The Tunnawi Ritual #1: The Complete Legend | Hittite Mythology (Podcast)

When you think of a wizard, do you picture Gandalf or Harry Potter, who conjures lightning with his staff? Forget those images. Thousands of years ago, in Anatolia, among the Hittites, sorcery was a very different, much more "technical" and surprisingly bureaucratic profession. In this episode of Library of the Mind, we examine the concept of "magic" (Alwanzatar), preserved in the dusty shelves of the Hittite archives. We will see that those mysterious figures, who were thought to control supernatural powers, were actually "ritual practitioners" or even "spiritual cleansers." In this episode we will talk about: • Hasawa (Old Woman): Who were the wise "witches" of the Hittites and how did they rule the kings? • Contamination and Purification: Is magic a curse or a spiritual detergent? • Black and White Magic: The fine line between magic permitted by the state and magic forbidden by it. • Persuading the Gods: Can you bribe or threaten a god? You are invited to this audio journey into the rational magic of the ancient world and the dark corridors of human psychology. Enjoy listening!