") is also known, but it was most likely an artificial construct as the sign TIR generally stands for the Sumerian word qištu, "forest", which only acquired the additional meaning "bow" due to similarity to the Akkadian word qaštu, "bow". Tiranna is listed as an alternate name of Manzat in the Weidner god list (line 3') and in An = Anum. The writing dTIR.AN.NA was also used in the offering lists of the First Sealand dynasty, and sometimes in the writing of theophoric names elsewhere, to logographically represent the theonym Manzat. It is generally assumed that Manzat had Akkadian origin. Odette Bowin argues that it is possible that she originated in Elam, as the earliest texts indicating she was worshiped in Mesopotamia were initially incorrectly dated to the Akkadian period, but were subsequently discovered to be from the Ur III period. As such they are more recent than the mention of this goddess in a treaty between the Akkadian Empire and an unspecified Elamite kingdom, and it is therefore possible that Manzat appears there as an Elamite, rather than Mesopotamian, goddess. However, the gods invoked in it are not exclusively Elamite, as indicated by the presence of Ilaba, Ishara, Ninkarrak and Ninurta.