Tannin (mythology)
Sea monster symbolizing chaos in Canaanite and Hebrew myth.
Tannin (also known as Tunnanu in Ugaritic) was a monstrous sea creature in Canaanite and Hebrew traditions, representing chaos and evil. The name traces back through Hebrew, Syriac, and Arabic to the Akkadian word *dannina*. In Canaanite stories, Tannin served Yam, the god of the sea, and was either defeated by the god Baʿal or restrained by Baʿal’s sister Anat. Artwork often shows it as a snake-like being, sometimes with two tails.
In the Hebrew Bible, the plural *tanninim* appear in several books, including Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Job, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Genesis lists them among the creatures God made on the fifth day—the King James Version calls them “great whales.” The book of Isaiah describes a future day when Yahweh will kill the *tannin*, translated there as “the dragon.” Within Jewish tradition, the term covers sea monsters like Leviathan and Rahab. After the Exodus, “Tannin” also became a name for Egypt. The word occurs fourteen times in the Hebrew Bible: Aaron’s staff turns into a *tannin* in Exodus, it means “snake” in Deuteronomy and Psalms, and it symbolizes King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon in Jeremiah and Pharaoh in Ezekiel. In Job, the protagonist asks God, “Am I the sea or the sea dragon that you have set a guard over me?”
The name has been used for three Israeli Navy submarines: an S-class boat (1958–1972), a Gal-class boat (1977–2002), and a Dolphin-class boat in service since 2014. In modern Hebrew, *tanin* means “crocodile,” while in Arabic, *tinnīn* means “dragon.”
- Mythology
- Canaanite and Hebrew
- Symbolism
- Chaos and evil
- Depiction
- Serpentine sea monster, possibly with double tail
- Role in Canaanite myth
- Servant of Yam, defeated by Baʿal or bound by Anat
- Role in Hebrew Bible
- Creature created by God; sea beast slain by Yahweh; applied to Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar II, Pharaoh
- Modern Hebrew meaning
- Crocodile
- Modern Arabic meaning
- Dragon
Lore & Background
In Canaanite mythology, Tannin appears in the Baal Cycle as one of the servants of Yam (lit. 'Sea') defeated by Baʿal (lit. 'Lord') or bound by his sister, Anat. He is usually depicted as serpentine, possibly with a double tail. In Hebrew mythology, the tanninim appear in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Job, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. They are explicitly listed among the creatures created by God on the fifth day of the Genesis creation narrative, translated in the King James Version as 'great whales'. The tannin is listed in the apocalypse of Isaiah as among the sea beasts to be slain by Yahweh 'on that day', translated in the King James Version as 'the dragon'.
Reader's Guide
Tannin holds significance as a symbol of chaos and evil in both Canaanite and Hebrew mythology, representing primordial forces opposed to divine order. In the Hebrew Bible, the term appears fourteen times, applied to various entities: Aaron's staff becomes Tannin in Exodus; it means 'snake' in Deuteronomy and Psalms; it represents Nebuchadnezzar II in Jeremiah and Pharaoh in Ezekiel. In Judaism, Tannin is the term used for sea monsters such as Leviathan and Rahab, and along with Rahab, 'Tannin' was a name applied to ancient Egypt after the Exodus to Canaan. The name has subsequently been given to three submarines in the Israeli Navy. In modern Hebrew, the word tanin means crocodile; in Arabic, tinnīn means dragon. Its legacy endures as a mythological archetype of chaos defeated by divine power.
Did You Know?
- Tannin appears in the Baal Cycle as a servant of Yam defeated by Baʿal or bound by Anat.
- The word Tannin is used fourteen times in the Hebrew Bible.
- In modern Hebrew, tanin means crocodile; in Arabic, tinnīn means dragon.
- Three Israeli Navy submarines have been named Tannin: HMS Springer (1958–1972), a Gal-class (1977–2002), and a Dolphin-class (since 2014).
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