“Alte montagne, valli profonde, flutti tranquilli”. Osservazioni su un tòpos letterario ittita

In some Hittite myths that develop the narrative theme of the disappearing god, the expression “high mountains, deep valleys, quiet waves” recurs, transposing the elements of the natural landscape characteristic of central-northern Anatolia to a literary level. In a group of texts, the expression is attested without significant alterations, which is why it can be considered a true literary tòpos. In others, which do not necessarily develop the theme of the disappearing god, but rather the search for something that has been lost, there are echoes of expressions that can be traced back to the tòpos, and that seem to be its reinterpretations adapted from time to time to the needs of the narrative.