Wed., 11/13

Exam 3 was today. Study Guides were checked as scholars entered the class. If they were not done and brought to school today they cannot receive credit. Field Notes No. 18 was also due today. HW: The Storm God Teshub and the Dragon Illuyankas assignment.

Annotate the following Hurrian myth:

The Storm God Teshub and the Dragon Illuyankas

…The dragon Il[luyankas] had defeated [the weather god] and robbed him [of his heart and eyes]. And the weather god [thought how he might take vengeance of him (?).] And he took as wife the daughter of a poor man and she gave birth to a son [Šarruma]. When he was grown up, he [Šarruma] took as bride a daughter of Illuyankas. The weather god instructed his son, “When you enter the house of your bride, then ask of them (my) heart and (my) eyes.” So when he went in he asked for the heart and they gave it to him. Later he asked for the eyes and they gave them to him also. Then he brought to the weather god, his father (, what he wanted). And the weather god took back his heart and his eyes.

When his body had thus been restored to its former (complete) state he went off again to the sea to do battle, and when they came out to do battle with him he began to get the upper hand over the dragon Illuyankas. And the son of the weather god was with Illuyankas, and he cried out to heaven to his father, “Smite me too! Do not save me!” Thereupon the weather god slew the dragon Illuyankas and (with him) his (own) son…

1) Write four or more complete sentences about the text.

2) Write a Discussion Question about the text based on your 4+ sentence summary.

If you get stuck, here are some DQ's from students last year to help you think....

In what ways did Sarruma help his father? In what ways do the weather god and Illuyanka compare and contrast? Did Teshub ever really get his heart and eyes back? (In other words, does Teshub live up to the qualities that eyes and hearts often symbolize?) What significance did the fact that Illuyankas took the weather god’s eyes and heart have to the story? In what way does this story resemble the biblical story of Jesus’s crucifixion? In what ways do the weather god’s son betray his bride, then repay for his betrayal? Why did the weather god’s son declare allegiance to Illuyankas?