Thu., 8/22
Do Now:
Silently read and annotate:
Excerpts from “Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta”
Look up non-Sumerian words you do not know in the dictionary and write down their definitions in the margins of your text as part of your annotating.
Read p. 54, ¶ 5 – p. 55, ¶ 6.
Exercise 6A:
Write five or more complete sentences explaining the historical significance of Ickur and Inanna blessing the lands of both the Sumerians and the Elamites after an escalating—but then abruptly inconclusive—confrontation between them in the story of Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta.
Check your answer against the model answer posted on the History blog. Make sure your answer covers the same information, and you may copy the model answer verbatim if you wish.
And, now, here is the...
Exercise 6A Model Answer:
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“Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta” begins with Enmerkar, the king of Uruk (called “Unug” in the text) asking the goddess, Inanna, to force the Elamites in the northern city of Aratta to submit to his rule and send him their precious metals and stones so that he can build a temple to her. Inanna responds by encouraging Enmerkar to send a messenger demanding Aratta’s submission. The lord of Aratta responds with a challenge to war. The two kings send a series of messages back and forth to each other, each one more insulting than the last. Just as their heated exchange comes to a crescendo, however, the story abruptly changes to Inanna and the god, Ickur, blessing both Uruk (Unug) and Aratta with a bountiful harvest, suggesting that Enmerkar lost the fight he had picked with the lord of Aratta.
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Here is the text (if you were absent today):
Excerpts from “Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta”
Sumerian terms:
me = “decrees” of the gods needed for civilization, e.g., physical objects, such as musical instruments, technologies, such as basket-making, and ideals such as Truth.
abzu = the name for fresh water from underground aquifers which was given a religious fertilising quality in Sumerian and Akkadian mythology. Lakes, springs, rivers, wells, and other sources of fresh water were thought to draw their water from the abzu. In this respect, in Sumerian and Akkadian mythology it referred to the primeval sea below the void space of the underworld (Kur) and the earth (Ma) above.
jipar = shrine or temple
Enmerkar, lord of Uruk (Unug), speaks to his “sister,” the goddess, Inanna:
"My sister, let Aratta fashion gold and silver skilfully on my behalf for Unug. Let them cut the flawless lapis lazuli from the blocks, let them ...... the translucence of the flawless lapis lazuli ....... ...... build a holy mountain in Unug. Let Aratta build a temple brought down from heaven -- your place of worship, the Shrine Eanna; let Aratta skilfully fashion the interior of the holy jipar, your abode; may I, the radiant youth, may I be embraced there by you. Let Aratta submit beneath the yoke for Unug on my behalf. Let the people of Aratta bring down for me the mountain stones from their mountain, build the great shrine for me, erect the great abode for me, make the great abode, the abode of the gods, famous for me, make my me prosper in Kulaba, make the abzu grow for me like a holy mountain, make Eridug gleam for me like the mountain range, cause the abzu shrine to shine forth for me like the silver in the lode. When in the abzu I utter praise, when I bring the me from Eridug, when, in lordship, I am adorned with the crown like a purified shrine, when I place on my head the holy crown in Unug Kulaba, then may the ...... of the great shrine bring me into the jipar, and may the ...... of the jipar bring me into the great shrine. May the people marvel admiringly, and may Utu witness it in joy."
Inanna’s response emboldens Enmerkar:
“The people of Aratta shall bring down the mountain stones from their mountains, and shall build the great shrine for you, and erect the great abode for you, will cause the great abode, the abode of the gods, to shine forth for you…-- in the place of Dumuzi where the ewes, kids and lambs are numerous, the people of Aratta shall run around for you like the mountain sheep in the akalag fields, the fields of Dumuzi. Rise like the sun over my holy breast! You are the jewel of my throat! Praise be to you, Enmerkar, son of Utu!"
The lord gave heed to the words of holy Inanna, and chose from the troops as a messenger one who was eloquent of speech and endowed with endurance. Where and to whom will he carry the important message of wise Inanna?
“You shall bring it up into the Zubi Mountains [Aratta], you shall descend with it from the Zubi Mountains. Let [Aratta] humbly salute Inanna like tiny mice. In the great mountain ranges, let the teeming multitudes grovel in the dust for her. Messenger, speak to the lord of Aratta and say to him: [Enmerkar lists his demands from Aratta, including “nuggets of gold in leather sacks”].”
A sample of the jeering responses from the lord of Aratta:
[H]ow can mobilized Unug [Uruk, i.e., Enmarkar] proceed against the Zubi mountains [Aratta]? Your king is heading in all haste against my military might, but I am equally eager for a contest. (As the proverb goes,) he who ignores a rival, does not get to eat everything up, like the bull which ignores the bull at its side. But he who acknowledges a contest can be the outright winner, like the bull which acknowledges the bull at its side -- or does he reject me in this contest? Like ......, ...... can match no one -- or does he still reject me in this contest? Again, I have words to say to you, messenger: I have an artful proposal to make to you ......, may it get across to you ........ Repeat this to your master, to the lord of Kulaba, a lion lying on its paws in Eanna, a bull bellowing within it, within his jipar, fruitful as a flourishing mes tree. The mountain range is a warrior, ...... high, like Utu going to his abode at twilight, like one from whose face blood drips; or like Nanna, who is majestic in the high heavens, like him whose countenance shines with radiance, who ...... is like the woods in the mountains."
The lord of Aratta and Enmerkar continue their “diplomatic” communication. The lord of Aratta suggests using champions to settle their imminent conflict. Enmerkar agrees, but when the lord of Aratta receives the response, the clay tablet has no word in it, only nails. At that point, the god Ickur, son of Enlil, causes a great storm to bring forth an abundance of wheat and chickpeas on the mountains of Aratta. Inanna, now identified as the “lady of all the lands,” blesses both the Sumerians and the Elamites.
The clever champion, when he came, had covered his head with a colourful turban, and wrapped himself in a garment of lion skins. 4 lines unclear. Inanna ....... Her song was pleasing to her spouse, Ama-ucumgal-ana. Since that time, she has made it perfect in the holy ear, the holy ear of Dumuzi, has sung it and has let the words be known.
When the old woman [An] came to the mountain of the shining me, she went up to him like a maiden who in her day is perfect, painted her eyes with kohl, wrapped herself in a white garment, came forth with the good crown like the moonlight. She arranged the ...... on her head. She made Enmerkar, her spouse, occupy the throne-dais with her. She raised up ......, and indeed, for Aratta, the ewes and their lambs now multiply; indeed, for Aratta, the mother goats and their kids multiply; indeed, for Aratta, the cows and their calves multiply; indeed, for Aratta, the donkey mares and their black, swift-footed foals multiply. In Aratta, they say together: "Let them heap up and pile up for the grain piles; the abundance is truly your abundance."
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