QUESTION FROM OUR READERS: WHO IS THE GODDESS WHOM NO ONE WORSHIPPETH?

Greetings!

 

I would like to thank Mr. David Stolowitz for his recent comment under the article entitled; THE SIMON NECRONOMICON PANTHEON PART 1: UNDERSTANDING LAMMASHTA, Mr. Stolowitz writes:

 

“Do you think that perhaps Lamashtu might be the “Goddess Whom No One Worships” from the Urilia text? It would provide a story that explained the theft of infants and youthful energyies”

 

This is a very interesting question and the answer to it involves a deeper understanding as to who LAMASHTU really is. First, let us look at the reference in the Simon Necronomicon about the ‘Goddess Whom No One Worships.’ The Simon Necronomicon on page 197-198 states the following:

 

“And when thou hast set out bread for the dead to eat, remember to pour honey thereupon, for it is pleasing to the Goddess Whom No One Worshippeth, Who wanders by night through the streets amid the howling of the dogs and the wailing of the infants, for in Her time a great Temple was built unto Her and sacrifices of infants made that She might save the City from the Enemies who dwelt without. And the Number of infants thus slain is countless and unknowable. And She did save that City, but it was taken soon thereafter when the people no more offered up their children. And when the people made to offer again, at the time of the attack, the Goddess turned her back and fled from her temple, and it is no more. And the Name of the Goddess is no more known. And She maketh the infants restless, and to cry, so the reason for the pouring of honey over the sacred bread, for it is written:

Bread of the Cult of the Dead in its Place I eat

In the Court prepared

Water of the Cult of the Dead in its Place I drink

A Queen am I, Who has become estranged to the Cities

She that comes from the Lowlands in a sunken boat

Am I.

I AM THE VIRGIN GODDESS

HOSTILE TO MY CITY

A STRANGER IN MY STREETS.

MUSIGAMENNA URUMA BUR ME YENSULAMU

GIRME EN!

Oh, Spirit, who understand thee? Who comprehend Thee?”

 

From the above passage, it is evident that this Goddess had a Great Temple built unto her. I have found no record of this concerning LAMASHTU, but if we look a little deeper into who LAMASHTU is, then it may take us one step closer to finding out, who is the ‘Goddess Whom No One Worships?’

In our previous discussion about LAMASHTU, we were able to find out that she was described in the Sumerian texts as the ‘daughter of ANU.’

In the book Cosmos, Chaos, and the World to Come by Norman Cohn, it mentions on page 54 concerning LAMASHTU:

“Born in heaven as the daughter of Anu himself, she proved so wicked that she was cast down to earth.”

The above passage tells us that LAMASHTU, although very powerful, was not considered a celestial deity. She was cast down to earth, which means that she did not correspond to the celestial body Venus. This would exclude her from being considered as another aspect of ISHTAR An Assyrian incantation gives us a similar description of LAMASHTU:

“She is a haunt, she is malicious, Offspring of a god, daughter of Anu. For her malevolent will, her base counsel, Anu her father dashed her down from heaven to earth, For her malevolent will, her inflammatory counsel. Her hair is askew, her loincloth is torn away”

Since LAMASHTU was cast down to the earth, she could be considered an ‘Earthly deity.’

Wikipedia offers us the following to definitions as to what the legend of LAMASHTU finally evolved into:

 

“The Lilitu, the Akkadian Ardat-Lili and the Assyrian La-bar-tu like Lilith, were figures of disease and uncleanliness. Ardat is derived from “ardatu”, a title of prostitutes and young unmarried women, meaning “maiden”. One magical text tells of how Ardat Lili had come to “seize” a sick man.[1] Other texts mention Lamashtu as the hand of Inanna/Ishtar in place of Lilitu and Ardat lili…..Lamashtu (Sumer Dimme) was a very similar Mesopotamian demon to Lilitu and Lilith seems to have inherited many of Lamashtu’s myths.[24] She was considered a demi-goddess and daughter of Anu, the sky god.[25] Many incantations against her mention her status as a daughter of heaven and exercising her free will over infants. This makes her different from the rest of the demons in Mesopotamia. Unlike her demonic peers, Lamashtu was not instructed by the gods to do her malevolence; she did it on her own accord. She was said to seduce men, harm pregnant women, mothers, and neonates, kill foliage, drink blood, and was a cause of disease, sickness, and death. Some incantations describe her as “seven witches”.[26] The space between her legs is as a scorpion, corresponding to the astrological sign of Scorpio. (Scorpio rules the genitals & sex organs.) Her head is that of a lion, she has Anzu bird feet like Lilitu, her breasts are suckled by a pig and a dog, and she rides the back of a donkey.[27]

