Song of Kumarbi
Also known as: Kingship in Heaven, The Song of Kumarbi, Kumarbi Cycle — Kingship in Heaven
A Hurrian succession myth recounting the transfer of divine kingship from Alalu to Anu to Kumarbi and finally to the storm-god Teshub, whose birth is brought about after Kumarbi bites off Anu’s genitals. The poem frames the storm-god’s ascendancy and the establishment of cosmic order.
Description
The Song of Kumarbi narrates a chain of divine overthrows that culminates in the rise of the storm-god Teshub. After the primordial king Alalu is displaced by Anu, Kumarbi topples Anu by biting off his genitals; from this violent act, Teshub and other beings are conceived. The ensuing conflict pits Kumarbi against his unborn, then born, rival as factions of gods align and cosmic authority shifts. Fragmentary tablets outline Teshub’s emergence and challenge to Kumarbi, alongside motifs of bodily birth, river generation, and celestial rulership. The poem functions as a Hurrian ‘kingship in heaven’ narrative, analogous in structure to later Greek theogonies.
Historiography
Known from Hittite cuneiform tablets (KBo series) excavated at Hattusa, the text is a Hittite translation/adaptation of a Hurrian original and is heavily lacunose. It forms the opening of the Kumarbi Cycle, continued by related compositions such as the Song of Ullikummi and Song of Hedammu. Modern reconstructions rely on collating multiple fragmentary tablets and comparative Near Eastern succession myths. Scholarly discussion emphasizes its influence on, and parallels with, succession narratives like Hesiod’s Theogony.
Date Notes
Hurrian myth preserved in Hittite translation on cuneiform tablets from Hattusa (Boğazköy); composition likely earlier in Hurrian tradition.
Major Characters
- Kumarbi
- Anu
- Teshub
- Tašmišu
- Shaushka
Myths
- Kumarbi Overthrows Anu
- Birth of Teshub
- Struggles for Kingship in Heaven
Facts
- The poem is preserved in Hittite translation but originates in Hurrian tradition.
- Tablets were recovered at Hattusa (Boğazköy) and belong to the KBo corpus.
- It inaugurates the Kumarbi Cycle, which includes the Song of Ullikummi and Song of Hedammu.
- Kumarbi defeats Anu by biting off his genitals, leading to the conception of Teshub.
- The river Aranzaha (Tigris) is among the beings generated from Kumarbi.
- Teshub’s rise frames a theogonic succession culminating in storm-god rule.
- The text is fragmentary with significant lacunae; episodes are reconstructed from multiple tablets.
- Scholars note parallels with Hesiod’s Theogony in structure and motifs.
- Characters appear under Hurrian names but with Hittite and Mesopotamian identifications in translation.
- The narrative explores legitimacy and cosmic sovereignty through violent generational conflict.