Etana
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- For the musician, see Etana (musician).
| Etana | |
|---|---|
| Title | King of Kish |
| Predecessor | Arwium |
| Successor | Balih |
| Children | Balih |
Etana was an ancient Sumerian king of the city of Kish. According to the Sumerian king list, he reigned after the deluge. He is listed as the successor of Arwium, the son of Mashda, as king of Kish. The list also calls Etana "the shepherd, who ascended to heaven and consolidated all the foreign countries", and states that he ruled 1,560 years (some copies read 635) before being succeeded by his son Balih, said to have ruled 400 years.
Contents
[hide]Myth of Etana[edit]
A Babylonian legend says that Etana was desperate to have a child, until one day he helped save an eagle from starving, who then took him up into the sky to find the plant of birth. This led to the birth of his son, Balih.
In the detailed form of the legend, there is a tree with the eagle's nest at the top, and a serpent at the base. Both the serpent and eagle have promisedUtu (the sun god) to behave well toward one another, and they share food with their children.
But one day, the eagle eats the serpent's children. The serpent comes back and cries. Utu tells the serpent to hide inside of the stomach of a dead bull. The eagle goes down to eat the bull. The serpent captures the eagle, and throws him into a pit to die of hunger and thirst. Utu sends a man, Etana, to help the eagle. Etana saves the eagle, but he also asks the bird to find the plant of birth, in order to become father of a son. The eagle takes Etana up to the heaven of the god Anu, but Etana becomes afraid in the air and he goes back to the ground. He makes another attempt, and finds the plant of birth, enabling him to have Balih.
So far versions in three languages have been found. The Old Babylonian version comes from Susa and Tell Harmal, the Middle Assyrian version comes from Assur, and the Standard version is from Nineveh .[1]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2350 B.C.E.
1
They
planned a city [ ]
2
The gods
laid tis foundations
3
They
planned the city [Kish?]
4
The
Igigi-gos founded its brickwork [ ]
5
Let [ ] be
their (the people´s) shepherd,
6
Let Etana
be their architect... "
7
The Great
Anunnaki gods ordainers of destinies,
8
Sat taking
their counsel concerning the land,
9
The
creators of the four world regions, establishers of all physical form,
10 By command of all of them the Igigi gods
11
Ordained a
festival for the people
12
No king
did they establish, over the teeming peoples,
13
At that
time no headdress had been assembled, nor crown,
14 Nor yet scepter had been set with lapis.
15 No throne daises whatsoever had been constructed,
16
Against
the inhabited world they barred the gates...
17
The Igigi
gods surrounded the city with ramparts
18
Ishtar
came down from heaven to seek a shepherd,
19
And sought
for a king everywhere.
20
Innina
came down from heaven to seek a shepherd,
21
And sought
for a king everywhere.
22
Enlil
examined the dais of Etana,
23
The man
whom Ishtar steadfastly....
24
She has
constantly sought....
25 Let kingship be established in the land,
25 Let the heart of Kish be joyful"
26
Kingship,
the radiant crown, throne [ ]
27
He (?)
brought and [ ]
28
The gods
of the lands....
29
(large
gap)
Chapter -
2
1 [ ] which he called [ ]....
3
[ ] he had
built a tower (?) [ ]
4
[ ] shrine
for Adad, the god [ ],
5
In the
shade of that shrine a poplar was growing [ ],
6
In its
crown an eagle settled,
7
A serpent
settled at its root.
8
Daily they
watched the wind beasts.
9
The eagle
made ready to speak, saying to the serpent,
10
Come, let
us make friendship,
11 Let us be comrades, you and I.
11
The
serpent made ready to speak, saying to the eagle,
12
If
indeed.... of friendship and [ ]
14 Then let us
swear a mighty oath of Shamash. 15 An abomination of the gods [ ]
16 Come then, let us set forth and go up the
high mountain to hunt.
13
Let us
swear an oath by the netherworld.
14 Before Shamash the warrior they swore the oath,
15
Whoever
transgresses the limits of Shamash
20 May Shamash deliver him as an offender into
the hands of the executioner,
16
Whoever
transgresses the limits of Shamash,
22 May the mountains remove their praises far
away from him,
17
May the
oncoming weapon make straight for him,
24 May the trap and curse of Shamash overthrow
him and hunt him down!"
18
After they
had sworn the oath by the netherworld,
19
They set
forth, going up the high mountains,
20
Each day
by turns watching for the wild beasts,
21
The eagle
would hunt down wild oxen and gazelle,
22
The
serpent would eat, turn away, then his children would eat.
23
The eagle
would hunt down wild sheep and aurochs,
24 The serpent would eat, turn away, then his children would eat.
25 The serpent would hunt down beasts of the field, the creatures of earth,
26
The eagle
would eat, turn away, then his children would eat the food,
27
The
eagle´s children grew big and flourished.
