Hittite queens definitely wielded power in the court. When a Hittite king died, a Hittite queen continued as Tawananna, Great Queen and high priestess of the Hittite realm, which indicates an independent status. The queen was not, however, the primary ruler. Even while she continued as queen, her son or some other male relation took over as king. In an interesting sidelight, this meant that the new king’s wife did not take over as queen until her mother-in-law died.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 04:06:42 +0000