Content Warning: Brief discussion of colonization.
In this episode, I tell the myth: "Telepinu". This Hittite story named after one of their kings is structurally similar to other etiological disaster myths (e.g.: "Atrahasis", the Mixe flood myth, "Persephone", etc.). This suggests a connection between this myth and a number of stories found throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. "Telepinu" was likely written during the Hittite golden age between 1400 BCE and 1200 BCE, though the exact date and author remain unknown. The first tablet has never been recovered, casting a haze of uncertainty over the source of Telepinu's anger and his reasoning for effectively destroying the world. This haze of uncertainty does not cease with the tale, as the Hittite Empire was completely forgotten until the early 20th century. For most of modern history, the Hittites existed as a few momentary references from the Torah. Our tale today is one of the few original Hittite stories, as much of their recorded writings are transcriptions of Mesopotamian myths.
We'll discuss the connections between these civilizations, the forgotten history of Anatolia and the Hittite Empire, and the neglect that adherents of Biblical Literalism give to ancient texts that refute their worldview. We'll also consider the ways in which stories were used by monarchs to portray their rule as divinely ordained.
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