It is interesting to note that LAMASHTU/LILITH was considered the hand of ISHTAR. In some accounts she is called the “right’ hand of ISHTAR. Lady E.S.Drower: The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran, Clarendon Press, Oxford,1937, states the following:

“She is seen as the dark face of Ishtar and appears as the right hand of Inanna. She is probably the Babylonian Lilitu.”

The Lilitu, mentioned in the quote above were also known as the succuli, or incubi. These spirits of the wind would gather sexual fluids from men and women to impregnate themselves, or their kind and create offspring. The Simon Necronomicon describes these offspring in the MAGAN Text. However, for the purpose of this discussion, the above quote shows us that LAMASHTU’LILITH was known as the right hand of ISHTAR/INANNA. What does the term right hand of ISHAR really refer to?

Some clues as to the answer to this question, also lie in the description of LAMASHTU/LILITH as being described as the dark face of ISHTAR. In one of our previous discussions we spoke about the ARRA Sign, and the following observation was made about the pentagram. Wikipedia offers us this interesting highlight:

“The pentagram has long been associated with the planet Venus, and the worship of the goddess Venus, or her equivalent. It is also associated with the Roman word lucifer, which was a term used for Venus as the Morning Star, associated with the bringer of light and knowledge. It is most likely to have originated from the observations of prehistoric astronomers.[3] When viewed from Earth, successive inferior conjunctions of Venus plot a nearly perfect pentagram shape around the zodiac every eight years”

 

Simply put, Venus makes a perfect pentagram around the zodiac every eight Earth years, which is thirteen Venus years. Within this time earth also plots a perfect pentagram. This means that the planet Earth follows the same pattern that Venus does in making a pentagram around the zodiac every eight years, as they appear to travel side by side. Checkout the diagram that is displayed on the lower page of this link, it shows the heavenly movements of Venus and the Earth:

 

 

http://www.mikecrowson.co.uk/pentagram.html

 

This would mean then that LAMASHTU/LILITH is called the right hand of ISHTAR because LAMASHTU is actually a reference to the black earth or NINHURSAG

Here are a few comparisons between LAMASHTU and NINHURSAG

LAMASHTU is spoken of as being the ‘daughter of ANU”

NINHURSAG-Mother of The Gods – Queen of the mountainhead. She was the daughter of Anu but her mother was not Antu. She was on the heavens having come here before Mankind. Texts record that when the Gods divided Earth up – she was given Dilmon

LAMASHTU is described as having the head of a Lion.

NINHURSAG is also described as having a head of a Lion. We spoke about this in our article on LAMASHTU. Notice what is mentioned in that article:

“in the book Flying Serpents and Dragons by R. A. Boulaym the author makes the following observations:

“We have seen that SAG means “lions head,” thus HUR-SAG would be “the monster that roars.”

 

If we were to use the above quote as a template, the term NINHURSAG could be defined as “Lady Monster who roars.” LAMASHTU is said to roar like a lion. Here is the image below NINHURSAG is depicted as a ‘lion-headed goddess:

 

NINHURSAG has many names, one of them being Mudkesda (blood-stauncher)

 

LAMASHTU is said to suck upon the blood of the infant. LAMASHTU is said to have resided in heaven until she was cast down by ANU. NINHURSAG (or KI) was cast down by, or separated from ANU during the early days of creation. The list goes on and on, but one should also take into account the famous epic of NINHURSAG and ENKI wherein NINHURSAG is said to have told the young maiden Utu, to abort ENKI’s fetus and to bury it deep within the Earth, and from this act eight plants sprout, which later made ENKI sick. LAMASHTU is said to prey upon the unborn. She is also said to travel with the “seven sisters.” This fact that LAMASHTU is another aspect of NINHURSAG explains one of the most controversial passages written in the URILLA Text, as found on page 186:

