He was known as the supreme god of the Canaanites in ancient Near Eastern mythology. He was the father of the gods, demigods, and men, and the creator deity. He is sometimes depicted as a bull and is known for his tremendous power and strength.
Origins
He was an important god in Canaanite mythology. He is believed to have lived on Mount Saphon, near the ancient Syrian city of Ugarit. He was highly respected and considered by the people to be all-knowing and all-powerful. He was incredibly wise and compassionate toward those who came to him for guidance, but not always.
Legends and Stories
There are not many myths that focus specifically on El. Instead, you will find a small scroll of myths centered on other figures. To make learning about him even more difficult, many of the original tablets that spoke of him were discovered in poor condition, making several parts of the myths involving El difficult to interpret.
The Myth of Aqhat
A story from the city of Ugarit tells of Aqhat, the son of King Daniel. The king had been providing Kothar, the god of craftsmen, with a room in his palace. To show his gratitude for the kind hospitality, Kothar gave Aqhat his personal bow and arrows. But the goddess Anat was upset and wanted the bow for herself.
She tried to buy it from Aqhat with gold and silver, but the prince refused her offer. She tried again to buy the bow, this time offering him immortality. The prince was offended by the offer and told the goddess that he was a man destined to die and should not be cursed with immortality.
Anat was angry and went to Him. She asked him to kill the prince. He gave her permission, but after Aqhat’s death, the land suffered a great drought and the crops stopped growing. Anat was upset and wanted to bring the prince back to life so that the people would not starve to death. As mentioned above, the tablets containing the Canaanite myths were poorly preserved, and the end of this myth is unknown.
The myth of Baal
Baal was the son of El, according to many accounts, but there are also sources that say he could have been a more distant relative. Baal complained to El that he did not have a magnificent house like many of the other gods. He felt he deserved a house like the one he had just conquered from Yam. El agreed and had a house built for Baal.
When the house was finished, Baal held a celebration. However, he did not invite his twin brother Mot, which angered Mot, who decided to invite him to the underworld, as he was the god of death. Although Baal was worried, he did not want to risk insulting his brother again and accepted his invitation. When Baal visited Mot, he saw that the table was set for a great feast. The food served was the food of death, and when Baal ate it, he found himself trapped in the underworld.
While Baal was trapped, El began to search for someone to replace him. El’s wife suggested their son Ashtar. Ashtar was the god of irrigation, but he soon realized that he could not fill Baal’s place, for when he sat on his throne he could not even reach the ground with his feet. El continued to search for a successor, but once Baal’s wife fought Mot and was able to bring Baal back, the two continued to rule together.
Family
He was a supreme god. He was married and some sources say he had more than 70 children. Here are some of the most notable members of his family.
Asherah
Asherah was his wife and a Canaanite mother goddess. She was also a goddess of the sea and in some accounts is known as the “Lady of the Sea.” She goes by many other names, including Lady of Byblos, Mother of the Gods, Queen of the Sea, and Hathor.
Baal
Baal is said to be the god of El. Together, they ruled in tandem with Baal being the god of fertility and the god of storms. He was married to his sister Anat and possibly had several other wives, including Arisya, Baalat, Padriya, and Talliya. He fought a battle for control of the earth with Yam and killed Lotan, the serpent.
He is said to have lived in Sapan, a large dwelling on Earth that had a large hole in the floor to irrigate the land. His twin brother was Mot, and when Baal died, his wife Anat fought and killed Mot, who was the god of the underworld. Baal was then brought back to life and regained command. He is usually depicted as a strong warrior wearing a horned helmet.
Keret
Keret fought and defeated Etrah, the god of the moon, who tried to take his kingdom away from him. His wife was Hurriya, who died before they had any children. Since he had no children, Keret went to a neighboring kingdom and stole the king’s daughter. He had seven children with his new wife. One of them, Yasib, would fight Keret for his throne. Keret won the battle, even though he was sick. He was eventually healed by Him.
Mot
Mot was the god of death. When he was killed by Anat, his body was cut up and ground under her millstone. Other children of He and Asherah are Adad, Anobret, and Atak.
Appearance of El
In artistic representations, He is usually depicted as an elderly man with a very long beard. Because he was commonly known as “The Bull,” many pictures show him sitting and wearing a crown with bull horns attached to it.
Symbolism
Because he was often called “El Toro” (The Bull), he is associated with the animal and, more specifically, with the animal’s horns. He was also immortal, with the ability to live forever.
