Puduhepa
Puduhepa owes thanks for its name not to preventive
goddess Istar but to Hepat. According to one of her prayers, “Hepat” was the
equilavent of Sun goddess in Hurri language. “Your name in Hattusa Country is
Arinna’s Sun goddess and your name in Cedar Couuntry is Hepat. And I am the
Puduhepa, your servant from the beginning.” Puduhepa and her father’s names are
from Hurri language. Puduhepa sees
herself as the servant of Hurri goddess Hepat; but at the same time, she was
calling herself as the person loved by Sun goddess Arianna. Puduhepa’s father
Bentip was a priest from Lawanzantiya (Elbistan) region in Kizzuwatna country
which was the source of ancient Saros (Seyhan) River. The researchers are not
of the same idea, as to whether Puduhepa was a noble or not; but when the
governing relative structure of Hattusa, at all levels, is considered; it is
possible that she was a relative though she was a distant relative. Puduhepa
knew how to get the gratitude of people, very well. Puduhepa is conciliatory
and a supporter of the peace. By writing influential letters to neighbour
country administrators; she tells the wishes of conciliation and peace. It
might be interesting to tell one of them. For Kadesh Agreement, on BC
21.11.1259, three Hittite ambassadors
went to the prescence of Pharaoh Ramses II. They presented him a silver plate
which was more precious than gold in Egypt at that time. At the lower side of
this plate was the seals of Hattusili and Puduhepa. “The princess of the
Hattusa Country, the favourite of sun goddess Arinna who is the ruler of the
earth; the servant of the goddess, the daughter of Kizzuwatna country; the
Puduhepa.” The queen who is in the same situation as the king. The text in
nutshell means: “It has been forbidden to fight between the great Egypt King
and the great Hattusa King, at all times, by the gods.” This agreement is
world’s first agreement, in the field of the law of nations. Today, it is hung
on the wall of the building of the United Nations in New York. The Pharaoh
Ramses affected by this plate letter so much – wants to emphize that the women
in his country assumed important roles; in an attempt to try to prove that his
country is not left behind the Hatttusi country in “long-sightedness”. In
response Mother queenTuya and her elder king spouse Nefertari writes letters to
Puduhepa. Following the peace agreement, the elder daughter of Hattusi goes as
a bride to Ramses. This wedding is told in the granite stelo which Ramses made
it be built. “Let’s give all our entity to him. Especially, we must give our
elder daughters to him, so that he can bring us the peace and we can live.
(Signature) Great Ramses.”
I am Puduhepa, the first feminist woman in the world.
I am the queen of Hittite Empire. I am the sun goddess
Arinna.