Tag Archives: Zalayanu the mountain god

HITTITE MYTHOLOGY: THE MOUNTAIN GOD AND THE DEER

Hittite empireHere at Balladeer’s Blog I’m nothing if not responsive to readers! The mania over the Hittite myths I’ve been examining lately shows no signs of abating so here is another look – this time at a didactic tale involving the mountain god.

Zaliyanu, the god of the mountain which bears his name, was kind enough to shelter a deer that was fleeing hunters. The pursuit had begun on a neighboring mountain whose god didn’t dare risk the wrath of the hunting god Kurunta by sheltering the terrified creature. Zaliyanu, the greatest of the mountain deities, had no such compunction. Continue reading

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