Libmonster ID: JP-1324
Author(s) of the publication: V. K. Afanasyeva

INSTEAD OF INTRODUCING

Perhaps some of the provisions of this article will seem to mythologists - theorists well-known and do not require special evidence, while other observations and observations, on the contrary, are expressed too fluently and unsubstantiated. But the author, of course, could not give a deep study of the Sumerian material in one relatively small article. His task was rather to draw the attention, first of all, of specialists in Sumerology, to the peculiarities of this very non-trivial Sumerian text. It seems to me that it sheds light not only on some facets of the Sumerian understanding of the world, but also on the general laws of human thinking. My teacher Igor Mikhailovich Diakonov, who was somewhat familiar with the interpretation of the text described below, polemicized with me on many issues. Nevertheless, I would like to dedicate this particular work to his memory - to the memory of an amazing person and a wonderful scientist who left us, giving all his strength to the service of science, the ability to think and create, without which he could not imagine a full life and deeply respected the same desire in others.

It is believed that the Sumerians did not leave us works specifically devoted to the ideas of the origin of the world, the laws of the world order, such as, say, the Babylonian poem " Enuma Elish "("When above"). Sumerian cosmogonic concepts are usually found in prologues-chants that precede almost every major literary work, as well as in many etiological myths or dialogues-disputes about advantages. From these sources, these ideas are extracted and compared, and thus a very fragmentary picture of Sumerian ideas about the universe is reconstructed.

One of the sources that fill in the gaps in our knowledge of Sumerian cosmogony is the great prologue to the legend of Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the underworld, which was pointed out by one of its main publishers, S. N. Kramer (1). But the researchers ' acquaintance with this work practically began not with the initial, but with the final part of the poem, which was attached to the Akkadian epic of Gilgamesh in the form of the twelfth table, most likely in the first millennium BC. (2) The latter circumstance caused all sorts of confusion, because the text, as if, was not connected at all with the Akkadian epic of Gilgamesh. the previous content: thus, Enkidu, who died, according to the seventh table of the epic, is again alive and dies a completely different death. When, after the full publication of the Sumerian version of the text, it became clear that the twelfth


1. S. N. Kramer published the first part of the poem in 1958 under the provisional title "Gilgamesh and the huluppu-tree" (see Kramer S. N. GilgameS and the huluppu-tree / / AS. 1938. N 10). On the Sumerian cosmogony, including in the published text, see idem. Surnerian Mythology. Philadelphia, 1944. P. 30 f.; idem. History begins at Sumer. N.Y., 1959. P. 171.

2. The Sumerian version of the second (almost third) part of the poem was translated by Gadd (Gadd C. J. Epic of Gilgamesh, tablet XII / / PASS. XXX. P 127-143). Some excerpts were also published by Langdon (Langdon St.). The Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh // JRAS. 1932. P. 911-948).

page 53


the table is simply a translation of a part of the Sumerian legend, and in the context of the entire epic, it has ceased to be given serious attention and sometimes even completely ignored (3).

A complete edition of the text was carried out in 1963 by the Israeli scientist Aharon Schaffer [4]. Thus, the monument prepared for publication by the works of many researchers, which is especially characteristic of sumerology, provides an opportunity for a new interpretation of the work [5].

Summary of the text. The story, which begins in the traditional Sumerian manner about the creation of all things on earth, immediately goes on to tell the story of a certain huluppu tree (the most common translation is "willow" or "poplar"), whose roots are damaged by the waters of the Euphrates, on the shore of which it grows. The Euphrates is agitated by the gusts of the South Wind and, perhaps, by the stormy voyage of the god Enki, rushing in a boat to the underworld (or circumnavigating the underworld). The tree is saved by a certain wife walking along the shore. She pulls out a tree and transplants it to the" garden of Inanna's blooming", which is located in Uruk. From further narration, it turns out that this wife is Inanna. She carefully cares for the tree, intending to later make it a sacred throne (throne) and a sacred bed. But in the tree there are certain creatures that are hostile to Inanna's intentions: in the roots - "a snake that does not know the spell", in the middle - the virgin Lilith, in the branches, that is, at the top, the eagle-like bird Anzud hatches a chick. Inanna sobs and turns to her brother, the sun god Utu, to help her. He doesn't respond to her pleas. Then she turns to Gilgamesh, the Uruk hero. Gilgamesh, dressed in a traveling robe and armed, kills the snake, and Lilith and Anzud disappear themselves-Lilith flees into the desert, the eagle grabs its chick and flies to the mountains. Gilgamesh, with the help of his fellow citizens, cuts down the tree, gives the trunk to Inanna, and makes pukka and mikka from the roots (we will return to the meaning of these items later). Many strange events are connected with Pukku and Mikku, and they are cursed by the inhabitants of Uruk to fall into the underworld. All Gilgamesh's attempts to reach them are futile, and then his servant Enkidu, seeing his master's grief, volunteers to get them. Gilgamesh teaches Enkidu how to behave in the underworld so that he can return unharmed. Enkidu does not follow the master's instructions, doing just the opposite, and remains in the underworld. At Gilgamesh's entreaties, Enlil orders the god Utu to open a hole in the underworld so that the spirit of Enkidu can see his friend. Gilgamesh asks him questions about the fate of the dead people under the earth. Unfortunately, it is this part of the story that is most fragmentary and almost never restored.

