Incantation type
III
The Marduk-ea typ/ Divine Dialogue
This type of incantation holds special significance to a discussion on Sumerian ritual. Of the four categories of Sumerian incantation, the ritual aspects of the Marduk-Ea typ are the most readily apparent. This type of incantation is characterized by a structure and format that remained distinct and recognizable from century to century. That structure is:
a) A person is suffering - his problem, an illness/disease/demon is described
b) The junior god, always Asalluḫi the son of Enki in UrIII exemplars, takes note of the problem, and on behalf of the sufferer either personally approaches the senior god, or sends a messenger. The problem is then repeated and serves as diagnosis.
c) The senior god, Enki in UrIII exemplars, gives a formulaic response, "My son, what do you not know, what shall I add for you" and "Whatever I know you know too." Enki then proceeds to
dispense specific ritual instructions to the junior god.
d) Most times this type of incantation will end with a concluding theme that will contain precative expressions such as "may (the demon) break up like a pot." It should be understood that though phrased in a future tense, these are magic words, meant to make it happen and not merely imply that it might. These words are the magic.
General Perspective:
-The Marduk-Ea typ incantation has been described as "important to literary study precisely because of its mixing of story, speech, and magical force. The result is a powerful, well-constructed, and strangely beautiful poetic composition. The "Marduk/Ea" incantations demonstrate an intimate connection between the religious, the magical, and the esthetic so complete that any attempt to pull away from the other will distort the whole (and remove the magic.)" (Kramer 1989).
- Though I should stress this isn't a view Ive seen confirmed by those scholars concerned with incantation, T. Jacobsen makes an interesting comment on Asalluḫi whose names he interprets as "Asar, the man-drencher." The comment reads "In the Sumerian incantations it was Asalluḫi, the cloud, who from on high observed attacks on man down on earth by demons of disease and reported them to his father Enki in the deep to learn from him how to counter them."
(T. Jacobsen, "Mesopotamian religion" in the Encyclopedia of Ancient Civilizations 1989)
Significance of the ritual instructions:
The centerpiece of this type of incantation, is
c) when the instructions are given. Because Enki is given as speaking them, the instructions are imbued with a divine legitimation. A key understanding here, is that although ostensibly directed at Asalluḫi, Enki's instructions are understood as being performed by the officiating priest as the incantation was uttered. The ritual here can therefore be seen as mimetic ritual - simply meaning that the action corresponds (mimics) the words of the spoken incantation.* So the instructions Enki gives represent the actual practice of the Sumerian ritualist, and each Marduk-Ea incantation is a rare glimpse.
(*The above closely follows the educated suggestions found in G. Cunningham 1997 pg2/25/79)
- - My son, what do you not know, what shall I add for you? - -
Below I have added the instructional part of each available Marduk-Ea typ incantation, that is just those lines directly following the formulaic question above, just that part that pertains to the ritual instruction. Currently we have here 4 out of 8 of these incantations from the Cunningham catalogue but 6 from the Jena corpus, making this a fairly representative sampling. (See the 'UrIII incantation catalogue' thread for these lists.) I have added clarifying comments where available.
Text 62 [
UM 29-15-367] - against Birthing problems
Enki:
37. After you the fat from a pure cow, the cream from a mother-cow
38. have received in the erected dwelling of the agrun,
39. after you over the vagina of the troubled woman
40. from which a cord hangs
41. have cast the incantation of Eridu.
42. may it be released like rain from heaven,
43. may it run away like drain-pipe water from a high roof,
44. may it [x-x] like a river pouring into a lagoon,
45. may it be smashed like a smashed pot.
Ritual items/elements: Fat/cream., specialized ritual construct, incantation of Eridu.
Comments: Cunningham understands the dwelling of the Agrun is a ritual structure, and can be compared with the temple in that it is a place of mediation between the divine and temporal realms. Being in such a structure may therefore put the women in favorable position to receive Divine intervention.
TEXT 63 [
Ist D — (?)] against Fever
Enki:
Cut the blade of a reed plant in half,
Have the water of life drip upon his hand.
Let it pour over his right hand.
Let it drip down on his left hand.
The Dragon with his net of reed...
it will bind the mouth shut!"
Ritual items/elements: blade of reed plant, extract 'water of life', (net?)
Comments: Kramer (1989 pg.102) understands that in this case, the blade of the reed plant is sliced it in half - its water the 'water of life' is poured over the sick persons hands. 'Dragon' is taken as a divine epithet, thus the god binds the mouth of the demon shut with his net of reed.
TEXT 66 [
VAT 5993] Against venom
Enki:
11. After he has made (the water) shine in his pure ala-vessel,
12. after he has cast the incantation over this water,
13. after he has made the bitten man drink this water,
14. may this venom leave him of his own accord.'
