CTH 407 introductio

Ritual of Puliša

(CTH 407)

Textzeugen

A	KBo 15.1	2682/c	Obv. i 1 – II 4'
		+ 2688/c
		+ 2706/c
		+ 165/e
B	KBo 21.9	148/e	= A i 34–39

Exemplar A: A four-column Sammeltafel that also contains the ritual of Ummaya (CTH 779). Column i contains 45 partially preserved lines. The beginning of col. ii is broken, preserving only the first few signs of the final four lines of Pulisa. Ummaya’s Ritual begins after a double-paragraph stroke on line 5' of col. ii.

Exemplar B: A small fragment containing six lines of text corresponding to A i 34–39.

Both A and B exhibit New Hittite script.

Fundorte der Textvertreter

Three of the four fragments of KBo 15.1 were found in the Phrygian level north of rooms 2 and 3 of the large building. 165/e was found on Büyükkale u/11, a meter deep in debris.

Exemplar B was found on Büyükkale u/9, in a tablet dump.

Editionsgeschichte

Kümmel prepared an edition in StBoT 3 (1967, 111-125). The ritual was translated by Collins in CoS (1997, 161), discussed by Wright (1987, 45-50) and briefly treated by Haas (1994, 211–213) and Bawanypeck (2005, 5-6).

The present edition was prepared by Billie Jean Collins.

Inhaltsübersicht

§ 1	The opening paragraph identifies the “author” of the ritual, and the occasion for it, which is the plague that is introduced into the civilian population by the returning troops. The ritual identifies the ultimate cause as an angry deity from the enemy land.
§ 2	The ritual is stipulated to take place during the march home. A prisoner of war and a woman are selected as substitutes. The man is dressed in the king’s clothing and the woman is also given new clothing. The king recites an incantation to placate the angry deity, inviting him to accept the substitutes.
§ 3	Likewise for the woman in case the deity is female.
§ 4	A bull (or ewe for a female deity) is then brought in and a ring placed in its ear. Colored wool threads symbolizing the miasma are pulled from the mouth of the king. The ritualist recites an incantation asking the deity to accept the animal substitute.
§ 5	Likewise for the ewe in case the deity is female.
§ 6	The bull and ewe are then sent off in front of the man and woman.
§7	(broken)