Transcript COMPARATIVE NE MYTHS 1

COMPARATIVE MYTHS 1
ANATOLIA AND CANAAN
MESOPOTAMIA
3000-2000
SYRIA-PALESTINE
Hurrian (1700-1200)
Hittite (1700-1200)
Canaanite (2000-1200)
Sumerian (3000-2000)
Akkadian (2300-2100)
Babylonian (2000-1100)
2000-1000
Assyrian (1900-1000)
1000-500
ANATOLIA
Neo-Assyrian (800-500)
Neo-Babylonian (600-500)
Israelite (1200-721)
Kingship in Heaven + Song of Ullikummi
Hittite
Kingship in Heaven + Song of Ullikummi
Teshub & Ullikummi
Enuma Elish
(Babylonian, early 2nd
millennium)
Kingship in Heaven + Song of Ullikummi
(Hittite, ca. 1200)
primal father
Apsu
Anu(sh)
castrator
{Ea}
Kumarbi
storm god
Marduk
Teshub
primal monster
Tiamat
Ullikummi / Ubelluri
Combat Myths
Enuma Elish
(Babylonian)
Tiamat gives Tablet of
Destinies to Qingu
Tiamat & Qingu =
dragonlike water monsters
Marduk = young son of
high god (Ea)
Marduk = storm god
Marduk experiences failure
(will)
Marduk uses wind + arrow
to split Tiamat
Marduk acquires Tablet of
Destinies
Combat Myths
Enuma Elish
(Babylonian)
Ullikummi
(Hittite)
Tiamat gives Tablet of
Destinies to Qingu
Tiamat & Qingu =
dragonlike water monsters
Ullikummi = dragonlike
water monster
Marduk = young son of
high god (Ea)
Teshub = young son of high
god (Kumarbi)
Marduk = storm god
Teshub = storm god
Marduk experiences failure
(will)
Teshub experiences failure
(weapon)
Marduk uses wind + arrow
to split Tiamat
Teshub uses curved knife
to split Ullikummi from
Ubelluri
Marduk acquires Tablet of
Destinies
Teshub becomes king of
gods
Hittite
Myth of Illuyankas
Teshub is defeated by the dragon Illuyankas, and appeals to the other gods for help. The goddess
Inaras invites a mortal named Hupasiyas to help her in a plot against Illuyankas; he agrees on
condition that Inaras sleep with him. Hupasiyas then hides near Illuyankas’ lair, while Inaras intices the
dragon and its family from the cave to drink with her. When Illuyankas is drunk, Hupasiyas emerges
from his hiding place and binds it; Teshub and the other gods then come and kill the dragon.
[ALTERNATE VERSION]
When Illuyankas defeats Teshub, it removes his heart and eyes. Teshub then marries the daughter of
a poor man and has a son by him. When he grows up, the son is married to the daughter of the dragon
Illuyankas; the son then steals the heart and eyes of Teshub from his new father-in-law and gives them
back to Teshub. Teshub then fights the dragon and kills both it and also his own son.
Combat Myths
Enuma Elish
(Babylonian)
Ullikummi
(Hittite)
Illuyankas
(Hittite)
Tiamat & Qingu =
dragonlike water monsters
Ullikummi = dragonlike
water monster
Illuyankas = dragonlike
water monster
Marduk = young son of
high god (Ea)
Teshub = young son of high
god (Kumarbi)
Teshub = young son of high
god (Kumarbi)
Marduk = storm god
Teshub = storm god
Teshub = storm god
Marduk experiences failure
(will)
Teshub experiences failure
(weapon)
Teshub experiences failure
(defeat)
Marduk uses wind + arrow
to split Tiamat
Teshub uses curved knife
to split Ullikummi from
Ubelluri
Teshub defeats Illuyankas
Marduk acquires Tablet of
Destinies
Teshub becomes king of
gods
Teshub is supreme god
Tiamat gives Tablet of
Destinies to Qingu
MESOPOTAMIA
3000-2000
SYRIA-PALESTINE
Hurrian (1700-1200)
Hittite (1700-1200)
Canaanite (2000-1200)
Sumerian (3000-2000)
Akkadian (2300-2100)
Babylonian (2000-1100)
2000-1000
Assyrian (1900-1000)
1000-500
ANATOLIA
Neo-Assyrian (800-500)
Neo-Babylonian (600-500)
Israelite (1200-721)
Canaanite Kingdom
Baal
Baal
Myths of Baal
Yam-Nahar, god of seas and rivers, sends envoys to the gods demanding that Baal, son
of Dagon, be surrendered to him. The gods acquiesce, but Baal attacks the messengers.