The almost strictly proportional three-part division of the poem is noteworthy, although it is not immediately noticeable due to the literal repetitions.


3. Thus, I. M. Diakonov, in the first edition of the complete text of the epic of Gilgamesh, writes that Table XII "represents a literal translation of part of the ancient Sumerian song "Gilgamesh and the Willow", mechanically attached to the text of the "Nineveh version" of the epic (after the conclusion, which was originally the ending of Song XI in this version)" (Epos o Gilgamesh (o vse vidavshem) / Translated from acc. by I. M. Dyakonov, Moscow-L., 1961. p. 119), and further joins the opinion of a number of researchers that this addition was made at the end of the VIII century by a certain Assyrian priest Nabuzukupkenu, a famous collector and copyist of literary and religious texts (ibid. ibid., p. 123, note 10). On this basis, in subsequent editions of the text, I. M. Diakonov omitted the XII table (see, for example. Library of World Literature, vol. I. Poeziya i proza drevnogo Vostoka [Poetry and prose of the ancient East], Moscow, 1973, or "I will reveal to you the hidden word": Literature of Babylonia and Assyria / Translated from acc., comp. by V. K. Afanasiev and I. M. Diakonov. Moscow, 1981, p. 194), which, however, was not allowed by others epic publishers.

4. Shaffer A. Sumerian Sources of Tablet XII of the Epic of GilgameS. Diss. Oriental Studies. Univ. Of Pennsylvania. 1963. Ann Arbor, Microfilms 63-7085.

5. I have partially and rather concisely explained the interpretation of the monument in the comments to the poetic translation of the text, see "From the Beginning of beginnings". Anthology of Sumerian poetry / Trans., comment., dictionary of V. K. Afanasyeva, St. Petersburg, 1997. Further references to the text are provided in this publication. For the publication of the first part of the poem with transcription and grammatical commentary, see Afanasyeva V. K. One Sumerian song about Gilgamesh and its illustration in the glyptic / / VDI. 1962. N 1. pp. 74-93.

page 54


parts of the text written in the Emesal language (the so-called "feminine" language in which the speeches of goddesses and female beings were presented, mainly in liturgical and partly in literary texts).

The approximate distribution of parts of a 303-line story is as follows: the first part - lines 1-90, the second - lines 91 - 205, the third - lines 206-303, i.e. ninety, one hundred and eleven, and ninety-seven lines; this is not entirely accurate, because one part of the story smoothly passes into another. Nevertheless, the content of the story corresponds to its structure, for the first part is devoted to the affairs of heaven, the second-to earthly affairs, and the third-to the life of the underworld. Let's look at each part in detail.

PART 1. HEAVENLY AFFAIRS

Lines 1-16. Creation and dispensation of the world. This is the famous prologue-a chant that precedes the entire work. It says: a) about revealing all things through radiance (i.e. light) and calling all things by name, and not just calling them, but "gently, affectionately" (so in our interpretation, see in detail "From the beginning of beginnings", stk. 414, p. 1-5); 6) about the creation of the elements of civilization - they started baking bread and smelting metal, but not yet in a real embodiment (stcc. 6-7); b) on the separation of heaven and earth (stcc. 8-9); d) about naming a person, which should be perceived as an act preceding his actual physical creation. The latter is not mentioned in this work (stkk. 10); e) about the division of the world between the higher powers: an takes the sky, Enlil-the earth, the goddess Ereshkigal is "given" to the underworld, Kuru (unfortunately, the interpretation of this paragraph is still controversial), and Enki goes on a voyage, apparently circumnavigating the ocean of underground fresh water, whose master It appears in most Sumerian-Babylonian tales (6) (stkk. 11-16).

Lines 17-26 - Enki's voyage. Here the action seems to break away from its cosmic vastness and suddenly moves on to a detailed account of how Enki sailed in his boat, going to the underworld. It is not entirely clear why so much attention is paid to this particular event. Two special articles of mine are devoted to the consideration and interpretation of this mysterious passage, to which I refer the reader (7). Here I want to briefly note: the technique that is very convenient to call the cinematic term "influx" is characteristic of Sumerian literature. It consists precisely in the fact that after the end of global events, the author suddenly highlights some detail, as if enlarging it, bringing it to our eyes and considering it in all its concreteness. Further, it is the story of Enki's voyage that becomes the beginning of the development of subsequent events, thus moving on to the next part - the fate of the huluppu tree.

Lines 27-31. This important passage is introduced by the formula "then", " in those days "(u4-ba), i.e., as a new story usually begins. The main character is a tree. The tree was (so literally), and it was one of a kind, i.e. unique. It was


6. Kramer assumed that Enki was going on a voyage to fight Kur, the serpent-monster personification of the underworld, for the liberation of Ereshkigal (see AS. 10, pp. 3-4, 37), and Kramer. Sumerian Mythology... P. 38-78, etc.), but later he did not insist on this interpretation.

