Introduction to Myth Hero Figures in which the gods take special interest to help them on their heroic quest could be negative attention as well Hercules Trickster amoral shape shifting deceivers instigators culture heroes like Prometheus and bugs bunny Polytheism Belief in many gods worship Greeks Anthropomorphism Conception of gods in shape of human beings Bi naturalism Conception of gods with two natures 1 Physical space and god Sky god earth and sea 2 Abstract concept and god Love victory envy 3 Thing and god Vedic gods Agni Fire and Soma Sacred Drinks Syncretism Adaption of one cultures mythic belief by another culture Mixing of two cultures 1 Sumerians Inanna Akkadian Ishtar 2 Greek Zeus Roman Jupiter Sphere of influence Areas with which gods are associated power 1 Ishtar goddess of sexual desire war morning evening star Venus 2 Zeus God of Rain Lighting kingship hospitality Primordial waters 1 Waters that exist at the beginning of or even before creation 2 In many creation myths 3 Usually precedes the sea and other bodies of water Ancient Near East Commonly referred to as ANE 1 Canaan Modern day Syria Lebanon Israel 2 Anatolia Asia Minor Turkey and Egypt Enuma Elish Babylonian Myth Mesopotamia 1 Land between Rivers 2 Tigris and Euphrates Sumerians earliest human civilization in Mesopotamian civilization Akkadians Spoke the dialect of the Akkadians Babylonians Spoke the dialect of the Akkadians Enuma Elish c 1000 BCE 1 Babylonian creation epic 2 Means When on High 3 Recited performed at the Babylonian new year festival 4 Tells of the rise of power of Marduk A Creation myth Literary work that tells a myth B Succession myth Apsu Tiamat Marduk Marduk King of Babylon gods 1 Marduk patron god of Babylon 2 Storm god 3 Not Bi Natural 4 Has 4 eyes and 4 ears Breathes fire 5 With his winds and bow defeats Tiamat and creates the earth and sky out of the monster 6 Creation of humans is the work of the gods a Marduk Vs Tiamat a Thunderstorm vs Sea b Babylon vs Sea land Tiamat Enemy State c Order Marduk vs Chaos Tiamat Cuneiform Clay Tablets in the form of poetry which ancient society was written in easier to memorize Apsu Fresh water Bi natural produces gods with Tiamat 1 From the noise of gods can t sleep 2 Plots destruction 3 Tiamat protests 4 Vizier mummu incites Apsu Tiamat Salt water Sea Bi natural produced gods with Apsu 1 The 4 winds given to Marduk disturb Tiamat 2 Gods cant sleep 3 Creates an army of 11 monsters 4 Defeated by Marduk 5 Split in two creates both the lowermost sky and earth 6 Eyes Tigris and Euphrates rivers 7 Breasts Mountains Lahmu m Produced from both Apsu and Tiamat Lahamu f Produced from both Apsu and Tiamat 1 First two gods Anshar m Produced from both Lahmu and Lahamu 1 Sends Ea then Anu in failure then send Marduk Kishar f Produced from both Lahmu and Lahamu 1 Produced Anu Anu 1 Sky god 2 Bi natural 3 Esp uppermost sky Tripartite 4 Father of Ea 5 Gives Marduk 4 winds 6 Grandfather of Marduk 7 Is given the Tablet of Destinies from Marduk after defeating Tiamat Ea Enki Nuddimud 1 Sphere s of influence cleverness wisdom and freshwater 2 Trickster god 3 Assoc with human creation by giving the idea of using Qingu s blood to create humans a Finds out Apsu s plot b Lulls Apsu Mummu to sleep c Kills Apsu takes Mummu captive d Home temple in Apsu Reservoir of fresh water e Ea Damkina Marduk Son of Ea f Finds out the plot of Tiamat goes to Anshar Mummu Is the vizier of Apsu Damkina Produced Marduk Qingu Kingu 1 Leader of the army created by Tiamat 2 Given Tablet of Destiny 3 Taken captive after Marduk defeats Tiamat 4 From the blood that spills from his arteries the gods create humans Kakka Gaga Vizier of Anshar Tablet of Destinies Controls god powers spheres of influence Background Reading 1 Semitic 1 The Akkadians were Semitic people meaning that they spoke Semitic language related to Ancient Hebrew Amorites Babylonians Spoke the Dialect of Akkadians Babylon Was an important city state in an area known as Mesopotamia Ziggurat Was considered the home of the god goddess while he she was staying in a particular city Akitu Babylonian new years festival celebrated every April Baal Cycle Canaanite Baal Cycle 1 Group of poems about Baal 2 3 poems 3 Baal vs Yam sea 4 Palace of Baal Baal vs Mot Death 5 Poem celebrates victory of Autumn rain Baal over summer drought Mot Ugarit Tablets found in Ugarit Canaan lost city of Ugarit located in the region of Canaan El god 1 Creator god 2 Father of the gods 3 Wise and eternal old 4 Sacred mountain 2 rivers freshwater 5 Agrees to give up Baal to Yam 6 King of the gods 7 Dreams Baal is alive Baal lord 1 Storm god a Aka Hadad Thunderer b River on the clouds c Wind god d Fertility god e Farmers worship him fishers sailors f Son of Dagon g Baal using the two clubs given to him by Kothar smashes Yam a Wind lighting storm at sea b Order of Chaos h Baal mates w cow produces son to trick mot death who kills substitute i Real Baal hides in underworld j Palace King Temple Patron god of Ugarit k King of the earth l With Baal s absence Summer drought m Emerges from the underworld Hadad Thunderer Dagon God of Grain Zaphon Mountain Asherah 1 Wife of El 2 Mother of the gods Anat 1 Sister of Baal 2 Nubile virgin goddess 3 Goddess of war and hunting Blood thirsty 4 Goes to battle slaughters warriors helps Baal defeat Yam 5 Tries to kill Mot 6 Cuts up grinds up sows mot Kothar wa Hasis 1 Craftsman god 2 Cf Hephaestus 3 Makes two clubs for Baal 4 Builds Baal s house Made of Cedar Cf King Solomon s Temple 5 Wants to build window Baal disagrees believes the window is associated with death Shapash sun 1 Sun goddess 2 Linked to both life an death summer Drought 3 Advises Baal to create a substitute this substitute dies in Baal s palace 4 Looks for Baal in his absence 5 Warns mot to repent and he does Attanu Purlianni Chief priest of Baal temple Ilimilku Scribe Niqmaddu II King of Ugarit Yam 1 Nahar River dragon serpent 2 Messengers from Yam sent to El 3 Gods afraid cf Tiamat 4 Is defeated by Baal Mot Death 1 Abode Swamp muck Background Reading 2 Ras Shamra Cape Fennel Ugarit Illuyanka Myths and Kumarbi Cycle Hittite Hittites 1 Indo European Migrated as Far East as India 2 Entered Anatolia c 2300 BCE 3 Empire 1700 1200 BCE 4 Over 600 gods Polytheism syncretism Hattians 1 Indigenous pre Hittite people Hurrians Storm god Tessub 1 People in northern Syria 2 Empire name Mitranni Hattusas Hittite Capital 1 Cuneiform tablets 2 Many religious mythological
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