Kamrušepa

Kamrušepa is the name of a Hittite and Luwian goddess of medicine and magic. The name likely derives from the Hittite word kammara meaning “mist, smoke” combined with the divine suffix -šepa. This suffix appears in several other Anatolian divine names, such as Ištušepa.

Character and Associations

Kamrušepa was regarded as the inventor of various magical and medical procedures, which were subsequently passed on to humans. She could function as a divine midwife and was possibly a household deity due to her connection with family life and the hearth. As a healing goddess, she was associated with deities such as Pirwa, Maliya, and the Hurrian Šauška in Hittite rituals. The Luwians seemingly regarded her as analogous to the Mesopotamian medicine goddess Gula.

The Telepinu Myth

Kamrušepa is best known from the Telepinu Myth, an Anatolian myth about the disappearance of the vegetation god Telepinu. In the myth, Kamrušepa performs ritual actions—including offering bull’s blood, dough, and weaving—to pacify Telepinu’s anger and restore fertility to the land. Her role parallels that of the Hattic and Palaic goddess Kataḫzipuri, who fulfills a similar function in Hattic versions of the myth.

Medieval Reverberations

Some scholars suggest that the name of Kamrušepa lingered in Anatolian toponymy into the Hellenistic period. Cities such as Comana in both Pontus and Cappadocia are sometimes linked to her cult, as they were centers for the worship of goddesses associated with healing and renewal. However, direct continuity is debated.

• Meaning: “mist, smoke” + divine suffix
• Origin: Hittite/Luwian
• Type: theonym
• Usage regions: Anatolia (Bronze Age)