The Mesopotamian Deities in the Hittite Mythos

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I wrote this essay especially for enenuru since I noticed that except some mentions in the thread about the Greek religion and the ANE, there was no thread about this significant Indo-European branch of the Mesopotamian culture - the Hittites. It has no pretence to be scientific at all, it uses no academic vocabulary, me myself being not a scholar who has the respective qualification and the particular education, yet it's based on my study of some works written by certain East-European scholars not translated in English, but based on the international archaeological and historic research on the subject. So, apart from certain ideological tendencies, my sources are technically correct. Here and there in my historic introduction there are probably some disparities between the dates I know and those given in the Wikipedia.

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A Hittite royal seal.

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The Hittite Empire was the most ancient Indo-European civilization known to the history: 1750 - 1180 BCE though it was an actual empire during its late period. In brief, the Hittite culture was gradually penetrated by the Mesopotamian spirit, the Hittite started to use cuneiform writing and to worship the main Mesopotamian deities together with their own ones. This syncretism was particularly expressed during the late imperial phase of the Hittite civilization.


During its 5 centuries of dramatic history, the Hittite kingdom often proved to be one of the super-powers in the Ancient Orient, especially in the 14th century BCE when the Hittites started to forge iron weapons and use a certain new model of heavy chariots. Still in 1595 BCE they put an end to the Old Babylonian kingdom by taking Babylon and establishing there their allied Kassite dynasty. In 1274 BCE during the Battle of Kadesh the Hittite chariots defeated the Egypian avant-gard commanded by Ramesses II the Great, and it was only the timely arrival of the main Egyptian forces which saved the Pharaoh's life but the battle was undecided, and Ramesses II had to retreat, so the Hittites occupied the northern Syria and Amurru while the Egyptians preserved Canaan only.


Along with its triumphs, the Hittite state often experienced times of crisis due to power struggles between the kingship pretenders and the cruel civil wars between the patriarchal and matriarchal political parties. Even after the Hittite empire's collapse during the Invasion of the Sea Peoples, several Hittite kingdoms survived after 1180 BCE till the 8th century BCE some of them surviving even the Assyrian military expansion, with some regions preserving their cultural identity till the Roman Empire.

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The Hittite kingdom 1750 - 1180 BCE.

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The Hittites' presence was felt in Anatolia still around 2000 BCE when they gradually assimilated the local non-Indo-European Hattian people, adopted the Akkadian cuneiform writing from the local early Assyrian trade colonies, and further enriched their culture by the Hurrian, Ugaritic and Babylonian influences until they developed their higher level of civilization. The Hittites used parallely a hierogphic writing which was deciphered by a find containing Hittite words written both in cuneiform and hierogliphic signs.

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The Hittite hieroglyphic script.

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Not unlike the "Sumerian" the term "Hittite" was also a conventional term given to these people by the scholars, while they themselves called their land Hatti, and their language Nesili after the name of the city of Nesa in Asia Minor they first settled in. The kingdom's capital became Hattusa, later known as Bogazkoy, and today as Bogazkale in the modern Turkey - 140 km east of the capital Ankara.


Strange enough, the very fact that there existed an ancient and powerful Indo-European branch of the Mesopotamian cultural influence, has made certain authors to feel as if personally offended, so they try to undervalue the Hittite achievements by emphasizing only on how much they plagiarized from the higher non-Indo-European cultures, how poorly imitated their style, and some have even tried to ridiculously deny the very existence of the Hittite civilization by arguing that it was in fact the Chaldean/Babylonian empire and all the Hittite kings were in fact the Anatolian names for the Babylonian kings, their evidences being based on the Old Testament only!


A basic subtext in the "Mythology of the Hittite Anatolia" by Maciej Popko reads all the time that the reader should not think of the Hittite culture as authentic. Of course, such reactions are understandable after the 19th century's Indo-European supremacy tendency in certain Western historians, but I can take seriously neither the Indo-Europen supremacists, nor their opponents, who use the same style reversed. Along with their factologic informativeness, such works show that the scholarship is pliable to biases, and the biases being emotions, only father Enki could teach us how to become emotionally intelligent. Not so much the psychology.

