Nerik
Nerik was a
Bronze Age city to the north of the
Hittite capitals
Hattusa and
Sapinuwa. The Hittites held it as sacred to a storm god who was the son of Wurusemu, sun goddess of
Arinna.
Like Hattus[a], Nerik was founded by
Hattic language speakers; in the Hattusa archive, tablet CTH 737 records a Hattic incantion for a festival there. Under
Hattusili I, the
Nesian-speaking Hittites took over Nerik. They maintained a spring festival called Purulli in honor of its storm god. In it, the celebrants recited the myth of "The Slaying of the Dragon".
Under
Hantili, Nerik was ruined and the Hittites had to relocate the Purulli festival to Hattusa. As of the reign of
Tudhaliya I, Nerik's site was occupied by the barbarian
Kaskas.
During
Muwatalli II's reign, his brother and appointed governor
Hattusili III recaptured Nerik and rebuilt it as its High Priest. Hattusili named his firstborn son "
Nerikkaili" in commemoration (although he later passed him over for the succession). When Muwatalli's son
Mursili III became king, after seven years Mursili reassigned Nerik to another governor. Hattusili rebelled and became king himself.
Nerik disappeared from record when the Hittite kingdom fell, 1200 BC.
*
Prayer for Nerik*
Apology of Hattusili III