7. Afanasyeva V. K. K probleme interpretatsii sumerskikh literaturnykh tekstov [On the problem of interpretation of Sumerian literary texts]. In memory of V. G. Lukonin. SPb., 1996. pp. 114-120; Afanasieva V. Rationales und Irrationale. s in Antiken Denken oder aus dem Blickwinkel des Dichters / / Intellectual Life of the Ancient Near East. Papers presented at the 43th. RAI. Prague, July 1-5, 1996. Prague, 1998. pp. 19-28. The main point of this passage is that the poet, with the help of expressive and very precise metaphors, shows how quickly and violently Enki's boat rushes through the waters, leaving around it, in front and behind, large breakers-circles and small breakers that crumble "like turtles" and rage at the bow and stern of the boat, like a wolf and lev. There are no analogies with the stones-idols and demons-of the gala, as I assumed in my first edition of the text (see VDI. 1962. N 1. p. 89. Note). 13), not here.

page 55


someone planted it on the bank of the Euphrates, fed on its waters, and suddenly was exposed to unexpected danger.

Lines 32-39. Introducing another character and a new theme-the wife, " submissive to the words of An and Enlil "(8). What is submissive? It can be assumed that everything that happens is blessed by An and Enlil, and even that Inanna is following the orders of the supreme gods. Inanna brings the tree into her "blooming garden" and somehow takes special care of it, accompanying her care with certain actions, possibly ritual (stcc. 36-37), and dreaming of making sacred objects out of it. Therefore, at the beginning of history, the tree was a young shoot, a seedling.

Lines 40-46. Starting a new action - the tree has grown, but there are creatures in it whose appearance prevents it from being cut down. These are the aforementioned snake, Lilith, Anzud with her chick. Strings. 47-51. Inanna's appeal for help to her brother, the sun god Utu. Lines 52-89 - repetition of the story in the "female language", and it is interesting that in lines 52-53 the content of the first seven lines of the prologue is summed up and it, this content is summarized very expressively:

"...in those primeval days when Destinies were awarded, when abundance was poured out over the Land", i.e. Sumer. Therefore, the main thing that the prologue told us is the definition of the Fate of the world, thanks to which Sumer was filled with abundance. The last line of this first part contains a very important point - Utu does not respond to Inanna's requests, he is silent, but this circumstance is not explained in any way and for some reason does not cause any angry emotions Inanna, which is unusual for her behavior, judging by other literary texts.

This, in our opinion, is the end of the history of "heavenly affairs" and the beginning of " earthly affairs." But the question immediately arises-on what basis we divided the text in this way, when in the first part we talk about Enki's voyage along the very specific Euphrates River, and about the real city of Uruk, where the goddess grows her tree in the garden. Where does the action take place-on earth, in Sumer or somewhere else? This is really very important, and one could justify explaining that in this part of the story the gods act, but nothing is said about people. But there is another, more significant circumstance. Not only in this story, but also in other Sumerian literary monuments, it is often unclear at first where the events take place. On the one hand, as if on the ground: in Uruk, on the Euphrates, etc. But in the story of Enki and the Essences taken away by Inanna, which also speaks of Uruk and the Euphrates, it is already clearly stated that Inanna leads a "heavenly boat" or "boat of heaven", from which it follows that this boat should have moved through the sky, but the text also lists real docks on the Euphrates. It seems that Inanna moves at once in two planes - across the sky and on the ground, just as in another legend she simultaneously leaves several of her temples. Therefore, in our history, actions that take place as if in "heaven-earth" should, I think, be perceived as primarily related to"heavenly affairs".

PART 2. EARTHLY AFFAIRS

They begin with a very specific, purely mundane detail - " at dawn, when the sky lit up, when the birds chirped at dawn, Utu came out of the bedchamber." One moment the god Utu was mentioned in the story as a silent listener to Inanna, and the next he is the sun and lights up the earth from the sky, and this is shown in one verbal way-by the singing of birds at dawn. And on this basis, we think that the action begins already in Uruk on earth, where, of course, the goddess Inanna has access, because we are located


8. It is characteristic that Inanna is introduced into the story in the same way as Enki, without being called by name, which is revealed in the subsequent lines of the text. Enki - "He, the Father" and then only Enki; Inanna - "wife, Ana, submissive". A typical stylistic device of Sumerian literature.

page 56


in a time when the gods communicated with humans. Inanna turns to Gilgamesh and repeats to him word for word the story she told Utu (stcc. 96-133).

Earthly affairs are primarily connected with the feat of Gilgamesh, who, as befits a hero, performs it in full accordance with the epic tradition. Lines 134-139. Preparation for the feat-equipment for the campaign and arming Gilgamesh with an emphasis on the incredible heroic strength of the hero (9). Lines 140-148. Gilgamesh's feat, and judging by the brevity of the description, it is given to him with extraordinary ease; the fate of a felled tree, which he gives to Inanna for her crafts. Lines 149-176. The story of pukku and mikku. There are amazing events that are of key importance not only for the second part of the story, not only for the whole story as a whole, but also closely related to other works, in particular with the beginning of the Akkadian epic of Gilgamesh. What are these pukku and mikku? The text says that Gilgamesh made them from the roots and branches of the huluppu tree. The most common translation is drum and drumsticks (10). But since there was no absolute certainty about the significance of these items, a new interpretation by the Israeli Assyriologist Jacob Klein has recently appeared, which is accepted by many Western colleagues. Klein thinks it's a game like horse polo, with a wooden ball and a stick driving the ball. The role of the horse, according to Klein, was played by the very young people who, both in the Sumerian text and in the Akkadian epic, it is said that Gilgamesh forced them to do something and thereby tormented them (11). Despite the fact that the idea of a drum and sticks is now completely denied, I believe that Gilgamesh did not force them to do anything. I dare to remain with the previous interpretation for lack of a more convincing one: I expressed my objections in a publication devoted, in particular, to the interpretation of two excerpts from the monument currently being analyzed (12). The main point of my objections is that, despite all the given contexts, Klein's interpretation remains an ingenious hypothesis, and nothing more, besides it is quite sociologized. From my point of view, objects made from magic wood have some magical properties, and most likely they are musical instruments. The lines that tell you what is happening in my translation are as follows::

