The Song of Ullikummis Tablet from Hattusa

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Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
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published on 10 September 2018
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The most interesting Hittite legend embodying the characteristics of a Hurrian mythology is the one related to Kumarbiš, the father of the gods. Tešup has taken the palace of Kumarbiš at the head of the divine kingdom. Kumarbiš abhors this and wants to recover the sovereignty with the help of a monster that he himself creates. With his intentions, he sleeps with a rock and a child is borne to him. He names his child Ullikummiš, which means "destroyer of Kummiya". When the child grows up, he wants him to go to the sacred city of the gods to beat down and annihilate Tešup, the storm god. Since he wants the child to remain unknown to the other gods, and especially Tešup, he sends words to the god Irširro. Because the tablet was broken and many lines are lost, we don't know who won the battle. 13th century BCE, from Hattusa (Bogazkoy), in modern-day Turkey. (Museum of Archaeology, Istanbul, Turkey).

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

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APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2018, September 10). The Song of Ullikummis Tablet from Hattusa. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/9174/the-song-of-ullikummis-tablet-from-hattusa/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The Song of Ullikummis Tablet from Hattusa." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified September 10, 2018. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/9174/the-song-of-ullikummis-tablet-from-hattusa/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "The Song of Ullikummis Tablet from Hattusa." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 10 Sep 2018. Web. 21 Feb 2025.

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