Professional Documents
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ISTANBULER MITTEILUNGEN
BAND 43, 1993
ISTMI'IT 43, 1993 39
HARRY HOFFNER
HISTORY OF INTERPRETATION
The determination of the meaning of iwar goes back to Sommer 1, who translated it >'auf die
Weise von, nach Art von, gleichwie.
Etymological proposals
Opinion is divided on the derivation of iwar: see the entries in Puhvel's 2 and Tischler's) lexica
for literature. Already Hrozny 4 suggested an action noun in -war from the root i- to go. This
has been followed by Friedrich 5, Sommer, Kammenhuber, Carruba, and Kronasser 6. Puhvel,
following the lead of Gusmani, also understands iwar as an action noun in -war, but derived
from the verb iye-I-iya- to do, make. According to Puhvel, the form with reduction, i-war as
opposed to iya-war, poses no problem in view of Old Hittite lzzi instead of iyazzi. Puhvel
makes an interesting point, when he cites constructions like PN-as iwar iya- to do the doing of
PN as examples of figura etymologica. But if that is a relic of the particle's origin, I would be
more comfortable finding it in OH, instead of NH, as all known examples are. Sommer 7 had
been aware of the attractiveness of Sanskrit iva as a cognate and the explanation of the Hittite
final r as adverbial-r. But he warned of the rashness of this hypothesis. Puhvel 8 lists those who
follow this view. To the list may now be added Melchert 9.
Aside from the standard abbreviations appearing in the' Archaologische Bibliographie' and the' Archaologischer An-
zeiger' all other abbreviations are to be found in thc 'List of Abbreviations' of the Hittite Dictionary of the Oriental
Institute of the University of Chicago (1980ff.).
The spelling of the word is uniformly i-wa-ar with the single exception of tu-e-el-wa e-u-wa-
ar like you(?) in the broken context KUB 60.98 obv. 28, which might be some other word.
Questions of etymology are also bound up with the issue of the relationship of iwar to the noun
iwaru and its denominal verb iwarwai-, Carruba 10 distinguishing them and Sommer II and
Weitenberg 12 considering the root the same. One should no longer cite the broken lexical
passage from KBo 1.38 rev. 9 as containing iwar 13. Rather it is to be restored, as Akkadian
sariiku to pay a dowry = Hittite iwar[wauwarJ, following the entry seriktu, dowry =
iwaru 14.
My interest is less in the reconstruction of the proto-form than in the observation of the use of
iwar within the Hittite corpus. It has been known since Hrozny 15 and Sommer 16 that the
primary construction of iwar is as a postpositional governing a substantive in the genitive case.
This construction is the same as that of a small set of postpositionals (appan, katta, kattan,
peran) which in Old Hittite govern the genitive and even take clitic possessives (appan~set,
perammit). But whereas with these words the case of the governing noun or pronoun changes to
the locative in post-Old Hittite, in the case of iwar the genitive reetion continues to be the
dominant construction down to the end of the New Hittite period (more on this under
Diachronics), and iwar never takes a possessive clitic C:-iwar~set).
Puhvel l7 has already listed many of the examples of iwar in published texts. Here we shall
repeat many of his examples and add even more, while classifying the examples as to whether the
comparison is primarily with the subject, the direct object, or the finite verb of the clause.
10) O. Carruba, Das Beschworungsritual fiir die Gottin Wisuriyanza (1966) 16.
II) F. Sommer, Hethitisches II (1922).
12) J.S. Weitenberg, Anatolica 4,1971/72,157-178.
13) So quoted in J. Puhvel, Hittite Etymological Dictionary (1984ff.) 501.
14) As in A. Kammenhuber, MIO 2,1954,75 and A. Kammenhuber, ZA 55,1955,102-123.365 n. 45, followed by MSL
13.249 and H. Kronasser, Etymologie der hethitischen Sprache I (1966) 302,307.
15) F. Hrozny, Die Sprache der Hethiter (1917).
