The Ritual of Zarpiya is the second of three scapegoat rituals contained on a single Sammeltafel.(1) The author of the text is from Kizzuwatna and as a result the text is laden with Luwian words and incantations, often rendering translation difficult. The first half of the ritual involves an oath-taking on the part of the participants; the second half is a scapegoat ritual of sorts. The human scapegoats in this case are nine young boys. The theme of the number nine is repeated throughout the ritual. The gods at whom the ritual is directed are anta and the Innarawantes, a group of deities perhaps totalling nine.
TRANSLATION
1 [Thus says Zarp]iya, physician of Kizzuwatna, (regarding) [when the year] is ruinous (and) in the land there is continual dying. [Then] in which(ever) city (there is) ruin as a result [the master of (each)] house will do as follows:
2 I hang up the kelu- [of the cli]ent. Its huppali- is bronze. Its [hazziu]l are of a shaggy lion-skin. But its footstool is of basalt, and its (the footstool's) hazziul is of lapis. The paw is strong. (It) is the paw(?) of a bear [...] but he h[angs the ...] of a wild goat.
3 And the ali-s are of black wool and red wool (and) the yellow wool of the town of arnuwaila. Before the sinew of a dog is sakalsan, he [...] three [...s]. On one side he hangs one (piece) on a peg (made of) apricot(?)-wood,(2) while on the other side he hangs one (piece) on a peg (made of) cornel wood.
4 First and foremost, in front on that side he hits the apricot(?)-wood peg into the gate. He hangs a cooked kuggula of barley flour, a kuggula of hariyanti- barley flour, and one jug of wine. On this side, however, he hits [the peg] of cornel wood i[nto the gate], and from it (the peg) he hangs a cooked kuggula of barley flour, a kuggula of ariyanti- barley flour, and one jug of wine.
5 With the pegs, a white bush is stuck in/planted. Downwards from the ground [...] downwards at the front. On either side he buries wassi-, whose name is huwallari. Furthermore, the gate behind the door of the courtyard on which he hangs the kelu-s-down in front of the kelu-s he places a wicker table and on top of it he sets an ax(3) of bronze, one warm bread, thick bread (and) cheese. Thereon (he sets) a bronze ax, a bronze dagger, a strung bow, [and] one arrow.
6 Down in front on the wicker table he places one huppar-vessel of wine from the puri-stand, and from the puri-stand he places one pitcher of PIHU drinking beer. Into the pitcher of PIHU drinking beer he inserts one straw.
7 They bring in one billy-goat and the master of the estate libates it with wine before the table for Santas. Then he holds out the bronze ax and says as follows: "Come Santas! Let the Innarawant-deities come with you, (they) who are wearing bloodied (clothes), who have bound on (themselves) the sashes(?) of the mountain dwellers,
8 who are girt(?) with daggars, who hold strung bows and arrows. "Come and eat! We will swear (an oath)." When he is finished speaking, he places the bronze ax(4) down on the table and they slit (the throat of) the billy-goat.
9 He takes the blood and and the straw that was left in the mug-he anoints that (-an) with the blood. Then they bring the raw liver and the heart and the master of the estate holds them out for the gods. Further he takes a bite (and) they imitate (him).(5) He puts (his) lips on the straw and sips and says as follows:
10 O Santas and Innarawant-deities, we have just taken the oath.
11 We have bitten from the raw liver; from a single straw we have drunk. O Santas and Innarawant-deities, do not step to my gate again. They cook the liver and heart on a fire and they butcher the entire goat "plain."
12 Then, when the fat arrives, they bring out the liver and heart and the flesh-everything-to the god. With it they bring two times nine thick loaves (made) from wheat flour of one-half handful (of flour). He breaks nine loaves. Over these they place the liver and heart and he sets them back on the table and says as follows: "Eat, O Sun God of Heaven above and below. Let the gods of the father of the house eat! Let the thousand gods eat.
13 And for this oath be witnesses. Next he libates the wine nine times before the table of the Innarawant-deities. He takes the shoulder and the breast (of the sacrifice) and breaks nine loaves of bread.
14 He scatters them on the potstand and pours wine opposite. Then they bring (in) nine(!)(6) boys who have not yet gone to a woman. On one boy they put a goatskin and that one walks in front and calls (out) in the manner of a wolf. They surround the tables and devour the shoulder and breast.
15 But for eating [the liver and heart are also(7)] good, and he brings (them) in the same way and they devour the li[ver and heart]. They also drink. [He brings] the pitcher [of PIHU drinking beer] and they drink the pitcher of PIHU beer.
16 The master of the house
22 They take up the ritual implements and he closes the door. He anoints it with fine oil, and says:
23 "Let (the door) shut out evil and let it keep in good."
24 One tablet. Finished. The word of Zarpiya, physician from Kizzuwatna. If a year is ruinous and the land is dying, then the kelu- rituals he offers in this way.
REFERENCES
Otten, H. and Rüster, C.
Rster, C.
Schwartz, B.
Starke, F.
(1)Edited by B. Schwartz (1938) 334-355; partially translit. F. Starke (1985) 46-55. A = KUB 9.31 i - ii 42 [13th c.]; B = HT 1 i - ii 16 [14th c.]; C = KUB 35.9 [14th c.]; D = KUB 35.10 [14th c.]; E = Bo 4809 (ZA 68 (1978) 276, no. 68) [13th c.]; F. KBo 34.243, translit. Rüster (1992) 477f.
(2)For the identification of GIENNUR see J. N. Postgate, BSA 3 (1987) 131.
(3)Hittite ates- is unambiguously translated "ax" although how big this weapon was and what type of ax are matters of speculation. See R. Beal, The Organization of the Hittite Military, Diss. U. Chicago, 1986.
(4)Presumably the bronze dagger in 5 was used for slitting the animal's throat, which begs the question what is the purpose of the ax here? I would suggest, based on Greek parallels, that the ax was used to stun the animal prior to killing it. This must have occurred in 7 during the recitation, which is when he is said to be holding the ax. The text fails to mention the act itself, we must assume, because it was taken for granted, as were so many other details of Hittite sacrifice.
(5)Hitt. himma- "toy model, replica, imitation (of an inanimate object or animal)." The sense here seems to be that other participants in the ritual imitate the master of the house in biting from the liver and heart, since in 11 the text says that "we (plural) have bitten." Differently HED H 314.
(6)The text says eight.
(7)Restoration uncertain.
1978 "Textanschlüsse und Duplikate von Bogazköy-Tafeln," ZA 68:276.
1992 "Zu einem neuen Fragment des Telipinu-Mythos," in Heinrich Otten, Hayri Ertem, Ekrem Akurgal and Aygül Süel, eds., Hittite and Other Anatolian and Near Eastern Studies in Honour of Sedat Alp, Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Basimevi. 475-481.
1938 "The Hittite and Luwian Ritual of Zarpiya of Kezzuwatna," JAOS 58:334-355.
1985 Die keilschrift-luwischen Texte in Umschrift, (Studien zu den Bogazköy-Texten, 30) Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 46-55.