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Ninatta and Kulitta
Ninatta and Kulitta were a dyad of Hurrian goddesses regarded as the handmaidens of Šauška. They were primarily considered divine musicians, though they also had a warlike aspect. They are attested in western Hurrian sources from Ugarit and Hattusa. They were also incorporated into the Hittite and Mesopotamian pantheons.
In addition to the standard forms of Ninatta's and Kulitta's names known from Hurrian and Hittite texts, Akkadian variants Ninitum and Kulittum are known from Neo-Assyrian sources. In the Ugaritic alphabetic script the names were rendered as, respectively, nnt and klt. It has been argued that the terms Ninattani and Kulitanni could be used to refer to them as a pair. However, Piotr Taracha instead argues that they should be understood as designations for minor hypostases of both individual goddesses, per analogy with Maliyanni, Allanzunni or Šarrumanni.
When they are mentioned together, Ninatta always precedes Kulitta. They were worshiped together as a dyad, which is considered an example of a phenomenon widespread in Hurrian religion, in which pairs of related deities were often believed to act as a unity and were therefore venerated together, as also attested in the case of Allani and Išḫara or Hutena and Hutellura. Volkert Haas argued Ninatta and Kulitta were regarded as twins.
John MacGinnis assigns Hurrian origin to both Ninatta and Kulitta. Gabrielle Frantz-Szabó suggested that Kulitta's name might have originated in one of the Anatolian languages, and pointed out that it is phonetically similar to the personal names ku-li-e-it and ku-li-a-it and the mountain name ḫur.sagku-li-ta-ḫa-ṷa, though she ultimately considered the origin of both her and Ninatta's names to be uncertain. Joan Goodnick Westenholz proposed that Ninatta's name might be derived from the toponym Ninêt (ni-ne-etki) or Nenit (ne-en-itki) known from documents from Mari and Tell al-Rimah, which might be the Amorite name of Nineveh. Occasional references to a goddess called "Ishtar of Ninêt" are also known from these locations. Westenholz tentatively suggested connecting her with Šauška, Ishtar of Nineveh and Ninatta, though she stressed it is not possible to ascertain the relationship between these deities and their names in the earliest periods.
Ninatta and Kulitta were regarded as the handmaidens of Šauška, the Hurrian counterpart of Mesopotamian Ishtar. In ritual texts they could be grouped with other members of this deity's entourage. Examples of other attendants of Šauška include Šintal-wuri (Hurrian: "seven-eyed"), Šintal-irti ("seven-breasted"), Šinan-tatukarni ("twofold at [?] love"), Namrazunna (from Akkadian namru, "shining", and Zunna, a Hurrianized spelling of Suen). and the sukkal Undurumma. In the first millennium BCE Ninatta and Kulitta came to be incorporated into the entourages of Ishtar of Arbela, Ishtar of Assur, and Ishtar of Nineveh.
Typically Ninatta and Kulitta were portrayed as divine musicians. They had a warlike aspect as well, which presumably reflected the analogous role assigned to Šauška, and they were sometimes invoked directly before her "right weapon" (panti šauri) of Šauška; it has been suggested that this term referred to them metaphorically.
The only depiction of Ninatta and Kulitta identified with certainty is a relief from the Yazilikaya sanctuary. They are shown in a procession of deities, directly behind the male aspect of Šauška. Textual sources additionally refer to placing statues representing them on the sides of a depiction of Šauška.
Ninatta and Kulitta are presently attested in Hurrian context in western sources, namely in texts from Ugarit and Hattusa. They appear alongside Šauška in offering lists (kaluti) dedicated to the circle of Ḫepat. In the text RS 24.261, which documents a ritual combining Hurrian and Ugaritic elements focused on Šauška and closely associated local goddess Ashtart, Ninatta and Kulitta are listed in sequence as recipients of offerings twice, once after an unidentified deity and before Nupatik, and once after Nikkal and before Adamma.