16) F. Sommer, Hethitisches I (1920).
17) J. Puhvel, Hittite Etymological Dictionary (1984ff.).
18) Edited by 1. Hoffmann, Der ErlaB Telipinus (1984) 34f.
43, 1993 HITIITE I\VAR 41
[2] nu~wa u[g]ga 5AtI-as iwarwiyami 1 will squeal like a pig KUB 14.1 rev. 93 (Madduwat-
ta, MH/MS) 19;
[14]zik[~a~wana]/ anzel iwar wanummiyas DUMU-as You (Silver) like us are an orphan
child KUB 17.4 :5-6 (Silver myth) 27;
[15] [...] UL kuiski memai/ [...] DAsdapis badugas DINGIR-LlM-is / [...] DU-as iwar
G1Sburkiyas / [.. .]ninki~smi KUR-e~ma / [...] mi KBo 26.96:7-11 (Kumarbi myth);
[16]SAG.DU-as~mMnas~kan LUBAIjAR-as / [GISUM] BIN GIM-an webattari MAS.TUR-
as~ma~nas~ kan / mienuwas iwar Our head spins like a potter's [wh]eel; our 'Little Goat'
[...s] like mienu KUB 33.103 III 5-7 (Hedammu) 28;
[17]nu~kan [(ANA M)]US Ijedammu tarbuili / [(ZI.IjI.A-S)U sanezziS] tesbas epta n~asGUD
as ANSE[(-as)]~a iwar supparianza / [ ... UL] kuitki kaniszi Sweet sleep seized the senses(?)
of the serpent Ijedammu, the valiant; and he is sleeping like an ox (or) donkey; [...] recognizes
[no]thing KUB 33.84 + IV 8-10 (Ijedammu) 29;
[18]nu~za LUGAL-us LUGAL-ueznas iwar / wassiyazi the king dresses himself like a king
(literally, in the manner of kingship) KUB 7.60 III 7-8 (evocatio rit.) 30;
[19] n~as GAB.LAL[t]war salliettaru / UZU.t.UDU~ma~wa iwar marrietta<ru> KUB 48.76
+ KBo 6.34 II 2-3 (soldiers' oath, MH/NS). Oettinger 31 restores [-as i]war in line 2, although he
does not read UZU.t.UDU<-as>~ma~wa in line 3. The space at the join in line 2 does not seem
adequate to restore -as. Should one read <-as> in both lines? Note in this passage that the
postposition mabban is used first in I 49-50, then switches to -as . .. iwar where apposition with
the subject begins. The same pattern holds for the later parts: n~as uzuSA-as iwar /
bursakniyaddaru MUN-as~ma iwar / parsiettaru ibid. II 14-16;
[20] ki~wa watarmabban taganzipa[s katta pasta] / [nu~w ]Msi urkisEGIR-an UL tekkussi[ezzt]
/ [tag]anzipas katta QATAMMA pasu nU~WM<s>mas [urkiS] / [wet]enas iwar EGIR-an Ie
tekkussie[zu] Just as the earth swallows up this water, and it leaves behind no trace, in the same
way let the earth swallow (the evil), and like the water let it leave behind no trace KUB 43.38
rev. 9-12 (soldiers' oath) 32;
[21 ]paiddu~wa ~ kan edani / DINGIR- LIM-asparni andan burtaislingais papratar~a basuwayas
iwar kisaru / nu~war~at basu[way]as'SAR iwar miyan esdu In that temple of the deity let the
curse, oath and uncleanness proceed to become like the soda plant, and let it be fruitful like the
soda plant KUB 29.7 rev. 15-18 + KBo 21.41 rev. 25-27 (rit. of Samuha, MH/MS) 33;
[22]idalawa<nna>nz<a>~ya NIS DINGIR-LIM~ya burtais papranna[nz]as~ a / PANI
E.DINGIR-LIM suppi[wasbana]s iwar anda bulaliyan bardu Before the temple let the evil,
the oath of the god, the curse and the uncleanness be wound together like (the skins of) an
onion; ibid. rev. 38-39;
27) Edited by H. A. Hoffner Jr. in: E. Neu - C. Ruster (Hrsg.), Documentum Asiae Minoris Antiquae (1988) J49f.
