In the mountains and corridors of ancient Anatolia, empire was never built by armies alone. It was built by oaths sworn before terrible witnesses, by rituals performed to prevent divine withdrawal, and by myths that warned what happens when the oldest powers are disturbed. The Former Gods takes you into the Hittite and Hurrian world-where storm gods rule like kings, the underworld functions like a court of consequence, and the deep past remains dangerously close beneath the surface of the present.
Inside, you'll explore divine succession and rebellion, the ritual logic of purification and restoration, the political force of treaties and sacred speech, and the haunting persistence of the "former" gods-older authorities stored below, respected and feared as the final guarantors of order. Written for readers who love ancient history, mythology, and the hidden machinery of civilizations, this book is a vivid descent into a world where words bind reality-and where the gods are always listening.
