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V.A. Ivanov (Moscow) – Substitution Rites and Scapegoat Rites Inhittite-Luwian Rituals

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Abstract

The Hittite-Luwian rituals of the Puriyanni and Kuwattalla traditions (CTH 758–763) contain substitution and scapegoat rites among the rich set of their ritual practices. The substitution rites represent a subset of purification rites and may involve animals or inanimate substitutes. Their terminology displays parallels with that of the substitution rites embedded in Hittite compositions, such as royal substitution rituals (CTH 419–421) or Prayer for Princess Gaššuliyawiya (CTH 380), but there are also important differences. While the scapegoat rites show affinities with the substitution rites, these two categories can be defined separately. The systematic research into both groups of rites was conducive to arriving at several new textual interpretations of Hittite-Luwian rituals. Thus, the damaged passage from the Kuwattalla tradition mentioning “the supreme substitutes” finds a parallel in the texts of the Hittite royal substitution ritual (CTH 421), where different kinds of substitutes are sent to the gods of the Netherworld and to the gods living in the skies respectively. Feeding the nakkiu-spirits during the ritual echoes the passage from the Luwian conjuration belonging to the Tauriša tradition. The interpretation of the adjective šaknuwant(i)-, describing the sacrificial animal presented to the Storm-God, should have a positive connotation, according to its parallels with the description of the substitution ritual in the Prayer for Princess Gaššuliyawiya.

Keywords

Anatolian religion, Hittite-Luwian rituals, Puriyanni tradition, Kuwattalla tradition, substitution rites, substitute, scapegoat.

Valeriy A. Ivanov

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

E-mail: v.v.a.ivanoff @yandex.ru

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