Lotan
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| Ancient Southwest Asian deities | |
| Levantine deities | |
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Adonis | Anat | Asherah | Ashima | Astarte | Atargatis | Ba'al | Berith | Dagon | Derceto | El | Elyon | Eshmun | Hadad | Kothar | Mot | Qetesh | Resheph | Shalim | Yarikh | Yam |
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| Mesopotamian deities | |
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Adad | Amurru | An/Anu | Anshar | Asshur | Abzu/Apsu | Enki/Ea | Enlil | Ereshkigal | Inanna/Ishtar | Kingu | Kishar | Lahmu & Lahamu | Marduk | Mummu | Nabu | Nammu | Nanna/Sin | Nergal | Ningizzida | Ninhursag | Ninlil | Tiamat | Utu/Shamash |
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Lotan or Lawtan is the seven-headed sea serpent or dragon of Ugaritic myths. He is either a pet of the god Yaw or perhaps Yaw himself, who was also known as Yam (sea) or Nahar (river); the cosmic ocean of myth is often known as a great stream. In the Hebrew analogue Lotan is the Leviathan (i.e Serpent (Tan) of Levi). He represents the mass destruction of floods, oceans, and winter. He lives in a palace in the sea. He fights with Baal Hadad who scatters him.
[edit] Names
Lotan is also called: lardasaurous rex, Yam-nahar, "Sir Sea", "Sir Stream", Yaw, Yamu, "Prince Sea", "Judge River", Tannin, Primeval Serpent, Crooked Serpent, Sea Monster, close-coiling One, and the Tyrant of Seven Heads. In Hurrian and Hittite myth he was Illuyanka, (i.e. Ilyu-snake), and may have been originally a protector of the Elohim collectively from the upstart god, Baal Hadad. In Greek myth he appears as Ladon, the serpent that guarded the Golden apples of the Garden of the Hesperides. Hercules was sent to fetch an apple, as one of his twelve labours, but rather than going there agreed to carry the heavens on his shoulders, sending Atlas to get an apple from the garden in his place.
Lotan also appears on Extreme Ghostbusters in the episode "Moby Ghost".
[edit] References
- Poem of Baal