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In fact, it could be said that the Hittites in relation to the Hurrians were culturally almost the same what the Akkadians were in relation to the Sumerians - the military stronger ones became opened to the magical/fascinating influence of the culturally stronger ones but the former assimilated it by their unique ethnic digestion in the same way as the Akkadians assimilated the Sumerian culture in their unique way. Though it's not a rule that the stronger warriors are stronger sorcerers as well, it was often the case in certain cultures - an ancient magical approach to conquering foreign territories and peoples was by paying homage to the local deities, promising them further worship and sacrifice provided they yield the land to the conquerors. Another explanation of how a more primitive culture could conquer a more advanced one, could be that the priesthood of the advanced culture has lost its authority before its growing more secular members, so it makes use of the invaders to restore the respect to their estate. There are such examples in Egypt during its decline. The scholars are not to neglect the fact that it was the sorcerers/priests who constituted the highest estate of the Bronze Age society, and who in fact were those who decreed the fates in the name of the deities. The priest-king of the Bronze Age had the power to manipulate the collective unconscious of his/her people by attuning himself/herself to its archetypes, so at these times magic was really a decisive factor.


On a subjective plane, were I not fascinated by the Hittites I wouldn't know about the Hurrians. The scholar Maciej Popko also admits: "Said otherwise, we know about the Hurrian mythologic notions only via the documents found in Bogazkoy" (Hattusa). They were a people of unknown ethnic origin who came down from the Armenian plateau in the third millenium BCE and settled southwards and westwards. Not unlike the Sumerians, the Hurrians also spoke neither Indo-European, nor Semitic language. They adapted the Akkadian cuneiform writing for their own language. Along their history they had several kingdoms, the most powerful of which was Mittani founded by the mythic king Kirta about 1500 BCE and lasting till 1350 BCE, when the Hurrians were conquered once again by the Hittites, and Mittani was turned into a buffer zone between the Hittite Empire and the growing in power Assyria. Mittani was supposed to have been ruled by certain Indo-European dynasty. The basic thing to be remembered here is that it was via the Hurrian cultural medium that the Mesopotamian influence penetrated and fertilized the most ancient known Indo-European civilization. Magically it's obvious what a decisive role Ea plays in the Hittite myth and pantheon along with their boyish Storm-god.

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If the Hittite mythic literature is not authentic, could anybody say the same about the Hittite architecture and imagery? They are fascinating even if one contemplates them on photographies downloaded by the internet. Even Maciej Popko admits:


"All the preserved images have their original style, which allows speaking about the existence of Hittite art. It was under the influence of Mesopotamia but itself exerted influence on the Assyrian artists, and partly on the Greek ones during the archaic period of the Greek art."


The capital city of Hattusa is a masterpiece of the so called "cyclopic architecture", a practically impregnable stone fortress accretted to the natural rocks in a severe mountain terrain. Its ruins still suggest respect. It isn't quite clear to the historians why it was set on fire by its own citizens and abandoned during the empire's end in 1180 BCE. What to say about the rocky sancturay of Yazilikya, where the citizens of Hattusa celebrated their seasonal religious festivals? Its magic streams even through the photographies for those who could feel it. Here I would like to quote a fellow-countryman of mine who recently wrote a scholarlike work on the megalith memorials:

"...we are to learn to recognize the emotional message coded in the ancient architectural forms. We will thus surmount the limitations of the purely scientific approach, which promises only some uncertain success in some uncertain future (neither denying it, nor abandoning it!). The aesthetic approach certainly brings emotional delight within one's life-span."


I think this applies not only to the megaliths where the science could assert a few things with certainty, but also to the more complex forms of material culture where the scientific argument becomes stronger. Without science magic/fascination turns into religion and superstition, but without magic science turns into another form of religion as well - a cult to the causality. Here by "religion" I mean any form of organized and institutionalized belief which suppresses the human emotionality. On the other hand, the religions of the Bronze Age were in fact magical cults wherein the psychic abilitiies of the priesthood were unquestionable being often tested in real situations, something which gradually changed with the coming Iron Age and its technologies. Seems that the development of the material technologies is proportional to the diminution of the psychic abilities.

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The Lion Gate of Hattusa.

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Hatussa's rampart.

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A general sight of the former Hattusa.

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What should have been Hattusa like...

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Hattusa today...

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The central bas-relief of Yazilikiaya sanctuary.

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The 12 gods's procession in Yazilikaya.

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Also, when considering the Mesopotamian influence on the Hellenic civilization it's inadmissible to ignore the tangible Hittite mediation in this process. For example, the echo of the Hurro-Hittite theogonic myth in Hesiod's "Theogonia" is more than obvious. It's also to be considered that between the pro-Mesopotamian Hittite culture and the classic Hellenic/Greek culture lied Phrygia and Lydia where the process of religious syncretism which started in the Hittite Empire, continued westwards rather than eastwards.

