THE MOON GODDESS NIKKAL AND HURRIAN ATTRIBUTES IN HITTITE DOCUMENTS

Abstract

Goddess Nikkal in Hittite’s gods community is of Mesopotamia origin. This goddess, the wife of Moon God and the mother of Sun God, got her name from Sumerian NIN.GAL’s “older sister”. One of the most important cult centers of Goddess Nikkal is the city of Ugarit. It is understood that the aforementioned goddess is an important Hurri goddess from the Hittite cult texts. It is possible that Queen Nikkalmati and her sons have held a ritual for Goddess Nikkal. The name of Nikkal was encountered at cuneiform scripts of Middle Hittite Era for the first time. The name of Goddess Nikkal is mentioned in the great prayer script of II.Muṷatalli, which is a document of Hittite empire era, KUB 6.45 (VAT 7512)+KBo 57.18 (1111/z+ 844/v)+KUB 30.14 (Bo 3282) (CTH 381) (New Hittite) after the Tešup of Manuz(z)i Mountain. She is mentioned among goddesses witnessing the treaty in Hittite state treaties. She witnesses the treaty as “Oath Queen” in witness list of treaty made between the Great Hittite King, IV.Tutḫaliḭa and the King of Tarḫuntašša Kurunta and referred to as Bronze Tablet in the literature. The fact that the queens of that period have had teofor names containing Nikkal might be an evidence of the Goddess’ popularity. Goddess Nikkal have seven attributes which were identified by the Hittite cuneiform documents until now. These are learnt from KUB 45.47 (Bo 2512+Bo 4186) (CTH 494) (Middle Hittite) which is arranged for aforementioned Goddess and is a ritual. The attributes of the Goddess are Agaššari, Alṷil, ḫaṷarra, Irṷena meaning “dog”, Kade meaning “grain”, Kuzinkarra meaning “piglet?” and Širinna. It is learned from the text in question that Agaššari, Kade and Širinna were sanctified by a thin bread, and a libation was applied to Irṷena and Kuzinkarra by LÚAZU “a diviner”Mesopotamian Goddess Nikkal was an important Hurrian goddess. This Goddess that was the wife of the Moon God and the mother of the Sun God got her name from the Sumerian NIN.GAL “elder sister”. The name of the Goddess is usually mentioned as “NIN.GAL” logogram in the Hittite cuneiform tablets. However, mentions with the syllabic system are also available. The cult of the Goddess was spread from Mesopotamia to Syria and Anatolia. The city of Ugarit is among the most important cult centers of the Goddess Nikkal. The name of the Goddess is mentioned first in the text KUB 45.47 (Bo 2512+Bo 4186) (CTH 494) that was dated to the mid-Hittite period describing the ritual performed by the queen Nikkalmati and her sons especially for the Goddess NIN.GAL. In the cult texts, Goddess Nikkal is considered among the important Hurrian goddesses. The name of this goddess comes after Goddess Išḫara and God Umbu and before Goddess Allani and God IŠTAR in the kaluti- lists of Hebat. The name of Goddess Nikkal is mentioned in the great prayer text of Muṷatalli II in KUB 6.45 (VAT 7512)+KBo 57.18 (1111/z+ 844/v)+KUB 30.14 (Bo 3282) (CTH 381) (Neo Hittite) after Tešup of Manuz(z)i mountain. In addition, we encounter the name of this Goddess, although rarely, in the witness lists of the Hittite treaties among gods/goddesses that witness the agreement. Her name is mentioned in the witness list of the treaty signed by Tudḫaliḭa IV, one of the kings of the Hittite Empire, and Ulmi-Tešup, the king of Tarhuntaša and again in the witness list of the treaty that was signed between the aforementioned Hittite Empire king and Kurunta, a king of Tarḫuntaša, and referred to as the Bronze Script in the literature as the “Queen of Oath”:Bo 86/299 rev.III 93 DKu-li-it-ta-aš DXXX LUGAL MA-ME-TI DNIN.GAL MUNUS.LUGAL MA-ME-TI 93 Kulitta, King of Oath Moon God, Queen of Oath NIN.GAL. An evidence fort he popularity of the goddes is the fact that the Queens during the Middle Hittite Period carried teophore names that contained Nikkal, such as Nikkalmati (NH 875) and Ašmunikkal (NH 174). In addition, a known princess from Ugarit, fEḫli-DNikkal (NH 227), a ritual scribe, fNikkaluzzi ( fDNIN.GAL- uzzi) (NH 876), and yet another ritual scribe, mAšnunigalli (NH 175), also carried teophore names containing Nikkal. Apart from the philological documents, Goddes Nikkal can only be seen in the archaeological documents in the rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya. The relief no. 54 in the Yazılıkaya Temple belongs to this goddess. Goddess Nikkal has seven attributes that could be discovered through the Hittite cuneiform tablets so far. These can be known through the KUB 45.47 (Bo 2512+Bo 4186) (CTH 494) (Mid-Hittite) script which is a ritual fort he said Goddess. The attributes of the goddess which are Hurrian will be examined in more detail in the alphabetical order provided below: 2.1.Agaššari: Hurrian. It is discovered that Agaššari, an attribute of Goddess Nikkal is sanctified with a thin bread in a ritual made for Moon Goddess Nikkal: Furthermore in the same text mentioned before Maḫittena: IV 17 DA-ga-aš-ša-ri D[ ]-il DMa-ḫi-it-ti-[na (x)] Translation: 17 Her Agaššari, God/Goddess[ -]il Maḫitte[na ]2.2. Alṷil: Hurrian. The name of Alṷil an attribute of Goddess Nikkal is mentioned before Agaššarri in rev.III 6.row and ve rev.IV 16. row of the ritual for Goddess Nikkal. And here it is learned that Agaššarri sanctified through drinking: rev.IV 16 DŠi-ri-in-na [ḫa-ṷaa-ar-r]a DAl-ṷii-il [ (x)] 17 DA-ga-aš-ša-ri… (line 20) e-ku-zi Translation: 16 Širinna [ḫaṷarr]a, Alṷil[ (x)] 17 for Agaššari … (line 20) drinks. 2.3.ḫaṷarra: Considered to be the attribute of Goddess Nikkal. The name was mentioned after Širinna and before Alṷil which are both the attributes of the Goddess (examined in more detail below). 2.4.Irṷena: Hurrian. Having the meaning “Dog”, Irṷena is another attrribute of Goddess Nikkal. Through the ritual made for Moon Goddess Nikkal, it is learned that libation was made by LÚAZU “oracle”: rev.III 17 …nam-ma LÚAZU… 19 na-at A-NA DIr-ṷee-na DKu-ú-zi-in-kar-ra 20 DNIN.GAL-ṷee-na da-a-i Translation: 17…Then the oracle… 19-20 And puts them for Goddess NIN.GAL’s dog and Kuzinkarra. 2

