TIM 09, 063; 4 Lamaštu Incantations
Oct 30, 2016 18:16:29 GMT -5
Post by kurnugi4a on Oct 30, 2016 18:16:29 GMT -5
This is a text I worked on a while back and I thought I would post it as there are quite a few peculiarities. I use CDLI conventions: cdli.ucla.edu/?q=support-cdli
The text is already available on CDLI. Entry: P223432
I'm aware that Tonietti has published this incantation, but unfortunately I can't read Italian and it was somewhat overwhelming for me to try and understand her explanations of the text, including her translation. Thus, I provided my own transliteration and translation. Her article can be viewed and downloaded from Jstor at www.jstor.org/stable/43074841.
The text is an Old Babylonian tablet written in Sumerian, first published by Van Dijk in TIM 9 (Texts from the Iraq Museum). There seems to be 4 Lamaštu incantations written down (possibly 5 with one short Akkadian incantation lost?). It has a copy OECT 5, 055 of lines 17-20. Here is the text:
@obverse
$ beginning broken
1'. he2-ti-la!(AD) [...]
#tr.en: May he live ...
2'. zi an-na he2-[pa3 zi ki-a he2-pa3]
#tr.en: In heaven be exorcised; on earth be exorcised.
3'. zi en-lil2-la2 he2#-pa3# [zi nin-lil2-la2 he2-pa3]
#tr.en: By Enlil be exorcised; by Ninlil be exorcised;
4'. zi {d}asal-lu2-hi dumu# eridu{ki}-ga-ke4 he2#-pa3#
#tr.en: by Asalluhi, son of Eridu, be exorcised.
5'. ($ blank space $) KA-inim-ma {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-me
#tr.en: Incantation (against) Lamaštu.
$ double ruling
6'. he2-dadag-ge an en-lil2 en-ki {d}ne3-eri11-gal
#tr.en: May An, Enlil, Enki, and Nergal purify
7'. an 7(disz@v)-bi ki 7(disz@v)-bi en 7(disz@v)-bi su? 7(disz@v)-bi
#tr.en: the seven heavens, seven earths, seven en, and seven bodies(?)
8'. en-na lu2-ulu3 dumu# dingir-ra-na na-an-ga-ti-la
#tr.en: Until the man, son of his god, indeed lives,
#comments: na-an-ga-ti-la is difficult. /na/ I designate as the affirmative modal, which is still not understood.
/nga/ is also difficult, but having the meaning 'too' or 'as well'. In this context, it would be uncertain what this is referring to.
9'. u2 ba-ra-da-gu7-e a ba-ra-da-na8-na8
#tr.en: may you not eat food, may you not drink water,
10'. {gesz}gu-za ba#-ra-da-tusz {gesz}na2 ba-ra-da-nu2
#tr.en: on a chair, may you not sit, on a bed, may you not sleep,
11'. {gesz}gu-za ba-ra-da-tusz-u3-de3
#tr.en: on a chair, you will not sit,
12'. {gesz}na2 ba-ra-da-nu2-u3-de3
#tr.en: on a bed, you will not sleep,
13'. {gesz}banszur a-a-zu en-lil2-la2-ka# szu-zu ba-ra-bi2-in-tum4#
#tr.en: at the table of your father, Enlil, your hands may you not.
#comments: the last sign is damaged, but looks like the sign NIM, but possible tum3.
/-in-/ in the verbal chain is problematic, as it refers to the 3rd person final person prefix.
14'. {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-me zi an-na he2-pa3 zi ki-a he2-pa3#
#tr.en: Lamaštu, in heaven be exorcised, on earth be exorcised.
15'. zi dingir gal-gal-e#-ne he2-pa3
#tr.en: By the great gods be exorcised.
16'. ($ blank space $) KA-inim-ma {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-me
#tr.en: Incantation (against) Lamaštu.
$ double ruling
17'. {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-me mu# dumu an-na
#tr.en: Lamaštu, the name of the daughter of An.
18'. dingir szesz# dingir dumu sila [uri2{ki}-ma]
#tr.en: Divine sister, divine daughter of the streets of Ur.
19'. AN-BU bar-re KA [mu-gal2]
#tr.en: The a.-sword(?) that splits, gone into the mouth (?)
20'. dingir SZI-la-ra szu# [mu-un-bar]
#tr.en: The goddess that released the fire (?)
21'. musz3 sza3-ge x-[...]
#tr.en: The yellow face(?) ...
22'. zi dingir an-ki-[ka-ke4-ne he2-pa3]
#tr.en: By the gods of heaven and earth be exorcised.
23'. ki#?{muszen#} an-na x-[...]
#tr.en: The ki(-bird?) of the sky ...
@reverse
1. su8-ba ki ku3-ga tur3 amasz [nam-mi-in-gin]
#tr.en: The shepherd, on silver land, truly established a stall and sheepfold.
#comment: su8-ba is eme-sal for sipad = shepherd.
