Bi-lingual Akkadian/Sumerian list of demons from Wiggermann

[us4-he2-gal2]

Recently on enenuru, I made reference to F.A.M Wiggermann's 2011 The Mesopotamian Pandemonium: A Provisional Census (from Verderami's volume Demoni Mesopotamici). At the time, I was considering his interesting reflections on lil2 as it relates to an Akkadian period cylinder seal (Reflections on Sisig thread, feb. 20 2016).


At the end of his contribution to the volume, Wiggermann includes the following provisional list of Sumerian demon names and their Akkadian equivalents. This is really a wonderful list and an invaluable reference for those considering Mesopotamian demonology. At the bottom, there are interesting references to sisig and zaqiqu which I will likely consider further on our sisig thread (the deity which Wiggermann spells zaggar is probably the dream god Anzagar, I would guess, with varient spelling).

[hukkana]

I remember Kidudu was rather hard to find any info on. As far as I could see, it was a protective deity of the walls of Aššur.

[nocodeyv]

Thanks for posting Wiggermann's list, Bill.

Even though this thread is a bit old, it's popped back up in my periphery at an opportune time.

I recently finished re-reading portions of Dina Katz's outstanding book: "The Image of the Netherworld," alongside Stephanie Dalley's dual translations of The Marriage of Nergal and Ereshkigal, as found in her volume: "Myths from Mesopotamia," and I had a few questions concerning the Netherworld and some of its demonic denizens. All of my questions stem from the various traditions surrounding the seven gates of the netherworld, and who, or what, exactly, is encountered at each of them. My own explorations have produced three diverse traditions concerning this topic, and I'm at a loss as to whether any of the three have wider support in Mesopotamian literature, outside of the single myth I'll be linking to here.

The first tradition, encountered in The Descent of Inana, finds all seven gates managed by Ereshkigal's gatekeeper: Neti (or Bitu, as Katz refers to him). In this instance, Bitu is the one who admits Inana through each of the seven gates, removing one piece of her clothing (the ME?) at each. None of the gates are given proper names, and no individual guardians are attached to them.

The second tradition is encountered in the Tell el-Amarna version of The Marriage of Nergal and Ereshkigal. According to Dalley's translation, when Nergal returns to the netherworld he conquers each of the gates on his way to Ereshkigal's throne. As he passes through each, he places one of his own "demons" there. Dalley's translation of this passages is as follows:

"... Flashes of Lightning at the fourth, Bailiff at the fifth, Croucher at the sixth, Expulsion at the seventh, Wind at the eighth, Fits at the ninth, Staggers at the tenth, Stroke at the eleventh, Lord of the Roof at the twelfth, Fever at the thirteenth, Scab at the fourteenth ..."

Unfortunately, Dalley doesn't number the lines of this particular translation, so, despite having a link to the original transliteration of the text, I don't really know where to look to find the names of these fourteen demonic beings. Would anyone here be able to pull out the fourteen (or, however many of them are preserved) and verify Dalley's translations of their names? I'm fairly confidant that I've seen the Bailiff, Croucher, Wind, and Lord of the Roof as demons or monsters before, but I'm not positive.

The third tradition comes from the later, Sultantepe, translation of The Marriage of Nergal and Ereshkigal (does anyone have a link to a transliteration of this particular text?). As with the previous version, again Nergal rampages through the gates of the netherworld when he's seeking to dethrone Ereshkigal. This time, however, there are only seven gates, and a different figure is associated with each. The two passages, again from Dalley's translations, are as follows:

He (Namtar) let Nergal in through the first, the gate of Nedu.
He let Nergal in through the second, the gate of Kishar.
He let Nergal in through the third, the gate of Endashurimma.
He let Nergal in through the fourth, the gate of Enuralla.
He let Nergal in through the fifth, the gate of Endukuga.
He let Nergal in through the sixth, the gate of Endushuba.
He let Nergal in through the seventh, the gate of Ennugigi.

...

He struck down Nedu, the doorman of the first gate, and did not let him grapple with him.
He struck down Kishar, the doorman of the second gate, and did not let him grapple with him.
He struck down Endashurimma, the doorman of the third gate, and did not let him grapple with him.
He struck down Enuralla, the doorman of the fourth gate, and did not let him grapple with him.
He struck down Endukuga, the doorman of the fifth gate, and did not let him grapple with him.
He struck down Endushuba, the doorman of the sixth gate, and did not let him grapple with him.
He struck down Ennugigi, the doorman of the seventh gate, and did not let him grapple with him.

Now, right away I recognized several of these figures could potentially be the Ancestors of An and Enlil, as found on Tablet I of the lexical list An = Anum, ln. 9 (Kishar), 22 (Enuralla), 132 (Endashurimma), and 134 (Endukuga). I also thought that "Ennugigi" might be Enlil's throne-bearer, Ennugi, and that "Nedu" could be Ereshkigal's traditional gatekeeper, Neti. I'm stumped though, on who "Endushuba" might be. I also would like to know whether or not these particular deities show up anywhere else in the extant lore in connection with the gates of the netherworld.