 

“When the Fire is built and conjured, then mayest thou raise thine Dagger, summoning the assistance of NINKHARSAG, Queen of the Demons,”

 

Here NINHURSAG is described as the Queen of the Demons because the Mad Arab knew the correspondence between NINHURSAG and LAMASHTU. This also explains why there are no banishings for LAMASHTU in the entire Simon Necronomicon. Interestingly, S.N. Kramer in his writing Sumerian Mythology, lists NINHURSAG as one of the most prominent and powerful deities, yet their can be found no records of any cult that worshiped her. It seems that during the Paleolithic period Earth and fertility systems were one in the same. Some correspondences were also made to lunar changes, since these governed the woman’s menstrual cycle. However, over time more emphasis was put on astrological studies and soon cults that revered the earth were assimilated into the Goddess INANNA, or they eventually died out. It should also be noted that LAMASHTU was the Sumerian deity DIMME, and it seems as if the invading Akkadians, refused to honor the feminine deity, as one of great power. So they used the image of NINHURSAG, yet demonized her other aspects of independence, and because she was a Goddess in her own right that acted independently or in her own accord, as was the case with NINHURSAG/LAMASHTU. There is nothing in the description of NINHURSAG/LAMASHTU that could be attributed to the Goddess Whom No One Worshippeth. So let us look into the history of another Goddess-ISHTAR

 

First, we have to look at a Goddess to whom children were sacrifice to in order to find out who was the Goddess spoken of in the URILLA Text. Wikipedia makes this observation under its article on “infanticide”

 

“Infants were offered to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar.”

 

There are many references to the worship of ISHTAR and infant sacrifice. Most of these references are posed by the Judaic-Christian scholars, though there is no solid evidence. It does seem to indicate that at one time the science of the Ancient Tantric Adept were lost to the uninitiated who tried to adopt their teachings, only to translate metaphoric truths literally. This led to some infant sacrifice by those who claim to be authentically connected with the rites of INANNA.

 

Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics Part 13 by James Hastings, states the following on page 433

“Sacrifice of infants, which were so common in the cult of Ashart…is not yet proved in the cult of Ishtar.,,For supposed evidences of it…the discovery of brick stamps mentioning a temple of Ishtar,  numerous small houses containing obscene figures, and beneath one of these  eight clay coffins containing infant bones. These seem similar to the jar-burials of infants in the mounds of Palestine.”

So there are some cases pointing to infant sacrifice by infidels without proper understanding of the rites. One question that arises from this discussion is how were these teaching misinterpreted to cause infanticide in the case of worship to Ishtar?

If we remember that previously in our discussion, we noted that the Earth follows the same pattern as Venus does in making a pentagram, which takes eight Earth years. Eight earth years is equivalent to thirteen Venus years, since Venus rotates around the Sun in a shorter time. So we are presented with two numbers, 8 and 13, The sum of 8 and 13 is 21, plus we are to add 1, which would be the fools card and we would have the number of cards in the Major Arcana. We would also have the 22 paths which correspond to the Kabbalah, and this is how the ancients derived this number. 13 also represents the number of moons in a lunar year according to the ancient calendar. This is how we are able to determine the age of the Mad Arab at the time he wrote The Book of Black Earth. The Simon Necronomicon on page 5, states the following:

“THIS IS THE TESTIMONY of all that I have seen, and all that I have learned, in those years that I have possessed the Three Seals of MASSHU. I have seen One Thousand-and-One moons, and surely this is enough for the span of a man’s life, though it is said the Prophets lived much longer.”.

