Legend of Keret

The Legend of Keret, also known as the Epic of Kirta, is an ancient Ugaritic epic poem,^[1]^[2] dated to Late Bronze Age, circa 1500 – 1200 BCE.^[3] It recounts the myth of King Kirta of Hubur. It is one of the Ugaritic texts.

In the legend, Kirta is the son of the great god El but is considered unfortunate. He has been widowed seven times, and has no surviving children. He has survived all of his brothers, and he is the last surviving member of his family. He begs his father for an heir of his own, and El instructs him to wage war against another kingdom and to demand its princess as his wife. Kirta wins his war and has several children by his new wife. But he angers the goddess Athirat by reneging on a promise to her, and is cursed with an illness. El intervenes to heal his son. Kirta is then challenged for the throne by his oldest son, who wants him to abdicate in his favor. Kirta curses his son, but the ending of the story has been lost.

The story is thought to have similarities with the legend of Helen of Troy in the Iliad. It is also thought to be similar to the relationship between Yahweh/El and Abraham in the Book of Genesis. In particular, the blessing by the god himself, the promise of a son to a childless man, and the divine assistance in a military expedition.

^ S. H. Hooke (1 January 2004). Middle Eastern Mythology. Courier Corporation. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-0-486-43551-0. OCLC 1014895211.
^ Cyrus H. Gordon. Notes on the Legend of Keret. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Jul., 1952), pp. 212–213.
^ Wilfred G. E. Watson; Nicolas Wyatt, eds. (1 January 1999). Handbook of Ugaritic Studies. BRILL. pp. 203–. ISBN 978-90-04-10988-9. OCLC 1025426965. The poem of Keret is one of the three major literary works which gifted Canaanite poets of the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500–1200 BCE) bequeathed serendipitously to 20th century civilization.

[1] S. H. Hooke (1 January 2004). Middle Eastern Mythology. Courier Corporation. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-0-486-43551-0. OCLC 1014895211.

[2] Cyrus H. Gordon. Notes on the Legend of Keret. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Jul., 1952), pp. 212–213.

[3] Wilfred G. E. Watson; Nicolas Wyatt, eds. (1 January 1999). Handbook of Ugaritic Studies. BRILL. pp. 203–. ISBN 978-90-04-10988-9. OCLC 1025426965. The poem of Keret is one of the three major literary works which gifted Canaanite poets of the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500–1200 BCE) bequeathed serendipitously to 20th century civilization.

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