Responsible for the Organization of the cult, observance of the cult calendar, and

Appropriate supply of gods and temples. Negligence in any aspect eould bring down

The anger of the gods and ali due calamities on the fand and ruler.

At this point, it is deemed essential to comment briefly on the nature of the sour-

Ces upon which the reconstruction of Hittite festivals is based. The description of

Cult ceremonies in the preserved texts is never a protocol of specific events, but rather

A prescriptive scenario of sorts for celebrating a given festival, or - to put it even

More dearly - a set of stage instructions for the organizers. All through the exist-

En.ce of the Hittite state, these texts were copied repeatedly and edited in changed

Versions, especially in the case of the most important festivals. The new editions

And different versions of the festival description are evidenee of changes it under-

Went over time. On the other hand, copyists offen simplified and abbreviated the

Original texts for their own, immediate needs, making them into a praetical remind-

Er of what should take place during a ceremony. After all, more detailed descrip

Tion;-; were always to be found on separate tablets kept in the archives of Hattusa.

An extreme case in point are the outline tablets of the two great festivals of

AN.DAH.SUM and nuntarriyasha from the late phase of the Empire period (see 3.2,6).

Another source for studying the Organization of festivals are the so-called MELQETU

Lists of food products and other goods received by those participating in a ceremo-

ny. i3 ° These texts are of limited value for understanding the course of the func-

Tions, but fchey are sometimes, unfortunately, the chief source of our knowledge, as

In the case of the important festival celebrated in Old Hittite times in Ziplanda (see

Below).

Similar lists appear among the texts describing the already mentioned KI.LAM

festival.' 594 This festival took place in Hattusa and was addressed to the gods of

the Capital and nearby centers (especially the holy eitles of Arinna and Ziplanda),

Worshiped in the state cult. The royal couple and the prinees participated along-

side the priests (including those from Arinna and Ziplanda) and the ERES.DINGIR-

Cf. Singer 1983; 14?ff.

394 Singer 1983; 1984; van den Hout 1991-1992; Haas 1994a: 748£f.; Klinger 1996: 236ff.; Soysal

Biga 2002: Groddek 2004a: 2004b.

The Old Hittite Period

73

Priestess. It is not clear whether during the discussed period the KI.LAM festival

Lasted three days, as in the Empire period, because the preserved fragments of Old

Hittite texts substantiate only two days.

The procession was an important point of the ceremonies. It is only mentioned

In the Old Hittite texts, while a more detailed description is given in sources of the

Empire period when it was surely already somewhat different. It seems that in Old

Hittite times Images of wild animale associated with the goddess Inar were carried

Foremost in this procession. Later on, however, it became a procession of cult Sym

bols and ‘animals of gods,’ including for example figures of Seri and Hurri, the sacred

Bulle of the Human Storm-god Tessub (see 3.2.5). Also the ceremony in front of

The temple of Halki, during which governors of particular cities presented the king

With products delivered for the festival from the granaries of their city, is known

Only from later descriptions (see 3.2.6). It is assumed that only some of the cities

Mentioned in this context in New Hittite sources delivered supplies for the KI.LAM

Festival already in Old Hittite times. For instance, it is doubtful to see in this role

Already at that time the Southern cities of Hubesna and Tuwanuwa.

The procession carrying Images of wild animals, which took place on the first day,

left from the Inar temple on Büyükkale and headed for the Storm-god’s fiuwasi-sctnc-

tuary outside the city. The king visited all the temples on Büyükkale, ma.de sacri.fi-