149. He also made a magic drum out of the roots. Pukku (13).

150. I made magic drumsticks out of the branches. Mikku (13).

151. The drum is loud-spoken, it carries the drum out into the wide streets.

152. Loud-mouthed, loud-mouthed, he takes it out on a wide street.

153. The young men of his city began to play the drum.

154. They are a band of widows ' children who ride without ceasing,

155. "O my throat, O my thighs," so they cry aloud.

156. The one who has a mother-she brings food to her son.


9. So, the belt that Gilgamesh puts on himself weighs 50 min, i.e. 25 kg, then - "50 min he made like 30 shekels", i.e. this armament is very light for him, he wears it as if effortlessly; Gilgamesh's bronze axe weighs " 7 gu and 7 min", i.e. more than 350 kg.

10. S. Smith suggested that pukku and mikku are musical instruments, most likely wind instruments (see Smith S. II RASS. XXX. p. 153). The meaning of "drum and drumsticks" was suggested by S. N. Kramer (Sumerian Mythology ... p. 34: also JAOS. 64. P. 20), and this opinion was accepted by many colleagues, in particular I. M. Diakonov.

11. Klein .1. A New Look at the "Opres.sion of Uruk" Episode in Gilgamesh Epic // Memorial Volume fur Jacobsen (in print). Klein in his work, quoting the opening passage of the Akkadian epic, rightly doubts that the previous assumptions about the right of the first night, usurped by Gilgamesh, are more than doubtful. However, his translation of the phrase ina pukkisu tehuru' - uSu - " on account of his ball (game) his companions are (constantly) amused "("The Epic of Gilgamesh", Tables I, II, 10) seems to me even more dubious. Therefore, I prefer to stick to the old one - "All his comrades stand on the drum" (see The Epic of Gilgamesh, p. 8).

12. See note 7.

13. It is possible that Pukku and Mikku are proper names for magical objects, just as, for example, Sharur is the name of Ninurta, who has wonderful magical properties.

page 57


157. If she has a sister , she pours out water to her brother.

158. And when evening came.

159. Where the drum stood, he marked the place.

160. He raised the drum in front of him, he brought it into the house.

161. And when morning came, where they were dancing,

162. From curses, from widows ' ones,

163. From the screams of little girls: "Oh, Utu!",

164. The drum, together with the drumsticks, fell to the dwelling of the underworld. What is this "band of widows 'children" crying and shouting about? "O my thighs, O my throat!" Why is their complaint focused specifically on the thighs and throat? And why do their relatives, and especially women (mother and sisters) bring them food and food? Yes, because they sing and dance, exhausting their strength to infinity, and can not stop. And they can't stop because, most likely, this drum is magical - you need to know the spell so that it stops playing, and then a person can be considered the master and ruler of certain magical forces. But they don't know the formula of the spell - it's clear from the whole context, which is why the women emit a curse that sends the magic drum into the underworld. Why are we so sure about this? Because we are faced with a motif well-known from the fabulous world folklore (14). So dances the sea king in the legend of the Russian hero Sadko - he dances and can not stop until Sadko stops playing the harp, so dances or is beaten by any thief of magic objects (psaltery-samogudy, magic drum, club, etc.), which he tricked took away from the hero who received their magical path, very often associated with the latter's stay in the underworld. After all, the young men had obviously played the drum without asking Gilgamesh. Lines 165-169. Magic items don't just fall into the underworld, they lie in front of it, in a hole, they are visible, but unattainable. Gilgamesh pulls out an "arm and leg" but can't reach them. Lines 170-176. The rather mysterious complaints of Gilgamesh in his indescribably passionate longing for the magic drum, I think, are quite understandable in our interpretation, but incomprehensible if we are talking about the ball game (15). Lines 177-180. Appearance of the assistant-Gilgamesh's servant Enkidu is ready to go down to the underworld and get magic items that have been found there by magic (spell-curse). Lines 181-205. The Instructions of Gilgamesh. He gives Enkidu strict instructions, the essence of which is that Enkidu must try to get through the underworld, trying to be there as inconspicuously as possible, and, most importantly, not to be like the dead who have already got there. Only in this case will he have a chance to go back (16).

