priest to see what they can do.’Arrogant and unchivalrous though
this reply was, Ramesses was almost certainly correct, as my
calculations of just how old the princess was make clear. If anything,
he was erring on the side of generosity. As far as we know, the
princess never produced a child.^7
HITTITE BIRTHS AND MIDWIVES
Speaking of births, let’sfinish this chapter with a special category of
health professionals–the midwives of the Hittite world. As with
other categories of health management, birthing involved a
combination of both ritual and practical procedures. If in thefirst
place a woman who sought to become pregnant had been unable to
do so, she could try spending a night in the shrine of an appropriate
deity, in the hope that during her sleep the god would come and
have intercourse with her and cause her to conceive. Maybe
Hattusili’s sister had already tried this before her brother called on
the services of an Egyptian doctor. Once conception had occurred,
whether by natural means or divine intervention, the pregnancy
might be celebrated with a special festival honouring the mother
goddess. Then just to be on the safe side, there might be oracle
enquiries to ensure the mother was in a spirituallyfit state to give
birth, with remedial action taken, by means of sacrificial offerings,
if the oracular response was negative.
If all went well with the pregnancy, a midwife was summoned to
assist with the birth. She had all the practical expertise, made sure
all necessary equipment was available, and assisted with the birth
and washed the baby clean when it emerged. The birth itself took
place while the mother was seated on two cushioned stools, with
her legs apart, and as her baby was born, the midwife caught it in a
blanket positioned between the mother’s legs and above a third
cushion, to make doubly sure of a soft landing for the new infant.
During and after the birthing, the midwife chanted incantations, as
did others in attendance, including doctors and priests whose
duties were primarily ritualistic.^8
What sort of world was the new child entering? Let’s imagine
that he or she was born into a family lower down the social scale
HEALTH,HYGIENE AND HEALING 125