Goddess

Atrahasis

With you to the sky, show your strengthWhile the Anunnaki are sitting before youCall up one god and let them cast him fordestruction!'Anu made his voice heardAnd spoke to the gods his brothers,'What are we complaining of?1JTheir work was indeed too hard, their trouble wastoo much.Every day the earth (?) [resounded (?)].The warning signal was loud enough, we kepthearing the noise.] do] tasks (?)(gap partly filled, partly overlappedby the following two SBV fragments)SBV '(While) the Anunnaki are sitting before you,And (while) Belet-ili the womb-goddess ispresent,Call up one and cast him for destruction!'Anu made his voice heard and spoke to [Nusku],'Nusku, open your door, take up your weapons,Bow in the assembly of the great gods, [thenstand]And tell them [ ],"Your father Anu, your counsellor warrior Ellil,

Who is incharge of the fighting?Which god started the war?A rabble was running around Ellil's door."'(gap of uncertain length)SBV Ea made his voice heardAnd spoke to the gods his brothers,'Why are we blaming them?Their work was too hard, their trouble was toomuch.Every day the earth (?) [resounded (?)].The warning signal was loud enough, [we kepthearing the noise.]There is [ ]Belet-ili the womb-goddess is present

Let her create primeval manSo that he may bear the yoke [( )],So that he may bear the yoke, [the work of Ellil],Let man bear the load of the gods!'(gap)OBV 'Belet-ili the womb-goddess is present,Let the womb-goddess create offspring,

And let man bear the load of the gods!'They called up the goddess, askedThe midwife of the gods, wise Mami,'You are the womb-goddess (to be the) creator ofmankind!Create primeval man, that he may bear the yoke!Let him bear the yoke, the work of Ellil,Let man bear the load of the gods!'Nintu made her voice heardAnd spoke to the great gods,'It is not proper for me to make him.The work is Enki's;He makes everything pure!If he gives me clay, then I will do it.'Enki made his voice heardAnd spoke to the great gods,'On the first, seventh, and fifteenth of the monthI shall make a purification by washing.Then one god should be slaughtered.And the gods can be purified by immersion.Nintu shall mix clayWith his flesh and his blood.Then a god and a manWill be mixed together in clay.Let us hear the drumbeat forever after, Let a ghost come into existence from the god'sflesh, Let her proclaim it as his living sign, And let the ghost exist so as not to forget (theslain god).'They answered 'Yes!' in the assembly,The great Anunnaki who assign the fates.On the first, seventh, and fifteenth of the monthHe made a purification by washing.Ilawela who had intelligence,They slaughtered in their assembly.Nintu mixed clayWith his flesh and blood.They heard the drumbeat forever after.

For the womb-goddess (is) creator of fate.He … -ed them two by two,ll… -ed them two by two in her presence.Mami made (these) rules for people'In the house of a woman who is giving birthThe mud brick shall be put down for seven days.Belet-ili, wise Mami shall be honoured.The midwife shall rejoice in the house of thewoman who gives birthAnd when the woman gives birth to the baby,The mother of the baby shall sever herself.A man to a girl [ ]OBV [ ] her bosomA beard can be seen (?)On a young man's cheek.In gardens and waysidesA wife and her husband choose each other.

Her face was glad and joyful.She covered her head,Performed the midwifery,Put on her belt, said a blessing.She made a drawing in flour and put down a mudbrick:'I myself created (it), my hands made (it).The midwife shall rejoice in the house of theqadistu-priestess.Wherever a woman gives birthAnd the baby's mother severs herself,The mud brick shall be put down for nine days.Nintu the womb-goddess shall be honoured.She shall call their … "Mami".

She shall [ ] the womb-goddess,Lay down the linen cloth (?).When the bed is laid out in their house,A wife and her husband shall choose each other.

.They made a loud noise in the land.They did not revere their god,Did not pray to their goddess,But searched out the door of Namtara,Brought a baked loaf into his presence.

Let them make a loud noise in the land :Do not revere your god(s)!Do not pray to your goddess!Search out the door of Adad,Bring a baked loaf into his presence.May the flour offering reach him,May he be shamed by the presentsAnd wipe away his "hand".'(Then) he will make a mist form in the morningAnd in the night he will steal out and make dewdrop,Deliver (?) the field (of its produce) ninefold, likea thief.

They built a temple for Adad in the city,Ordered heralds to proclaimAnd make a loud noise in the land.They did not revere their god(s),Did not pray to their goddess,But searched out the door of Adad,Brought a baked (loaf) into his presence.The flour offering reached him;He was shamed by the presentsAnd wiped away his 'hand'.He made mist form in the morningAnd in the night he stole out and made dewdrop,Delivered (?) the field (of its produce) ninefold, likea thief.[The drought] left them,[The gods] went back [to their (regular) offerings].

37The great gods, the Anunna,Stayed parched and famished.The goddess watched and wept,Midwife of the gods, wise Mami:'Let daylight (?) ..

Let these flies be the lapis lazuli of my necklaceBy which I may remember it (?) daily (?)[forever (?)].'The warrior Ellil spotted the boat And was furious with the Igigi.'We, the great Anunna, all of us,Agreed together on an oath!No form of life should have escaped!How did any man survive the catastrophe?'Anu made his voice heardAnd spoke to the warrior Ellil,'Who but Enki would do this?He made sure that the [reed hut] disclosed theorder.'Enki made his voice heardAnd spoke to the great gods,'I did it, in defiance of you!I made sure life was preserved [(5 lines missing)Exact your punishment from the sinner.And whoever contradicts your order(12 lines missing)I have given vent to my feelings!'Ellil made his voice heardAnd spoke to far-sighted Enki,'Come, summon Nintu the womb-goddess!Confer with each other in the assembly.

'Enki made his voice heardAnd spoke to the womb-goddess Nintu,'You are the womb-goddess who decrees destinies.