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94 making sure the "Fire Stones" with 800 ... to cover. The "Lightning Which Flashes Frightfully" let them bring out from its storage chamber. Let them bring out the MAR.GID.DA and make it ready! "From the skies, from among the clouds, the Storm God set his face upon the Stone God." After the initial unsuccessful attacks. Ninurta, the brother of Teshub/Adad, joined the battles. But the Stone God remained unharmed and carried the battle to the very gates of Kummiya. the Storm God's city. In Kummiya, Teshub's spouse Hebat was following the battle reports in an inner chamber of the god's house. But the missiles of Ullikummi "forced Hebat to leave the house, and she could no longer hear the messages of the gods . . . neither the messages of Teshub, nor the messages of all the gods." She ordered her mes- senger to "put the Swift Shoes on his feet" and go to the place where the gods were assembled, to bring back news of the battle; for she feared that "the Stone God may have killed my husband, the noble prince." But Teshub was not killed. Advised by his attendant to hide at some mountainous sites, he refused: If we do that, he said, "there will be no king in Heaven!" The two then decided to go to Ea in the Abzu, to seek there an oracle according to "the old tablets with the words of fate." Realizing that Kumarbi had brought forth a monster that was getting out of hand. Ea went to Enlil to warn him of the danger: "Ullikummi will block off the Heaven and the gods’ holy houses!" An assembly of the Great Anunnaki was called. With all at a loss for a solution, Ea had one: From the sealed storehouse of the "stone cutters," let them bring out a certain Olden Metal Cut- ter, and let them cut under the feet of Ullikummi the Stone God. When this was achieved, the Stone God was crippled. When the gods heard this, "they came to the place of assembly, and all the gods began to bellow against Ullikummi." Teshub. encouraged, jumped into his chariot; "he caught up with the Stone God Ullikummi at the sea, and engaged him in battle." But Ullikummi was still defiant, declaring: "“Kummiya I shall destroy, the Sacred House I shall take over, the gods I shall drive out . . . up to Heaven I shall go to assume Kingship!" The closing lines of the Hittite epic are completely damaged; but can we doubt that they told us the Sanskrit tale of the final battle between Indra and the "demon" Vritra? THE WARS OF GODS AND MEN