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In order to show the crucial role played by certain Mesopotamian deities in the Hittite Mythos I would like to follow here an essential dramatic line started by the main dramatic personae of the Sumerian Mythos, through its Akkadian and Babylonian developments to the tempestuous Hittite mythic scene. I've sought my narrative to be maximally correct to the translations by the German-American Hittitologist Albrecht Goetze (1897 – 1971) and the Polish Hittitologist Maciej Popko (born in 1936). Also, I'm aware of the fact, that the dramatic line I try to follow in my narative is based only on the available texts for the moment.

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Here, immediately before the central bas-relief scene in Yazilikaya, god Ea leads the procession of gods, followed by Ishtar and her two attendants.

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The theme of the mythic conflict between the younger and the older generations of gods, could be traced back to the Sumerian myth about Enki and Ninmah, where the strike of the younger/minor gods was settled by the sleepy Enki, who simply created humanity as a substitute for the younger gods' labor, thus solving the problem once for all.


The Akkadian myth of Atrahasis, however, complicates the same conflict to the extent that the stern Enlil is involved and a certain divine blood is to be shed in order a substitute for the Igigi gods' labour to be created but the problem is only partly solved because the human overpopulation will periodically make Enlil to exterminate humanity, so Enki has to save it.


The Babylonian "Enuma Elish" makes of this conflict a cosmic revolution trying to restart the whole Mesopotamian mythic system by introducing a new and clear concept of the existing cosmic forces. Yet behind all the intrigue about Enki's patricide, the dramatic battle between Marduk and Tiamat, the sacrifice of Kingu, the creation of the human race by his blood, and the establishment of the new world order blessed by Enki/Ea and ruled by Marduk, behind all that spectacular creation epic, another very significant coup has invisibly taken place: the great old one of Sumer and Akkad, Enlil/Ellil is dethroned on the quiet, almost imperceptibly, as if being pensioned off yet preserving his dignity. Even after the Hittite conquest in 1595 BCE, when the Kassite Babylon restored to power Nippur, the old Sumero-Akkadian Vatican, Enlil was no more what he was before.

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However, in the Hittite Mythos (were it Hurrian as well) the conflict between the divine generations becomes as if an eternal war. The Mesopotamian Ellil is still in exile and even plays a negative role in this mythos. Humanity plays a little role therein except to nourish the gods. No myth about the human creation has been found till now.


"Let there listen the gods who are in heaven, and those who are in the dark earth!" starts the Hittite myth about the "Kingship of Heaven", then some deities' names are enumbered in this addressing amongst whom there are also Anu and Antu, Ellil ans Ninlil.


Then there follows a chronology of the kingship of heaven: first there reigned Alalu for nine years with Anu as his cupbearer. On the ninth year Anu gave battle to Alalu and vanquished him, so Alalu went down to the dark earth and Anu assumed his throne. Anu reigned for nine years with Kumarbi as cupbearer. On the ninth year Kumarbi gave battle to Anu and vanquished him, but Anu turned into a bird and tried to fly in the sky. However, Kumarbi grasped his legs and tore off his phallus by teeths, so the sperm of Anu poured down into his throat. Kumarbi was triumphant but Anu cursed him:


"Rejoice not over your inside! In your inside I have planted a heavy burden. Firstly I have impreganted you with the noble Storm-god. Secondly I have impregnated you with the river Aranzah (the Hurrian name for river Tigris), not to be endured. Thirdly, I have impregnated you with the noble Tasmisu (the future attendant of the Storm-god). Three dreadful gods I have planted in your belly as seed. You shall go and end by striking the rock of your own mountain with your head!"


Then Anu hid himself in the sky. Scared and angry, Kumarbi tried to spit out Anu's sperm but here the text is unclear...something happened when he spat out a part of Anu's sperm "mixed with"..."fell on the mountain Kanzur"..."an awesome god therein" - it's obvious, however, that he wasn't able to fully get rid of his burden, so he went to Nippur "filled with fury" but what happened there is also unclear...he counted the months, "the seventh month came"...