Ritual Items/elements: Water from an ala-vessel, augmented or purified by unknown incantation
Comments: "This passage suggests a two-stage process of transfer: the attribute of the incantation is transferred to the water over which it is spoken and then that attribute is transferred to the invalid by his consumption of the water." (Cunningham pg.87)
TEXT 52 [
Ni 2187] /
TMH 6 1[
HS 2438] (Duplicates) - against headache
Enki:
15. (After) you have brought the purifying water,
16. and you have poured fat of a pure cow,
17. then let one rub the clean liquid on the head of Amar-Suen;
18. then let one rub (him) with that oil.’
Ritual Items/elements: purifying water/ cow fat (the oil in line 18 seems to = cow fat)
The Marduk-Ea incantations from the Cunningham catalogue so far un-obtained are: Text 51, 61 ('unedited'), 64, 71
From the Geller Corpus (TMH 6)
TMH 6 4 [
HS 1473+1598] - Against birthing problems
Enki:
15: In the 'well' (i.e. the womb), the water pours out. After you [pull out the] ...-plant
16. and cypress juice, and juice of [...],
17. and long rushes, with the right hand
18. and pull it out towards the left,
19. Apply (the remedy) in the 'sick' place,
20. So that it may bind the tooth of the lion in high water,
21. so that it may bind the tooth of the fearful snake, on dry land,
22. so that the incantation may bind the tooth of the gall-gnashing snake.
Ritual Items/elements: ? plant, juices, rushes ("remedy". is possibly a mixture of these things)
Comments: Geller mentions that ki-gig translated 'sick place' is intentionally used here as an antonym to ki-sikil which is elsewhere used to designate 'maiden' one who has never born children (contrasted with the mother giving birth here) Sick place refers to the mothers body.
TMH 6 6 [
HS 1555+1587] - Against Samana disease
Enki:
22. You will put fat of a pure cow,
23. cream of a cow,
24. of prime-quality entrails,
25. in lustration [water] for me.
26. Sprinkle the seized patient,
27. and pluck it out from his [body],
28. In a day and a night it will be better.
Ritual Items/elements: cow fat, cream, lustration water (entrails?)
TMH 6 7 [
HS 1474+1574+1500] Again Loins-disease
Enki: (instructions obscured by broken lines)
37-41: (broken)
42. Is something precious? a son is like something pure,
43. Asalluḫi will soothe (the problem) with supplication.
45. (broken)
46. ............ he will bring it out.
47. ....................................
N/A
TMH 6 8 [
HS 1573] Against Namtar
Enki: (instructions obscured by broken lines)
col. ii
5. Water of the [...]-vessel [...],
6. [My] son, [........................]
7. Go, [my son Asalluḫi ]
8. ... the silagar-vessel [...]
9. a [........]-reed [......],
10. ....
Ritual Items/elements: Water, silagar-vessel, ? reed
Comments: Geller has note here that lines 6-7 probably indicate that this was an abbreviated version of an Enki-Asalluhi* dialogue.
TMH 6 9 [
HS 1588 + 1596] Against headache
18. The god reconciled the sick man towards the steppe.
Enki: (instructions obscured by broken lines)
19. Purify … [in a pure] place,
20. take …. of the pen and sheepfold which is not abandoned,
21. choose a …lamb,
22. choose … a black? goat.
Ritual Items/elements: Lamb, black goat
TMH 6 11 [
HS 1600] - Dialogue completely missing (broken)
TMH 6 15 [
HS 2090] Man injured by 'snare' laid by demon ('torch' kindled in his foot)
Enki:
23. Tear our a zah-hu tree by its root,
24. take the shiny milk(-sap), extracted (from) its leaf,
25. which has been rolled in the numun-plant with the left (hand),
26. and apply it to the forehead of the man
27. As for the patient may he low loudly
28. like a cow going out from a pure cattle-pen
29. Like a loyal lamb of Dumuzi
30. May he bleat.
Ritual Items/elements: Extract of the zah-hu tree leaf, numun-plant
- Summary of items used:
Birthing problems
: Fat, Cream, ritual structure, incantation of Eridu
Birthing problems
: ? plant, juices, rushes (remedy possibly concocted from these materials)
Fever
: Blade of reed plant, and its water
Venom
: Water from ala-vessel, spell to augment/purify water
Headache
: purifying water/ cow fat(oil)
Headache
: (instructions unclear) lamb, black goat
Samana disease: cow fat, cream, lustration water (entrails?)
Namtar
: Water, silagar-vessel, ? reed
Injury from snare of demon
: extract of the zah-hu leaf, numun plant
Its seems the most prevalent materials for ritual use, in the incantations sampled here, are water (pure water), reeds and rushs and specific other plants, and cow fat. These materials of course would represent well what the Sumerian would have on hand, and ritual items seem here to consist of native materials rather then imported stones or metals. I have questions which may never be answered - What is the zah-lu tree? Does it still exist? What is the silagar-vessel, the ala-vessal, what is cypress juice? etc. Here's hoping we'll see some of this on this thread someday.