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Voices of older days have spoken: Lahmu, Laham, Anshar have spoken, each of them uttered three names; they said to the children,
'Three names he has from each of us, three names he needs from you.'
As once before in Synod in Ubshukinna, at the place of decision, the young gods eagerly talked together,
'He is the hero, our son, our avenger, we will praise the name of our defender.'
They sat down together to shape his destiny, and all of then chanted his names in the Sanctuary.
PLACE: Babylon
TIME: prehistory (mms. dates from ca. 1000 B.C.)
CIRCUMSTANCE: from 'The Creation'
Poems of Heaven and Hell from Ancient Mesopotamia, translated by N.K. Sandars, Penguin Books, 1971, p.102-103.
KINMA, adviser and leader,
his name strikes terror in gods,
the roar of the tornado....
His name is also ADDU,
wet weather and the welcome storm,
the kindly roar of thunder
hovering over earth.
After the storm the clouds break up
at his word, and under heaven
all people daily have their bread from him.PLACE: Babylon
TIME: prehistory (mms. dates from ca. 1000 B.C.)
CIRCUMSTANCE: The Hymn of the Fifty Names of Marduk, from 'The Creation'
Poems of Heaven and Hell from Ancient Mesopotamia, translated by N.K. Sandars, Penguin Books, 1971, p.108-109.
The two rims of the river of hell are the rapier thrust
of terror, a raging lion guards it
and who can face his fury? Here also lie
the rainbow gardens of the Lady.PLACE: Sumeria
TIME: prehistory (mms. dates from ca. 1000 B.C.)
CIRCUMSTANCE: from 'The Sumerian Underworld.' The only apparent animals mentioned in ancient Mesopotamian texts are the lion and the bull; thus, a 'raging' lion would seem to refer to the sound of the lion.
Poems of Heaven and Hell from Ancient Mesopotamia, translated by N.K. Sandars, Penguin Books, 1971, p. 115.
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