Hittite Witchcraft

International audienceBy « witchcraft » I wish to designate any techniques of harmful magic, what the Hittites call alwanzatar. This paper is not supposed to be an exhaustive overview but rather a selection of some aspects of this practice. Some of the questions I am going to address have already been asked, but I believe that several elements of answer deserve new emphasis. 1. Selected sources A. The ritual of Maštigga from Kizzuwatna against quarrels in a household (CTH 404.1): this text has been last edited and analyzed by Jared Miller in 2004. Although the incipit does not mention it, it is known to deal with witchcraft because it mentions « tongues », i.e. « evil tongues » and curses (hurtai-). B. A ritual against King Tudhaliya's bewitchment (KUB 24.12+: CTH 448.4.9): it is an exorcistic ritual for releasing the king. It has been edited by Piotr Taracha in 2000 2. C. A ritual against Ziplantawiya's witchcraft (CTH 443): Gabriela Szabó has produced the editio princeps of this composition in 1971 3 and Alexei Kassian published a new edition in 2000 4. See also Daniel Schwemer's comments on that text 5