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To: alt.mythology From: mouser@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Christopher B Siren) Subject: FAQ: Assyro-Babylonian Mythology 1.0 2/2 Date: 49941208 Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ 1.0 part 2 of 2 by Christopher B. Siren created November 1994 Babylonian/Assyrian Mythos I. Overview II. So these are just like the Sumerian deities right? III. Who were the gods and heros of the Babylonians? A. The older gods B. The younger Annunaki and Igigi C. The cthonic gods D. The heroes and monsters IV. What about the Underworld and Heaven and all that? V. Hey! I read that Cthulhu is really some Babylonian or Sumerian god, how come he's not there under Kutu? VI. So, in AD&D, Tiamat is this five-headed evil dragon, but they got her from the Enumma Elish, right? What about her counterpart, Bahamut? VII. Where did you get this info and where can I find out more? III. Who were the gods and heros of the Babylonians? C. The Anunnaki and other cthonic deities and demons Ereshkigal (Allatu) - the supreme goddess of the underworld. Nergal is her consort. She is often considered Ishtar's sister. When angered, her face grows livid and her lips grow black. She doesn't know why Ishtar would visit her, but she allows her in, according to the ancient rites. She instructs Namtar to release his diseases upon Ishtar. When 'His appearance is bright' tries to get her to swear an oath, she curses him. She has Namtar release Ishtar in exchange for Dumuzi. Anu sends Kakka to her with a message and then Nergal to give her a thone upon which she is to sit and give judgement. She offers Nergal food, drink, a foot bath, and entices him with her body. Eventually he succumbs and they sleep with each other for seven days. She is enraged when he wishes to leave. She sends Namtar to heaven to request that Anu, Ellil, and Ea send Nergal to her as one of the few favors she has ever had. If they do not, she will raise the dead and they will eat and outnumber the living. Nergal is brought back. In some versions of the myth, Nergal takes control of Namtar's attendent demons and grabs Ereshkigal by the hair. In this position she proposes marriage to him. In both versions they are married. Belit-tseri, tablet-scribe of the underworld. She kneels before Ereshkigal. Namtar(a) - the Fate-Cutter, Ereshkigal's messenger and vizer, the herald of death. He commands sixty diseases, which are grouped by the part of the body which they affect. Offerings to him may stave off diseases. He takes Ishtar back out of the Underworld at Ereshkigal's command. He acts as her messenger to Anu. Sumuqan - the cattle god, he resides in the underworld, in Ereshkigal's court. Nergal (Erragal, Erra, Engidudu - 'lord who prowls by night') -, the Unsparing, god of the underworld, husband of Ereshkigal, lover of Mami. As Erra he is a hunter god, a god of war and plague. He is submissive to Ea. He can open the doorposts to the underworld to allow the passage of a soul. He achieved his post by refusing to stand before an address of Namtar. When Ereshkigal called him to be punished, he dragged her off of her throne by the hair, and threatened to decapitate her. She offered him the position as her consort and he accepted. He is an evil aspect of Shamash. He allows Enkidu's spirit to visit Gilgamesh at the behest of Ea. He is sometimes the son of Ea. Prior to his first journey to the underworld, he builds a chair of fine wood under Ea's instruction to give to Ereshkigal as a gift from Anu. He is advised not to take part of the food, drink and entertainment offered there. He is tempted by Ereshkigal and eventually succumbs, sleeping with her for seven days. He then takes his leave, angering her. The gatekeeper lets him out and he climbs the stairway to heaven. He hides from Namtar in heaven, but is discovered and returns to the underworld to marry Ereshkigal. In some versions, on the way back to the Underworld, he seizes control of Namtar's attendent demons and grabs Ereshkigal by the hair. In this position she offers marriage. He commands the Sebitti, seven warriors who are also the Pleadies, they aid in his killing of noisy, over-populous people and animals. He rallies them when he feels the urge for war, and calls Ishum to light the way. They prefer to be used in war instead of waiting while Erra kills by disease. He regards Marduk as having become negligent and prepares to attack his people in Babylon. He challenges Marduk in Esagila in Shuanna/Babylon. Marduk responds that he already killed most of the people in the flood and would not do so again. He also states that he could not run the flood without getting off of his throne and letting control slip. Erra