2. uz3# sag#-bi mu-un-lu uz3 [masz2 tur-bi mu-un-lu]
#tr.en: The head goat pastured, the kid pastured.
3. siki# uz3 gesz nu-zu siki# {munus?}<asz2>-gar3 gesz# [nu-zu]
#tr.en: Wool of a goat un-fertilized, wool of a kid un-fertilized.
4. ge6 babbar-bi zi-da# gab2-bu u3#-[me-ni-kesz2]
#tr.en: When their black and white (wool), on the right and left she tied for us,
5. ur-ge6 pu2-sag-ga2 nu2-a#
#tr.en: the black dog in a pit lain,
6. ur-babbar pu2 sag-ga2 nu2-a
#tr.en: and the white dog in a pit lain.
7. za3-be2 szu u3-mu-e-ti
#tr.en: At its side, you approached,
8. {d}uttu? munus sa6!(UR)-ga# bur-szu-ma gal
#tr.en: Uttu, beautiful woman, great matron,
9. um-ma bur-szu-ma# {d}inanna-ke4
#tr.en: the old woman of the matron, Inanna;
10. zi-da gab2-bu-ba# u3-mu-e-ri-nu
#tr.en: on its right, and left she spun (the wool) for you.
#comments: According to Mittermayer, Attinger (2006) the verb is likely read nu and not sir5.
In the verbal chain -e- the 2nd person prefix emphasizes the following 2nd person indirect object /ra/. I understand /ri/ as ra + ni (local prefix).
11. i3 ab2 ku3-ga# u3-mu-e-sub6-sub6
#tr.en: Butter of the silver cow you rubbed.
12. nam-szub eridu{ki}-ga# u3-mu-e-sum#
#tr.en: The incantation of Eridu you then cast.
13. {d}udug hul a-la2 hul {d}gidim hul gal5-la2# hul#
#tr.en: The evil u.-demon, the evil a.-ghost, the evil g.-ghost, the evil g.-demon,
14. {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-me {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-a
#tr.en: Lamaštu, Labaṣu,
15. lu2 hul igi hul ka hul eme# hul#
#tr.en: the evil man, the evil eye, the evil mouth, the evil tongue,
16. bar-sze3 he2-em-ta-gub
#tr.en: indeed stepped out.
17. {d}gidim# sa6#-ga {d}lamma sa6-ga he2-em-da-su8-su8-ge-esz
#tr.en: May the good g.-ghost and good l.-spirit stand with it.
18. zi an-na he2-pa3 zi ki-a he2-pa3
#tr.en: In heaven be exorcised, on earth be exorcised,
19. zi {d}en-lil2-la2 he2-pa3 zi {d}nin-lil2-la2# he2#-pa3#
#tr.en: by Enlil be exorcised, by Ninlil be exorcised,
20. zi {d#}nin#-urta ur-sag kal-ga en-lil2-la2 he2-pa3#
#tr.en: by Ninurta, mighty warrior of Enlil, be exorcised,
21. zi {d}nusku# sukkal-mah en-lil2-la2-ka he2-pa3#
#tr.en: by Nusku, grand vizier of Enlil, be exorcised,
22. zi [{d}nin?-szubur?] ka# ba#-a#-ni# [an?-gin7?] nu#-bur2#?-da he2#-pa3#
#tr.en: by Ninšubur(?), whose speech like An(?) will not be undone(?), be exorcised.
$ rest broken
@left
@column 1
1. [...]-tu-ru
#tr.en: ...
2. [...]-x a-a i-tu#-ur#
#tr.en: May she(?) not return.
# in Akkadian
3. [...]-x ti#-la#?
#tr.en: (Sumerian:) ... life.
@column 2
1. KA-inim-ma {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)#-me
#tr.en: Incantation (against) Lamaštu.
The tablet: The end of each incantation is proceeded by a double ruling and the start of a new incantation. The double ruling was used as a means of separation for the scribe copying the incantations. (Edited 11/11/16)
Lines 1-5: encompass the first incantation, but its introduction is cut off and we're left with the ending formula which calls on the gods to exorcise Lamaštu.
Line 1: he2-ti-la is a very common formula although the last sign resembles AD rather than LA. The second sign could very well be TI, but it can also be the bottom wedges of the sign du7 with the initial winkelhaken cut off. If we assume that the final lines of the damaged Akkadian verse copy the last lines of this first incantation, then it may indeed be he2-ti-la. It is worth noting that Lamaštu's name is usually written dim3-me, but in this case the reading is assigned dimx because it is written using lu2 and gam.
