The Eight Deities
Jan 2, 2011 19:14:40 GMT -5
Post by madness on Jan 2, 2011 19:14:40 GMT -5
The story is available in full:
etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.1.1.1#
etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=c.1.1.1&display=Crit&charenc=gcirc#
Understanding of this text and of Enki's trickster behaviour is provided by Keith Dickson in two papers:
"Enki and Ninhursag: The Trickster in Paradise," JNES 66 no. 1
"Enki and the Embodied World," JAOS 125 no. 4
Especially the second one on the embodied world, where Dickson focusses on the role of the eight plants. I haven't properly read it yet, I can do that in the next few days and then discuss the meaning of the text. But basically the point of Enki's death (? sacrifice?) from eating the plants and his rebirth (?) through Ninhursag and the resulting eight deities, is it represents a cosmic activation, even a movement from the microcosm to the macrocosm according to Dickson (what originated as mere body parts have become gods). The world is chaotic and continually turning on itself (Enki "devouring" his own offspring), it needs to be healed and given order. His final words on this is that the "emergent order in turn reflects the weird alchemy of the transformation from poison into medicine, mortal stuff into god."
etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.1.1.1#
etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=c.1.1.1&display=Crit&charenc=gcirc#
Understanding of this text and of Enki's trickster behaviour is provided by Keith Dickson in two papers:
"Enki and Ninhursag: The Trickster in Paradise," JNES 66 no. 1
"Enki and the Embodied World," JAOS 125 no. 4
Especially the second one on the embodied world, where Dickson focusses on the role of the eight plants. I haven't properly read it yet, I can do that in the next few days and then discuss the meaning of the text. But basically the point of Enki's death (? sacrifice?) from eating the plants and his rebirth (?) through Ninhursag and the resulting eight deities, is it represents a cosmic activation, even a movement from the microcosm to the macrocosm according to Dickson (what originated as mere body parts have become gods). The world is chaotic and continually turning on itself (Enki "devouring" his own offspring), it needs to be healed and given order. His final words on this is that the "emergent order in turn reflects the weird alchemy of the transformation from poison into medicine, mortal stuff into god."
