Ancient Mythology East and West Exam 1 Study Guide Term List Introduction to Myth Hero protagonists of legends not necessarily gods Trickster amoral neither good nor bad Shape shifting deceivers Instigators sometimes culture heroes ex Prometheus steals fire and gives it to men Ea and Prometheus are trickster gods Polytheism belief in many gods Anthropomorphism conception of gods in the shape of human beings ex Greeks thought the gods took shape of beautiful people and have human emotions Binaturalism conception of gods with two natures 1 Physical space god Sky Earth Sea 2 Abstract concept god Love Victory Envy 3 thing god Soma is a god also a sacred drink Syncretism adaptation of one culture s mythic beliefs by another culture A culture believes the gods are the same and mixes them together Sphere of influence areas with which the gods are associated have power Don t have to be connected but can overlap ex Zeus is the god of rain lightning kingship and hospitality Enuma Mesopotamia land between 2 rivers Tigris and Euphrates Sumerians first Mesopotamian civilization First to build cities and make laws Had a language we cannot translate Akkadians spoke Semitic language similar to ancient Hebrew or Arabic Assyrians spoke dialect of Akkadian language Babylonians spoke dialect of Akkadian language lived in city of Babylon city state of Mesopotamia Enuma Elish Babylonian creation epic epic poem that tells how the universe formed Creation myth and succession myth tells how gods succeed other gods Translates to when on high Recited or performed at the Babylonian New Year Festival at it every citizen of Babylon swears their allegiance to the king king acts out role of Marduk Enuma Elish composed around 1000 BCE on 7 cuneiform tablets Marduk Enuma Elish tells of the rise of power of Marduk protector god of Babylon Marduk is a storm god controls rain wind and lightning NOT a bi natural god because he s not the storm himself Marduk becomes king of the gods Cuneiform invented by Sumerians clay tablet with symbols that each stand for a particular word or sound Elish Apsu one of 2 first gods to exist Bi natural god god and all bodies of fresh water Tiamat one of 2 first gods to exist Bi natural god god and salt water or the seas Reproduces with Apsu have children Lahmu and Lahamu Lahmu Apsu and Tiamat s son Lahamu Apsu and Tiamat s daughter Anshar male god appears after Lahmu and Lahamu but it is not specified whose child he is Kishar female god appears after Lahmu and Lahamu but it is not specified whose child she is Reproduces with Anshar gives birth to Anu Anu bi natural god is the sky Sky is divided into 3 parts Anu is the uppermost part of the sky Has son Ea Ea Enki Nuddimud different names for same god Has spheres of influence over cleverness wisdom and fresh water Ea is a trickster god and associated with human creation Mummu Apsu s vizier right hand man and advisor Damkina Ea s wife lives with Ea in fresh water reservoir after Ea kills Apsu She has a son with Ea named Marduk Marduk is born from her with 4 eyes 4 eyes and breathes fire Qingu Kingu Tiamat s lover after Apsu and leader of her army of monsters He was given the Tablet of Destinies Kakka Gaga Anshar s vizier right hand man and advisor Tablet of Destinies contained the spheres of influences of the gods they had not yet been determined Background Reading 1 Semitic a language related to ancient Hebrew Amorites spoke a dialect of Akkadian overthrow Akkadians and Sumerians establish Babylon as their capital city Commonly referred to as Babylonians Babylon large city state in Mesopotamia control of the city altered from Sumerians to Akkadians to Amorites to Assyrians Ziggurat sky high temples stepped pyramids made from bricks Considered the home of a god or goddess had statues of the god outside the temple priests fed it meals every day Not a place of worship like modern day church mosque or synagogue Akitu the Babylonian New Year Festival celebrated every year in April Held in honor of Marduk the patron god of Babylon Baal Cycle Baal Cycle came from city of Ugarit group of poems about storm god Baal written on tablets found at Ugarit in alphabetic script Tablets were found in the library of the chief priest of the Baal temple Written down by scribe Ilimilku but we don t know who composed the stories May have been preserved orally for hundreds of years Ugarit lost city located in the region of Canaan prosperous coastal trading city that reached its height from around 1400 to 1200 BCE at which time the city was destroyed probably at the hands of the invading Sea Peoples Canaan located in modern day Syria Canaanite not much of their culture was known until discovery of Ugarit had hostile relationship with Israelites El translates to god creator god and father of the gods Did not actually create all gods he is just old revered powerful and feared Lives upon a mountain that contains 2 rivers the source of all the world s fresh water Baal translates to lord storm god wind god rain and fertility god Baal controls the growth of crops Especially worshipped by farmers fishermen and sailors He is the son of Dagon the grain god Baal s rain brings Dagon s grain Baal lives on the sacred mountain of Zaphon Hadad prepared a housewarming feast for Baal Dagon Baal s father god of grain Zaphon sacred mountain Baal s home Asherah El s wife Canaanite mother of gods Anat Baal s sister Anat and Baal form a divine pair Anat is a young virgin goddess of war and hunting She is extremely bloodthirsty loves bloodshed Kothar wa Hasis craftsman god makes tools for the gods Shapash Canaanite sun goddess linked to both life and death because she has power over the summer can bring droughts Attanu Purlianni chief priest of Baal Temple tablets containing the Baal Cycle were found in his library Ilimilku scribe that wrote down the Baal cycle poems Niqmaddu II king of Ugarit during period that Ilimilku wrote down the Baal Cycle Yam IS the sea a bi natural god associated with serpentine creatures referred to as river dragon and serpent Yam wants Baal s powers but is defeated by Baal and Anat Mot IS death a bi natural god Canaanite underworld is Mot s home it is a disgusting and mucky swamp Offended at Baal s invitation to his new home battles Baal until they reach a draw Mot relents Cycle Kumarbi Myths and Background Reading 2 Ras Shamra modern day site where ancient Ugarit tomb was discovered Ugarit is often referred to by its modern name Ras Shamra Illuyanka
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