THE IMPORTANCE OF SORCERIES AMONG THE HITTITES

There are traditions that reside in the mists of time of every people that determine the importance of characters and trades that otherwise would have no sense of existing nor would they deserve to be remembered.

Some situations such as illnesses, quarrels and existential pains are present with various distinctive features in every people but every people finds its own ways to solve or treat them, the Hittites had created a special profession for occasions where pain was apparently not curable.

A sorceress, useful on all occasions, capable with improbable rituals of suggesting that the problem was solved; the Hittites with illnesses, often incurable or imaginary, turned to this sorceress confidently, but above all they turned to heal family disputes and they did so with rituals that allowed misfortunes to be transferred to a scapegoat to be eliminated.

For example: an ancient Hittite text tells of how to get rid of quarrels between relatives, a very widespread practice, well, it was necessary to turn to the old lady, as the sorceress was called, bringing him a black sheep which was sacrificed with rites and methods that would be used today considered criminal acts by animal rights activists, all the anger was vented on the animal, personification of the hated relative, until it was killed.

Thus, once the anger had been vented, the relationship with the hated relative could be continued with more tolerance.

If we think that these sorceresses were widespread, we can easily think that there was an industrial quantity of anger to let off steam among the Hittites but certainly the old ladies were to be considered a pivot of social justice and useful for a balanced relationship between the people. .. so to speak.

We dare not think what could happen today if this practice were still active, other than justices of the peace … moreover, it is not said that as a scapegoat it was always an animal but it could happen to catch the first one who passed by, animal or human … the important thing was to let off steam properly.