- Ullikummi
In
Hurrian mythology , [The language of the literary myth in its existing redaction is Hittite, in cuneiform texts recovered atBogaskoy , where some Hurrian fragments of the "Song of Ullikummi" have been found (Guterbock 1951).] Ullikummi is a giant stone monster, son ofKumarbi and the sea god's daughter. The narrative of Ullikummi is one episode, the best preserved and most complete, [Guterbock 1951:135.] in an epic cycle of related "songs" about the god Kumarbi, who aimed to replace the weather godTeshub and destroy the city of Kummiya; to this end Kumarbi fathered upon a rock cliff a genderless, deaf, blind, yet sentient pillar of volcanic rock, Ullikummi, which he hid in thenetherworld and placed on the shoulder ofUpelluri . Upelluri, absorbed in his meditations, did not feel Ullikummi on his shoulder. Ullikummi grew quickly until he reached the heavens.Teshub thundered and rained on Ullikummi, but it did not harm him. Teshub fled and abdicated the throne. Teshub asked Ea for help. Ea visited Upelluri and cut off the feet of Ullikummi, toppling him.The "song of Ullikummi" was recognized from its first rediscovery as a predecessor of
Greek myth s inHesiod . Parallels to the Greek myth of Typhoes, the ancient antagonist of the thunder-godZeus , have been elucidated byWalter Burkert , "Oriental and Greek Mythology", pp 19-24, and Caucasian parallels in his "Von Ullikummi zum Kaukasus: Die Felsgeburt des Unholds", "Würzburger Jahrbücher" N. F., 5 (1979) pp 253-61.ee also
*
Hurrian mythology Notes
References
* Hoffner, H. A. Jr., 1990. "Hittite Myths" (Atlanta): the "Song of Hedammu" pp 48-57.
* Guterbock, Hans Gustav 1951. "The Song of Ullikummi: Revised Text of the Hittite Version of a Hurrian Myth" "Journal of Cuneiform Studies" 5.4 (1951), pp 135-161; 6.1 (1952), pp 8-42, and in succeeding issues.External links
* [http://rbedrosian.com/Memyth.htm Robert Bedrosian, "Middle Eastern Mythology"]
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