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Ninatta and Kulitta
Ninatta and Kulitta were a dyad of Hurrian goddesses regarded as the handmaidens of Šauška. They were primarily considered divine musicians, though they also had a warlike aspect. They are attested in western Hurrian sources from Ugarit and Hattusa. They were also incorporated into the Hittite and Mesopotamian pantheons.
In addition to the standard forms of Ninatta's and Kulitta's names known from Hurrian and Hittite texts, Akkadian variants Ninitum and Kulittum are known from Neo-Assyrian sources. In the Ugaritic alphabetic script the names were rendered as, respectively, nnt and klt. It has been argued that the terms Ninattani and Kulitanni could be used to refer to them as a pair. However, Piotr Taracha instead argues that they should be understood as designations for minor hypostases of both individual goddesses, per analogy with Maliyanni, Allanzunni or Šarrumanni.
When they are mentioned together, Ninatta always precedes Kulitta. They were worshiped together as a dyad, which is considered an example of a phenomenon widespread in Hurrian religion, in which pairs of related deities were often believed to act as a unity and were therefore venerated together, as also attested in the case of Allani and Išḫara or Hutena and Hutellura. Volkert Haas argued Ninatta and Kulitta were regarded as twins.
John MacGinnis assigns Hurrian origin to both Ninatta and Kulitta. Gabrielle Frantz-Szabó suggested that Kulitta's name might have originated in one of the Anatolian languages, and pointed out that it is phonetically similar to the personal names ku-li-e-it and ku-li-a-it and the mountain name ḫur.sagku-li-ta-ḫa-ṷa, though she ultimately considered the origin of both her and Ninatta's names to be uncertain. Joan Goodnick Westenholz proposed that Ninatta's name might be derived from the toponym Ninêt (ni-ne-etki) or Nenit (ne-en-itki) known from documents from Mari and Tell al-Rimah, which might be the Amorite name of Nineveh. Occasional references to a goddess called "Ishtar of Ninêt" are also known from these locations. Westenholz tentatively suggested connecting her with Šauška, Ishtar of Nineveh and Ninatta, though she stressed it is not possible to ascertain the relationship between these deities and their names in the earliest periods.
Ninatta and Kulitta were regarded as the handmaidens of Šauška, the Hurrian counterpart of Mesopotamian Ishtar. In ritual texts they could be grouped with other members of this deity's entourage. Examples of other attendants of Šauška include Šintal-wuri (Hurrian: "seven-eyed"), Šintal-irti ("seven-breasted"), Šinan-tatukarni ("twofold at [?] love"), Namrazunna (from Akkadian namru, "shining", and Zunna, a Hurrianized spelling of Suen). and the sukkal Undurumma. In the first millennium BCE Ninatta and Kulitta came to be incorporated into the entourages of Ishtar of Arbela, Ishtar of Assur, and Ishtar of Nineveh.
Typically Ninatta and Kulitta were portrayed as divine musicians. They had a warlike aspect as well, which presumably reflected the analogous role assigned to Šauška, and they were sometimes invoked directly before her "right weapon" (panti šauri) of Šauška; it has been suggested that this term referred to them metaphorically.
The only depiction of Ninatta and Kulitta identified with certainty is a relief from the Yazilikaya sanctuary. They are shown in a procession of deities, directly behind the male aspect of Šauška. Textual sources additionally refer to placing statues representing them on the sides of a depiction of Šauška.
Ninatta and Kulitta are presently attested in Hurrian context in western sources, namely in texts from Ugarit and Hattusa. They appear alongside Šauška in offering lists (kaluti) dedicated to the circle of Ḫepat. In the text RS 24.261, which documents a ritual combining Hurrian and Ugaritic elements focused on Šauška and closely associated local goddess Ashtart, Ninatta and Kulitta are listed in sequence as recipients of offerings twice, once after an unidentified deity and before Nupatik, and once after Nikkal and before Adamma.