Line 6: The second incantation begins with the title he2-dadag-ge followed by calling the the gods occupying each cosmic region of the world to purify Lamaštu. An = Sky, Enlil = Earth, Enki = Apsu, and Nergal = Netherworld (Horowitz 1998, pp. 212-13.) This phrase is often seen in non-canonical Lamaštu amulets, thus Horowitz posits that he2-dadag-ge "might be the title of the incantation" given that it occurs on amulets followed by the same gods. Note that grammatically he2-dadag-ge is a verbal chain with he2 - modal prefix in the precative, dadag - the verbal root meaning "to be bright" or "to purify" depending on the context, and ge(š) - the scribe nicely indicates it is in the maru marked with E. (edited 11/11/16)
Line 7: For me the last sign in enumeration resembles ZU given the second vertical wedge, but I choose to go with SU because other authors agree and there are no magical repetitions (that I know of) that use ZU. If I remember correctly Tonietti uses du6 = mound, but I see no resemblance to that sign, even in the OB period. Horowitz thinks that the repetition of non-cosmographical signs were referring to demons that have afflicted certain parts of the victim's body. The an 7-bi and ki 7-bi could be referring to the seven demons of heaven and earth or some Sumerian cosmological understanding of seven imposed heavens and earths, one whose meaning was lost. The meaning behind the EN sign in this group is obscure. Perhaps it's referring to seven divine priests? For more discussion about magical repetitions see Horowitz 1998, pp. 214-20.
Lines 8-12: These lines are pretty self-explanatory in meaning. Until the man afflicted recovers, may Lamaštu not eat, drink, or sleep. These are things that will be able to sustain her life. (Edit 11/28/16) These lines may be self-explanatory, however, it is also quite explanatory about Lamaštu's position as a demon. Although we only have a few tablets that mention Lamaštu's origin, we know that she was cast down from heaven by An or Enlil because she ate human flesh (she is the one who kills babies thereby disrupting the cosmic order of humans serving gods, however, this changes in the 1st millennium where her presence is part of the "divine order." See Wiggerman 2000 "Lamaštu, Daughter of Anu. A Profile" p. 225) She was previously divine, but is now a demon. As a demon she has no cult or temple that offers her shelter or food. Thus, she may attempt to take refuge or feed herself by taking these things by force. The incantation calls for the gods to interfere with this and aid the man (or humanity based on the interpretation of lu2-ulu3).
Line 13: I had trouble with this line, mostly because I do not understand its meaning and the sequence of signs are little confusing. (Edit 11/28/16) After reading Wiggerman (2000), this line is quite clear, but I choose to keep my initial thought process. Refer to last entry for this line.
First, we have {gesz}banszur a-a-zu en-lil2-la2-ka. The sign banszur = table is clear. The following sign A could be a locative attached to the inanimate table or form a noun a-a = father. It is a little strange for it to form a noun in apposition to Enlil because it occurs before the name it relates to. Normally in Sumerian grammar it occurs after, for example, lines 20 and 21. Moreover, Enlil is not Lamaštu's father, it's An. If the initial /a/ is a locative forming "At the table of...", there is still the capability of a shortened a-zu being "your father." The combination of a-zu can also mean physician or doctor, but it is not likely in apposition to another noun. En-lil2-la2-ka suggests that there are two genitive or one genitive and a locative forming a nominal chain. The final A in KA is not an ergative because Lamaštu is still the actor.
It is possible that the phrase is {gesz}banszur a-a-zu en-lil2-la2-ka
"At the table of your father, and of Enlil's, your hands may you not bring."
I don't know if the line is saying that the table is also Enlil's or that Enlil is also An's father (which makes sense.)
Perhaps it can also be: {gesz}banszur-a a-zu en-lil2-la2-ka
"At the table of the physician of Enlil"
Nonetheless, I'm not sure if the table has more significance other than where you eat and drink. If it's the physician's table, perhaps it's saying that Lamaštu may not interfere with his tools while he aids the patient? If it's An and Enlil's table perhaps it saying Lamaštu may not touch food and drink ritually placed for them at a temple or shrine.
It can also be as originally stated: {gesz}banszur a-a-zu en-lil2-la2-ka
"At the table of your father, Enlil."
Line 13 Edit (11/11/16): As us4-he2-gal notes, Enlil was also regarded as Lamaštu's father as well (RLA 06, p. 439). Although, I'm not sure if this variation is diachronic or geographical. There's also the possibility that the first genitive is inherent to Enlil's name, thus Enlil.ak.ak (Lord/En of lil2, "Lord of Wind" for some scholars)
Edit (11/28/16) See Wiggerman 2000 "Lamaštu, Daughter of Anu. A Profile" p. 226. The incantation is wishing for Lamaštu to not seek sanctuary under her father Enlil, who has a temple and cult. Literally, the offering table.
Line 14-16: Repetition of zi pa3 and end of 2nd incantation.
Line 17: Begins with the description of Lamaštu as the daughter of An. This is attested in different Lamaštu incantation as well. It is important to remember, however, that there is discontinuity from the previous incantation above, which states Enlil is her father. This can be explained from the fact that the scribe is merely copying a set of incantations against Lamaštu. He is probably aware of the difference in narrative, but his job isn't to reflect on this discontinuity. It may be that the mythology is quite flexible and doesn't need to follow a strict adherence to "correct" genealogical relationships. Mesopotamian religion is quite messy (See Veldhuis 2003 - Sumerian Literature pp. 33-34 for a discussion on how gods are portrayed in different roles) and as far as I know, it isn't until the Neo-Assyrian period where mythologies were quite standardized and strict in narrative.