PART 3: AFFAIRS OF THE UNDERWORLD

Lines 206-221b. A complete violation of Gilgamesh's prohibitions. Enkidu does exactly the opposite. Why? Perhaps he thinks that by becoming like the dead, he will become more inconspicuous? However, he remains in Kur, the underworld. He was seized by the "cry of the underworld", i.e., apparently, this means the fact that he became noticeable, as if a new alien. Lines 221g-221j. There is a detailed explanation of why he can not get up - he was not taken by Namtar ("fate"),


14. See the Aarne-Thompson catalog, N 592.

15. One of my objections to Klein is that the passages associated with the mention of pukku and mikku are obscure, as if they are shrouded in mystery, both in the Sumerian legend and in the Akkadian epic, there is some kind of ambiguity in them. In those cases when Sumerian texts refer to sports, various kinds of competitions, for example, as in the text of Shulgi: "I am a king, a hero from my mother's womb...", his sports record in running is told not just openly, but with taste, with many colorful and expressive details (See "From the Beginning I began": "I am a king, a hero from my mother's womb!", pp. 247-250).

16. For more information, see Afanasyeva V. K. Why did the Earth grab Enkidu? // Hermitage Readings. In memory of V. G. Lukonin. pp. 210-216.

page 58


he was not captured by the demon of disease Azhag, he did not fall on the battlefield, he was captured by the Earth. Lines 222-225. Gilgamesh's attempts to save his servant and appeal to the gods are fruitless until he invokes Enki (17). He orders the sun god Utu to open a hole in the underworld and a gust of wind Enkidu (or rather, his spirit, as it is directly stated in the Akkadian epic) comes out of the ground. Lines 246-303. One of the most important parts of the tale is the laws of the underworld. Unfortunately, this is the most fragmentary part of the story, but from the surviving lines it is clear that it is not built chaotically, but has a very clear conceptual structure.

In the form in which these passages have been preserved, three distinct groups can be identified.

1. The role of offspring in the posthumous life of a person. Lines 255-278. Gilgamesh asks Enkidu about the fate of people who have one, then two, three, four, and so on to seven sons, and we see how, starting with the number four, the fate of those who live in the underworld improves. One son-as if not a son, his father underground "in front of a peg driven into the wall, sobs bitterly." But the father of seven sons, "like a friend of the gods, sits in a chair, enjoying the music of dancing." And the one who has no heirs at all is in the most disastrous position. Also terrible is the fate of a palace eunuch, an unborn woman, a young man and a young girl who died before they had time to learn love and, accordingly, produce offspring.

The next topic is the way a person dies. Preserved lines 290-303. We are talking about the fate of soldiers who fell in battle, and died from all sorts of accidents: a person knocked down by stilts, a young man who died in the prime of life, who did not have time to be born or a stillborn baby, etc. We will return to this topic later.

3. Finally, according to one of the versions given in fragment I16878, the final part of the text contained personal specific stories of individuals, because Gilgamesh in it asks about the fate of his parents, again about his unborn babies, about the "sons of Girsu", about the Sumerian people, about the Akkadians. It seems that there must have been an ethical motive here, because it asks about the fate of those who did not honor their father and mother, who were cursed by their father and mother, who broke their oaths, swore a false oath, etc. This is a very important point, because although in most cases, because of the damaged text, we do not have an answer to what was the fate of these people, yet from the fragments that have been preserved, we can make an assumption about the cruelty of their posthumous fate: "he drinks the water of bitterness, does not get satiation" (about the cursed by his father and mother).

Thus, we have before us a work that creates a coherent and integral picture of ideas about the structure and establishment of the world order, about the basic laws of life. At the same time, the three - part principle prevails not only in the main division of the theme (top - middle-bottom), but also in the tendency to it throughout the course of the action, in its smaller division in each part of the story.

Already the first three lines of the prologue

U4-ri-a 44-su-du-ri-a In those days, in those far, far days,

gifi-ru-a gi (, - ba-du-ri-a In those nights, in those far-past nights,

mu-ri-a mu-su-du-ri-a In those years, in those far, far years...

they seem to set the tone, emphasizing the importance of this triparticle not only as a stylistic poetic device, but also with the desire to express the deep essence of events, because these words create Time, while the subsequent lines create Space. Further, Time and Space are concretized and refined. But we insist that we are still talking only about naming the action, about " becoming


17. In the main version, Gilgamesh addresses Enlil and Enki, but in the Akkadian version, the episode with Enki is preceded by an appeal to another god (the name is destroyed), possibly Sin (cf. similar scenes in the text "Inanna's Descent").

page 59


the name of men", i.e. about some ideal states preceding the subsequent incarnation. Therefore, I propose to understand "eating bread in houses" and creating melting pots in the same way as the creation of Grain on the "Mountain of Heaven and Earth"-Ashnan and Sheep-Lahar, whose products were originally intended for the Anunnaki gods and only because they could not assimilate them were passed on to people (18).

Perhaps, according to the modern impression, these ideas are expressed somewhat naively, but this is by no means infantile babble, although we are faced with a logic that does not separate the concrete from the abstract, the symbol from the symbolized reality, or the idea from the image. This is precisely the logic that we call poetic, and in it the awareness of the significance of everything that is happening is given quite clearly and definitely in images that for the ancient Sumerian do not need additional explanations and interpretations. The same can be said about the subsequent descriptions of events that make up the prologue.

Then, as we have seen, the tree appears, and now, after considering all that has been said, it is impossible to deny that it plays the role of a mediator, a connecting link between the worlds, their unifying principle. In his book Archaic Myths of East and West, Igor Mikhailovich Diakonov vehemently opposed V. N. Toporov's attribution of the huluppu tree as the "world tree and center of the universe" (19); however, it is impossible not to see that this particular motif connects, on the one hand, the first and second, and on the other, the second and third parts of the legend. It is also indisputable that the three creatures that have settled in the tree divide its vertical horizontal line into three structural parts. Another thing is that the role of the world tree is still not obtained from all this, since the tree is cut down, moreover, it seems to grow specifically for cutting down, it is prepared for this.