The god of crafts, Kothar-wa-Hasis, arms Baal with two magic weapons. The first one
("Chaser") is not effective, but with the second ("Driver"), Baal succeeds in defeating
Yam-Nahar. He then spares his life on the insistence of Asherah, wife of the great god El
and mother of the gods.
The goddess Anat, Baal's sister, invites the gods to a feast celebrating Baal's victory over
Yam-Nahar. When the guests arrive, she locks the doors and slaughters all of Baal's
enemies.
Combat Myths
Enuma Elish
(Babylonian)
Ullikummi
(Hittite)
Illuyankas
(Hittite)
Baal & Yam-Nahar
(Canaanite)
Tiamat & Qingu =
dragonlike water monsters
Ullikummi = dragonlike
water monster
Illuyankas = dragonlike
water monster
Yam-Nahar = dragonlike
god of salt water
Marduk = young son of
high god (Ea)
Teshub = young son of high
god (Kumarbi)
Teshub = young son of high
god (Kumarbi)
Baal = young son of high
god (Baal)
Marduk = storm god
Teshub = storm god
Teshub = storm god
Baal = storm god
Marduk experiences failure
(will)
Teshub experiences failure
(weapon)
Teshub experiences failure
(defeat)
Baal experiences failure
(weapon)
Marduk uses wind + arrow
to split Tiamat
Teshub uses curved knife
to split Ullikummi from
Ubelluri
Teshub defeats Illuyankas
Baal uses special weapon
(“Driver”) to defeat YamNahar
Marduk acquires Tablet of
Destinies
Teshub becomes king of
gods
Teshub is supreme god
Tiamat gives Tablet of
Destinies to Qingu
Absence & Return
1. Anat and Baal (Canaanite)
Anat and Baal bribe Asherah to intercede with El, father of the gods, to gain permission for Baal to build a house. El
grants it, and Kothar-wa-Hasis creates a palace for him. Baal initially rejects Kothar-wa-Hasis’ advice that the building
contain a window, then later relents. At the feast celebrating the construction of the house, Baal announces his
supremacy and declares he will not send tribute to Mot, god of death. Mot declares that Baal's defeat of Yam-Nahar —
identified with the monster Lotan — has caused the universe to collapse, and that as punishment Baal must descend to
the underworld. Baal surrenders to Mot, passing into the underworld after first having prolonged intercourse with a
heifer. The gods mourn Baal's death; his body is found and buried by his sisters Anat and Shapash, goddess of the sun.
Asherah installs her son Ashtar in Baal's place, but he is too small for the throne and steps down. Seven years of
drought and famine ensue, after which Anat attacks Mot, splits him, winnows him, burns him, grinds him, and sows him
into the ground. El dreams that Baal is now alive, and the goddesses Anat and Shapash go in search of him. Once
found, Baal reascends the throne. Seven years later, Mot returns and fights with Baal. They battle to a stalemate;
Shapash intervenes to separate them.
2. Baal-Hadad (Canaanite)
Asherah and the moon god, Yarikh, complain to El that Baal-Hadad ('Baal the Thunderer') has sent creatures to devour
them. El advises them to hide in the wilderness and give birth there to wild beats with humps and horns. Baal-Hadad
chases the beasts instead of the two gods, but in the course of the hunt he is caught by monsters and disappears for
seven years, during which time things fall into chaos on earth. Baal-Hadad's family go in search of him and recover him
with joy.
Absence & Return
Myth of Telepinus (Hittite)
Enraged, the god Telepinus (son of Teshub) journeys into the steppes and becomes lost, then
is overcome with fatigue and falls asleep. In his absence, fog covers the land, fires cannot be
lit, nothing burns on altars of the gods, animals neglect their young, and human beings perish
from drought and famine. Teshub searches for his son. The sun god sends an eagle to look for
him, but with no success. Teshub attempts to break into Telepinus’ house, but succeeds only in
smashing his hammer against the door. The goddess Hannahannas sends a bee to search for
Telepinus, despite the fact that Teshub ridicules her idea. The bee finds the sleeping Telepinus
and (on Hannahannas’ orders) stings his hands and feet, and then smears wax on them.
Telepinus wakes, but is now even more enraged than before. The sun god suggests that a man
be brought to help move Telepinus ... [break in the text] Telepinus returns, carried by an eagle,
and is soothed by Kamrusepas, goddess of healing. Twelve rams are sacrificed, and torches
kindled and extinguished by the man. The man then pronounces a spell banishing to the
underworld all the evils caused by the rage of Telepinus. Telepinus returns to his house and
takes care of the king and queen. A pole is erected before the god, on which the fleece of a
sheep is hung. The fleece signifies the fat of sheep, grains of corn, wine, cattle, sheep, long
life, and many children.
Absence & Return
•God disappears
•Search conducted
•Disorder (drought, famine) ensue
•Rituals performed
•Recovery of lost god
•Restoration of order