Özet

Hitit tanrılar topluluğunda yer alan Tanrıça Nikkal Mezopotamya kökenlidir. Ay Tanrısı'nın eşi ve Güneş Tanrısı'nın annesi olan bu Tanrıça adını Sumer'in NIN. GAL "büyük kızkardeş"inden almıştır. Tanrıça Nikkal'in en önemli kült merkezlerinden birisi Ugarit şehridir. Adı geçen Tanrıça'nın Hitit kült metinlerinden önemli bir Hurri tanrıçası olduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Tanrıça Nikkal'e muhtemelen Kraliçe Nikkalmati ve oğulları tarafından bir ritüel düzenlenmiştir. Tanrıça'nın adıyla ilk kez, Orta Hitit Dönemine ait çiviyazılı belgelerde karşılaşılmaktadır. Hitit imparatorluk dönemi belgelerinden olan II.Mu?atalli'nin büyük dua metninde KUB 6.45 (VAT 7512)+KBo 57.18 (1111/z+ 844/v)+KUB 30.14 (Bo 3282) (CTH 381) (Yeni Hitit) Tanrıça Nikkal'in adı Manuz(z)i Dağının Te?up'undan sonra geçmektedir. Hitit devlet antlaşmalarında antlaşmaya tanıklık eden tanrı/çalar arasında adı geçmektedir. Büyük Hitit kralı IV. Tut?ali?a'nın Tar?unta??a kralı Kurunta ile yaptığı ve literatüre Bronz Tablet olarak geçen antlaşmanın tanık listesinde ise; "Yemin Kraliçesi" ünvanıyla antlaşmaya tanıklık etmektedir. Ayrıca dönemin kraliçelerinin Nikkal içeren teofor adlar taşıması Tanrıça'nın popülerliğine kanıt olarak gösterilebilir. Tanrıça Nikkal'in, Hitit çiviyazılı belgelerden şimdiye kadar tespit edilebilinen yedi tane atribüsü vardır. Bunlar; adı geçen Tanrıça için düzenlenen ve bir ritüel olan KUB 45.47 (Bo 2512+Bo 4186) (CTH 494) (Orta Hitit)'den öğrenilmektedir. Aga??ari, Al?il, ?a?arra, "köpek" anlamına gelen Ir?ena, "tahıl" anlamına gelen Kade, "domuz yavrusu?" anlamına gelen Kuzinkarra ve ?irinna; Tanrıça'nın atribüleridir. Söz konusu metinden Aga??ari'nin, Kade'nin ve ?irinna'nın bir ince ekmekle kutsanıldığı, Ir?ena'ya ve Kuzinkarra'ya libasyonun LÚAZU "kahin" tarafından yapıldığı, öğrenilmektedir