volunteers to take his seat and control things. Marduk takes his vacation and Erra sets about trying to destroy Babylon. Ishum intervenes on Babylon's behalf and persuades Erra to stop, but not before he promises that the other gods will acknowledge themselves as Erra's servants. Irra - plauge god, underling of Nergal Enmesharra - Underworld god Lamashtu - a dread female demon also known as 'she who erases'. Nabu - god of Despoilment Nedu - the guardian of the first gate of the underworld. Ningizzia - a guardian of the gate of heaven; a god of the underworld Tammuz (Dumuzi, Adonis) the brother and spouse to Ishtar, or the lover of her youth. He is a vegetation god. When went into the underworld and was recovered through the intervention of Ishtar. He is sometimes the guardian of heaven's gates and sometimes a god of the underworld. He is friends with Ningizzia. He is exchanged for Ishtar in the Underworld. He guards the Gate of Anu with Gizzida Symbol: Sacred number: Sphere of influence: vegetation, underworld, gateways Belili (Geshtinanna) - Tammuz/Dumuzi's sister, 'the one who always weeps', the wife of Ningishzida. Gizzida (Gishzida) - son of Ninazu, consort of Belili, doorkeeper of Anu. Nissaba (Nisaba) - cereal grain harvest goddess. Her breast nourishes the fields. Her womb gives birth to the vegetation and grain. She has abundant locks of hair. She is also a goddess of writing and learned knowledge. She performs the purificaton ceremony on Ninurta after he has slain Anzu and is given his additional names and shrines. Dagan (Ugaric for 'grain) - chthonic god of fertility and of the Underworld. He is paired with Anu as one who acknowledges directives and courses of action put forth in front of the assembly of the gods. Birdu - (means 'pimple') an underworld god. Ellil used him as a messenger to Ninurta Sharru - god of submission Urshambi - boatman to Utmapishtim Ennugi - canal- controller of the Anunnaki. Geshtu-e - 'ear', god whose blood and intellegence are used by Mami to create man. D. Demigods, heroes, and monsters: Adapa (Uan) - the first of the seven antediluvian sages who were sent by Ea to deliver the arts of civilization to mankind. He was from Eridu. He offered food an water to the gods in Eridu. He went out to catch fish for the temple of Ea and was caught in a storm. He broke the South Wind's wing and was called to be punished. Ea advised him to say that he behaved that way on account of Dumuzi's and Gizzida's absence from the country. Those gods, who tended Anu's gate, spoke in his favor to Anu. He was offered the bread and water of eternal life, but Ea advised against his taking it, lest he end his life on earth. Atrahasis and Ut-napishtim, like the Sumerian Ziusudra (the Xisuthros of Berossus) or Noah from the Pentatuch, these two were the long-lived survivors of the great flood which wiped out the rest of humanity. In Atrahasis' case, Ellil had grown tired of the noise that the mass of humanity was making, and after a series of disasters failed to eliminate the problem, he had Enki release the floodgates to drown them out. Since Enki had a hand in creating man, he wanted to preserve his creation, warned Atrahasis, and had him build a boat, with which he weathered the flood. He also had kept his ear open to Enki during the previous disasters and had been able to listen to Enki's advice on how to avoid their full effects by making the appropriate offerings to the appropriate deities. He lived hundreds of years prior to the flood, while Utnapishtim lives forever after the flood. Utnapishtim of Shuruppak was the son of Ubaratutu. His flood has no reason behind it save the stirrings of the hearts of the Gods. As with Atrahasis, Utnapishtim is warned to build an ark by Ea. He is also told to abandon riches and possessions and seek life and to tell the city elders that he is hated by Enlil and would go to the watery Abyss to live with Ea via the ark. He loads gold, silver, and the seed of all living creatures into the ark and all of his craftsmen's children as well. After Ea advises Enlil on better means to control the human population, (predators, famine, and plague), Enlil makes Utnapishtim and his wife immortal, like the gods. Lugalbanda - a warrior-king and, with Ninsun, the progenetor of Gilgamesh. He is worshiped, being Gilgamesh's ancestor, by Gilgamesh as a god. Gilgamesh (possibly Bilgamesh) and Enkidu The son of the warrior-king Lugalbanda and the wise goddess Ninsun, Gilgamesh built the walls of the city Uruk, and the Eanna (house of An) temple complex there, dedicated to Ishtar. He is two-thirds divine and one-third human. He is tall and a peerless warrior. He is the king and shepherd of the people of Uruk, but he was very wild, which upset his