Ašmu-nikal

Ašmu-nikal was a Queen consort of Hittite empire. Her name can also be written as Asmu-nikal.

Biography

Ašmu-nikal was born as a princess, the daughter of King Tudhaliya I and Queen Nikal-mati. She married a man called Arnuwanda, who later became a king. She bore him two sons: Prince Ašmi-Šarruma and King Tudhaliya II. She is mentioned in one prayer as a Great Queen. She was also a grandmother of Tudhaliya III and Suppiluliuma I.

In fiction

• Janet Morris wrote a detailed biographical novel, I, the Sun, whose subject was Suppiluliuma I. Asmu-nikal is an important figure in this novel, in which all characters are from the historical record, which Dr. Jerry Pournelle called "a masterpiece of historical fiction" and about which O.M. Gurney, Hittite scholar and author of The Hittites, commented that "the author is familiar with every aspect of Hittite culture". Morris' book was republished by The Perseid Press in April 2013.

Sources