28
After the
eagle´s children were grown big and were flourishing,
29
The
eagle´s heart indeed plotted evil,
30
Evil his
heart plotted indeed!
31
He set his
thoughts upon eating his friend´s young!
32
The eagle
made ready to speak, saying to its children:
33
I will eat the serpent´s children, the serpent [ ], 41 I will go up and
dwell in heaven,
34 If I descend from the crown of the tree, ... the king.
36
Do not
eat, my father!
45 The net of Shamash will hunt you down,
46 The mesh and
oat of Shamash will overthrow yu and hunt you down. 47 Whoever transgresses the
limits of Shamash,
48 Shamash will deliver him as an offender into
the hands of the executioner!
37
He did not
heed them, nor listen to his sons´ words,
38
He
descended and ate up the serpents´ children,
39
In the
evening of the same day,
40
The
serpent came, bearing his burden,
41
At the
entrance to his nest he cast down the meat,
42
He looked
around, his nest was gone"
43
He looked
down, his children were not [ ]!
44 The eagle had gouged the ground with his talon,
45 The cloud of dust from the sky darkened the sky.
46
The
serpent.... weeping before Shamash,
47
Before
Shamash the warrior his tears ran down,
48
I trusted
in you, O warrior Shamash,
61 I was the one who gave provisions to the
eagle,
49
Now my
nest [ ]!
63 My nest is gone, while his nest is safe,
50
My young are destroyed, while his young are safe, 65 He descended and
ate up my children!
51
You know, O Shamash, the evil he has done to me, 67 Truly, O Shamash
your net is the wide earth,
52
Your trap
is the distant heaven,
69 The eagle must not escape from your net,
53
That
malignant Anzu who harbored evil against his friends!
54 When he had heard the serpent´s lament,
55 Shamash made ready to speak, and said to him:
56
Go your way and cross the mountain, 74 I have captured for you a wild
ox.
57
Open its insides, rend its belly, 76 Set an ambush in its belly,
58
Every kind of bird of heaven will come down to eat the meat. 78 The
eagle will come down with them to eat the meat,
59
As he will
not know the evil in store for him,
80 He will search for the juiciest meat [ ], he
will walk about outside,
60
He will work his way into the covering of the instestines, 82 When he
comes inside, seize him by his wings,
61
Cut off his wings, his pinions and tailfeathers, 84 Pluck him and cast
him into a bottomless pit,
62
Let him
die there of hunger and thirst.
63
As Shamash
the warrior commanded,
64 The serpent went and crossed the mountain.
66
He opened
its insides, he rent its belly.
67
He set an
ambush in its belly.
68
Every kind
of bird of heaven came down to eat the meat.
69
Did the
eagle know of the evil in store for him?
70
He would
not eat the meat with the other birds!
71
The eagle
made ready to speak, saying to his children:
72
Come, let
us go down and we too eat the meat of the wild ox.
73
The little
fledgling, exceedingly wise, said these words to the eagle, his father:
74 Do not go down, father, no doubt the serpent is
lurking inside the wild ox.
75 The eagle said to himself,
76
Are the
birds afraid? How is it they eat the meat in peace?
77
He did not
listen to them, he did not listen to his sons´ words,
78
He
descended and perched on the wild ox.
79
The eagle
looked at the meat, searching in front and behind it.
80
A second
tme he looked at the meat, searching in front and behind it,
81
He walked
around outside, he worked his way into the covering of the intestines,
82
When he
came inside, the serpent seized him by his wings,
83
You
intruded... you intruded...!
107 The eagle made ready to speak, saying to the
serpent:
108 Have mercy on me! I will make you such a
gift as a king´s ransom!"
84 The serpent made ready to speak, saying to the
eagle:
85
If I release you, how shall I answer to Shamash o high? 111 Your
punishment would turn upon me,
86
Me, the
one to lay punishment upon you!
87
He cut off
his wings, pinions and tail feathers,
88
He plucked
him and cast him into a pit.
89
That he
should die there of hunger and thirst.
90
As for
him, the eagle,.....[ ]
91
He kept on
beseeching Shamash day after day:
92
Am I to
die in a pit?
119 Who would know how your punishment was
imposed upon me?
93
Save my
life, the eagle!
121 Let me cause your name to be heard for all
time.
94 Shamash made ready to speak and said to the
eagle:
95
You are
wicked and have done a revolting deed,
124 You committed an abomination of the gods, a
forbidden act.
96
Were you not under oath? I will not come near you, 126 There, there! A
man I will send you will help you"
97
Etana kept
on bseeching Shamash day after day.
98
O Shamash,
you have dined from my fattest sheep!
99
I have honored the gods and revered the spirits, 131 Dream intepreters
have used up my incense,
100
Gods have used up my lambs in slaughter. 133 O Lord, give the command!