Line 18: dingir szesz is a little strange? Traditionally, szesz is "brother" so I would expect nin9 for "sister." Lamaštu is female afterall. I'm not sure if I could provide an explanation for this. (Edit 11/28/16) However, according to Wiggerman 2000, p 226, this line is another one of her titles. She is the divine sister of the "seven evil utukku-spirits," presumably the "gods of the street."
Line 19: When you compare the copy OECT 05, 55 and this, the next lines are interesting. AN-BU is stated on both tablets, however, it is possibly an error in copying that was copied to this tablet as well. If we assume it was copied from memory, then it's possible that the scribe forgot what the beginning of this line was supposed to be, which would explain the variation of the next signs in both tablets bar-re and bar-ra. Ra and re are phonologically similar and either one of the scribes working on their respective tablets probably forgot and attributed the wrong sign (or the right one). If I remember correctly AN-BU in later Akkadian renditions (from the NA period) of the beginning of this line refer to a sword/knife (patru). I'm not sure the lexical reasoning behind this, since the grammar in this line is already strange anyways. It's possible by the later period that the meaning behind AN-BU was already lost and replaced with what it might be. I think Tonietti thought AN-BU might be some kind of metal.
Let's assume there was mistakes in copying and there was the loss of the original Sumerian meaning (on both tablets). It's possible that the original signs read AN-<BAR>-SUG4 (iron). The sign SUG4 and BU are graphically very similar and it would be easy to confuse these in memory, creating a resemblance error. Bar was likely anticipated in the same line, but was divided and placed after AN-BU. RE or RA could have been an addition knowing that there was another sign in the line, but it was placed after the divided BAR as a complement and possibly replaced the omitted another sign (?). The line could be reconstructed as AN-<BAR>-SUG4 KA mu-gal2 "The iron (sword/dagger) gone into the mouth." (See Del Nero: Memorization and the Transmission of Sumerian Literature for a discussion about the different type of memory errors often seen in the Decad.) This might be pushing it, although, I would assume an incantation specialist/scribe writing 4 or 5 Lamastu incantations on one tablet is a little much given the similarities between zi-pa3 formulas. It's not unlikely he would mess up or forget a few signs, especially since this is the middle incantation and would be more forgettable than the first and final ones.
It is likely the line is to be read as is: She is the (type of sword) that splits, gone into the mouth. OECT 5, 55 would read the same, but rather I take bar-ra as an adjective, thus "splitting (type of sword) gone into the mouth." Later she is referenced in CT 17, 25 as "the dagger that splits the skull" or in other words causes a headache. Perhaps, Lamaštu is causing a toothache in this instance?
Line 20: OECT 5, 55 reads SZI-bi-la. It's possible that the scribe for our text placed the RA in this line when it was supposed to be in the previous line, assuming "bar-ra" is correct. bi-la could be a gloss of SZI or read separately, thus being bil.a. Bil is "to burn or ignite" and with a nominal, perhaps something along the lines of "the burn." SZI could also be read sze20 and would be homophonic to sze = izi = iszatu, according to the lexical list Emesal Vocab III, 99. It's likely this has something to do with fire, hence, "the goddess that released the burning (?) fire." (Note: will edit "burning" in later to the translation) Although, this is not literally fire, but I choose the literal translation. In reality, the fire in medical texts or incantation texts often refers to fever. Thus, in Lam. I 4: "who kindles the fire" or 75 "burns the body like fire". This line is surely referencing her pathological nature of causing fever. (See Wiggerman 2000 for more info.)
Line 21: This line also likely refers to her pathological nature. Although only provided with the beginning, it likely has to do with causing jaundice. Lam. I 71 references that she "turns the face yellow, and changes the features." (Wiggerman 2000, p. 231). First sign musz3 = face is likely referencing this, although, sza3-ge is obscure. It is unlikely to be taken as "stomach" but rather as the verb sig7 "to turn yellow/green." It might have to do with emesal vocabulary again.
Line 22: zi-pa3
Line 23: It is likely this line references a me-sze3 ba-da-dal incantation (See Horowitz Cosmic Geography 210-12): "like a bird of heaven may you fly away." Although Tonietti fills in this line with the rest of the Sumerian, I avoid doing so without having a copy or exemplar. I debated whether understanding KI as a part of muszen or separately as "with". I thought ki = with is usually found in mathematics and it would be weird to see it here. Tonietti understand this as "with," but includes comitative DA as part of the verbal phrase. I thought it may be something lost in translation, having to do with the kib bird, although, the kib bird is an estuary bird and not really described as a "bird of the sky." I suppose the line could read "with the birds of the sky" I just find KI = "with" strange.