The Mad Arab states that he has lived for 1,001 moons. If we were to divide the number 1,001 by 13 (the number of moons in an ancient lunar calendar) we would get 77. However, this was not the actual age of the Mad Arab for he later writes in the Simon Necronomicon on page 15 the following:

“But now, after One Thousand-and-One moons of the journey, the Maskim nip at my heels, the Rabishu pull at my hair, Lammashta opens her dread jaws,”

From the above passage, it is evident that the 1,001 moon that the Mad Arab speaks about is a figurative number concerning how long he was initiated into the system. Ironically, this topic appears on pages 5 and 15, numbers that are attributed to ISHTAR. This also shows us that those who are referred to as the ARRA, had a certain affinity with the planet Venus. However, the Mad Arab uses the number 1,001, in another section of the Simon Necronomicon:

“In the Ceremonies of Calling, any type of Spirit may be summoned and detained until It has answered your questions or provided you with whatever you desire. The Spirits of the Dead may be invoked. The Spirits of the Unborn may be invoked. The Spirits of the Seven Spheres may be invoked. The Spirits of the Flame may be invoked. In all, there may be One Thousand-and-One Spirits that are of principal importance, and these you will come to know in the course of your experiments. There are many others, but some have no power, and will only confuse.”

Why did the Mad Arab state that there are 1,001 spirits that may be invoked, which is the same number of months that he Walked the Gates? The answer is very simple. We covered it in our previous discussions when we defined the term “invocation.” Through our GateWalking we have intercourse with spirits and through this communion our desires and thoughts take a life of its own. We create children due to our intercourse with these spirits. Notice what Wikipedia stats under the definition of Succubus:

 

“According to the Malleus Maleficarum, or “Witches’ Hammer”, written by Heinrich Kramer (Insitoris) in 1486, Succubi would collect semen from the men they slept with, which incubi would then use to impregnate women,[3] thus explaining how demons could apparently sire children in spite of the traditional belief that demons were incapable of reproduction through generative or gestative means. Children so begotten were supposed to be those that were born deformed, or more susceptible to supernatural influences.[4]”

These ‘children’ were not children in the literal sense, but spirits. This is what is meant by the following words in the MAGAN Text:

“THEY ARE THE CHILDREN

BORN OF EARTH

THAT IN THE CREATION

OF ANU WERE SPAWNED.”

The creation of Anu refers to our process of enlightenment, in the Qliphotic sense. Thus, we find that the number 77 is figurative of the GateWalking Process itself. It should be noted that the Mad Arab mentions this number twice, as the value in it is in the sum of 77 + 77 = 154. The number 154 is very important to the GateWalker, as it is the value of the path of Walking.

NANNA= 30, NEBO=12, ISHTAR= 15, SHAMMASH= 20,  NERGAL= 8, MARDUK= 10, ADAR= 4, This gives us a total of 99.  Now we are to add the number 50, as we receive the power of the Fifty Names in the sphere of Marduk. This would give is the sum of 149, Now we must add 1 as the value of Man of KI, which gives us a total of 150. yet we are still short by four, but we must also remember that in the SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL TO 777 that appears in the Introduction of the Simon Necronomicon are also listed the elements, which are 4. This would give us a total of 154. Now we must remember that we stated earlier that when we are Walking the Initiatory Gates, we are Walking through the same path that the soul takes when it dies. Therefore, these aspects are not in the positive since, but the shadow side of the celestial realm. For us to gain balance we have to walk the higher spheres. ANU= 60, ENLIL= 50, ENKI= 40, which gives us a total of 150, plus the four elements take a different form in these spheres. Now this is something very important for the GateWalker to understand. KI (NINHURSAG)  has a value of 1, but it can also be compared to the Fool Card in the tarot deck. It is when we Walk KI that the invocation changes from North to South. We have to remember that the realm of the Gods, lies in a different direction than the Initiatory Gates. We covered this information in our article,  THE ANCIENT ART OF GATEWALKING PART 3. Notice what one point that we covered in this article:

“it is important for us to define what a “Gate” actually is. On the Cave of the Nymphs in the Thirteenth Book of the Odyssey From the Greek of Porphyry Translated by Thomas Taylor states:

 

“Theologists therefore assert, that these two gates are Cancer and Capricorn; but Plato calls them entrances. And of these, theologists say, that Cancer is the gate through which souls descend; but Capricorn that through which they ascend. Cancer is indeed northern, and adapted to descent; but Capricorn is southern, and adapted to ascent (note 12). The northern parts, likewise, pertain to souls descending into generation. And the gates of the cavern which are turned to the north are rightly said to be pervious to the descent of men; but the southern gates are not the avenues of the Gods, but of souls ascending to the Gods. On this account, the poet does not say that they are the avenues of the Gods, but of immortals.”

