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The Cursing of Agade
After
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 ruler ship and kingship from
the south as far as the highlands to Sargon, king of Agade -- at that
time, holy Inanna established the sanctuary of Agade as her celebrated
woman's domain; she set up her throne in Ulmac.
Like a young man building a house for the first time, like a girl
establishing a woman's domain, holy Inanna 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.
She 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.
Its 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 Inanna 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 Inanna 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.
But the statement coming from the E-kur was disquieting. Because of
Enlil (?) all Agade was reduced (?) to trembling, and terror befell
Inanna in Ulmac. She left the city, returning to her home. Holy Inanna
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.
Not even five or ten days had passed and Ninurta brought the jewels of
ruler ship, 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. Inanna took away its weapons.
The 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
honor as in a battle.
Naram- 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 unfavorable, 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 it into
words, and did not discuss it with anyone.)
Then 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 alter
Enlil's pronouncement.
Because 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.
He 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 Lahamu
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, jewelers 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.
Enlil, 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 traveled 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.
In 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.
At 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.
At that time, Suen, Enki, Inanna, 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!"
Again, Suen, Enki, Inanna, 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 Lahamu 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!"
" 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!"
"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!"
And 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!
Inana be praised for the destruction of Agade!
Fragments of an earlier version from Nippur, dating to the Third Dynasty
of Ur
Segment A
unknown number of lines missing
Enki took away its wisdom. An took up into the midst of heaven its
fearsomeness that reaches heaven. Enki tore out its well-anchored holy
mooring pole from the abzu.
unknown number of lines missing
Segment B
Naram- Suen saw in a nocturnal vision that he would make its future
altogether unfavourable, that he would make its temples shake and would
scatter its treasures!
unknown number of lines missing
Segment C
as if he were to change what had been inflicted (?) upon him.
His subjects were dispersed, so he 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.
Though the temple was not a mountain of cedars, he had large axes cast
to be used against it. (1 ms. adds the line: He had double-edged
agasilig axes sharpened to be used against it.) As if they were for
great tracts of land with huge (1 ms. has instead: wide) carp-filled
waters, he cast large spades (1 ms. has instead: ...... to be used
against the E-kur). He put spades against its roots.
unknown number of lines missing
Segment D
and the Land was deprived of grain. He struck the "Gate of
Well-Being" with pickaxe and well-being was destroyed in all the
foreign lands.
unknown number of lines missing
Segment E
4 lines unclear
unknown number of lines missing
Segment F
Noses were punched, heads were smashed (?), noses (?) were piled up,
heads were sown like seeds. Heroes lay (?) dead on top of heroes, the
blood of traitors ran (?) upon honest men.
Enlil rebuilt his great sanctuaries into small reed (?) sanctuaries and
from the south to the uplands .......
|
Writings:
Enuma
Elish
Gilgamesh
Descent
of Ishtar
Nibiru
Adapa
Ki-Amum
Cursing
of Agade
Enki
and Ninhursag
Enki
& the World Order
Enki
and Ninmah
Enki
builds E-Engurra
Enlil
in E-Kur
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