28) Edited by J. Siegelova, Appu-Marchen und Hedammu-M ythus (1971) 52f., cf. CHD mienu-.
29) Edited by J. Siegelova, Appu-Marchen und Hedammu-Mythus (1971) 58f.
30) Edited by V. Haas - G. Wilhelm, Hurritische und luwische Riten aus Kizzuwatna (1974) 236.
31) Edited by N. Oettinger, Die Militarischen Eide der Hethiter (1976) 8f.
32) Edited by N. Oettinger, Die Militariscben Eide der Hethiter (1976) 20f.
33) Edited by R. Lebrun, Samuha, foyer religieux de I'empire hittite (1976) 123. 130; translated in J. B. Pritchard, Ancient
Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Third Edition 346 (differently).
43, 1993 HITTITE IWAR 43
[29J SA dU fijarapS [ili- . .. karpiS? kel G'Swarsamasll iwar waranu May [the anger(?)J of the
Stormgod (and) [of] fljarapsili burn up like [this brushwoodJ Bo 5997 6-8, cited by Otten, KBo
XXI, S. IV, Anm. 5.
[30JEN.SISKUR IR-KA I [parkuwJayasljUR.SAG-as iwar I [pirJan QATAMMA esdu . .. ID-
as~ma~tta~kkan [iwaJr EGIR-panta arsiyabbut Let the worshiper, your servant, in the same
way be like a [hiJgh mountain before (you)! ... Flow back (down) like a river (and reconsider
him)! KUB 10.72 V 9-13 (fest.);
[31J n~as QATAMMA kistaru n~asNA4-asiwar duddumisdu Let (the evil) be extinguished in
the same way, and let it become silent like the stone KUB 7.58 I 9-10 rit. 36;
[32][SJA dU~war~as iwar parkuis I [... e]Sdu Let him be pure [...J as the Stormgod KBo
12.85 I 14-15 (rit. of Allaiturabi) 37, d. VBoT 120 I 6;
[33J [... MUNUSJE.GE4.A-as iwar anda ka[riyanza?J V[eiled(?)] like a bride KUB 41.11 rev. 3
(rit.);
[34] 1-ass~a G,SmablasSAlj-as iwar murius I mekkus baskiddu Let even one vine branch, like a
(fertile) sow, bear many grape clusters KUB 43.23 rev. 21-22 (blessings on Labarna, OS) 38;
34) Edited by J. de Roos, Hettitische Gcloften. Een teksteditie van Hettitische geloften met in lei ding, vertaling en
critische noten (Ph.D., 1984) 206, 345.
35) Cf. Ehelolf, MDOG 75 (1937) 67ff.; J. Holt in: R. von Kienle - H. Moortgat - H. Otten - E. von Schuler - W.
Zaumseil (Hrsg.), Festschrift Johannes Friedrich zum 65. Geburtstag am 27. August 1958 gewidmet (1959) 213f.;
Riemschneider, BiOr 18 (1961) 25f.
36) Edited by S. R. Bin-Nun, The Tawananna in the Hittite Kingdom (1975) 68.
37) Edited by V. Haas - H. Thiel, Die Beschworungsrituale der Allaiturah(h)i und verwandte Texte (1978) 132f.
38) Edited by A. Archi in: O. Carruba (Hrsg.), Studia Mediterranea Piero Meriggi dicata (1979) 34, CHD L-N 333.
44 HARRY HOFFNER ISTMITf
39) Edited by J. Friedrich in: Altorientalisehe Studien. Bruno Meissner zum 60. Gebunstag gewidmet von Freunden,
Kollegen und Sehulern (1928) 47. 49; translated in]. B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old
Testament. Third Edition 207; E. Laroche in: E. Neu - C. Riister (Hrsg.), Festschrift Heinrich Otten (1973) 185f.; I.