At the moment I am busy, but I will make an effort to update the post when I have time. Feel free to comment on what's been written so far. There's still a lot more to come!
The text is already available on CDLI. Entry: P223432
I'm aware that Tonietti has published this incantation, but unfortunately I can't read Italian and it was somewhat overwhelming for me to try and understand her explanations of the text, including her translation. Thus, I provided my own transliteration and translation. Her article can be viewed and downloaded from Jstor at www.jstor.org/stable/43074841.
The text is an Old Babylonian tablet written in Sumerian, first published by Van Dijk in TIM 9 (Texts from the Iraq Museum). There seems to be 4 Lamaštu incantations written down (possibly 5 with one short Akkadian incantation lost?). It has a copy OECT 5, 055 of lines 17-20. Here is the text:
@obverse
$ beginning broken
1'. he2-ti-la!(AD) [...]
#tr.en: May he live ...
2'. zi an-na he2-[pa3 zi ki-a he2-pa3]
#tr.en: In heaven be exorcised; on earth be exorcised.
3'. zi en-lil2-la2 he2#-pa3# [zi nin-lil2-la2 he2-pa3]
#tr.en: By Enlil be exorcised; by Ninlil be exorcised;
4'. zi {d}asal-lu2-hi dumu# eridu{ki}-ga-ke4 he2#-pa3#
#tr.en: by Asalluhi, son of Eridu, be exorcised.
5'. ($ blank space $) KA-inim-ma {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-me
#tr.en: Incantation (against) Lamaštu.
$ double ruling
6'. he2-dadag-ge an en-lil2 en-ki {d}ne3-eri11-gal
#tr.en: May An, Enlil, Enki, and Nergal purify
7'. an 7(disz@v)-bi ki 7(disz@v)-bi en 7(disz@v)-bi su? 7(disz@v)-bi
#tr.en: the seven heavens, seven earths, seven en, and seven bodies(?)
8'. en-na lu2-ulu3 dumu# dingir-ra-na na-an-ga-ti-la
#tr.en: Until the man, son of his god, indeed lives,
#comments: na-an-ga-ti-la is difficult. /na/ I designate as the affirmative modal, which is still not understood.
/nga/ is also difficult, but having the meaning 'too' or 'as well'. In this context, it would be uncertain what this is referring to.
9'. u2 ba-ra-da-gu7-e a ba-ra-da-na8-na8
#tr.en: may you not eat food, may you not drink water,
10'. {gesz}gu-za ba#-ra-da-tusz {gesz}na2 ba-ra-da-nu2
#tr.en: on a chair, may you not sit, on a bed, may you not sleep,
11'. {gesz}gu-za ba-ra-da-tusz-u3-de3
#tr.en: on a chair, you will not sit,
12'. {gesz}na2 ba-ra-da-nu2-u3-de3
#tr.en: on a bed, you will not sleep,
13'. {gesz}banszur a-a-zu en-lil2-la2-ka# szu-zu ba-ra-bi2-in-tum4#
#tr.en: at the table of your father, Enlil, your hands may you not.
#comments: the last sign is damaged, but looks like the sign NIM, but possible tum3.
/-in-/ in the verbal chain is problematic, as it refers to the 3rd person final person prefix.
14'. {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-me zi an-na he2-pa3 zi ki-a he2-pa3#
#tr.en: Lamaštu, in heaven be exorcised, on earth be exorcised.
15'. zi dingir gal-gal-e#-ne he2-pa3
#tr.en: By the great gods be exorcised.
16'. ($ blank space $) KA-inim-ma {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-me
#tr.en: Incantation (against) Lamaštu.
$ double ruling
17'. {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-me mu# dumu an-na
#tr.en: Lamaštu, the name of the daughter of An.
18'. dingir szesz# dingir dumu sila [uri2{ki}-ma]
#tr.en: Divine sister, divine daughter of the streets of Ur.
19'. AN-BU bar-re KA [mu-gal2]
#tr.en: The a.-sword(?) that splits, gone into the mouth (?)
20'. dingir SZI-la-ra szu# [mu-un-bar]
#tr.en: The goddess that released the fire (?)
21'. musz3 sza3-ge x-[...]
#tr.en: The yellow face(?) ...
22'. zi dingir an-ki-[ka-ke4-ne he2-pa3]
#tr.en: By the gods of heaven and earth be exorcised.
23'. ki#?{muszen#} an-na x-[...]
#tr.en: The ki(-bird?) of the sky ...
@reverse
1. su8-ba ki ku3-ga tur3 amasz [nam-mi-in-gin]
#tr.en: The shepherd, on silver land, truly established a stall and sheepfold.
#comment: su8-ba is eme-sal for sipad = shepherd.
2. uz3# sag#-bi mu-un-lu uz3 [masz2 tur-bi mu-un-lu]
#tr.en: The head goat pastured, the kid pastured.