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Here the survived text of the first column ends and there are about 45 lines missing, the texts of the second and third columns being strongly damaged, the translator Albrecht Goetze says he had to paraphrase certain sections to make them intelligible but the main theme is the birth of the Storm-god. Anu addresses to his unborn son inside Kumarbi and advises him which parts of Kumarbi's body are appropriate to come out through - his brain, his mouth, his "good place"...The Storm-god greets his true father from inside Kumarbi, gives an optimistic account of his growth, and considers the possibilities to come out of Kumarbi's body:


"...If I come forth from his...it will derange my mind. If I come forth from his...it will defile me at that spot...it will defile me at the ear...If I come forth from the 'good place', a woman will... me."

Then the Storm god is warned by Anu lest he come forth by rending asunder Kumarbi's tarnass(?)

Meanwhile Kumarbi gets ill, he comes to Ea and asks him:

"Give me my son, I want to devour my son!"

Here it's not clear if the cunning Ea is apt to really help him but he gives him something to eat (a piece of basalt in Maciej Popko's book) which hurts his mouth and Kumarbi starts to moan. Ea advises him (here both the translators are unclear) to address both the wealthy and the poor people to make sacrifices of meal to him, the lords are to give him bulls and the poor are to give him grain, so "they began to work magic on him with... they kept bringing sacrifices of meal to him, they kept...From the tarnass he wanted to come forth but they made Kumarbi's tarnass secure. Thus from the 'good place' came forth the valiant Storm-god."

The further text being unclear, the translators say Anu rejoices and plots to destroy Kumarbi with the help of the Storm-god, and the Storm-god prepares for the battle. The outcome of the battle is not described on the preserved part of the tablet but Albrecht Goetze says that the other two deities conceived by Anu's sperm that Kumarbi spat upon the earth also played role in the battle. "At any event, we have to assume that the Storm-god defeated Kumarbi and took over the kingship in heaven."


However, the Polish Hittitologist Maciej Popko, who also complains of the damaged cuneiform texts of the second and the third columns of the tablet, mentions more events in his book - there was some quarrel between Anu and the Storm-god about who would inherit Kumarbi: the Storm-god is furious and cursing all the gods, while the one of his two sacred bulls is advising him it's not wise to curse Ea... Ea himself appears and utters words of indignation before the other sacred bull of the Storm-god...Seems that once again Ea solves the problem...the Earth herself comes to the city of Abzuva to give birth to two children there...We don't know who they are.

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"The Song of Ullikummi" appears as an "Episode 2" of the same mythos. Maciej Popko insures the reader:

"This text is most probably also a translation from Hurrian into Hittite. It's most probably that the Hurrian original had a metric stanza structure, and perhaps it was one of the prominent poetic works, while the Hittite translation reproduces too poorly its literary merits, though the translator has tried to preserve the stanza structure by inserting here and there some morphologic rhyme."

Amazing indeed how the literary merits of the absent Hurrian original are restored by its mediocre Hittite translation only! But let's continue with what the archaeology has provided us with from the library of Hattusa. It's a small part of the 30 000 clay tablets found there, which shows that the Lords of Hattusa thought not of war and conquest only.

"Let me sing of the god who...in whose mind there are wise thoughts, and who thinks them out in his mind...of the father of all gods, of Kumarbi let me sing!"

Though defeated, Kumarbi plots against the new world order of the youngest generation of gods. He is pondering intensely until the wise plan occurs to his mind. This time he will create a monstrous rival for the Storm-god. For that purpose he leaves his city of Urash, and betakes himslef to a certain place - in the Polish translation it' s a cool lake with a huge rock in the middle. Seized with lust, Kumarbi makes love to the rock five times... then ten times more...The text becomes is unclear, and on the next column there is an incongruity between the Polish translation and that of Albrecht Goetze, but what is clear is that Kumarbi sends his messenger to the Sea to tell her that:

"Kumarbi must remain father of the gods".

The message being duly transmitted, the Sea sends the messenger back to Kumarbi with an invitation for banquet to which Kumarbi readily responds. The Sea has prepared an abundant banquet for her honourable guest. After they drunk seven toasts Kumarbi sends his vizier to the Waters with an important message..., which remains unknown to us.


The next scene is the birth of Kumarbi's child. It's night, all the midwife goddesses are attending. Kumarbi is rejoicing, he is full of tenderness at the sight of the newborn. He is pondering what a name to give to his son and at last he arrives at the name Ullikummi, which means the "Destroyer of Kummiya" the city of the gods. Each blessing of Kumarbi over Ullikummi is a curse against the youngest gods. Then he is concerned to whose cares he is to entrust the infant Ullikummi, where to hide him lest the Sun-god of Heaven see him, lest the Storm-god of Kummia see him, lest Ishtar, the Queen of Nineveh see him.