Also, although they seem to be traditional, the creatures that have settled in the tree, or rather their functions, are quite mysterious. Snake-roots-underworld - why do we say with such confidence that we are talking about evil? In the text, it is called a snake that "knows no spell," and this definition brings us to the familiar association of Psalm 57, verses 5 to 6, which refers to a deaf viper that does not hear the voice of a sorcerer - exorcist. That is, it is a snake that does not succumb to magic spells and, therefore, has great witchcraft power. Further, the virgin Lilith, described in the text as an extremely frivolous creature, may be a prostitute. And finally, Anzud with his chick, who according to Sumerian texts, unlike Akkadian, is not an evil but extremely powerful creature, the one who Enlil gave to decide the Fate and favored mortals, at least to Gilgamesh's father Lugalbanda. Therefore, the evil of these creatures is only that they are bred in the tree necessary for Inanna to create cult items? But let's not jump to conclusions. A number of Sumerian literary texts associated with the name of the deity Ninurta help to reveal the episode. These are the legend " The Lord in great splendor...", the story of Ninurta's return to Nippur, an excerpt from the cylinder of A. Gudea, as well as a number of Sumero-Akkadian monuments (20). All of them are connected with the praise of the Sumerian deity Ninurta - "Angim" (similar to Anu / sky), he is called the winner of Kur and then tells how he decorates his cart with trophies of battle, including Anzud, a huluppu tree, a seven-headed snake and other creatures,


18. "From the beginning of beginnings": "On the mountain of heaven and earth", p. 74, comm. to the text, pp. 370-372.

19. Dyakonov I. M. Archaic myths of the East and West, Moscow, 1990, pp. 51-58. See also Toporov V. N. On the structure of some archaic texts related to the concept of the World Tree // Proceedings on Sign systems, V. Tartu, 1971, pp. 9-62. "The world tree" / / Myths of the peoples of the world. T. I. M., 1980. p. 393 p.

20. "From the beginning of beginnings", pp. 85-93. Unfortunately, I was forced to give a huge text (more than 900 lines) with significant abbreviations, and this important passage was not included in the publication. For more information about Ninurta Winner's trophies, see Cooper J. S. The Return of Ninurta to Nippur. Roma, 1978. Appendix A: The Trophies of Ninurta, where the creatures and substances whose winner is declared Ninurta are rewritten and grouped in a detailed way, including in tables.

page 60


which can be divided into three categories: mythical animals and monsters, personified minerals, and personified trees, since the rest of the texts, which give some variants of the list in different sequences, also refer to other trees (21).

Two things are important to us here: 7) Ninurta is the winner of the serpent, Anzud, and tree, i.e., apparently, at some stage one hero was replaced by another (22);

2) the role of the huluppu tree (halub). As we can see, the role of the "world tree" does not follow from our context and from the others cited, despite such a tempting and absolutely indisputable three-part division of world space vertically and horizontally, as well as its connecting functions in the text. All objects-trophies of Ninurta are in one way or another carriers of evil, which is repeatedly emphasized by his epithets of the hero, the winner of evil. After killing them, they become objects that ward off evil, as the texts also explicitly say. This means that Igor Mikhailovich was absolutely right in the part of his criticism where he objected to attributing the Huluppu tree to the role of a world tree and where he urged researchers to be extremely careful in their conclusions.

However, it is also clear that both the tree itself and the objects made from it had some magical power and magical properties. And then it turns out that a very important part of human life, "earthly affairs" are heroic deeds, on the one hand, and magical actions, maybe even just practicing witchcraft, as something very dubious, on the other. The allusions and omissions of the Akkadian epic become even more clear after our interpretation of the Sumerian passage with Pukku and Mikku. The hatred of these subjects on the part of women and young girls is also understandable. Perhaps even Utu's tacit refusal is understandable - after all, he is the god of justice, purification and truth, the judge of people. The essence of Gilgamesh's actions in forcing his companions to do this is contrary to the ideas of motherhood and fertility, as I have tried to show in a number of my works (23). The serpent and Anzud, as well as the virgin Lilith, are also closely connected with this theme, as well as with the search for ways of power over the world, with actions and forms of their manifestations that are unworthy of a ruler. Maybe that's why Gilgamesh is in the Sumerian tales of death


21. This is how Cooper divided them (ibid., p. 44 f.).

22. Gilgamesh most likely replaced Ninurta, not only because replacing god with a hero is a traditional transformation of the plot, but also because of the possibility of dating the tales of Ninurta (Gudea? -2123 BC), while it seems that the replacement of the hero, as well as the compilation of the Sumerian text "Gilgamesh and Enkidu" occurred during the third dynasty of Ur.