people, so they called out to Anu. Anu told Aruru to make a peer for Gilgamesh, so that they could fight and be kept occupied, so she created the wild-man Enkidu. Enkidu terrorizes the countryside, and a Stalker, advised by his father, informs Gilgamesh. They bring a love- priestess to bait Enkidu. She sleeps with him, and educates him about civilization, Gilgamesh and the city. Gilgamesh dreams about Enkidu and is anxious to meet him. Enkidu comes into the city Gilgamesh is on his way to deflower the brides in the city's "bride-house" and the two fight. They are evenly matched and become friends. Gilgamesh decides to strengthen his reputation by taking on Humbaba, Enlil's guardian of the forest. Enkidu accompanies Gilgamesh and they spend much time in preparation. Eventually they find the monster and defeat him. Ishtar offers to become Gilgamesh's lover, but Gilgamesh insults her, saying that she has had many lovers and has not been faithful to them. Ishtar asks Anu to send the Bull of Heaven to punish Gilgamesh, and he does. Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat the creature, but Enkidu falls ill and dies, presumably because the gods are unhappy that he helped kill Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. Gilgamesh morns Enkidu and decides to visit Utnapishtim, the only human who does not die. He goest to the mountains of Mashu and passes by the guardian scorpian-demons into the darkness. It becomes light as he enters the Garden of the Godsand he finds Siduri the Barmaid, to whom he relates his quest. She sends him to cross the waters of death and he confronts the boatman, Urshanabi. They cross and Gilgamesh speaks with Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim recounts the tale of the flood and challenges Gilgamesh to remain awake for six days and seven nights. He fails, but Utnapishtim's wife urges him to reveal to Gilgamesh a rejuvinative plant. Gilgamesh takes it, but looses it to a serpent before returning to Uruk. Another tablet of the Babylonian Gilgamesh story exists, which is similar to the Sumerian version of the tale. Enkidu volunteers to enter the underworld to recover Gilgamesh's pukku and mikku (drum and throwing stick). Gilgamesh warns him of the proper ettiquette for the underworld, lest Enkidu be kept there. Enkidu prepares to enter the underworld, and is dressed, scented and bade good-bye. The Earth seizes him and Gilgamesh weeps. He pleads for Enkidu's sake to Enlil, Sin, and finally to Ea. Ea tells Nergal to let Enkidu's ghost escape the underworld and tell Gilgamesh about it. He tells Gilgamesh of the dead which he has seen there, of those who are cared for and those who aren't, indicating the sort of judgement and ritual associated with the afterlife and death. Etana - the human taken to the sky by an eagle. He was the king of Kish. Ishtar and the Igigi searched for a king for Kish. Ellil found a throne for Etana and they declared him the king. He was pious an continued to pray to Shamash, yet he had no son. Shamash told him to where to find the eagle with the cut wings, who would find for him the plant of birth. He found the eagle, fed it, and taught it to fly again. Not being able to find the plant, the eagle had Etana mount on his back and they journeyed to Ishtar, mistress of birth. On flying up to heaven, Etana grew scared at the height and went down. Then after some encouraging dreams tried to ascend to heaven on the eagle again. They succeded. Etana had a son, Balih. Humbaba (Huwawa) - this monster was appointed by Ellil to guard the cedar forest, which is in fact one large tree, the home of the gods, and terrify mankind. 'His shout is the storm-flood, his mouth, fire, his breath is death.' (Gardner & Maier p. 105) He has seven cloaks with which to arm himself. There is a gate and a path in the cedar mountain for Humbaba to walk on. Gilgamesh and Enkidu attack. Humbaba pleads for mercy, Enkidu argues against mercy, and Enkidu and Gilgamesh decapitate him. The Bull of Heaven - this creature was created by Anu to kill Gilgamesh at Ishtar's behest. At its snorting, a hole opened up and 200 men fell into it. When it fights Enkidu and Gilgemesh, it throws spittle and excrement at them. It is killed and set as an offering to Shamash. Anzu - a demonic being with lion paws and face and eagle talons and wings. It was born on the mountain Hehe. It's beak is like a saw, its hide as elven coats of mail. It was very powerful. Ellil appointed him to guard his bath chamber. He envied the Ellil-power inherent in Ellil's Tablet of Destinies and stole it while Ellil was bathing. With the Tablet of Destinies, anything he puts into words becomes reality. He takes advandtage of this by causing Ninurta's arrows to never