The body in Hittite witchcraft

Abstract

Two types of human bodies are present in the Hittite texts dealing with witchcraft: that of the bewitched and that of the bewitcher. The body of the bewitched person is described several times as “tied” or/and “nailed down”. During this talk, I will study these examples, analyzing each expression in its context, with the objective of better understanding their meaning and the conception(s) of the bewitched body. The body of the bewitcher will also be alluded to, as a complementary approach.