A Bibliography of Cuneiform Magic Studies

[us4-he2-gal2]

Schwemer's Suggested Readings

Hey e n e n u r u - In the following post I am typing up a list of recommended reading made by Daniel Schwemer in his article 2011 article "Magic Rituals: Conceptualization and Performance" which appeared in the volume The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform literature (eds. Karen Radner and Eleanor Robson). Many of the works he suggests have been considered here at eneuru at one time or another but some are also new - it is a fine list of materials and his suggestions for further reading would be valuable to any looking to research cuneiform magic.

I should mention that I am not making this perfect (i.e. listing the publisher or the journal in every case as a proper bibliography is usually done) - but googling the title of the work will result in such details. I am also not bothering with i.e. German umlauts. But this list is nonetheless full of good reading tips and so Schwemer suggests:







For general discussions of Mesopotamian magic and medicine -


Reiner 1966, Šurpu: A Collection of Sumerian and Akkadian Incantations (AfO Beiheit 11)

Bottero 1988 Magie.A. In Mesopotamien (RLA 7)

Farber 1995 Witchcraft, magic and divination in Ancient Mesopotamia (in CANE pp. 1895-1909)

Biggs 1995 Medicine, surgery and public health in ancient Mesopotamia (CANE pgs 1911-1924)

Maul 2001 Die Losung vom Bann:Uberlegungen zu altorientlischen Konzeptionen von Krankheit und Heilkunst

Thomsen 2001 Witchcraft and Magic in Anciemtn Mesopotamia

van Bimsbergen and Wiggermann 1999 Magic in History: a theoretical perspective and its application to ancient Mesopotamia
(But Schwemer 2007a pgs 149-157 Abwehrzauber und Behexung: Studien zum Schadenzauberglauben im alten Mesopotamien)






For many Akkadian incantations



Foster 2005 Before the Muses. An Anthology of Akkadian Literature






The Scholarly Debate about the Relationship between āšipūtu and asûtu:


Ritter 1965 Magical-expert (=āšipu) and physician (asû) : notes on two complimentary professionas in Babylonian medicine.

Stol 1993 Diagnosis and therapy in Babylonian medicine

Scurlock 1999 Physcian, exorcist, conjurer, magician: a tale of two healing professionals.




Early Sumerian and Semitic incantations:



Krebernik 1984 Die Beschworungen aus Fara und Ebla: Untersuchungen zur altesten keilschriftlichen Beschworungsliterature

van Dijk and Geller 2003 Ur III Incantations from the Frau Professor Hilprecht Collection, Jena

(Catalogue) Cunningham 1997 Deliver me from Evil: Mesopotamian Incantations 2500-1500 BC




For 1st millennium Sumerian bilingual incantations-

Schramm 2001 Bann! Bann! Eine sumerisch-akkadische Beschworungsserie

Schramm 2008 (various texts): Ein Compendium sumerisch-akkadischer Beschworungen

Geller 2007 Evil Demons: Canonical Utukkū lemnūtu Incantations




For the Lamashtu ritual genre:



Farber 1980-83 Lamaštu (in RLA 7)

Farber 1987c Tamarisken, Filbeln, Skolopender: Zur philologischen Deutung der "Reiseszene" auf neuassyrischen Lamaštu-Amuletten


Wiggermann 2000 Lamaštu, daughter of Anu: a profile



For the related incantations for calming babies:

Farber 1989 Schlaf, Kindchen, Schlaf! Mesopotamische Baby-Beschworungen und -Rituale

van der Toorn 1999 Magic in the cradle: a reassessment



For Pazazu

Heessel 2002 Pazuzu. Archaologische und philologische Studien zu einem altorientalischen Damon



For Ardat-lili


Lackenbacher 1971 Note sur l'Ardat-lili
Farber 1987a Lilû, Lilīti, Ardat-Lilî (RLA 7)

Geller 1988 New duplicates to SBTU II (AfO 35 1-23)



For the Evil Eye


Thomson 1992 The Evil Eye in Mesopotamia (JNES 51)

Geller 2003 Paranoia, the evil eye, and the face of evil

Geller 2004 Akkadian evil eye incantations from Assur (ZA 94)

Schwemer 2007a Abwehrzauber und Behexung: Studien zum Schadenzauberglauben im alten Mesopotamien



For rituals against ghosts:

Scurlock 2006 Magico-medical Means of Treating Ghost-induced Illnesses in Ancient Mesopotamia


Necromancy:

Finkel 1983/1984 Necromancy in ancient Mesopotamia (AfO 29/30)

Trooper 1989 Nekromantie. Totenbefragung im Alten Orient und im Alten Testament



Rituals against curse (māmītu):

Reiner 1958 Šurpu: A Collection of Sumerian and Akkadian Inscantations (AfO Beiheit 11)

Borger 2000 Šurpu II, III, IV, und VIII in "Partitur"

Maul 2010 Rituale zur Losung des 'Banns'



Anti-witchcraft rituals and witchcraft beliefs:


Meier 1937 Die Assyrische Beschworungssammlung Maqlû, (AfO Beiheit 2)

Meir 1966 Studien zur Beschworungsserie '' Maqlû' , zusammengestellt nach hinterlassenen Notizen (AfO 21)

Abusch and Schwemer 2008 Das Abwehrzauber-Ritual Maqlû

Thomsen 1987 Zauberdiagnose und Schwarz Magie un Mesopotamien

Abusch 2002 Mesopotamian Witchcraft:Toward a History and Understanding of Babylonian Witchcraft Beliefs and Literature

Schwemer 2007a Abwehrzauber und Behexung: Studien zum Schadenzauberglauben im alten Mesopotamiens

Abusch and Schwemer 2011 Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-Witchcraft Rituals, vol. 1



Impotency Therapies

Biggs 1967 ŠÁ.ZI.GA: Ancient Mesopotamian Potency Incantations.

:
Dream Rituals

Oppenheim 1956 The Interpretation of Dreams in the Ancient Near East: With a Translation of an Assyrian Dream-Book

Butler 1998 Mesopotamian Conceptions of Dreams and Dream Rituals


Namburbi rituals

Maul 1994 Zukunftbewaltigung: Eine Untersuchung altorientalischen Denkens anhand der babylonisch-assyrischen Loserituale

Kummel 1967 Ersatzrituale fur den hethitischen Konig


Foundation rituals

Ambos 2004 Mesopotamische Baurituale aus dem 1 Jahrtausend

Apotropaic rituals for houses

Wiggermann 1992 Mesopotamian Protective Spirits: The Ritual Texts


For the use of amulets

Schuster-Brandis 2008 Stein als Schutz-und Heilmittel: Untersuchung zu ihrer Verwendung in der Beschworungskunst Mesopotamiens


Role of Stars in Mesopotamian Magic

Reiner 1995 Astral Magic in Babylonia