reach their target. However, once Ea's advice reached Ninurta, Anzu was slain by the hero's onslaught. aqrabuamelu (girtablilu) - scorpion-man, the guardians of the gates of the underworld. Their "terror is awesome" and their "glance is death". They guard the passage of Shamash. They appraise Gilgamesh and speak with him. Definitions: Anunnaki - gods (mostly of the earth). The sky Anunnaki set the Igigi to digging out the rivers Igigi - gods (mostly of the heavens) They are given the task of digging riverbeds by the Anunnaki. They rebelled against Ellil. Sebitti - the seven warrior gods led by Erra; in the sky they are the Pleadies. They were children of Anu and the Earth-mother. Anu gave them fearsome and lethal destinies and put them under Erra's command. They prefer to exercise there skills instead of letting Erra stay in the cities with his diseases. Utukki - demons Muttabriqu - Flashes of Lightning Sarabda - Baliff Rabishu - Croucher Tirid - Expulsion Idiptu - Wind Bennu - Fits Sidana - Staggers Miqit - Stroke Bel Uri - Lord of the ROof Umma - Feverhot Libu - Scab gallu-demons - can frequently alter their form. umu-demons - fiercely bare their teeth. IV. What about the Underworld and Heaven and all that? For a more general discussion of this, take a look at the Underworld and Cosmology sections in the Sumerian FAQ, for the particulars, see below. The Igigi and the Anunaki met in heaven in Ubshu-ukkinakku, the divine assembly hall. The Gilgamesh epic has the gods dwelling in the cedar mountain. They had their parakku, throne-bases, there. It was an enormous tree at the cedar forest and was guarded by Humbaba. There is a stairway up to heaven from the underworld. As for the underworld Kurnugi (Sumerian for 'land of no return'). It is presided over by Ereshkigal and Nergal. Within the house of Irkalla (Nergal), the house of darkness, the house of Ashes, no one ever exits. "They live on dust, theif food is mud; their clothes are like birds' clothes, a garment of wings, and they see no light, living in blackness." It is full of dust and mighty kings serve others food. In Ereshkigal's court, heroes and priests reside, as well as Sumuqan and Belit-tseri. The scorpion-people guard the gates in the mountain to the underworld which Shamash uses to enter and exit. There are seven gates, through which one must pass. At each gate, an adornment or article of clothing must be removed. The gates are named: Nedu, (En)kishar, Endashurimma, (E)nuralla, Endukuga/Nerubanda, Endushuba/Eundukuga, and Ennugigi. Beyond the gates are twelve double doors, wherein it is dark. Siduri waits there by the waters of death, beyond which, is the Land of the Living, where Utnapishtim and his wife dwell. Shamash and Utnapishtim's boatman, Urshanbi, can cross the waters. Egalginga, the everlasting palace, is a place where Ishtar was held. V. Hey! I read that Cthulhu is really some Babylonian or Sumerian god, how come he's not there under Kutu? I have yet to find any secondary (or for that matter primary) source which lists Kutu as a Mesopotamian deity, or for that matter lists any name resembling Cthulhu at all. If anyone can find indisputible proof that the name Cthulhu had origins in a non-fictional Ancient Near Eastern text, I'll put it in the FAQ. For now, the buck stops with Lovecraft. VI. So, in AD&D, Tiamat is this five-headed evil dragon, but they got her from the Enumma Elish, right? What about her counterpart, Bahamut? Bahamut, according to Edgerton Sykes' _Who's Who of Non-Classical Mythology_, is "The enormous fish on which stands Kujara, the giant bull, whose back supports a rock of ruby, on the top of which stands an angel on whose shoulders rests the earth, according to Islamic myth. Our word Behemoth is of the same origin." (Sykes, p. 28) VII. Where did you get this info and where can I find out more? Well this FAQ is primarily derived from the following works: Dalley, Stephanie _Myths from Mesopotamia_, Oxford University Press, New York, 1991 Gardner, John & Maier, John _Gilgamesh_:Translated from the Sin-Leqi- Unninni Version_, Vintage Books, Random House, New York, 1984. Kinnier Wilson, J. V., _The rebel lands : an investigation into the origins of early Mesopotamian mythology_, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1979. McCall, Henrietta, _Mesopotamian Myths_, University of Texas Press, Austin, 1990. In addition the following books have occasionally proven helpful: Carlyon, Richard, _A Guide to the Gods_, Quill, William Morrow, New York, 1981. Hooke, S. H., _Middle Eastern Mythology_, Viking Penguin Inc., New York, 1963. Sykes, Edgerton, _Who's Who in Non-Classical Mythology_, Oxford University Press, New York, 1993.
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