Most important States in central Anatolia, encompassing a considerable territory in

The Kizilirmak basin, especially the region north and northeast of the Capital. Sirni-

Larly as in the case of Zalpa, located in the eatuary of the Kizilirmak on the Black

175

Sea, the state with the Capital in Hattusa grew from the Hattian cultural tradi

Tion. Upon taking power in Hattusa, the Old Hittite dynasty took from the Hattians

The name of the land, ideology of kingship, and most probably the state institutions.

It was only natural that Hattian goda, especially those belonging to the pantheon of

The Capital city, filled the state pantheon. Indeed, it is difficuit to point out any

Elements of the official Hittite religion that could be derived from the common Indo-

European heritage of the Anatolians. Yet, elements of this tradition were present in

The domestic cult. celebrated by the royal family venerating deities that demon-

Strated ties with the Kanesite pantheon. Some of these gods had Luwian names (see

It can be concluded from the above evidence that the ruling family had Hit

Tite roots. It also seems justifiable to assume that a considerable part of the Popu

Lation of the land of Hatti in this period was of Hittite and Luwian origins. 176 In his

Annals, Hattusili I calls himself a ‘man of Kussar,’ which was where the earlier rulers

Of Karies, Pitbana and Anitta, had come from. The Hittites must have been well

Aware of their ethnic ties with Kanes/Nesa, considering that they called themselves

Nesites and their tongue Nesite. Later on, during the Old Hittite period, Hittite

(Nesite) also became the official language of the royal Chancery. 1

Hattian influence has also been noted in the religion of the Palaians who lived

West of the lower run of the Kizilirmak, in a region called later Paphlagonia. 178 The

Palaic pantheon (3.1.2), however, reveals strenger bonds with the ancestral Indo-

European religious traditions which also predominated in the beliefs of the Luwians.

Compared to sources from the Empire period, the Old Hittite texts provide little

Information on religious mattere, and limited to the region of central and northern

Anatolia. Not much can be said about Luwian beliefs from Southern Anatolia and

For the history of Zalpa, see Otten 1973: 58ff.; Haas 1977; Forlanini 1984: 253ff.; Klinger 1998:

Beal 2003a: 2l£f.; Forlanini 2004: 374ff.; 379ff,

Goedegebuure (2008) comes to a similar conclusion on the socio-Hnguistie anaiysis of Hattian.

Initially, Akkadian. was the language of the royal otlj.ee in Hattusa. The first Hittite texts were

Written presumably in the reign of Telipinu (e. 1550—1530) or one of bis successors. cf. Popko

C: 579; van den Hont, in press.

See now van den Hont 2003—20053; Popko 2008: 80f.

38

Hittite Anatolia

Nothing about the religion of the inhabitants of the westem Stretches of the region.

For this reason, Luwiaxi beliefe will be discussed in the chapter devotes to the Empire

Period (3,2.4).

Pantheon of the state and the Capital city

The state pantheon included gods worshiped in Hattusa and divinities heading the

Local pantheons from the most important religious eenters of the state. The cult was

179

Celebrated by the king, the royal couple or the crown prince. Most of the gods

Worshiped in the state cult of the Old Hittite period belonged to the Hattian Sub

Strate. The gods of Hattusa and the holy cities of Arinna, Ziplanda and Nerik (the

latter lying far to the north, possibly modern Oymaagag nenr Vezirköprü) held the

Most important position. The location of these cities, in the bend of the Kizilirmak,

Marked the territorial extent of the Hittite state at an early stage of its history. The

Territory earlier controlled by Zalpa on the Black Sea, where the holy city of Nerik

180

Lay. was conquered by the kings of Hattusa two generations before Hattusili I..

Also incorporated into the state cult were the deities of other cities in the