23. Afanasyeva V. K. Magic in Ancient Eastern rites of fertility // Hermitage Readings in memory of B. B. Piotrovsky, St. Petersburg, 1998, pp. 3-9; Afanasieva V. Rationales und Irrationales... (see bibliography) and a number of others. I will briefly repeat some of the provisions. I have already suggested, based on folklore sources and associations, that this drum is magical and those who dance to it cannot stop because they do not know the spell formulas, i.e. they do not have the power over it that Gilgamesh obviously has. This assumption already introduces us to the circle of magical rites and the idea of the power of witchcraft, witchcraft power. The participants of this rite are certainly in a state of ecstasy, and this is primarily what worries their loved ones. But such states, as a rule, are associated with original actions, and we can assume that we are talking about some original rite, about one in which there is some kind of unnatural nature. Such actions are performed to achieve secret power, "hidden knowledge", to achieve such a special state when a person "leaves" his physical body and begins to see himself from the outside, which is the initial stage of mastering his psychophysical structure and acquiring power over the higher forces of nature and supernatural knowledge. Usually these rites are accompanied by abnormal sexual relations, when the task of converging is not to waste energy on conception, but a kind of" spontaneous combustion", the withdrawal of sexual energy to another sphere. And it seems to me that this phenomenon is not so much talked about as the Sumerian legend and the Akkadian epic are silent and silent, hence the vilification of Ishtar and such hatred for her (it is not for nothing that Gilgamesh accuses her of magical transformations of her lovers - into a horse, spider, lion, bird). All these actions are not so much uncharacteristic of the rites of fertility and the covenant "be fruitful and multiply" as opposed and hostile to them, hence the anxiety and hatred of the drum.

page 61


and after his death, he becomes a judge of the underworld, but does not receive the "eternal life" that he so longs for and which his antipode Ziusudra-Atrahasis seeks.

In the "earthly part of the tale", therefore, there are three main themes:: a) exorcism of evil magical forces, liberation from them; b) hero's feat; f) troubles from uncontrolled magic, from magic. To what extent the death of Enkidu is connected with these events, judging only by the content of our text, it is difficult to say, although the theme of death from violating prohibitions, the theme of holding him by land or Chickens is very important in this third part of the story, again (once again!) divided into three parts:

1) Gilgamesh's orders; 2) Gilgamesh's pleas and lamentations. Requests for a date with a friend; J) a story about the rules of the underworld.

Gilgamesh's advice on how to behave in the underworld is interesting for us in connection with another text - "The Girl and Gir" (24). Gir means "traveler, wanderer", lit. "walking" (in the context of the work, it turns out to be the spirit of the dead). Gilgamesh's instructions say that Enkidu should not dress in light clothing, so as not to be mistaken for this gear. Surprisingly, the behavior of Enkidu in violating the instructions and the girl in the story, preparing for the arrival of wandering gear, coincide. The girl prepares light, clean clothes, and Enkidu puts them on. The girl prepares the sacrificial oil (oil), and Enkidu is anointed with the sacrificial oil. The girl prepares some items for the newcomer (reins, whip, headband, etc.), and Enkidu picks up a spear and dogwood rod. But the girl is preparing, as it turns out from further context, for the funeral, she must bury this wandering spirit so that it calms down. This text, which is part of a series of funeral lamentations, is closely related to the funeral rite (25). And our text? Is this part a veiled description of the funeral rite? If this is so, its presence in our work was more than appropriate, but I do not presume to consider my assumption proven.

When Sumerian-Akkadian views on the afterlife are discussed, they usually refer to the description of the underworld in the poem on the descent of Ishtar and the corresponding passage from the epic of Gilgamesh, emphasizing the sense of despondency, horror, and hopeless monotony that is evident in them (26). The first part of Enkidu's story in our history fully coincides with such ideas, perhaps even compounded by the expansion of the description of the suffering of disembodied people, as well as those who died unexpectedly, not in battle, but in accidents and, perhaps, without performing a funeral rite for them ("...have you seen the spirit of the one who has no one to take care of?...").

But here are three points that I would like to pay special attention to: the fate of the deceased in the prime of life, strength, the fate of unborn (stillborn) babies and burned in a fire. The one who is burned does not have the ghost spirit, only its smoke rises to the sky. This is in contrast to all wandering spirits, ghosts, penumbra. What an amazing knowledge about spirits, such as if a person could quite clearly observe and investigate this phenomenon-a ghost spirit. Further, the one who died in the prime of life and apparently blameless (he is somewhat different from the boy and girl mentioned in lines 275-277, if only in that they are listed in the context of infertility), lies "where the bed of the gods is", and the dead (or unborn) babies frolic "around tables of gold and silver, where honey and fine cream are served." Another one, and what a deep mythologeme, and how many feelings, aspirations behind it, and what a powerful concept, even if not


24. Kramer S.N. The GIR5 and Ki-sikil, A New Su.nerian Elegy // ANES in Memory of J.J. Finkelstein. 1977. P. 139-142.

25. As shown by B. Alster, this text is part of the series of funeral lamentations "Edinna, Usagga" (see Alster B. Edin-na-ii-sag-ga. Keilschritliche Literatur. V., 1986. S. 19-37).

26. See " I will reveal to you the hidden Word "(p. 92), "The Descent of Ishtar" and lines 34-45 of Table. VII of the Epic of Gilgamesh (pp. 162-163), repeating the first description almost literally. We find the same cliche in the legend of Nergal and Ereshkigal (p. 82), and in a number of other works, which indicates a well-established tradition.

page 62


formulated theoretically, but expressed by the poet's intuition, which allows you to finish the work with these exact provisions!

