InHurrianmythology,Ullikummi is a giant stone monster, son ofKumarbi and the sea god's daughter, Sertapsuruhi, or a female cliff. The language of the literary myth in its existing redaction isHittite, in cuneiform texts recovered atBogaskoy, where some Hurrian fragments of theSong of Ullikummi have been found.See Guterbock (1951).
TheSong of Ullikummi was recognized from its first rediscovery as a predecessor ofGreek myths inHesiod. Parallels to the Greek myth ofTyphon, the ancient antagonist of the thunder-godZeus, have been elucidated byBurkert.[1][2] TheSong possesses information on theHittite creation myth, including the idea that there was aseparation of heaven and earth in the primordial past, before which, the two were united.[3]
The narrative of Ullikummi is one episode, the best preserved and most complete,[4] in an epic cycle of related "songs" about the god Kumarbi, who aimed to replace the weather godTeshub and destroy the city ofKummiya; to this end Kumarbi fathered upon a rock cliff a genderless, deaf, blind, yet sentient volcanic rock monster, Ullikummi, which he hid in thenetherworld and placed on the shoulder ofUpelluri. Upelluri, absorbed in his meditations, did not feel Ullikummi on his shoulder.[a]
Ullikummi grew quickly until he reached the heavens. Ullikummi's brotherTeshub thundered and rained on Ullikummi, but it did not harm him. Teshub fled and abdicated the throne.[b] Teshub askedEa for help.[c] Ea visited Upelluri and cut off the feet of Ullikummi, toppling him[d][5]
^Upelluri stands in the netherworld, holding the earth and sky on his shoulder like the GreekAtlas; a mere giant such as Ullikummi is barely noticeable, although Upelluri does feel a bit of pain in his shoulder once Ullikummi has grown up.
^The weather god and his vizier and brother,Tasmisu, are defeated in their first battle with Ullikummi, as Tasmisu relates to Teshub's wife,Hebat; as a result Teshub is banished to a "little place," probably meaning a grave.
^Ea, who lives in the Apsu, underground source of earth's waters, obtains the toothed cutting tool with which heaven and earth were cut apart shortly after creation; this tool will disable Ullikummi.
^That is, Ea cuts Ullikummi loose from Upelluri's shoulder and then urges the weather god to fight again; the end of the story is broken away and scholars simply assume Ullikummi is finally defeated.
Guterbock, Hans Gustav (1951–1952). "The Song of Ullikummi: Revised Text of the Hittite Version of a Hurrian Myth"Journal of Cuneiform Studies5 (4), pp 135–161, (1951);6 (1), pp 8–42, (1952) and in succeeding issues.
Haas, Volkert. (2006). Die hethitische Literatur: Texte, Stilistik, Motive. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, pp 130–176.
Hoffner, H. A. Jr. (1990). "The Song of Hedammu".Hittite Myths, pp 48–57. Atlanta.
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