Mythology

There are two other myths connected with Baal which do not form part of the Baal Epic, but which cannot be omitted in an account of Ugaritic mythology. The Myth of Hadad The tablet containing this myth is badly broken and very obscure. Moreover, it is not certain whether the tablet contained the whole of the myth. However, enough of the meaning has been extracted to give us some additional details of the cycle of Baal myths. Hadad is another name for Baal in his character of the god of thunder and lightning. The name is frequently found in the Old Testament, for example, in the theophorous names of the Syrian kings, Ben- hadad and Hadad-ezer. In this myth the handmaidens of the goddess Asherah, the Lady of the Sea, and of Yarikh, the moon-god, are sent to entreat the help of El against the attacks of monstrous creatures sent by Baal which are devouring them like worms. El tells them to go into the wilderness and hide themselves, and there give birth to wild beasts with horns and humps like buffaloes. Baal-Hadad will see them and chase after them. They do so and Baal is seized with desire to hunt the creatures to which they have given birth. But the chase proves disastrous to the god; he is caught by the monsters and disappears for seven years, sunk in a bog and helpless. During his absence things fall into chaos on earth. His brethren go in search of him and find him with joy. The myth is evidently another version of the death of Baal and Anath’s search for him. It also reflects the Sumero-Akkadian myth of the descent of Tammuz into the underworld and Ishtar’s descent thither to deliver him. Anath and the Buffalo This fragment is of interest because it establishes the fact that bestiality, a practice which was punishable by death among the Hebrews, was sanctioned among the Canaanites as having sacral significance. The myth represents Anath as inquiring where Baal is to be found, and being told by his servants that he is away hunting. She follows after him, and when she finds him he is overcome with love for her. He then has intercourse with her in the form of a cow. The fragment ends with the announcement to Baal by Anath that, ‘A wild ox is born to Baal, a buffalo to the Rider of the Clouds.’ Puissant Baal rejoices. The myth also reflects the practice of brother-sister marriage which was the rule in Egypt for the marriage of the Pharaohs. The Greek myth of Zeus and Io may have its roots in this Canaanite myth. The Legend Of Keret This curious story is preserved in three tablets, two of which are in a good state of preservation while the third is imperfect. There are gaps, and it is possible that some further tablets are missing. However, there is general agreement about the main outlines of the story, though scholars differ considerably about its interpretation. Some think that it has an historical basis,’ while others see in it a cult legend with a strongly mythical character. [3] It has been suggested [4] that the poem was composed to glorify King Niqmad of Ugarit by giving him a deified ancestor, the Keret, King of Hubur, who is the subject of this poem. The mythological element is sufficiently prominent to justify its inclusion in an account of Canaanite mythology. According to the legend or myth, Keret, King of Hubur, has suffered the loss of his wife, his children, and his palace.

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