 

We can see from the above quote that in our ascension to the spheres beyond ADAR the calling is to the South. If we are to still work with the elements of death, then are Calling would be to the North as stated in the URILLA Text.

 

The laws of Tantra dictate that a child maybe born impaired if it is conceived under stormy conditions. The works of His Lai and the White Tigress teachings confirm this. He mentions the ancient Taoist belief that conception during a thunderstorm, for example, would cause the child to be born with impaired hearing. We also know that Earth storms are created due to celestial storms stemming from changes in the Sun’s atmosphere. More information can be viewed here:

 

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/23oct_superstorm.htm

 

So if celestial events affect Earth’s weather and in some Tantric schools of thought, the weather effects an infant at the time of conception. It would make since as to why the Ancients attributed certain things to the movements of Venus, as she may have been a cause of miscarriage and etc, depending on her motion. Thus, it is clear that ISHTAR is the Goddess Whom No One Worshippeth, when we read the famous epic, aslo known as the Curse of Agade:

 

“Old Babylonian version

1-9After Enlil’s frown had slain Kic as if it were the Bull of Heaven, had slaughtered the house of the land of Unug in the dust as if it were a mighty bull, and then Enlil had given the rulership and kingship from the south as far as the highlands to Sargon, king of Agade — at that time, holy Inana established the sanctuary of Agade as her celebrated woman’s domain; she set up her throne in Ulmac.

10-24Like a young man building a house for the first time, like a girl establishing a woman’s domain, holy Inana did not sleep as she ensured that the warehouses would be provisioned; that dwellings would be founded in the city; that its people would eat splendid food; that its people would drink splendid beverages; that those bathed for holidays would rejoice in the courtyards; that the people would throng the places of celebration; that acquaintances would dine together; that foreigners would cruise about like unusual birds in the sky; that even Marhaci would be re-entered on the tribute rolls; that monkeys, mighty elephants, water buffalo, exotic animals, as well as thoroughbred dogs, lions, mountain ibexes (some mss. have instead: mountain beasts (?)) (some mss. have instead: horses), and alum sheep with long wool would jostle each other in the public squares.

25-39She then filled Agade’s stores for emmer wheat with gold, she filled its stores for white emmer wheat with silver; she delivered copper, tin, and blocks of lapis lazuli to its granaries and sealed its silos from outside. She endowed its old women with the gift of giving counsel, she endowed its old men with the gift of eloquence. She endowed its young women with the gift of entertaining, she endowed its young men with martial might, she endowed its little ones with joy. The nursemaids who cared for (some mss. have instead: of) the general’s children played the aljarsur instruments. Inside the city tigi drums sounded; outside it, flutes and zamzam instruments. Its harbour where ships moored was full of joy. All foreign lands rested contentedly, and their people experienced happiness.

40-56Its king, the shepherd Naram-Suen, rose as the daylight on the holy throne of Agade. Its city wall , like a mountain, (1 ms. has instead: , a great mountain,) reached the heavens. It was like the Tigris going to (some mss. have instead: flowing into) the sea as holy Inana opened the portals of its city-gates and made Sumer bring its own possessions upstream by boats. The highland Martu, people ignorant of agriculture, brought spirited cattle and kids for her. The Meluhans, the people of the black land, brought exotic wares (some mss. have instead: wares of foreign countries) up to her. Elam and Subir loaded themselves with goods for her as if they were packasses. All the governors, the temple administrators (1 ms. has instead: generals), and the accountants of the Gu-edina regularly supplied the monthly and New Year offerings. What a weariness all these caused at Agade’s city gates! Holy Inana could hardly receive all these offerings. As if she were a citizen there, she could not restrain (?) the desire (?) to prepare the ground for a temple.

57-65But the statement coming from the E-kur was disquieting. Because of Enlil (?) all Agade was reduced (?) to trembling, and terror befell Inana in Ulmac. She left the city, returning to her home. Holy Inana abandoned the sanctuary of Agade like someone abandoning the young women of her woman’s domain. Like a warrior hurrying to arms, she removed (some mss. have instead: tore away) the gift of battle and fight from the city and handed them over to the enemy.