Wegner, UgaritF 10, 1978, 403f.; E. von Schuler, TUAT III (1982) I24f.; R. Haase, Texte zum hethitischen Recht.
Eine Auswahl (1984) 63f.; for the liquid conception of the ZI d. A. Kammenhuber, ZA 56, 1964, 150-222.
40) Edited by A. Giitze, Die Annalen des Mursilis (1933) 13M.
41) H. Orren, Die Apologie Hattusilis III.: Das Bild del' Oberlieferung (1981) Taf. 2.
42) Edited by H. Otten, Die Apologie Hattusilis Ill.: Das BiJd del' Dberlieferung (1981) 24f.
43) Cf. R. Werner, BiOI' 18,1961,291.
44) Edited by]. Friedrich, Staatsvertrage des Hani-Reiches in hethitischer Sprache. I. Teil (1926) 62f.
45) Edited by J. Friedrich, Staatsvertrage des Hatti-Reiches in hethitischer Sprache. l. Teil (1926) 11M.
46) Edited by A. Kammenhuber, Hippologia hethitica (1961) 58f.
47) Edited by N. Oettinger, Die Militarischen Eide del' Hethiter (1976) 12f.
48) Edited by R. Lebrun, Samuha, foyer religieux de I'empire hittite (1976) 124. 131; translated in]. B. Pritchard, Ancient
Ncar Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Third Edition 346.
43, 1993 HITTITE [WAR 45
[45] [nu]~wa man / para tarnumar iyatteni / nu~wa~smas dTUKUL.HI.A-KUNU [.. .]nas
iwar / sarlami If you perform the debt release, I will exalt your weapons like [... J KBo 32.19
III 37-40 (myth), to be edited by E. Neu in StBoT 32;
[46] n~as 10 MA.NA -as iwar sara tiddanuw[anzl] And they set them (i.e., the images made of
fruits) like ten minas KUB 39.11 obv. 41 (MH/NS) 49;
[47]nu~mu~kan UN.MES-annaza TUR-as iwa[r ...] People [...] me like a child KUB
12.13:4 (rit. frag.);
[48] [... barn]ikmi / [... kussJanga UL I [.. . ]an QATAMMA / [... wJabnuessar / [... arba?
tessum]miyas iwar / [du]warnabbi sarazziyas~a / [...] wabnuessar arba bussiliyas / [l]war
sakkuriemi / [.. .]ni~ma~kan istarna peE. ..]; 1 will smash the wabnuessar like a (clay) cup; I
will flatten out (trample flat) the wabnuessar like a mud pit. KBo 32.24 II 10-18, to be edited by
E. Neu in StBoT 32; note that here bussiliyas / [t]war breaks the nexus of the preverb arba and
the finite verb sakkuriya-. Perhaps the same was true in the clause with [tessum]miyas iwar.
Hittite (men), one [in the style of ...,J and one in the style of kingship KUB 42.38: 19-21
(inventory, NH) 51.
A much less common construction is iwar following a noun not in the genitive, but in some
other syntactically appropriate case. Puhvel considers iwar in these cases a conjunction. Pre-
sumably he has in mind the analogous construction with man or mabban, where the case of the
compared noun agrees with its antecedant comparing noun. Such an explanation fits well the
following example from the Elkunida myth:
Similarly, LAL-it seems to be nom.-acc. neuter, in agreement with the subject uddar and the
resumptive -at in the following: [56J uddar~ma~k[an] kue KAxU-az para iyattari n~at LAL-it
iwar sanizzi esdu "Let the words which issue from the mouth be as sweet as honey KUB 27.29
II 17-19.
In the next example buelpi shows that its noun GA.RASSAR was neut. (nom.-)acc., agreeing
with the syntactically accusative UJ.MES:
[57] [nu~ zJa UJ.MES buelpi GA.RASS AR iwar arba kari[pta] You devoured men like a fresh
leek KUB 24.7 II 5 ('hymn' to ISTAR-Sawuska, NH) 55.
