HITTITE MILITARY OATH RITUALS

Abstract

This article provides a Georgian translation of the Hittite military oath texts, which are listed in the Laroche catalog as number CTH 427, CTH 493. CTH 493 is similar to "First Military Oath" (CTH 427) and should be classified as Oath. However, since neither the king's nor the army's oath is mentioned, as it was in the first oath, it is therefore entered in the list of rituals in Laroche's catalog as number CTH 493. Perhaps it should be taken into account that the text is damaged and this would probably have been referred to in the complete text. Based on the content of the text of CTH 493 and the similarity of the curse texts with CTH 427, I think it should still be classified as an oath.

Both texts are very interesting and similar in their content. In the text CTH 427, it is stated several times, what awaits the violator of the oath, as well as the one who does harm to the king of Hatti, the king's family or the country. Specific texts are given for a kind of curse: to become blinded; to become deaf, to execute with sickness and bad death; To melt like wax and liquefied like sheep's fat; to become charred like sinew and split like salt; to become ground like a bone, to be boiled, to be pounded; to be trod on foot; to become swollen inwardly;  Become infertile; A person who violates an oath should be killed along with his name and family, as well as oxen and sheep; The plow should be broken, and barley and wheat should not grow on its crops, weeds should be rejoiced; May his youth and life prosper and be cursed by the gods. It is also worth noting one point that the oath-breaker must be shed disgraced, and for this he must be stripped of his masculine attributes and become a woman. They bring out a distaff and a spindle, and they break the arrows, and dress the man in a woman's clothes: " Let this oath turn a man into a woman! his army - into women! Let they dress in the manner of women and put a headscarf on their heads! Let their bows, arrows and weapons be smashed into their hands and the distaff and spindle be caught into their hands!" ^[1]

In CTH 493, there are similar types of curses for breaking an oath, specific ritual actions are followed by corresponding curse texts: i.e. water is poured on the ground, i.e. the oath-breaker must disappear without a trace like water, then wine is poured, i.e. it is the blood of the oath-breaker, which must be absorbed by the earth; Then both liquids are mixed together, i.e. this is how his body should be mixed with the disease; They take a stone, that means, the disease should make it heavy like this stone; The wrath of the gods must befall him; Crush their skulls. However, it is also said that if they keep the oath, it will be for their own good.

 Keywords: Assyriology, Hittites, Ritual, Oath, Military oath