3. siki# uz3 gesz nu-zu siki# {munus?}<asz2>-gar3 gesz# [nu-zu]
#tr.en: Wool of a goat un-fertilized, wool of a kid un-fertilized.
4. ge6 babbar-bi zi-da# gab2-bu u3#-[me-ni-kesz2]
#tr.en: When their black and white (wool), on the right and left she tied for us,
5. ur-ge6 pu2-sag-ga2 nu2-a#
#tr.en: the black dog in a pit lain,
6. ur-babbar pu2 sag-ga2 nu2-a
#tr.en: and the white dog in a pit lain.
7. za3-be2 szu u3-mu-e-ti
#tr.en: At its side, you approached,
8. {d}uttu? munus sa6!(UR)-ga# bur-szu-ma gal
#tr.en: Uttu, beautiful woman, great matron,
9. um-ma bur-szu-ma# {d}inanna-ke4
#tr.en: the old woman of the matron, Inanna;
10. zi-da gab2-bu-ba# u3-mu-e-ri-nu
#tr.en: on its right, and left she spun (the wool) for you.
#comments: According to Mittermayer, Attinger (2006) the verb is likely read nu and not sir5.
In the verbal chain -e- the 2nd person prefix emphasizes the following 2nd person indirect object /ra/. I understand /ri/ as ra + ni (local prefix).
11. i3 ab2 ku3-ga# u3-mu-e-sub6-sub6
#tr.en: Butter of the silver cow you rubbed.
12. nam-szub eridu{ki}-ga# u3-mu-e-sum#
#tr.en: The incantation of Eridu you then cast.
13. {d}udug hul a-la2 hul {d}gidim hul gal5-la2# hul#
#tr.en: The evil u.-demon, the evil a.-ghost, the evil g.-ghost, the evil g.-demon,
14. {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-me {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)-a
#tr.en: Lamaštu, Labaṣu,
15. lu2 hul igi hul ka hul eme# hul#
#tr.en: the evil man, the evil eye, the evil mouth, the evil tongue,
16. bar-sze3 he2-em-ta-gub
#tr.en: indeed stepped out.
17. {d}gidim# sa6#-ga {d}lamma sa6-ga he2-em-da-su8-su8-ge-esz
#tr.en: May the good g.-ghost and good l.-spirit stand with it.
18. zi an-na he2-pa3 zi ki-a he2-pa3
#tr.en: In heaven be exorcised, on earth be exorcised,
19. zi {d}en-lil2-la2 he2-pa3 zi {d}nin-lil2-la2# he2#-pa3#
#tr.en: by Enlil be exorcised, by Ninlil be exorcised,
20. zi {d#}nin#-urta ur-sag kal-ga en-lil2-la2 he2-pa3#
#tr.en: by Ninurta, mighty warrior of Enlil, be exorcised,
21. zi {d}nusku# sukkal-mah en-lil2-la2-ka he2-pa3#
#tr.en: by Nusku, grand vizier of Enlil, be exorcised,
22. zi [{d}nin?-szubur?] ka# ba#-a#-ni# [an?-gin7?] nu#-bur2#?-da he2#-pa3#
#tr.en: by Ninšubur(?), whose speech like An(?) will not be undone(?), be exorcised.
$ rest broken
@left
@column 1
1. [...]-tu-ru
#tr.en: ...
2. [...]-x a-a i-tu#-ur#
#tr.en: May she(?) not return.
# in Akkadian
3. [...]-x ti#-la#?
#tr.en: (Sumerian:) ... life.
@column 2
1. KA-inim-ma {d}dimx(|LU2.GAM|)#-me
#tr.en: Incantation (against) Lamaštu.
The tablet: The end of each incantation is proceeded by a double ruling and the start of a new incantation. The double ruling was used as a means of separation for the scribe copying the incantations. (Edited 11/11/16)
Lines 1-5: encompass the first incantation, but its introduction is cut off and we're left with the ending formula which calls on the gods to exorcise Lamaštu.
Line 1: he2-ti-la is a very common formula although the last sign resembles AD rather than LA. The second sign could very well be TI, but it can also be the bottom wedges of the sign du7 with the initial winkelhaken cut off. If we assume that the final lines of the damaged Akkadian verse copy the last lines of this first incantation, then it may indeed be he2-ti-la. It is worth noting that Lamaštu's name is usually written dim3-me, but in this case the reading is assigned dimx because it is written using lu2 and gam.