101
Grant me
the plant of birth [of insight]!
135 Reveal to me the plant of birth [of
insight]!
102
Relieve me
of my burden, grant me an heir!
103
Shamash
made ready to speak and said to Etana:
104 Relieve me of my burden, grant me an heir!
105 Shamash made ready to speak and said to Etana:
106
Find a
pit, look inside,
141 An eagle is cast within it.
107
He will
reveal to you the plant of birth.
108
Etana went
his way.
109
He found
the pit, he looked inside
110
The eagle
was cast within it
111 There he was for him to bring up!
Chapter -
3
1
The eagle
looked at him....
2
He said [
] to Etana,
3
You are Etana, king of the wild beasts, 4 You are Etana, [ ] among (?)
birds. 5 Bring me up from this pit
6 Give me [ ] your hand,
7 ..... [ ],
4
I will
sing your praises for all time".
5
Etana said
to the eagle these words:
6
If I save
your life, [ ]
11 If I bring you up from the pit,
12 From that moment we must be ..........
7
[ ] to me
[ ]
14 From sunrise till [ ]
8
..... [ ]
16 I will grant you the plant of life".
9
When Etana
heard this,
10 He filled the front of the pit with [ ]
11
Next he
threw in.... [ ]
12
He kept
throwing in [ ] in front of him,
13
The
eagle.... from the pit
14 As for him, he flapped his wings,
15 A first time and a second time... the eagle in the pit,
17
A third
time and a fourth time... [the eagle ... in? The pit
18
As for
him, he flapped his wings
19
A fifth
and a sixth time....
20
(fragmentary
lines, then gap)
21
He took
him by the hand in his seventh month in the pit,
22
In the
eighth month he brought him over the edge of his pit,
23
The eagle
took food like a ravening lion,
24 He gained strength.
25 The eagle made ready to speak and said to Etana,
26
My friend!
Let us be friends, you and I!
35 Ask of me whatever you desire and I shall
give it to you .
27
Etana made
ready to speak and said to the eagle:
28
My eyes..... open up what is hidden. 38 (gap)
39 Etana and the eagle become
friends. Etana has dreams, which he relates to the eage. 40 [ ] above
41 [ ] at my feet
42 The eagle made Etana understand the dream,
43 [ ] seated before him,
44 [ ] your dream is propitious,
29
[ ] burden is brought, 46 They will give [ ]
30
You have done [ ] of the people 48 You will seize... in your hand,
31
The sacred bond [ ] above 50 [ ] at your feet."
32
Etana said
to him, to the eagle.
33
My friend, I saw a second dream, 53 [ ] reeds [ ] in the house,
34 In all [ ], the whole land,
35
They
heaped up loads of them in piles,
56 [ ] enemies, they were wicked serpents,
36
[ ] were
coming before me,
58 [ ] they were kneeling before me".
37
The eagle
made Etana understand the dream
38
[ ] seated
bore him
39
[ ] your
dream is propitious
Chapter -
4
1
The eagle
made ready to speak, saying to Etana:
2
My
friend... that god....
3 We passed through the gates of Anu, Enlil and
Ea,
3 We passed through the gates of Sin, Shamash,
Adad and Ishtar,
5
I saw a
house with windows, it had no seal
6
I.... and
went inside.
7
A
remarkable young woman was seated therein,
8
She was
imposing... beautiful of feature.
9
A throne
was set out, the ground was trodden down,
10 Under the throne [ ] lions were crouching,
11
As I went
in, the lions sprang at me.
12
I awoke
with and start and shuddered [ ]".
13
The eagle
siad to him, to Etana:
14
My friend,
the [ ] are obvious,
16 Come, let me take you up to heaven,
17 Put your chest against my chest,
18 Put your hands against my wing feathers,
19 Put your arms against my sides.
15 He put his chest against his chest,
16
He put his
hands against his wing feathers,
17
He put his
arms against his sides,
18
Great
indeed was the burden upon him.
19
When he
bore him aloft one league,
20
The eagle
said to him, to Etana:
21
Look, my
friend, how the land is now
27 Examine the sea, look for its boundaries
28 The land is hills...
29 The sea has become a stream.
22
When he
had borne him aloft a second league,
23
The eagle
said to him, said to Etana,
24
Look, my friend, how the land is now! 33 The land is a hill.
25 When he had borne him aloft a third league,
26
The eagle
said to him, said to Etana,
27
Look, my
friend, how the land is now!
28
The sea
has become a garedener´s ditch.
29
After they
had ascended to the heaven of Anu,
30
They
passed through the gates of Anu, Enlil and Ea,
31
The eagle
and Etana did obeisance together,
32
At the
gate of Sin
33
The eagle
and Etana did obeisance together
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