[58] (The exorcist speaks thus:) KU .BABBAR -ni~WMZ iwar / PANI D INGIR.MES ... parkuis
es be pure as silver before the gods ... KBo 5.2 IV 61-62 (rit. of Ammihatna, MH/NS); unless
the ni sign is a mistake for as this example too must be attributed to the 'conjunctive' use.
[59] ALAM iwar iya[nduJ KUB 39.23 obv. 6 56
51) Edited by J. Siegelova, Hethitische Verwalrungspraxis im Lichte der Wirrschafts- und Inventardokumente (1986)
495f.
52) Edited by E. von Schuler, Die Kaskaer (1965) 152-63; R. Lebrun, Hymnes et prieres hittites (1980) 132-154.
53) Edited by H. A. Hoffner Jr. in: E. eu - C. Riister (Hrsg.), Documentum Asiae Minoris Anriquae (1988) 149f.
54) Edited by H. Otten, MIO J, 1953, 125-150; translated in H. A. Hoffner Jr., RHA 23,1965,10; H. A. Hoffner Jr.,
Hittite Myths (1990) 69f; A. Bernabe, Textos literarios hetitas (1987) 128f.
55) Edited by H. G. Giiterbock,JAOS 103,1983,158.
56) Edited by H. Onen, Hethitische Totenriruale (1958) 94f.
43, 1993 HITTITE [WAR 47
The first of these two examples is the clearest, since the phonetic complement on MUSEN
shows thai it is definitely not a genitive, but a nominative, much as one would expect if the
position of iwar had been filled by man or mabban. In the second example it is unlikely that we
should suppose a scribal omission of -as both on buelpi and on GA.RASSAR. Examples like KBo
6.34 II 2-3 above [19], however, are probably scribal omissions of -as in view of the other
examples with the genitive in the immediate context.
Prepositonal iwar
Diachronically
Since nowadays it is often possible to date the texts in which these constructions appear, it may
prove helpful to see if there is a correlation between the date of the text and the syntax of iwar.
Postpositional iwar Iike is very rare in OH and not found at all in OS. In OH, then, speakers
apparently had no option to use iwar, but used postpositional man or maIJIJan (cE. exx. of both
of these in CHD s.v.). iwar comes into wider use in MH. The 'conjunctive' use is strictly NH,
and 'prepositional' writings do not occur before Ijattusili III.
Speakers of the Hittite language had at their disposal a variety of syntactic structures with which
to express ideas of comparison. (1) The maIJIJan clause followed by an apeniHan clause (cE.
CHD sub maIJIJan), (2) sentences containing the verb dakk- to be like/similar" in which the
compared items are nominative and dative-locative respectively: GAB-SU ANA GAB-SU
dakki, sA-su ANA sA-su dakki> etc. his chest is similar to his chest, his heart is similar to his
heart, etc. KUB 43.53:7-9; (3) comparisons of degree 65, which take the same syntactic
structure as the dakk- clauses: nU9wa9kan ANA ERIN.MES-KA ERIN.MES- YA mek[kz],
ANA ANSE.KUR.RA.MES9mMwMtta ANSE.KUR.RA.MES- YA mekki my troops 66 are
more numerous than your troops; my horses are more numerous than your horses (KUB 19.29
IV 18-19); namma9kan anzel TI-anni [UL S]A BELUMEs-NI TI-tar nakk'i if the life of our
lords (i.e., the Hittite kings) is not dearer (to us) than our own life,< (KUB 31.42 II 18-19); (4) the
suffix -ili 67: / pittiyantili like a fugitive (pittiyant- ), karuHiyantili quietly (karuHiyant-),
MUNUS-nili, of a womanly nature, LlJ.KUR-li, in the manner of an enemy (or perhaps to
be read with Otten 68 LU-ni-li in a manly way, IJaranili like an eagle (IJaran-), swiftly,
duddumili silently, GUD-li like an ox, MU.KAM-li annually, yearly siwattili (UD.KAM-
tili) daily'<, LIM-tili by the thousands; and based upon geographic names: URunisili, nasili and
nesumnili (the latter two without det.) in the language of the city of Nda, in Hittite, URUbattili