66-76Not even five or ten days had passed and Ninurta brought the jewels of rulership, the royal crown, the emblem and the royal throne bestowed on Agade, back into his E-cumeca. Utu took away the eloquence of the city. Enki took away its wisdom. An took up (some mss. have instead: out) (1 ms. has instead: away) into the midst of heaven its fearsomeness that reaches heaven. Enki tore out its well-anchored holy mooring pole from the abzu. Inana took away its weapons.

77-82The life of Agade’s sanctuary was brought to an end as if it had been only the life of a tiny carp in the deep waters, and all the cities were watching it. Like a mighty elephant, it bent its neck to the ground while they all raised their horns like mighty bulls. Like a dying dragon, it dragged its head on the earth and they jointly deprived it of honour as in a battle.

83-93Naram-Suen saw in a nocturnal vision that Enlil would not let the kingdom of Agade occupy a pleasant, lasting residence, that he would make its future altogether unfavourable, that he would make its temples shake and would scatter its treasures (1 ms. has instead: destroy its treasuries). He realized what the dream was about, but did not put into words, and did not discuss it with anyone. (1 ms. adds 2 lines: …… temples shake ……, …… perform (?) extispicy regarding (?) his temple …….) Because of the E-kur, he put on mourning clothes, covered his chariot with a reed mat (1 ms. has instead: pulled out the outside pin of his chariot), tore the reed canopy off his ceremonial barge (1 ms. has instead: the prow of his ceremonial barge) (1 ms. has instead: the cabin of his ceremonial barge), and gave away his royal paraphernalia. Naram-Suen persisted for seven years! Who has ever seen a king burying his head in his hands for seven years? (some mss. add the line: He realized what the dream was about, but did not put into words, and did not discuss it with anyone.)

94-99Then he went to perform extispicy on a kid regarding the temple, but the omen had nothing to say about the building of the temple. For a second time he went to perform extispicy on a kid regarding the temple, but the omen again had nothing to say about the building of the temple. In order to change what had been inflicted (?) upon him, he tried to to alter Enlil’s pronouncement.

100-119Because his subjects were dispersed, he now began a mobilization of his troops. Like a wrestler who is about to enter the great courtyard, he …… his hands towards (?) the E-kur. Like an athlete bent to start a contest, he treated the giguna as if it were worth only thirty shekels. Like a robber plundering the city, he set tall ladders against the temple. To demolish E-kur as if it were a huge ship, to break up its soil like the soil of mountains where precious metals are mined, to splinter it like the lapis lazuli mountain, to prostrate it, like a city inundated by Ickur. Though the temple was not a mountain where cedars are felled, he had large axes cast, he had double-edged agasilig axes sharpened to be used against it. He set spades against its roots and it sank as low as the foundation of the Land. He put axes against its top, and the temple, like a dead soldier, bowed its neck before him, and all the foreign lands bowed their necks before him.

120-148He ripped out its drain pipes, and all the rain went back to the heavens . He tore off its upper lintel and the Land was deprived of its ornament (1 ms. has instead: the ornament of the Land disappeared). From its “Gate from which grain is never diverted”, he diverted grain, and the Land was deprived of grain. He struck the “Gate of Well-Being” with the pickaxe, and well-being was subverted in all the foreign lands. As if they were for great tracts of land with wide carp-filled waters, he cast large spades (1 ms. has instead: axes) to be used against the E-kur. The people could see the bedchamber, its room which knows no daylight. The Akkadians could look into the holy treasure chest of the gods. Though they had committed no sacrilege, its lahama deities of the great pilasters standing at the temple were thrown into the fire by Naram-Suen. The cedar, cypress, juniper and boxwood, the woods of its giguna, were …… by him. He put its gold in containers and put its silver in leather bags. He filled the docks with its copper, as if it were a huge transport of grain. The silversmiths were re-shaping its silver, jewellers were re-shaping its precious stones, smiths were beating its copper. Large ships were moored at the temple, large ships were moored at Enlil’s temple and its possessions were taken away from the city, though they were not the goods of a plundered city. With the possessions being taken away from the city, good sense left Agade. As the ships moved away from (some mss. have instead: juddered) the docks, Agade’s intelligence (1 ms. has instead: sanctuary) was removed.

