Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 1): Zeus god of the bright sky (Cambridge, 1914)

Spread of the Hittite Bull-cult 639

strip along its backbone from head to tail, while there are signs of
another triangular patch having concealed the casting-hole on its
belly. We cannot of course suppose any direct contact between
Moravia in the early iron age and Egypt. But it is possible that
Egyptian objets (Tart might find their way northwards from tribe
to tribe and be copied by barbaric craftsmen. If so, we may have
here the Egyptising form of a local bull-god comparable with the
bronze bull by which the Cimbri swore1 or the three-horned bulls
of bronze and stone found mostly in eastern Gaul2.

(7) Spread of the Hittite Bull-cult.

A second case of diffusion is furnished by the Hittite bull-cult.
The marked bull of Eyuk (fig. 495) was the animal form of the
lightning-god and sun-god, who in one or more of the Hittite
states was named Tihtp, Tisub, or Tehib3. It has been plausibly
suggested by A. Fick4 that we should recognise the same name in
Sisyphos or Sesyp/ios5, the faded sun-god of Corinth6. If so, it will
hardly be accidental that Sisyphos is by tradition the owner of
marked oxen. Autolykos stole his cattle and tried to conceal the
theft; but Sisyphos recognised them by means of the monograms
or marks upon their hoofs7 and became by Antikleia, daughter of

triangular plate of bone (E. von Sacken Das Grabfeld von Hallstatt1 Wien 1868 p. 155
pi. 23, 6 and 6a).

1 Plout. v. Mar. 23 djxoffavTes top xoXkovv Tavpov, Bp varepov oXovtcl fiera T7]i> p.dxw
els T7)v KdrXou (pacrlu oiniav oiairep axpodivLov tt]S vLkt)s Ko/juadrjixii.

2 Reinach Bronzes Figures p. 278 n. 1 draws up a list of twenty-four examples. See
further Reinach op. cit. p. 275 ff. nos. 285, 288, 292, 293, 294, id. Cultes, Mythes et
Religions Paris 1905 i. 66, 243 ff., and on the Celtic cult of bulls in general G. Dottin
Manuel pour servir a FHude de V Antiquite Celtique Paris 1906 pp. 93, 235 ff., 240,
248 f., 274, H. d'Arbois de Jubainville Les Druides et les dieux celtiques d forme
d'animaux Paris 1906 pp. 153 ff., 164 ff., 188 ff., the Rev. J. A. MacCulloch The
Religion of the Ancient Celts Edinburgh 1911 pp. 38, 137 ff., 189, 208 f., 243 f., supra
p. 481 11. 9.

3 A. Jeremias in Roscher Lex. Myth. iv. 53 f., J. Garstang op. cit. p. 291 pi. 77, 1,
supra p. 605 n. 2.

4 A. Fick Hattiden und Danubier in Griechenland Gottingen 1909 p. 43 f.

5 The form is preserved in Hesych. aiavcpos- iravovpyos. The common view that
2iav<pos, creavcpos arose from a reduplication of aocpbs (Roscher Lex. Myth. iv. 970) is
untenable.

6 That Sisyphos pushing his stone up the hill is a genuine solar myth was already
seen by V. Plenry in the Rev. Et. Gr. 1892 v. 289 ff. Other views in Roscher Lex.
Myth. iv. 967 ff.

7 Hyg./tz^. 201 in pecorum ungulis notam imposuit, schol. Soph. Ai. i9o = Souid. s.v.
?5i(rv<pos'.. .Scttls vrrb tovs 6Vu%as /cat rds orrXas tQu fyojf iavrou /n.ovoypd/xfj,aTa eypaipev
dvo/juxra.. .iiriyvo: yap avrd 5ia tCov /j.ovoypa/j.fu.dr(jov, Tzetz. in Lyk. Al. 344=Eudok. viol.
863 2t<ru0os Se /j.ovoypa/n/j,ip rvirufxaTi to tovtov ovojxa iyx^pdrrcov rais tuiv eavrou {avrov
Tzetz. ed. Scheer) £&wv birXais /cat x^Xats eireyivwaKev, Polyain. 6. 52 2tcri/0oj, AvtoXvkov