in the (pre-IE) language of the Hattians, in Hattic, luwili (without determinative) in the
Luwian language, uRupalaumnili in the language of the land of Pala, in Palaic, uRuburlili in
Hurrian, URupabilili in Akkadian 69. (5) Postpositional man and mabban like (see many
exx. in CHD s.v.). (6) Sometimes an appositive has a comparative force: buwappus~a~kan
UJ.MES-as / [tar-n]a-as-ma (var. tar-na-as-ma-an/-aS?) sa-ak-sa-ki-lu-us walbannai and
continually strikes evil men on their skulls (like) sakSakil(a)- (or: strikes evil men, i.e., the s. of
their skulls), (and destroys them) KUB 24.8 I 2-6 (Appu story, pre-NH/NS) w. dupl. KBo
7.18:1-4 7. (7) The adverbs masiyan, masiyanki, masiwan and their related adjectives masiyant-
and masiwant- are used for making quantitative comparative statements ("as much as, large/
small as) (d. CHD L-M 20Mf. for the evidence).
There are differences between these structures. If the speaker needs to express a comparison
with two complete clauses, method (1) is the obvious means. Apparently neither postpositional
man nor mabban are used after non-clitic (i.e., stressed) pronouns (ug, ammuk, ammel, zig, tug,
tuel, etc.), while iwar is. If the speaker simply wants to say that A is like B or that A is larger,
smaller, richer, stronger, etc. than B, methods (2) and (3) would be chosen. Methods (4), (5), (6),
and the use of iwar are used to single out a pair of nouns, or a noun and a pronoun, which share
a comparable role, either as grammatical subject, object. possessor or verbal modifier.
There are some differences in the syntax of man and mabban (5), and iwar. Of the three
postpositionals man, mabban and iwar, only the latter is able to govern proper names. The
closest approximation is in the dream usage of man, where AB V- YA man means (someone)
like my father (CHD sub man 1 d). While iwar is used with negated governing substantives
(e.g., VI SA x iwar [7], VI NUMUN-as iwar KBo 12.139:3), man and mabban are not. On the
other hand, postpositional mabban governs a preceding interrogative pronoun, while iwar does
not: kuit mabban like what? (see CHD mabban 1 b). Otherwise, although man (CHD mng.
1) becomes less common in NH non-literary texts, where iwar seems to have become the
construction of choice, both man and mabban like continue to be used alongside of iwar and
in much the same way. Sometimes in literary texts an author deliberately used two methods
juxtaposed for variety: d [1] (duddumili and PN-as iwar), KUB 33.103111 5-7 above [16] (man
and iwar).
The expression something/-one like a ... (without expressed antecedant) is formed using
postpositional man, as in the dream descriptions (see man 1 d).
As for the suffix -ili, when this suffix is added to ethnica, it always denotes a language,
whereas ethnica plus iwar have no linguistic reference: SA UJ.MES Gasga iwar.
69) For a full list of the adverbs in -iii (without translations) see P. Reichert, RHA 21, 1963, 120.
70) Edited by J. Siegelova, Appu-Marchen und Heclammu-Mythus (1971) 4f.; . Oettinger, Die Stammbildung des
hethitischen Verbums (1979) 434; . van Brock, RHA 20, 1962, 104 (les hommes mechants, sur leur gorge il frappe
les sakSakiia-); translated by H. A. Hoffner Jr. in: H. Goedicke- lJ.M. Roberts (Hrsg.), Unity and Diversity: Essays
in the History, Literature, and Religion of the Ancient Near East (1975) 139.
50 HARRY HOFFNER ISTMITT
When it is added to a time word (siwattili "daily, wittili annually) it modifies primarily
neither subject nor object, but the verb itself.