Line 6: The second incantation begins with the title he2-dadag-ge followed by calling the the gods occupying each cosmic region of the world to purify Lamaštu. An = Sky, Enlil = Earth, Enki = Apsu, and Nergal = Netherworld (Horowitz 1998, pp. 212-13.) This phrase is often seen in non-canonical Lamaštu amulets, thus Horowitz posits that he2-dadag-ge "might be the title of the incantation" given that it occurs on amulets followed by the same gods. Note that grammatically he2-dadag-ge is a verbal chain with he2 - modal prefix in the precative, dadag - the verbal root meaning "to be bright" or "to purify" depending on the context, and ge(š) - the scribe nicely indicates it is in the maru marked with E. (edited 11/11/16)
Line 7: For me the last sign in enumeration resembles ZU given the second vertical wedge, but I choose to go with SU because other authors agree and there are no magical repetitions (that I know of) that use ZU. If I remember correctly Tonietti uses du6 = mound, but I see no resemblance to that sign, even in the OB period. Horowitz thinks that the repetition of non-cosmographical signs were referring to demons that have afflicted certain parts of the victim's body. The an 7-bi and ki 7-bi could be referring to the seven demons of heaven and earth or some Sumerian cosmological understanding of seven imposed heavens and earths, one whose meaning was lost. The meaning behind the EN sign in this group is obscure. Perhaps it's referring to seven divine priests? For more discussion about magical repetitions see Horowitz 1998, pp. 214-20.
Lines 8-12: These lines are pretty self-explanatory in meaning. Until the man afflicted recovers, may Lamaštu not eat, drink, or sleep. These are things that will be able to sustain her life. (Edit 11/28/16) These lines may be self-explanatory, however, it is also quite explanatory about Lamaštu's position as a demon. Although we only have a few tablets that mention Lamaštu's origin, we know that she was cast down from heaven by An or Enlil because she ate human flesh (she is the one who kills babies thereby disrupting the cosmic order of humans serving gods, however, this changes in the 1st millennium where her presence is part of the "divine order." See Wiggerman 2000 "Lamaštu, Daughter of Anu. A Profile" p. 225) She was previously divine, but is now a demon. As a demon she has no cult or temple that offers her shelter or food. Thus, she may attempt to take refuge or feed herself by taking these things by force. The incantation calls for the gods to interfere with this and aid the man (or humanity based on the interpretation of lu2-ulu3).
Line 13: I had trouble with this line, mostly because I do not understand its meaning and the sequence of signs are little confusing. (Edit 11/28/16) After reading Wiggerman (2000), this line is quite clear, but I choose to keep my initial thought process. Refer to last entry for this line.
First, we have {gesz}banszur a-a-zu en-lil2-la2-ka. The sign banszur = table is clear. The following sign A could be a locative attached to the inanimate table or form a noun a-a = father. It is a little strange for it to form a noun in apposition to Enlil because it occurs before the name it relates to. Normally in Sumerian grammar it occurs after, for example, lines 20 and 21. Moreover, Enlil is not Lamaštu's father, it's An. If the initial /a/ is a locative forming "At the table of...", there is still the capability of a shortened a-zu being "your father." The combination of a-zu can also mean physician or doctor, but it is not likely in apposition to another noun. En-lil2-la2-ka suggests that there are two genitive or one genitive and a locative forming a nominal chain. The final A in KA is not an ergative because Lamaštu is still the actor.
It is possible that the phrase is {gesz}banszur a-a-zu en-lil2-la2-ka
"At the table of your father, and of Enlil's, your hands may you not bring."
I don't know if the line is saying that the table is also Enlil's or that Enlil is also An's father (which makes sense.)
Perhaps it can also be: {gesz}banszur-a a-zu en-lil2-la2-ka
"At the table of the physician of Enlil"
Nonetheless, I'm not sure if the table has more significance other than where you eat and drink. If it's the physician's table, perhaps it's saying that Lamaštu may not interfere with his tools while he aids the patient? If it's An and Enlil's table perhaps it saying Lamaštu may not touch food and drink ritually placed for them at a temple or shrine.
It can also be as originally stated: {gesz}banszur a-a-zu en-lil2-la2-ka
"At the table of your father, Enlil."
Line 13 Edit (11/11/16): As us4-he2-gal notes, Enlil was also regarded as Lamaštu's father as well (RLA 06, p. 439). Although, I'm not sure if this variation is diachronic or geographical. There's also the possibility that the first genitive is inherent to Enlil's name, thus Enlil.ak.ak (Lord/En of lil2, "Lord of Wind" for some scholars)
Edit (11/28/16) See Wiggerman 2000 "Lamaštu, Daughter of Anu. A Profile" p. 226. The incantation is wishing for Lamaštu to not seek sanctuary under her father Enlil, who has a temple and cult. Literally, the offering table.
Line 14-16: Repetition of zi pa3 and end of 2nd incantation.
Line 17: Begins with the description of Lamaštu as the daughter of An. This is attested in different Lamaštu incantation as well. It is important to remember, however, that there is discontinuity from the previous incantation above, which states Enlil is her father. This can be explained from the fact that the scribe is merely copying a set of incantations against Lamaštu. He is probably aware of the difference in narrative, but his job isn't to reflect on this discontinuity. It may be that the mythology is quite flexible and doesn't need to follow a strict adherence to "correct" genealogical relationships. Mesopotamian religion is quite messy (See Veldhuis 2003 - Sumerian Literature pp. 33-34 for a discussion on how gods are portrayed in different roles) and as far as I know, it isn't until the Neo-Assyrian period where mythologies were quite standardized and strict in narrative.
