Mythology

collection entitled Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, to which frequent reference has already been made. The Myth Of Ullikummis Underlying this myth is the familiar motive which we have already encountered in Akkadian and Ugaritic myths, the rivalry between older and younger gods. Anus, who is the Akkadian Anu, the sky god, has ousted his father Alalus from the throne, and has in turn been pulled down by his son Kumarbis. Certain things happen in the course of Kumarbis’s struggle with Anus which result in the birth of the storm-god, and the perennial contest between father and son is renewed. The myth begins by representing Kumarbis as plotting means to create a rival to the storm-god. He sends his messenger, Imbaluris, to the Sea to seek her advice. She summons Kumarbis to her house and makes a feast for him. As the result of her advice, Kumarbis sends his vizier, Mukisanus, to the Waters. What follows is not clear; we next hear that Kumarbis has begotten a son, possibly from the earth goddess. He calls him Ullikummis and sends Imbaluris to the Irsirra deities, perhaps gods of the underworld, with orders that they are to take Ullikummis to the dark earth and place him upon the right shoulder of Ubelluris, where he is to grow into a gigantic pillar of diorite. Ubelluris is a god who, like Atlas, sustains the world on his shoulders. The growth of Ullikummis is then described; he rises from the sea like a tower until his height is 9,000 leagues and his girth 9,000 leagues. He reaches up to heaven, to the consternation of the gods. Hebat, the wife of the storm-god, is driven from her temple. She sends a message to her husband, and he goes to seek help from Ea in his house, Apsu. Here the borrowing from the Akkadian Epic of Creation is evident. In the assembly of the gods, Ea asks why they are allowing mankind to be destroyed by this monstrous creature. Enlil does not know what is happening. Ea journeys to Ubelluris, who is also unaware of the extra burden which he is carrying, and turns him round so that he can see the diorite man standing upon his right shoulder. Ea then appeals to the older gods to bring the ancient copper knife which had divided heaven from earth out of the storehouses of the gods. These are the words of Ea: ‘Listen ye, Olden gods, ye who know the olden words! Open ye the ancient storehouses of the fathers and forefathers! Let them bring the olden seals of the fathers and let them seal them up again with them afterwards. Let them bring forth the olden copper knife with which they severed heaven from earth. Let them cut through the feet of Ullikummis, the diorite man, whom Kumarbis has fashioned as a rival to oppose the gods.’ [3] Ea then announces to the assembly of frightened gods that he has crippled Ullikummis, and urges them to go forth and do battle with the giant. The storm-god mounts his chariot and rides out to encounter Ullikummis. Here the tablet is broken, but it would no doubt have described the victory of the storm-god. There seems to be an echo here of the vision in the book of Daniel describing the destruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s great image by the stone cut out of the mountain without hands. There the stone smites the image on its feet of iron and clay and destroys it. [4] The myth also presents another version of the myth of the destruction of mankind and its frustration by the interposition of Ea. The Myth Of Illuyankas

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