"They must not kill him!"

Kumarbi bids his messenger Imbaluri to urgently go to the Irsirra deities and call them to immediatelly appear before him, the Father of the Gods. Imbaluri is back soon with the Irsirra deities in hurry. Kumarbi charges them with that over-secretive mission:

"Take this child and treat him caringly! Bring him to the dark earth! Hasten and hurry! Plant him - a shaft - into Ubelluri's right shoulder! (Ubelluri being an Atlas-like giant who carries earth and heaven on his shoulders.) In one day he shall increase a cubit, in one month he shall increase one acre! The stone which is added to his stature shall present an amazing spectacle..."

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The Irsirra deities press the child to their breast and carry it away. Interesting enough, they place it upon the knees of Ellil who spends his eternity in the netherworld. Seems that after the Babylonian "Enuma Elish" he is still in exile in the Hurro-Hittite Mythos as well. Ellil looked at the baby. It was made of diorite (of basalt in the Polish translation). Speaking to himself lost in thought rather than decreeing the fate of Ullikummi, Ellil says:

"Who is that child whom the midwives and the mother-goddesses reared? No one among the great gods shall see mightier battles. No one's vileness equals Kumarbi's. Just as Kumarbi raised the Storm-god, he has now raised this awesome man of diorite as his rival."

Next the Irsirra deities take the ominous baby back from Ellil's knee "and plant it - a shaft - into Ubelluri's right shoulder".


Ullikummi starts its morbid growth as Kumarbi has decreed - "in one day he increases a cubit, in one month he increases one acre" till he stands like a pillar with the sea to his belt. "Like a tower the stone is raised up and reaches to the temples and house of heaven." First the Sun-god sees the monstrous Ullikumi and lays his hand on his forehead in wonder. When he sees the giant on the next day for a second time, after his setting the Sun-god visits the Storm-god. The Sun-god refuses to sit down, refuses to eat, and refuses to drink. The Storm-god is puzzled about his behaviour...Lacuna.


The Storm-god is angry upon hearing what the Sun-god has said but kindly invites him again to eat and drink. After quenching his thirst and satisfying his hunger, the Sun-god mounts his chariot and ascends to heaven. After some pondering about the situation the Storm-god and his attendant Tasmisu also set forth from the house of the gods. Upon seeing them Ishtar follows them wondering:


"Where my brothers are running to?" They three ascend the Mount Casius (near the ancient Ugarit at the Mediteranean Sea) and see the awesome sight of the diorite Ullikummi towering over the sea. The Storm-god sits down on the ground and starts weeping with tears streaming from his eyes in water courses:


"Who can bear to look upon so vexatious a sight? Who will dare go and battle against the monster? Who can bear seeing his terrifying..."

Ishtar tries to comfort her brother. The texts becomes unclear...

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The Sun-god in Yazilikaya.

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In the next scene we see Ishtar in her full erotic brilliance singing and playing on her harp at the seaside enchanting even the shore pebbles by her sweet music. She tries to enchant Ullikummi but out of the sea a great wave rises and speaks to her:


"For whom you are singing, for whom you are filling your mouth with sweet words? He is deaf and hears not; in his eyes his is blind and sees not. He has no willing heart. Go away, O Ishtar, and find your brother while Ullikummi has not yet become bold, while the skull of his head has not yet become dreadful!"


Upon hearing that Ishtar flies away wailing, throwing her harp and discarding her golden jewelry. She goes back to the Storm-god to report...Lacuna


The Storm-god is preparing for a heavy battle: He instruct his divine attendant Tasmisu to prepare his two sacred bulls Seri and Tella, to summon the thunder-storms, the rains, the winds, the lightnings from their sleeping chambers, to make ready his battle wagon...Lacuna


From what happens next it becomes clear that the Storm-god has been defeated, and now the War-god organizes an attack of 70 gods with their battle wagons thundering against Ullikummi. All in vain:


"...and the seventy gods tumbled down into the sea. The diorite man stayed unchanged, his body even grew taller. He made the heaven tremble, and made the earth shake. He pushed upward the sky like an empty garment. The diorite man increased in height... Before... his height was 1900 leagues as he stood upon the dark earth. Like a tower he was lifted up, he the diorite man, so that he reached up to the kuntarra house (the gods' house). Altogether his height was 9000 leagues, that diorite man, and his girth 9000 leagues. He stood over the gate of Kummiya like a... He the diorite man, made Hebat leave her temple. Hence Hebat could no longer hear the message of the gods, nor she could see with her eyes the Storm-god..."