Line 18: dingir szesz is a little strange? Traditionally, szesz is "brother" so I would expect nin9 for "sister." Lamaštu is female afterall. I'm not sure if I could provide an explanation for this. (Edit 11/28/16) However, according to Wiggerman 2000, p 226, this line is another one of her titles. She is the divine sister of the "seven evil utukku-spirits," presumably the "gods of the street."
Line 19: When you compare the copy OECT 05, 55 and this, the next lines are interesting. AN-BU is stated on both tablets, however, it is possibly an error in copying that was copied to this tablet as well. If we assume it was copied from memory, then it's possible that the scribe forgot what the beginning of this line was supposed to be, which would explain the variation of the next signs in both tablets bar-re and bar-ra. Ra and re are phonologically similar and either one of the scribes working on their respective tablets probably forgot and attributed the wrong sign (or the right one). If I remember correctly AN-BU in later Akkadian renditions (from the NA period) of the beginning of this line refer to a sword/knife (patru). I'm not sure the lexical reasoning behind this, since the grammar in this line is already strange anyways. It's possible by the later period that the meaning behind AN-BU was already lost and replaced with what it might be. I think Tonietti thought AN-BU might be some kind of metal.
Let's assume there was mistakes in copying and there was the loss of the original Sumerian meaning (on both tablets). It's possible that the original signs read AN-<BAR>-SUG4 (iron). The sign SUG4 and BU are graphically very similar and it would be easy to confuse these in memory, creating a resemblance error. Bar was likely anticipated in the same line, but was divided and placed after AN-BU. RE or RA could have been an addition knowing that there was another sign in the line, but it was placed after the divided BAR as a complement and possibly replaced the omitted another sign (?). The line could be reconstructed as AN-<BAR>-SUG4 KA mu-gal2 "The iron (sword/dagger) gone into the mouth." (See Del Nero: Memorization and the Transmission of Sumerian Literature for a discussion about the different type of memory errors often seen in the Decad.) This might be pushing it, although, I would assume an incantation specialist/scribe writing 4 or 5 Lamastu incantations on one tablet is a little much given the similarities between zi-pa3 formulas. It's not unlikely he would mess up or forget a few signs, especially since this is the middle incantation and would be more forgettable than the first and final ones.
It is likely the line is to be read as is: She is the (type of sword) that splits, gone into the mouth. OECT 5, 55 would read the same, but rather I take bar-ra as an adjective, thus "splitting (type of sword) gone into the mouth." Later she is referenced in CT 17, 25 as "the dagger that splits the skull" or in other words causes a headache. Perhaps, Lamaštu is causing a toothache in this instance?
Line 20: OECT 5, 55 reads SZI-bi-la. It's possible that the scribe for our text placed the RA in this line when it was supposed to be in the previous line, assuming "bar-ra" is correct. bi-la could be a gloss of SZI or read separately, thus being bil.a. Bil is "to burn or ignite" and with a nominal, perhaps something along the lines of "the burn." SZI could also be read sze20 and would be homophonic to sze = izi = iszatu, according to the lexical list Emesal Vocab III, 99. It's likely this has something to do with fire, hence, "the goddess that released the burning (?) fire." (Note: will edit "burning" in later to the translation) Although, this is not literally fire, but I choose the literal translation. In reality, the fire in medical texts or incantation texts often refers to fever. Thus, in Lam. I 4: "who kindles the fire" or 75 "burns the body like fire". This line is surely referencing her pathological nature of causing fever. (See Wiggerman 2000 for more info.)
Line 21: This line also likely refers to her pathological nature. Although only provided with the beginning, it likely has to do with causing jaundice. Lam. I 71 references that she "turns the face yellow, and changes the features." (Wiggerman 2000, p. 231). First sign musz3 = face is likely referencing this, although, sza3-ge is obscure. It is unlikely to be taken as "stomach" but rather as the verb sig7 "to turn yellow/green." It might have to do with emesal vocabulary again.
Line 22: zi-pa3
Line 23: It is likely this line references a me-sze3 ba-da-dal incantation (See Horowitz Cosmic Geography 210-12): "like a bird of heaven may you fly away." Although Tonietti fills in this line with the rest of the Sumerian, I avoid doing so without having a copy or exemplar. I debated whether understanding KI as a part of muszen or separately as "with". I thought ki = with is usually found in mathematics and it would be weird to see it here. Tonietti understand this as "with," but includes comitative DA as part of the verbal phrase. I thought it may be something lost in translation, having to do with the kib bird, although, the kib bird is an estuary bird and not really described as a "bird of the sky." I suppose the line could read "with the birds of the sky" I just find KI = "with" strange.
At the moment I am busy, but I will make an effort to update the post when I have time. Feel free to comment on what's been written so far. There's still a lot more to come!