So, having laid out the three traditions I've found concerning the gates of the netherworld, I know my write-up is laced with questions, but I'm mostly wondering if any of these traditions have literary support elsewhere, and if any of the figures mentioned as managing the gates (Ereshkigal's or Nergal's) are actually demonic?

[us4-he2-gal2]

Hello Nocodeyv:



Some excellent considerations and questions you have there. Certainly comparing variant textual traditions and matching up lists of demons with Enlil's ancestors is something that - generally - only people doing this for a living end up doing. I don't know what the explanation for why Nergal seems to encounter deities who align with lists of Enlil's ancestors, although the latter are chthonic deities, known from other sources to dwell in the netherworld, so it's not surprising. I haven't really looked at the material you mention lately. Certainly seems like something F.A.M Wiggermann would have discussed somewhere, if anyone.

I am a bit pressed at the moment, completing my last month of course work ever I suppose. But I know two articles which may answer some things about the gates of the Netherworld. Well, my go to work on this sort of question would be Katz' Image of the Netherworld in Sumerian sources. Even though these sources are later, I would expect that book to have something about it in a footnote perhaps. But she also has a comment about why there are seven gates on page 6 of the article linked below (she thinks the seven gates serve as a device to advance the plot, that is, seven gates were created as a literary device specifically for Inanna's Descent and for related myths. Bear in mind, there are literary links between Inanna's Descent and Nergal and Ereshkigal):




www.academia.edu/318413/Inannas_Descent_and_Undressing_the_Dead_as_a_divine_law




A good discussion of the seven gates of the netherworld, which studies and lists the sources that mention the gates (I think instances of the gates basically limited to variations of the myths we have discussed, Inanna's Descent and Nergal and Ereshkigal), is Jamie Novotny 1999. I have attached a copy to this post.




If you follow the below link to an old thread on the Ancestor's of Enlil, with alot of information about their cosomological significance (or lack thereof), and search the word 'demon' , you will see Wiggermann has made an allusion to this before:


enenuru.proboards.com/thread/176/du-ku-cosmology

Attachments:

Novotny 1999 - Were their Seven Gates of th....pdf (607.07 KB)

[hukkana]

Wasn't Kišar generally seen as the female partner of Anšar ?

Also if one looks at Endukuga in the An Anum, one finds him listed as an ancestor of Enlil directly prior to Enmešarra, however Enmešarra's sons are enumerated at a different place in the An Anum and Enlil is not counted as one of them, plus there is the theme of rebellion where Enmešarra tries to take Kingship from Enlil which would not make as much sense if he were his father.


Thus, if my reading and interpretation is correct, Endukuga would be the Father of Enlil. Note that the name means Lord of the Dukuga, the Holy Mound, which as far as I know is in the Netherworld. I believe I have read that the Uralla in Enuralla's name reffers to a an Ancient City which I believe was situated on the Dukuga, but this topic seems largely ignored by researchers, so I've a very hard time to find anything dealing with the Dukuga or Uralla.

As for why, I think the reason these Gods are brought up in connection to the Netherworld truly is the fact that these are the Gods of Former Days, and thus they reside in the Netherworld, when Kingship long since passed to further generations, or may simply have always been there, with the Dukuga simply winding up being where the Netherworld ended up after it had come into being, since the creation stories, especially the Enuma Elish, do not mention it existing at first.

[nocodeyv]

Thanks for the reply, Hukkana.

Yes, according to the tradition outlined in the “Enûma Eliš,” Anšar and Kišar (the totality of heaven and earth) constitute a male-female pair: the offspring of Laḫmu and Laḫama, which makes them the grandchildren of Tiāmat and Apsû. This lineage eventually leads to An and Ki, then Enlil and Enki, the latter of whom—with Damkina—sires Marduk, the hero of the myth.

Tablet I, lines 8, 9, & 24, of AN = Anum do seem to echo this lineage, identifying Anšar and Kišar as members of the “21 en ama a-a an-na-ke4-ne,” the 21 Mothers and Fathers of An. Their placement in the lineage differs from the version found in “Enûma Eliš” though. So, I still think it’s possible that the use of Kišar in the “Marriage of Nergal and Ereškigal” might stem from one of the ancestor lists found throughout the AN = Anum lexical list, and not necessarily from the "Enûma Eliš" version.