Now the Storm-god's wife is endangered in the sieged Kummiya. She is anxious and in doubt if the noble Storm-god is still alive, so she sends her attendant Takiti to assemble the remaining gods but Takiti is not able to get through the blockade of Ullikummi, and she returns to her mistress... Lacuna, a considerable gap.

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However it becomes clear that the Storm-god is still alive but full of despair. He sends his attendant Tasmisu to the blockaded Kummiya and Tasmisu succeeds in reaching Hebat. His news are sad:

"In a lowly place my lord will have to stay until he has fulfilled the years ordained for him."

In her sorrow Hebat is near to fall down from the watchtower's roof. Tasmisu returns to his master and advises him they shouldn't move anywhere else from the mountain they are sitting on because someone else could take seat there and there will be no king in heaven anymore. Suddenly, however, a brilliant idea occurs to Tasmisu:


"My lord! Hearken to my words! To the words I'm telling you give ear! Come! Let us go to the city of Abzuva before Ea, let us ask him for the old tablets with the words of fate! When we arrive at the door of Ea's house we shall bow to Ea's door five times, and we shall bow to Ea's... five times. But when we arrive before Ea himself, we shall bow to Ea himself fifteen times. By then Ea's heart will perhaps have been softened, and Ea will perhaps listen and do us a favor. He will hand over to us the old... tablets."

The Storm-god readily responds to that idea. Without losing time anymore they take each other by hands and without stopping anywhere they arrive in the city of Abzuva where they dully perform the bow ceremony before Ea to give them an audience. Seems that the Storm-god needs this showing of reverence to Ea in order to compensate his previous disrespectful behaviour.

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The Hittite Pantheon carved in the walls of the rocky sanctuary of Yazilikaya where Ea is numbered 39 and Ishtar 38.

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....The further text being damaged and unclear, we come to know some assembly has taken place, and now the favorable Ea descends to the underworld where he first visits Ellil. After officially greeting Ea, Ellil asks him whom he is searching for, and Ea alarmingly informs Ellil about the critical situation with the younger gods caused by Kumarbi's creation of Ullikummi, and asks him if he knows something about Ullikummi, but strange enough, Ellil knows nothing about him! Ea speaks to Ellil in indignation:

"What can I say to you? He... who will block off heaven and gods' holy houses!"

Ea descends still deeper in the underworld and arrives at the giant Ubelluri who carries the earth and heaven on his shoulders. They greet each other and Ea again speaks about the disastrous situation above asking Ubelluri if he know something about Ullikummi. The giant answers to Ea:


"When they built heaven and earth upon me, I did not know anything. When they came and severed the heaven from the earth with a cleaver, I did know that either. Now my right shoulder is a little sore. But I don't know who that god is."


When hearing these words Ea notices the diorite man standing upon Ubelluri's right shoulder like a shaft. Now Ea summons the most ancient ones:


"Listen ye most ancient ones, 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 with them afterward! Let them bring forth the olden copper knife (axe in the Polish translation) with which they severed heaven from earth. Let them cut through the feet of Ullikummi, the diorite man, whom Kumarbi has fashioned as a rival to oppose the gods!"

Ascending on the upperworld Ea meets Tasmisu, who seems despaired, so Ea urges him to do his duty to the Storm-god, pointing out his own sad soul at the sight of the dead in the dark earth who were strewn about as dust. Now Ea addresses all the gods:


"First I have crippled, and second I have... the diorite man. Go ye and battle him again!... Let him no longer stand as a shaft!"

Encouraged, Tasmisu rejoces and summons the gods assembly by a triple clap of his hands. Clapping again he calls the presence of the King of Kummiya, the valiant Storm-god. All the gods bellow as bulls against Ullikummi. The Storm-god thunders with his chariot against him. Ullikummi starts to speak arrogantly against him knowing not his own magic power is no more... Here, however, the text is damaged to the end of the tablet. Yet we can guess the outcome of that final battle.

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The Storm-god and the goddess Hebat in the main bas-relief of Yazilikaya. The Storm-god stands on the the two defeated mountain gods, behind him is the local Storm-god of Hattusa, and behind the goddess Hebat is their son Sharruma.

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