Tawananna
Encyclopedia
Tawananna is the title for the queen of the Hittites
, the king's consort, as long as she was living. Upon her death the title Tawananna passed to her daughter, the new king's consort. The Hittites were ruled by a theocratic
monarchy
, in which the king's heir's wife did not succeed as Tawananna until the death of the former Tawananna.
The Tawannana also had the duty of ruling when the King was away fighting in battle and was the High Priestess while the king was High Priest of the Hittite Empire. The main duties of Tawanannas were mainly religious. An example of a Hittite Tawananna was Puduhepa
, wife of Hattusili III
. After the death of Hattusili III, Puduhepa took on the responsibility of communicating with the Egyptian
royal family and rulers of the Hittite vassal states.
Because the title was reserved, it meant no Tawananna began the Ceremony of Enthronement to her king, until just after the previous Tawannanna died. This often resulted in bitter rivalries between newly appointed queens and their stepchildren who would inherit the true power of the kingdom. Such an incident is noted in the translated version of a bilingual Akkadian-Hittite cuneiform tablet, the Testament of Hattusili
.
Tawananna is also a personal name of one queen.
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
, the king's consort, as long as she was living. Upon her death the title Tawananna passed to her daughter, the new king's consort. The Hittites were ruled by a theocratic
Theocracy
Theocracy is a form of organization in which the official policy is to be governed by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or simply pursuant to the doctrine of a particular religious sect or religion....
monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
, in which the king's heir's wife did not succeed as Tawananna until the death of the former Tawananna.
The Tawannana also had the duty of ruling when the King was away fighting in battle and was the High Priestess while the king was High Priest of the Hittite Empire. The main duties of Tawanannas were mainly religious. An example of a Hittite Tawananna was Puduhepa
Puduhepa
Puduhepa was a Hittite tawanannas was married to King Hattusili III. She has been referred to as "one of the most influential women known from the Ancient Near East."...
, wife of Hattusili III
Hattusili III
Hattusili III was a king of the Hittite empire ca. 1267–1237 BC . He was the fourth and last son of Mursili II...
. After the death of Hattusili III, Puduhepa took on the responsibility of communicating with the Egyptian
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
royal family and rulers of the Hittite vassal states.
Because the title was reserved, it meant no Tawananna began the Ceremony of Enthronement to her king, until just after the previous Tawannanna died. This often resulted in bitter rivalries between newly appointed queens and their stepchildren who would inherit the true power of the kingdom. Such an incident is noted in the translated version of a bilingual Akkadian-Hittite cuneiform tablet, the Testament of Hattusili
Hattusili I
Hattusili I was a king of the Hittite Old Kingdom. He reigned ca. 1586–1556 BC .He used the title of Labarna at the beginning of his reign...
.
Tawananna is also a personal name of one queen.