I. Name

As a distinct category of deities, ‘olden gods’ manifest themselves in a variety of ways in the literature of ancient Near Eastern cultures. Their histories are recounted in theogonies where they take centre stage, and in cosmogonies, where younger gods fight against them in battles over succession. As a class, they are identified in Hittite literature by the technical term karuileš šiuneš, ‘olden gods’, in Akk. translation as ilānū ša dārūti or ilānū ša dārātim, ‘primeval gods…