149-175Enlil, the roaring (?) storm that subjugates the entire land, the rising deluge that cannot be confronted, was considering what should be destroyed in return for the wrecking of his beloved E-kur. He lifted his gaze towards the Gubin mountains, and made all the inhabitants of the broad mountain ranges descend (?). Enlil brought out of the mountains those who do not resemble other people, who are not reckoned as part of the Land, the Gutians, an unbridled people, with human intelligence but canine instincts (some mss. have instead: feelings) and monkeys’ features. Like small birds they swooped on the ground in great flocks. Because of Enlil, they stretched their arms out across the plain like a net for animals. Nothing escaped their clutches, no one left their grasp. Messengers no longer travelled the highways, the courier’s boat no longer passed along the rivers. The Gutians drove the trusty (?) goats of Enlil out of their folds and compelled their herdsmen to follow them, they drove the cows out of their pens and compelled their cowherds to follow them. Prisoners manned the watch. Brigands occupied (1 ms. has instead: attacked) the highways. The doors of the city gates of the Land lay dislodged in (1 ms. has instead: were covered with) mud, and all the foreign lands uttered bitter cries from the walls of their cities. They established gardens for themselves (1 ms. has instead: made gardens grow) within the cities, and not as usual on the wide plain outside. As if it had been before the time when cities were built and founded, the large (some mss. add: fields and) arable tracts yielded no grain, the inundated (some mss. add: fields and) tracts yielded no fish, the irrigated orchards yielded no syrup or wine, the thick clouds (?) did not rain, the macgurum plant did not grow.

176-192In those days, oil for one shekel was only half a litre, grain for one shekel was only half a litre, wool for one shekel was only one mina, fish for one shekel filled only one ban measure — these sold at such prices in the markets of the cities! Those who lay down on the roof, died on the roof; those who lay down in the house were not buried. People were flailing at themselves from hunger. By the Ki-ur, Enlil’s great place, dogs were packed together in the silent streets; if two men walked there they would be devoured by them, and if three men walked there they would be devoured by them. Noses were punched (?), heads were smashed (?), noses (?) were piled up, heads were sown like seeds. Honest people were confounded with traitors, heroes lay dead on top of heroes, the blood of traitors ran upon the blood of honest men.

193-209At that time, Enlil rebuilt his great sanctuaries into small reed (?) sanctuaries and from east to west he reduced their storehouses. The old women who survived those days, the old men who survived those days and the chief lamentation singer who survived those years set up seven balaj drums, as if they stood at the horizon, and together with ub , meze, and lilis (some mss. have instead: cem, and lilis) (1 ms. has instead: and bronze cem) drums made them resound to Enlil like Ickur for seven days and seven nights. The old women did not restrain the cry “Alas for my city!”. The old men did not restrain the cry “Alas for its people!”. The lamentation singer did not restrain the cry “Alas for the E-kur!”. Its young women did not restrain from tearing their hair. Its young men did not restrain from sharpening their knives. Their laments were as if Enlil’s ancestors were performing a lament in the awe-inspiring Holy Mound by the holy knees of Enlil. Because of this, Enlil entered his holy bedchamber and lay down fasting.

210-221At that time, Suen, Enki, Inana, Ninurta, Ickur, Utu, Nuska, and Nisaba, the great gods (1 ms. has instead: all the gods whosoever), cooled (1 ms. has instead: sprinkled) Enlil’s heart with cool water and prayed to him: “Enlil, may the city that destroyed your city, be treated as your city has been treated! May the one that defiled your giguna, be treated as Nibru! In this city, may heads fill the wells! May no one find his acquaintances there, may brother not recognize brother! May its young woman be cruelly killed in her woman’s domain, may its old man cry in distress for his slain wife! May its pigeons moan on their window ledges, may its small birds be smitten in their nooks, may it live in constant anxiety like a timid pigeon!”

