Musical elements of Hittite and Phrygian Mythology in Ancient Anatolia

In ancient Anatolia, music was at the center of rituals related to belief systems. Music is central to various practices, such as ceremonies, rites, and festivals associated with the gods. This study analyses the role of music in the daily practices and belief systems of Ancient Anatolia, focusing on Hittite and Phrygian mythology. The data for the study is based on cuneiform tablets and archaeological findings. The observation of musical structures in the mythology of these two civilizations, adorned with festivals, ceremonies, and daily rituals, and the features these structures add to their societies are essential for a more detailed investigation. The study aims to identify the traditions created through cultural interaction, representing a shared cultural memory passed down to the present day. This thesis entitled "Musical Elements of Hittite and Phrygian Mythology in Ancient Anatolia" suggests that the musical elements of various mythologies in Anatolia and their effects on current musical practices can be investigated. In the first chapter, where the concepts of myth, mythos, and mythology are explained in detail, the theoretical framework is tried to be established. In the second part, the musical elements of the Hittite and Phrygian mythology, which have accumulated for thousands of years and are related to holiness, are analyzed through the festivals, rituals, stories related to gods, and daily rituals of their societies. In the last part, the musical symbols of mythological narratives passed down from generation to generation are questioned in today's music culture. As a result, Hittite and Phrygian mythology revealed symbolic meanings encoded with musical motifs such as lamentations, celebrations, blessings, and cyclical rhythms of the life-death dualism.