ASSYRO-BABYLONIAN MYTHOLOGY - THE CREATION

The myth of the Creation is given to us in a series of seven tablets which in the main come, like most of the other religious texts which we shall make use of, from the library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh. Tablets date from the seventh century B.C., while there are some pieces from Ashur going back to 1000 B.C. The work as we, have it must be based on much older original texts.

Water is the primordial element. From the fusion of sweet water (Apsu) and salt water (Tiamat) arose all beings, beginning with the gods. The Apsu, which is here personified, was a kind of abyss filled with water which encircled the earth. The earth itself was a round plateau. This plateau was bounded by mountains on which rested the vault of heaven, and it floated on the waters of the Apsu. From the Apsu came the springs which broke through the surface of the earth. The Apsu may be compared to the River Oceanus of the Greeks, which Homer also called the father of all things. Tiamat was a personification of the sea and represented the feminine element which gave birth to the world. In the continuation of the story she represents the blind forces of primitive chaos against which the intelligent and organising gods struggle. Lakhmu and Lakhamu were the first two to be born. They are rather vague gods, and seem to be a pair of monstrous serpents. They gave birth to Anshar. the male principle, and to Kishar, the female principle, who represented respectively, so some think, the celestial and the terrestrial worlds. In the same way the Greek gods were born of the union of Uranus, the sky, and Gaea, the earth. But while in Greek mythology Gaea played an important role Kishar does not appear again in the story. In the Epic of the Creation it will be noticed that the principal role is played by Marduk; it is he who triumphs over Tiamat and organises the universe. This is explained by the Babylonian origin of the poem, for Marduk was, as we shall later see, the great god of Babylon.

Now this is how the people of Sumer and Akkad explained the origin of the world. In the beginning when 'the sky above had not been named and the earth below was nameless' there existed only Apsu, the primordial ocean, and Tiamat, the tumultuous sea. From their mingled waters came forth first Mummu (the tumult of the waves) then a pair of monstrous serpents. Lakhmu and Lakhamu, who in their turn gave birth to Anshar, the celestial world, and to Kishar. the terrestrial world. To Anshar and Kishar were born the great gods: Ann, the powerful; Ea, of vast intellect; and the other divinities. These latter were the Igigi who peopled the sky, and the Anunnake who were scattered over the earth and through the underworld.

Soon the new gods with their turbulence disturbed the repose of old Apsu who complained to Tiamat: 'During the day I have no rest and at night I cannot sleep.' The two ancestors argued about the annihilation of their descendants. 'Why should we destroy all that we have rnade?' asked Tiamat. 'Even though their way is troublesome!' But Ea, who perceived all things, learnt of Apsu's design and by his magic incantations was able to seize Apsu and Mummu. Tiamat, enraged, gathered around her a certain number of the gods and gave birth to enormous serpents 'with sharp teeth, merciless in slaughter', to terrible dragons with glittering scales, to tempest-monsters, savage dogs, to scorpion-men, furious hurricanes, fish-men and rams. To command this troop she chose Kingu, to whom she gave sovereignty over all the gods, pinning on his breast the tablets of fate.

Meanwhile Ea, who knew of Tiamat's plans, went to his father Anshar. 'Tiamat, our mother,' he said, 'has conceived a hatred against us. She is gathering an army together, she storms with fury.' Listening to his son, Anshar was moved. He 'struck his thigh, he bit his lip, his stomach knew no more rest'. At first he sent Anu against Tiamat, but Anu lacked the heart to confront the goddess. Ea was no more courageous. Then Ea summoned Bel-Marduk, 'the son who makes his heart swell', and bade him to do battle with Tiamat, promising him the victory. Marduk accepted, but first insisted that the assembled gods should confer on him supreme authority. Anshar consented and at once sent his messenger Gaga to Lakhmu and Lakhamu, as well as to the other Igigi. All hastened to the Upshukina and, having kissed each other, sat down to a banquet. After they had eaten bread and drunk wine they prepared a princely dwelling for Marduk, the king. They acknowledged his rule over all the world and accorded him the sceptre, the throne and the palu, giving him the unrivalled weapon which repelled all enemies, 'Go', they said to him, 'and slay Tiamat. May the winds carry her blood to secret places!'

Thus invested Marduk took in his right hand a bow, fixed the string, hung a quiver at his side, set lightning before him and made a net in which to entangle Tiamat. He loosed the winds which he posted beside him; then, taking his chief weapon, the hurricane, he mounted his chariot - a terrifying tempest - which was drawn by four swift and violent steeds, fearful in battle. Thus'arrayed in terror' he went forth to challenge Tiamat to battle. They rose up, Tiamat and Marduk the Wise, among the gods. The Epic of the Creation (Tablet IV, vs. 93-104. Dhorme's translation), tells us: They marched to war, they drew near to give battle. The Lord spread out his net and caught her in it. The evil wind which followed him, he loosed it in her face. She opened her mouth, Tiamat, to swallow him. He drove in the evil wind so that she could not close her lips.The terrible winds filled her belly. Her heart was seized, She held her mouth wide open. He let fly an arrow, it pierced her belly. Her inner parts he clove, he split her heart. He rendered her powerless and destroyed her life. He felled her body and stood upright on it. The death of Tiamat spread confusion among her followers. Her auxiliaries fled in disorder to save their lives, but Marduk caught them in his net and took them all prisoner. With Kingu he threw them in chains into the infernal regions. Then, returning to Tiamat, he split her skull and cut the arteries of her blood. And, as he contemplated the monstrous corpse, he 'conceived works of art'. He clove the body 'like a fish into its two parts'. From one half he fashioned the vault of the heavens, from the other the solid earth. That done, he organised the world. He constructed a dwelling-place for the great gods in the sky and installed the stars which were their image; he fixed the length of the year and regulated the course of the heavenly bodies. Thus the earth was formed. Then 'in order that the gods should live in a world to rejoice their hearts' Marduk created humanity. According to the Epic of the Creation Marduk moulded the body of the first man using the blood of Kingu. A neo-Babylonian text from Eridu says that he was aided in his work by the goddess Aruru who 'produced with him the seed of mankind'. Finally there appeared the great rivers, vegetation and animals, wild and domestic. The work of creation had been achieved.

Excerpted from "New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology",Introduction by Robert Graves, Translation by Richard Aldington and Delano Ames, Crescent Books, New York, 2001, p.58-60. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.