Anzu myth
The Babylonian Anzu myth tells of the trial of Anzu , the tablets of destiny and the world domination to acquire.
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The Anzu myth has been handed down in an Old Babylonian and a Babylonian version, which show clear differences. Perhaps there was also a Hurrian version.
Old Babylonian version
The first panel of the Old Babylonian version has not survived. The hero of this version is Ningirsu .
Babylonian Version (SB)
The Babylonian version of the myth (SB, "Standard Babylonian") from the 1st millennium has a length of about 720 lines and is handed down on three plates. Table fragments come from Niniveh , Sultantepe and Tarbiṣu , among others , and probably date to the 7th century. The tablets are now in the British Museum . However, the third panel is very incomplete and there are gaps in the other panels as well. A neo-Babylonian copy of the first panel (YBC 9842) without a place of discovery ( Albrecht Goetze estate ), handed down in three fragments, fills some gaps. The hero of this version is the god Ninurta .
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Babylonian version
Panel I.
The epic begins with praise to Ninurta, the son of Mami and Enlil (who is also simply called Bēl, Lord, as later Marduk ), the leader of the Anunnaki . The Anzu myth then describes how the gods create the rivers Euphrates and Tigris , but they do not carry water because no clouds (Anzu = mighty / strong cloud) appear on the horizon. But then Anzu is born in the mountains (fog mountains) from the earth and the Apsu (freshwater ocean ). The plaque is poorly preserved at this point, but the south wind, the whirlwind and the four winds are mentioned. The Igigi report this event to the Enlil. Enlil is surprised, goes into the mountains (fog mountains) and meets Anzu (in the form of a bird). He is informed by Ea about its origin and, on Ea's advice, invites him to join his household and guard the sanctuary of the temple forever. Anzu comes to Nippur with Enlil . There Anzu bathes daily in the cella of the temple in pure water and looks at the regalia of Enlil, that is, his crown, his divine robes and the tables of fate. He decides in his heart to acquire the power to steal the tablets and thus make himself lord of all gods (igigi). When Enlil is bathing in the morning and has placed his clothes and his crown on the throne, Anzu seizes the fateful plates and flies with them into the mountains. With this he attacks the divine world order and the position that Mami , the mistress of all gods ( Belet-ilī ) had assigned to the gods Anu and Enlil. The rituals no longer take place properly, the light goes out, and Enlil falls silent.
Anu calls a meeting of the gods and tells his son Adad , the dikemaster of heaven, to throw lightning against Anzu and kill him. Then he wants to make his name big and temples should be built for him. But Adad refuses. Now that Anzu is in possession of the tablets of fate and has fled to the mountains, he has the power of Enlil and whoever he curses will turn into clay. Then Anu Girra asks the son Anunitus to burn Anzu with fire, and temples are to be built for him in all four regions of the world. In spite of his flattering words and the promise of rich rewards, he too refuses, just like Šarra , the son of Ištar , after him. Ea finally gets in touch with Mami , who orders her son Ninurta to fight Anzu and gives him advice on how to proceed. He should mobilize the winch against him and shoot a poisoned arrow at Anzu. He should cover himself in a fog so that Anzu cannot see him. He should dazzle him with bright rays so that day becomes like night for him. He is to cut his throat, and the winds are then to carry the feathers of Anzu to Ekur as good news for the gods. Ninurta, the obedient son, follows his mother's words without protest. He is accompanied by the seven winds. He shoots arrows at Anzu, but Anzu holds the fate plates and lets the arrow disintegrate into its components. The shaft becomes reed in the thicket again, the bow stick becomes a tree in a grove, the fletching returns to the birds and the bowstring into the intestines of a mutton. The arrows do not reach Anzu and silence spreads. Ninurta sends his weapon to Sarur to tell Ea of the events. Ea sends Sarur with the advice to tire Anzu, attack with the throwing stick and cut off his wings , both right and left. If he should try to call the wings back to him, Ninurta should tirelessly bombard him with arrows, cut his throat and let his feathers blow to Ekur as good news. Ninurta receives the message, hides and calls the seven winds to her.
Plate III
After a lacuna we are still in the middle of the battle. Both opponents are covered in sweat. Anzu tired from the constant attacks of Ninurta, and the latter cuts off his wings and attacks him with the throwing stick. When Anzu wants to call his wings back to him, Ninurta shoots an arrow through his heart and lungs. Ninurta slew the proud mountains and their pastures. He flooded the earth in his anger. Then he took the fate plates. The feathers of the Anzu waved to Ekur. Dagan saw them and proclaimed the good news to the other gods, and they praised Ninurta. Enlil calls Nusku to meet Ninurta Birdu . Ninurta considers Birdu to be an enemy at first - apparently he is not familiar with the court of Enlil - but the latter declares that he is coming on behalf of Enlil and extols Ninurta's deeds. He is now called LUGAL.BANDA, PABIL.SAG in EGAL.MAH, NIN-ANZU in EKUR.MAH, LUGAL.MARADA, Krieger TIŠPAK and IŠTARAN.
literature
- Stephanie Dalley: Myths from Mesopotamia: creation, the flood, Gilgamesh, and others. A new translation . Oxford University Press, Oxford 1998 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
- Blahoslav Hruška: The mythical eagle Anzu in literature and presentation of ancient Mesopotamia . Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem 13, Ókori Történeti Tanszékek, Budapest 1975.