Regarding Endukuga and Enemšarra, you’re correct that both (and their female counterparts) are identified among the “42-am₃ en ama a-a ^den-lil₂-la₂-ke₄,” the 42 Mothers and Fathers of Enlil, in lines 134-138. However, Enemšarra’s children are actually presented immediately after the list of ancestors is completed, in lines 139-145:

134. ^den-du₆-ku₃-ga
135. ^dnin-du₆-ku₃-ga
136. ^den-me-šar₂-ra
137. ^dnin-me-šar₂-ra
138. 42-am₃ en ama a-a den-lil₂-la₂-ke₄
139. ^dzi-šum₂-mu
140. ^dad₄-ŋir₃-kud
141. ^dseg₉-bar-im₂-im₂
142. ^dur-bad₃-dumu
143. ^dur-bad₃-da-gub-gub-bu
144. ^dgu-ba-ga-ra-ra-e₃
145. ^de₂-bar-ra-DU-DU
146. inim-am₃ dumu-meš den-me-šar₂-ra-ke₄

Then, following this, line 147 possibly reiterates Endukuga, as Lugal-dukuga now, who is identified as “a-a ^den-lil₂-la₂-ke₄,” the Father of Enlil. Enlil's own section of the lexical list follows immediately after:

147. ^dlugal-du₆-ku₃-ga . . . . a-a ^den-[lil₂]-la₂-ke₄
148. ^den-lil₂-la₂-ke₄

Whether or not this means that Enlil is a son of Enmešarra or Endukuga I can’t really say, but the list does seem to contradict itself. What is clear though is that the so-called Mother and Fathers do have a connection to the Pure Mound mythology, and that Enlil is, in some way, a product of that mythology. Maybe the genealogy of the ancestors isn’t presented chronologically, but qualitatively, or along some other line of reasoning?

As for the conflict between Enmešarra and Enlil, I’ve always squared that away as a conflict between two theological models of the universe: the parşū (ME) and the ţuppi šīmāti (DUB.NAM.TAR.MEŠ): the static, cosmic ordinances (embodied by Enmešarra), against the volitional Will of Enlil. Whether or not that's an accurate explanation, I can't say, but somewhere on Enenuru there’s a thread discussing this theory. (Bill, any help with a link to this thread?)

The use of these ancestral figures in the “Marriage of Nergal and Ereškigal” being layovers from Sumerian netherworld traditions does make sense in my mind though. Rather than any of the Gatekeepers mentioned in the Sultantepe recension being demonic beings, maybe they were used due to their connection with the “old” Netherworld—that ruled by Ereškigal—which was now passing into the hands of Nergal, who successfully subdues or conquers these more "primitive" traditions when he storms the House of Dust.

[nocodeyv]

Thanks for the reply, Bill.

While I've read "Image of the Netherworld," I haven't read anything else from Katz, and this will be my first article from Novotny, so thank you for linking to both. The Enenuru thread you linked to is actually one of my favorites on the board, and where I first learned about the Ancestors of Enlil. I'll be sure to go back through it again and see what new insights I can gleam from it.

[hukkana]

Mar 14, 2018 14:39:33 GMT -5 nocodeyv said:

Thanks for the reply, Hukkana.

Yes, according to the tradition outlined in the “Enûma Eliš,” Anšar and Kišar (the totality of heaven and earth) constitute a male-female pair: the offspring of Laḫmu and Laḫama, which makes them the grandchildren of Tiāmat and Apsû. This lineage eventually leads to An and Ki, then Enlil and Enki, the latter of whom—with Damkina—sires Marduk, the hero of the myth.

I have actually made a thread concerning this point, though it did not garner much attention at the time.

enenuru.proboards.com/thread/591/relation-betwen-enlil-speculative-ramblings

Basically from the An Anum itself it seems that the family and ancestors of Anu are different from the family and ancestors of Enlil, as they have a single shared ancestor-pair, Enšar and Ninšar, who in each case has different ancestors and descendants.


The reason I mention Enemšarra's sons is specifically because they are specifically listed and Enlil is not one of them. Also I forgot that the next lines identify Enlil's father positively to further back up my point

[nocodeyv]

Hukkana,

My personal stance is that Endukuga (or Lugal-dukuga) is the "true" father of Enlil, and that Enmešarra is probably just another ancestral figure. The fact that Enmešarra represents the sum-total of the ME might explain why he's listed as the "final" ancestor, even though he might not have actually been such. As I mentioned before though, I don't know if the lists in AN = Anum present a chronological genealogy, or if they're arranged in some other manner.

As for the two lists of ancestral figures, like you, I think An and Enlil have different lineages (ignoring the fact that Mesopotamian genealogy is entirely unstable and unreliable: with everyone being everyone else's daughter or son as local-pantheon required). I only mentioned names from the two lists since the Gatekeepers from the Sultantepe recension of the "Marriage of Nergal and Ereškigal" myth are drawn from both of them.

[us4-he2-gal2]

Hey all -



I made a reply to all this on the thread mentioned by Hukkana above, which seems to deal with Enlil's late geneaology more directly:



enenuru.proboards.com/thread/591/relation-betwen-enlil-speculative-ramblings?page=1&scrollTo=7047