The Hittite State Cult of the Tutelary Deities

the long version

The author discusses tutelary deities, who play a rather prominent role in the Hittite state cult ceremonies. The book includes critical editions and discussions of all the festival texts that describe festivals devoted primarily or exclusively to tutelary deities. One of these festivals involves a kind of theological exercise in naming all of the possible tutelary deities, and another involves the replacing of an old cult image with a new one. In addition to the festivals for tutelary deities, their role in the cult in general is discussed in a comprehensive chapter.