Nikal-mati

Nikal-mati or Nikkal-mati (late 15th/early 14th century BC) was a queen of the Hittite empire, the wife of the great king Tudḫaliya II (or Tudḫaliya I/II).^[1]

Nikkal-mati is sometimes considered the first of a series of Hittite queens bearing Hurrian names, a sign of the increasing influence of Hurrian culture and religion among the Hittites.^[2] A preserved text containing a ritual against magic sought to protect Nikkal-mati, her husband and her children, from the witchcraft of her sister-in-law, Tudḫaliya’s sister Ziplantawiya.^[3] An archaic ritual for the royal couple might also date to the reign of Tudḫaliya II and Nikkal-mati.^[4] Tudḫaliya II and Nikkal-mati had sons who predeceased them, as well as a surviving daughter, Ašmu-Nikkal, who married Arnuwanda I.^[5] Ašmu-Nikkal's royal seal specified her descent from both her parents.^[6]