The adverbs in -ili (4) are not negated in the manner of the iwar construction. Putting it
differently - what negation there is occurs on the main verb: e.g., duddumili ... le kuiski ...;
miyantili A.SA-ni GIS.SAR-ni G'STIR-ni Ile paizzi taknas"'at DUTU-as KASKAL-an paiddu
KUB 17.10 IV 12-13 (Tel. myth, verso 1); bamesbi",za GUD-un le wasti karsantan"'ma",za I
galliStarwanili le datti marsanza I GUD-us bamesbi'" pat SIGs-ri idalus"'ma"'za I karsanza
gallistarwanili unuwatari KUB 4.3 obv. 12-15 (wisdom) 71.
The -ili adverbs which are not based upon ethnica or time words (e.g., duddumili, pitteyantili,
baraniii, parsanili, etc.) always offer a comparison to the grammatical subject of the clause,
never to the direct or indirect object: man",kan LOMUNABTUM ISTU KU[R-KA KUR
URU Hatti LOpit]tiyantili I uizzi n"'an"'ta EGIR-pa UL piyanzi KUB 21.1 III 62-63 (Alaks.) 72;
71) Edited by E. Laroche in: J. Nougayrol E. Laroche - C. Virollcaud - C.F.A. Schaeffer (Hrsg.), Ugaritica V:
Nouveaux textes accadiens, hourritcs et ugaritiques des Arcbives ct Bibliotbeques privees d'Ugarit, commemaires
des textes historiques (1968) 273ff. 779ff. 781.
72) Edited by J. Friedrich, Staatsvertrage des Hatti-Reicbcs in hethitischer Sprache. 2. Teil (1930) 74f.
73) Edited by H. G. Gliterbock T.P.J. van den Hout, The Hittite Instruction for the Royal Bodyguard (1991) 12f.
74) Edited by R. Lebrun, Hymnes et prieres hittites (1980) 268. 282 (ignoring KUB 30.14).
43, 1993 HITIITE IWAR 51
In narrative literary texts, such as myths or legends, authors used simile and metaphor to make
the narrative more vivid. And although the metaphors of Hittite myths do not become so rigidly
associated with one particular object or character, as in Homer (wine-dark sea, etc.), a few of
them are definitely stock phrases.
It is hard to ignore the fact that similes of a particularly unflattering kind are applied to enemies
or villains in the historical narratives of Hattusili III. UrhiteSsub is shut up like a pig in a sty
(mVrIJi-D[(U-upan kuw)] api dameda / VI kuwapikki tarna [(5 n~an~ kan)] INA URUSamuIJa /
SAIj GIM-an :IJu[(mma EGIR-pa istapp)] as) 75 or "like a fish in a net (apun~mMkan DISTAR
URU SamuIJa GASAN ~ YA / KU 6-un GIM-an IJupalaza EGIR-pa istapta / n~an isIJiyat n~an~mu
para pesta KBo 6.29 + KUB 21.12 + KUB 23.127 + Bo 2026b II 33-36 76). The purpose of using
these similes is obviously the public humiliation of Ijattusili's opponent.
In incantations the comparative clause of the typeJust as honey is sweet, and butter is mild, so
in the same way let the mind of the god become sweet, and let it become mild it is obviously the
peculiar logic of magic which is at work. If A produces B, then A prime ought to produce B
pnme.
Among all the expressions of comparison in the Hittite texts I cannot find a truly appropriate
one for my friend and colleague, Peter Neve. So I shall contrive one and hope that he will be
pleased with the sentiment: siwattes~ teS~ wa~tta nepisas IJasteres man meggaes asandu May
your days be as numerous as the stars of heaven!
75) H. Otten, Die Apologie Hattusilis III.: Das Bild der Oberlieferung (1981) IV 24-26.
76) Edited by A. Gotze, Neue Bruchstiicke zum groBen Text des Hattusilis und den Paralleltexten (1930) 46.