Deities
Kothar-wa-Khasis
Ugaritic Deities
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The craftsman god of the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, whose name means "Skilled and Wise". When Baal faces the sea god Yam, Kothar-wa-Khasis forges him two magic clubs, Yagrush ("Chaser") and Ayamur ("Driver"), and instructs Baal on how to wield each one to bring Yam down. Later in the cycle he builds Baal a palace of cedar, silver and gold on Mount Sapan, arguing successfully that it should include a window, over Baal's own initial objection, so that Baal's voice as storm god can be heard from it. His home is placed variously at Kaphtor, generally identified with Crete, or at Memphis in Egypt, an association scholars read as reflecting Ugarit's real trade contacts with both the Aegean and Egypt.
Facts
Attributions
Mythic AssociationForges Baal's two clubs, Yagrush and Ayamur, that defeat Yam in the Baal Cycle's opening conflict, and later builds Baal's cedar, silver and gold palace on Mount Sapan, insisting over Baal's objection that it be given a window. 1 Attestation
Veneration TodayHistorically attested; no continuous cult 1 Function
Domain / FunctionCraft, metalwork and smithing 1 Cult
Attributes and IconographyThe Ugaritic Baal Cycle presents Kothar wa-Khasis as a craftsman god: he works as smith, architect and inventor, forges the two named clubs Baal uses to defeat the sea god Yam, and is called upon as a maker of sacred words and spells alongside his tools. 1 Belief
TheologyPolytheistic: many gods 1 The craftsman god of the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, matching the reading already carried by Baal, El and Anat for the same pantheon. Origins
Origin of the NameKothar-wa-Khasis's name means Skilled and Wise, naming outright his standing as the craftsman god of the Ugaritic Baal Cycle who forges weapons and builds palaces for the other gods. 1 Correspondences & Relations
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Baal, Deities This source names Baal directly: "The craftsman god of the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, whose name means "Skilled and Wise"."
This source names Ugaritic directly: "The craftsman god of the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, whose name means "Skilled and Wise"."
Worshipped In
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