Baal Cycle
The Baal cycle is a text of Ugaritic mythology. It consists of a group of six tablets found in a fragmentary state in the "house of the High Priest", which form a coherent description of the ascension of the god Baal in the kingdom of the Gods. It was written by a scribe named Ilou-milkou, who lived during the reign of Niqmaddou II. It currently has only half the story.
Summary |
Story
The first part of the cycle is unknown because it could not be reconstituted. The first battle between the book Baal to Yam , the God of the Sea It starts with the decision of El to leave his kingdom to a successor, and it means Yam. Ba'al opposes this, and so requires that Yam has delivered. The latter, after having resisted, then finds himself captive to his enemy. He receives the help of god Kothar , which manufactures two clubs to help combat Yam. The first knocks the god of the sea, then the second completes it.
After its success, Baal is declared king of the gods. It therefore requires the construction of a large palace worthy of his new status, and build it on Mount Saphon (now Jebel Aqrah) covers the following part of the story.
Once completed this palace, Baal gave a party at which all the gods are invited. One refuses to go: Word , the God of Death, who challenges the kingship of Baal. Their confrontation covers the last part of the story. Baal travels to Hades to try to bring his new enemy, but he does not return, and the other Gods believe then died. Its absence causes the rain has stopped, so the drought, which prevents men worthy to worship their gods, which are greatly lacking. So Anat , the sister of Baal, and Shapash , the Sun-goddess set off in search of Baal. Anat goes to Hell, where she confronts and beats Mot. It just reappears after Baal, without one knowing where he was past due to the incomplete state of the text (it was probably held prisoner by word, before being issued by Anat). Baal and Mot then compete in an epic battle which saw no winner. Finally, word came to recognize the domination of Baal to the earth and returns to the Underworld. Baal is now the unchallenged king of the gods.
Interpretation
The significance of this cycle has been extensively discussed. The fight against agrarian myth is a word: Baal embodies the rain, the word drought, and the capture of Baal in Hell is the dry season. But this is only part of the Round, which was perhaps originally a myth that was independent incorporated therein. The other big story of the battle, the opponent Baal Yam is located in the extension of the myths of Syria between the ancient god of the storm god of the sea, already evidenced earlier by a few mentions in texts for the god Amorite the Storm Addu. These stories are myths based royalty of the god of the storm itself outfitter of the kingdom on Earth. This cycle appears as a narrative devoted to the glory of Baal, which he describes the assumption of the kingship of God, the sovereign god of victory against forces of Chaos. It compares with the story of the Enuma Elish , which describes a similar process by the rise of Marduk / Bel status of king of the gods after his victory against Tiamat (which is precisely the Sea). It is there in the presence of a common Semitic peoples of the ancient Near East.
See also
Bibliography
External link
- (Fr) translation of Baal Cycle (on WebArchive).
Loading ...