And it is already becoming clear why the Akkadian priests (or the composing priest) considered it necessary to attach this third part of the Sumerian legend to such an important worldview work as the Akkadian epic of Gilgamesh, without considering some plot inconsistencies and not deciding to edit it according to the external logic of events: a different internal logic and not at all ideological-political considerations guided them, but deeper reasons-in this case, the Sumerian text should have been perceived as sacred by them.

THE TALE OF GILGAMESH, ENKIDU, AND THE NETHERWORLD IN THE LIGHT OF SUMERIAN COSMOGONY

V.K. Afanasyeva

The article treats the prologue to the Tale of Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Netherworld as one of the sources of our knowledge of Sumerian cosmogony. A summary of the text is given, followed by the discussion of its structure; heavenly deeds (distribution of the world parts among the gods, Enki's sailing, the Tree episode), earthly deeds (getting rid of the evil forces, Gilgamesh's heroic act, troubles resulting from the uncontrolled use of magic) and a thorough description of the Netherworld. The triple composition of the text is particularly stressed.


© elib.jp

Permanent link to this publication:

https://elib.jp/m/articles/view/THE-LEGEND-OF-GILGAMESH-ENKIDU-AND-THE-UNDERWORLD-IN-THE-LIGHT-OF-SUMERIAN-COSMOGONIC-CONCEPTS

Similar publications: LJapan LWorld Y G


Publisher:

Nikamura NagasakiContacts and other materials (articles, photo, files etc)

Author's official page at Libmonster: https://elib.jp/Nikamura

Find other author's materials at: Libmonster (all the World)GoogleYandex

Permanent link for scientific papers (for citations):

V. K. Afanasyeva, THE LEGEND OF GILGAMESH, ENKIDU AND THE UNDERWORLD IN THE LIGHT OF SUMERIAN COSMOGONIC CONCEPTS // Tokyo: Japan (ELIB.JP). Updated: 17.06.2024. URL: https://elib.jp/m/articles/view/THE-LEGEND-OF-GILGAMESH-ENKIDU-AND-THE-UNDERWORLD-IN-THE-LIGHT-OF-SUMERIAN-COSMOGONIC-CONCEPTS (date of access: 10.02.2025).

Publication author(s) - V. K. Afanasyeva:

V. K. Afanasyeva → other publications, search: Libmonster JapanLibmonster WorldGoogleYandex

Comments:



Reviews of professional authors
Order by: 
Per page: 
 
  • There are no comments yet
Related topics
Rating
0 votes
Related Articles
SEN KATAYAMA AS A HISTORIAN
Catalog: History 
11 days ago · From Haruto Masaki
A. I. KRUSHANOV. VICTORY OF SOVIET POWER IN THE FAR EAST AND TRANSBAIKALIA (1917-APRIL 1918)
Catalog: History Bibliology 
11 days ago · From Haruto Masaki
THOMAS HUBER. THE REVOLUTIONARY ORIGINS OF MODERN JAPAN
11 days ago · From Haruto Masaki
POLITICAL EXILE IN SIBERIA AT THE END OF THE XVIII-BEGINNING OF THE XX CENTURY. SOURCES AND HISTORIOGRAPHY
Catalog: History 
12 days ago · From Haruto Masaki
AINU PEOPLE
Catalog: Anthropology History 
16 days ago · From Haruto Masaki
M. I. SVETACHEV. Imperialist intervention in Siberia and the Far East (1918-1922)
Catalog: History Bibliology 
16 days ago · From Haruto Masaki
KURILORUSSIA
16 days ago · From Haruto Masaki
ONCE AGAIN ABOUT TSUSHIMA
Catalog: History 
17 days ago · From Haruto Masaki
VICTORY IN THE FAR EAST
17 days ago · From Haruto Masaki
STRENGTHENING OF NEOCONSERVATIVE TENDENCIES IN HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL STUDIES OF BOURGEOIS AUTHORS IN JAPAN
17 days ago · From Haruto Masaki

New publications:

Popular with readers:

News from other countries:

ELIB.JP - Japanese Digital Library

Create your author's collection of articles, books, author's works, biographies, photographic documents, files. Save forever your author's legacy in digital form. Click here to register as an author.
Library Partners

THE LEGEND OF GILGAMESH, ENKIDU AND THE UNDERWORLD IN THE LIGHT OF SUMERIAN COSMOGONIC CONCEPTS
 

Editorial Contacts
Chat for Authors: JP LIVE: We are in social networks:

About · News · For Advertisers

Digital Library of Japan ® All rights reserved.
2023-2025, ELIB.JP is a part of Libmonster, international library network (open map)
Preserving the Japan heritage


LIBMONSTER NETWORK ONE WORLD - ONE LIBRARY

US-Great Britain Sweden Serbia
Russia Belarus Ukraine Kazakhstan Moldova Tajikistan Estonia Russia-2 Belarus-2

Create and store your author's collection at Libmonster: articles, books, studies. Libmonster will spread your heritage all over the world (through a network of affiliates, partner libraries, search engines, social networks). You will be able to share a link to your profile with colleagues, students, readers and other interested parties, in order to acquaint them with your copyright heritage. Once you register, you have more than 100 tools at your disposal to build your own author collection. It's free: it was, it is, and it always will be.

Download app for Android