222-244Again, Suen, Enki, Inana, Ninurta, Ickur, Utu, Nuska and Nisaba, all the gods whosoever, turned their attention to the city, and cursed Agade severely: “City, you pounced on E-kur: it is as if you had pounced on Enlil! Agade, you pounced on E-kur: it is as if you had pounced on Enlil! May your holy walls, to their highest point, resound with mourning! May your giguna be reduced to a pile of dust! May your pilasters with the standing lahama deities fall to the ground like tall young men drunk on wine! May your clay be returned to its abzu, may it be clay cursed by Enki! May your grain be returned to its furrow, may it be grain cursed by Ezinu! May your timber be returned to its forest, may it be timber cursed by Ninilduma! May the (1 ms. has instead: your) cattle slaughterer slaughter his wife, may your (some mss. have instead: the) sheep butcher butcher his child! May water wash away your pauper as he is looking for ……! May your prostitute hang herself at the entrance to her brothel! May your pregnant (?) hierodules and cult prostitutes abort (?) their children! May your gold be bought for the price of silver, may your silver be bought for the price of pyrite (?), and may your copper be bought for the price of lead!”

245-255″Agade, may your strong man be deprived of his strength, so that he will be unable to lift his sack of provisions and ……, and will not have the joy of controlling your superior asses; may he lie idle all day! May this make the city die of hunger! May your citizens, who used to eat fine food, lie hungry in the grass and herbs, may your …… man eat the coating on his roof, may he chew (?) the leather hinges on the main door of his father’s house! May depression descend upon your palace, built for joy (1 ms. has instead: joyous palace)! May the evils of the desert, the silent place, howl continuously!”

256-271″May foxes that frequent ruin mounds brush with their tails your fattening-pens (?), established for purification ceremonies! May the ukuku, the bird of depression, make its nest in your gateways, established for the Land! In your city that could not sleep because of the tigi drums, that could not rest from its joy, may the bulls of Nanna that fill the pens bellow like those who wander in the desert, the silent place! May the grass grow long on your canal-bank tow-paths, may the grass of mourning grow on your highways laid for waggons! Moreover, may …… wild rams (?) and alert snakes of the mountains allow no one to pass on your tow-paths built up with canal sediment! In your plains where fine grass grows, may the reed of lamentation grow! Agade, may brackish water flow (1 ms. has instead: May brackish water flow in the river), where fresh water flowed for you! If someone decides, “I will dwell in this city!”, may he not enjoy the pleasures of a dwelling place! If someone decides, “I will rest in Agade!”, may he not enjoy the pleasures of a resting place!”

272-280And before Utu on that very day, so it was! On its canal bank tow-paths, the grass grew long. On its highways laid for waggons, the grass of mourning grew. Moreover, on its tow-paths built up with canal sediment, …… wild rams (?) and alert snakes of the mountains allowed no one to pass. On its plains, where fine grass grew, now the reeds of lamentation grew. Agade’s flowing fresh water flowed as brackish water. When someone decided, “I will dwell in that city!”, he could not enjoy the pleasures of a dwelling place. When someone decided, “I will rest in Agade!”, he could not enjoy the pleasures of a resting place!

281Inana be praised for the destruction of Agade!”

 

Sounds very familiar?

“And when thou hast set out bread for the dead to eat, remember to pour honey thereupon, for it is pleasing to the Goddess Whom No One Worshippeth, Who wanders by night through the streets amid the howling of the dogs and the wailing of the infants, for in Her time a great Temple was built unto Her and sacrifices of infants made that She might save the City from the Enemies who dwelt without. And the Number of infants thus slain is countless and unknowable. And She did save that City, but it was taken soon thereafter when the people no more offered up their children. And when the people made to offer again, at the time of the attack, the Goddess turned her back and fled from her temple, and it is no more. And the Name of the Goddess is no more known. And She maketh the infants restless, and to cry, so the reason for the pouring of honey over the sacred bread, for it is written:

Bread of the Cult of the Dead in its Place I eat

In the Court prepared

Water of the Cult of the Dead in its Place I drink

A Queen am I, Who has become estranged to the Cities

She that comes from the Lowlands in a sunken boat

Am I.

I AM THE VIRGIN GODDESS

HOSTILE TO MY CITY

A STRANGER IN MY STREETS.

MUSIGAMENNA URUMA BUR ME YENSULAMU

GIRME EN!

Oh, Spirit, who understand thee? Who comprehend Thee?”

ISHTAR is the GODDESS WHOM NO ONE WORSHIPPETH

WARLOCK ASYLUM