The Corpus of Hittite Divinatory Texts (HDivT)

Digital Edition and Cultural Historical Analysis

Andrea Trameri (Hrsg.)

Citatio: Andrea Trameri (Hrsg.), hethiter.net/: CTH 573.61 (TRde 2025-08-08)


CTH 573.61

Bird oracles by Ašpinani, with reference to the Zawalli deity/deities

translatio



Abschnitt 1ID=1: (obv.) §1 Oracle: about a “poor man”

obv. 1‒2 broken

1ID=1 --

[] “the poor wh[ich]

2ID=2 --

[][]

3ID=3 --

Let the birds confirm (it).

4ID=4 --

A maršanašši- bird [].

5ID=5 --

[A … bird] came in the back up from the favorable side

6ID=6 --

and it [fle]w diagonally tar(uya)li-.

7ID=7 --

We saw an eagle [and a … bird] tar(uya)li-.

8ID=8 --

The eagle [] lengthways,

9ID=9 --

[the other bird] came in the back up from the favorable side

10ID=10 --

and it [flew] away in the middle.

11ID=11 --

[We saw] a ḫarrani- bird [],

12ID=12 --

it came in front from the favorable side

13ID=13 --

and it flew away in the middle.

14ID=14 --

[A …]i- bird came in the back up from the favorable side

15ID=15 --

and it flew away in the middle.

16ID=16 --

Thus (says) Ašpinani:

17ID=17 --

[“it was confirmed”].1

Abschnitt 2ID=2: §2. Oracle: about the Zawalli deity

18ID=18 --

[Because2] (it) was confirmed,

19ID=19 --

the Zawal[li …]

20ID=20 --

[Let the birds … (it)].

21ID=21 --

[A … bird] came in front from the unfavorable side

22ID=22 --

and [it …]

23ID=23 --

[] it flew away []

24ID=24 --

[][]

25ID=25 --

[] came [… from the fa]vorable side

26ID=26 --

and it flew away in the middle.

27ID=27 --

Thus (says) Ašpinani:

28ID=28 --

[“…”].

Abschnitt 3ID=3: §3. Oracle: unclear topic

29ID=29 --

[Because] only the separated [] was confirmed:

30ID=30 --

let the birds ex[clude (it)].

31ID=31 --

[Two … birds ca]me [].

32ID=32 --

One flew away in the middle,

33ID=33 --

whil[e (the other) one] came in the back down from the unfavorable side

34ID=34 --

[and it flew].

35ID=35 --

Three maršanašši- birds came in front from the unfavorable side.

36ID=36 --

[Two ca]me []

37ID=37 --

while (the other) one flew lengthways from the unfavorable side.

38ID=38 --

Thus (says) Ašpinani:

39ID=39 --

[“they] ex[cluded (it)”].

Abschnitt 4ID=4: §4. Oracle: […] the deity, and illness(?)

40ID=40 --

Because []/[Concerning the fact] that [] was confirmed,

41ID=41 --

they will proceed to [] you, O deity.

42ID=42 --

If, however, illness … from that [] forward []:

43ID=43 --

let [the birds con]firm (it).

44ID=44 --

A maršanašši- bird [came] in front from the unfavorable side

45ID=45 --

and it flew lengthways 〈3〉.

46ID=46 --

[A šulupi- bird] came in the back up from the favorable side

47ID=47 --

and it perched(!) on the ground tar(uya)lian.

48ID=48 --

[It took flight]

49ID=49 --

and it m[et] two maršanašši- birds ‘[bel]ow’ tar(uya)li-.

50ID=50 --

The šulupi- bird [came] lengthways from the unfavorable side,

51ID=51 --

[it perched]

52ID=52 --

and it tu[rned] (with) its [be]ak4 away in the middle.

53ID=53 --

[The two] maršanašši- birds, however, [came …]

54ID=54 --

and they flew away in the middle.

55ID=55 --

Behind the road:

56ID=56 --

[we saw] a mar[šan]ašši- bird [].5

57ID=57 --

It [came] in the back up from the fav[orable side],

58ID=58 --

and it flew away in the middle.

59ID=59 --

Thus (says) [Ašpinani]:

60ID=60 --

“it [was confirmed]”.

Abschnitt 5ID=5: §5. Oracle: the Zawalli of MUNUS[…]

61ID=61 --

The Zawalli deity of f…/the woman [] has confirmed the matter [].

62ID=62 --

[]

63ID=63 --

If the soul of the deity [in/from] that []

64ID=64 --

[A … bird][GU](N)-lian []

65ID=65 --

[A … bird] lengthways GUN-l[i-]

66ID=66 --

[A … bird] flew [ta]r(uya)li- diago[nally …]

67ID=67 --

[Behind the ro]ad:

68ID=68 --

an eagle []

69ID=69 --

[] the q[ue]en []

70ID=70 --

[] likewi[se …]

obv. I breaks off

Abschnitt 6ID=6: (rev.) §6. Unclear content

blank paragraph, ca eight lines

71ID=71 --

[]

72ID=72 --

[]

73ID=73 --

[]

74ID=74 --

[]

75ID=75 --

[]

rev. IV breaks off

A positive result is virtually certain, based on the majority of movements “from the favorable side”. This is also supported by the content of the following sentence.
See kolon 40.
According to Sakuma Y. 2009b, II, 379-380: 〈from the unfavorable side〉.
Sakuma Y. 2009b, II, 380: “Sein Schnabel aber wurde in der Mitte weggewendet”, but note that the grammatical subject is “the bird” (=aš-, in …=ma=aš=za=kan).
Sakuma Y. 2009b, II, 380, 675-676 suggests: [GUN-li-] (‘rule’ of flight direction, based on the following movement).
Editio ultima: Traductionis 2025-08-08