Announcements
To any confused students:
With my co-professor's recent retirement, there may be some slightly confusing references to other instructors in the lessons (Professor Morgan). I am slowly beginning the process to ensure that this confusion is mitigated, but it will take some time. All lessons will eventually indicate the correct professor, and credits to the original author will be indicated at the bottom of the lesson itself. Slight modifications will be made in order to make this happen, as some descriptions, personal details, or reasoning will no longer make sense as it pertains to me, but these changes will be minimal and cosmetic.
In the meantime, this is an excellent opportunity to point out any issues of spelling, grammar, or content to me, as I will be going through each lesson individally. I can be contacted via owl.
Lesson 7) Babylon and the Enuma Elish
Professor Morgan looks curiously out over her classroom. The students are all seated and yet they seem quite distracted by something hovering over the Professor’s right shoulder. Professor Morgan glances back and laughs.
Oh this little thing? It’s a representation of a Babylonian demon - it’s not real, nor has it ever been. It’s an example of what happens with an inebriated Muggle encounters a couple of wizards practicing charms.
I was digging it out to show it to you when my cats, Isis and Horus, decided that they didn’t like it and attacked. The only safe place for it now is high in the air where the cats can’t reach it. Pay it no mind - it is not magical in the least. Let’s begin our discussion for today.
Image of the Babylonian Demon found in Professor Morgan’s classroom
A Quick History of Babylon
When ancient Mesopotamia was covered in Ancient Studies Year Three, we glanced over much of Babylonian history, so let’s take a closer look. Babylon emerged as a separate identity in Mesopotamia around the same time as the fall of the Sumerian empire, circa 2000 B.C.E., and lasted in various forms until 1026 B.C.E. when much of the empire fell to the Arameans, and eventually to the Assyrians.
At its largest, the Babylonian Empire encompassed an area far greater than that of its predecessor, the Sumerian Empire. That said, much of Babylonian beliefs were strongly rooted in Sumerian beliefs and practices as many of their citizens, especially during the early years of the empire, were descendents of Sumerians who had lived only a few generations before them. Unsurprisingly, there are very strong parallels between Sumerian and Babylonian mythology, and sometimes the myths are outright identical!
The Babylonian Pantheon
Major gods of the Babylonian Pantheon
When you look at the Babylonian pantheon pictured above, you will note that it is extremely similar to the Sumerian pantheon we studied two classes ago. Gods such as Ea and Enlil are present in both pantheons, and some of the gods are only slightly different - An has become Anu, for example.
That said, there are some distinct differences between the Babylonian pantheon and the others that we have studied, both with the names of the gods and with the placement of the head of the pantheon. In the Babylonian pantheon, similarly to both the Egyptian and Sumerian pantheons, the gods and goddesses represent the universe developing from chaos and/or the primordial oceans. Usually, one or two steps down the chain, the king or leader of the gods emerges - but this scenario is not accurate for the Babylonian pantheon.
The head of the Babylonian pantheon is actually Marduk - you’ll find him on the very bottom level of the pantheon tree. Not only is he on the lowest level, but he is a god not found in the Sumerian pantheon. Marduk, whose name translates as “Calf of the Sun God,” was associated with Jupiter, and was depicted as a warrior dressed and armed for battle or a dragon with the head and tail of a snake, the body and front legs of a lion, and the back legs of a falcon.
The Enuma Elish - Babylon’s Creation Myth
The god Marduk features quite prominently in Babylon’s creation myth, the Enuma Elish, also called the Enûma Eliš. Translated, Enuma Elish means “when on high,” which is the opening line of the myth. The myth is also referred to as The Seven Tablets of Creation as the surviving copies of the myth are written in cuneiform on seven clay tablets.
The most salient points of this creation myth are as follows:
In the beginning, Apsu (freshwater) and Tiamat (salty or bitter water) mixed together to give birth to the younger gods: Lahmu (first born son, protective deity), Lahamu (first born daughter), Kishar (goddess of the earth), and Anshar (god of the sky), who are all primordial beings. Please note that again, life begins through some sort of water in this mythology as well the others we have studied this year. Water i, and has always been, the key to survival. It is therefore not surprising that it plays a key part in the creation of the world.
Further offspring of Apsu and Tiamat include Damkina (or Damgalnuna in some versions, mother of Marduk), Ea (crafts, water, mischief, intelligence, and creation), Anu (heaven, sky, and constellations), Enlil (wind), and Ninlil (air). Apsu found his offspring to be rather loud, and considered killing them to reduce the noise level. He was encouraged to do so by another god, Mummu, but opposed by his wife, Tiamat. Tiamat warns Ea of the impending slaughter as he is the most powerful of the gods. Ea saves his siblings by magically putting Apsu into a coma, then killing him. Mummu is then banished for his role.
After Apsu’s death, Ea has a son, Marduk, who is considered to be even more powerful than his father. Marduk is given the power to control the wind, and his use of this power upsets Tiamat, as the gods are considered as “living within Tiamat’s body.” Tiamat decides her deceased husband may have been correct in his view of their offspring and so, with her new husband Kingu, who was also her son by Apsu, at her side, creates 11 monsters (demons or djinn, depending on the translation) to destroy the gods.
Marduk, being the strongest of the gods, is asked by his family to stop Tiamat. He agrees to do so, but not until the other gods have vowed to make him the king of the gods forevermore. Desperate, the other gods agree and Marduk destroys Tiamat.
After the battle and Tiamat’s death, Marduk rips her body in half, using one half to create the earth, and the other half to create the heavens. Marduk then goes on to create the planets, stars, constellations, and the calendar, as well as regulating the sun, moon, and weather. The rest of the gods are spared an infinity of servitude to Marduk when he goes on to create humanity from Kingu’s blood, who is killed as punishment for his support of Tiamat.
When looking at this myth, we can see there are certainly similarities with other creation myths both within ancient Africa, but also in other areas of the world that it may have influenced. Listen quite carefully to our future discussions in Year Five, as there are definitely some similarities between this myth and the Greek myth of Zeus and the Titans.
The Gods, the Stars, and Magical Practice in Babylon
A fascinating aspect of Babylonian mythology is that it is directly tied to the way in which the Babylonians practiced magic. Major gods and goddesses of the pantheon were not only related to aspects such as the elements, agriculture, war, etc., but also directly to celestial objects and constellations. For example, Marduk was equated with the planet Jupiter. Shammash, one of the minor gods in the pantheon, was a sun-god who became the patron saint of Babylonian Diviners. Most importantly, Ea, for his use of magic to destroy Apsu, was considered to be the god of all magic.
The significance of these relationships came into play when magic was being practiced. Many of the incantations for charms began by invoking Ea to bless or sanction the magic that was being performed. Similarly, Shammash was invoked in rituals of a divinatory nature for the same reason. While not necessary to complete the spells, the devotion of the Babylonians to their gods exemplifies the important role the gods played in their everyday lives.
That concludes our brief look at Babylonian mythology. Much of the other myths are simply translations of older Sumerian myths, with the names of some of the gods changed. Our next lesson will examine the mythology of the Hurrians and Hittites, which will be the final culture we will be discussing in Year Four. You will have a quiz to complete for today’s lesson, and we shall see you all again soon!
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Sources:
Cotterell, Arthur & Storm, Rachel. 1999. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology. Hermes House Anness Publishing Ltd. New York.
Grimal, Pierre. Ed. 1989. Larousse World Mythology. Gallery Books, New York.
http://www.nyboria.de/meso_magic.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En%C3%BBma_Eli%C5%A1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonia
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