Utukku Lemnutu (UDUG HUL), Tablets 8-16

pp. 225-226 Tablet 8

p.

l.

 
   

"evil Alu-demon who __"

225

5

"has no mouth:

 

6

"has no limbs"

 

8

"has no face"

 

10

"in bed at night, copulates with a man in his sleep"

 

13

"urinates like an ass while crouching over a man"

226

18

"always flies about like a bat in the clefts at night"

 

19

"always flies around at night like a bird in the dark"

 

20

"covers the victim like a gill net"

 

21

"snares the victim like a hunting net"

 

23

"prowls about quitely at night like an urban fox"

     
   

curative actions by exorcist : "I ..." (addressed to Alu^-daimon)

 

33

"grasped in my right hand the raven, the herldic bird of the gods"

 

34

"sent off the falcon, the noble bird, from my left hand towards your evil face."

 

35

"donned ["put around my neck" (fn.)] against you a terrifying red scarf"

 

36

"dressed (my) pure body against you in a red cloak, a cloak of awe."

 

37

"hung a mouse from the door lintel"

 

38

"hung the soot of a single thornbush from a peg"

 

39

"seared you body with a whip like a stray donkey."

     
   

dismissal of Alu^-daimon

 

41

"Depart, Alu^-demon, ...

 

42

You must not keep standing about or tarrying in the shrine of the family god"

 

48

"evil Alu^-demon, go off to the wilderness."

 

50

"your dwelling is a vacant lot and wasteland."

pp. 227-230 Tablet 9

p.

l.

 
   

divinities

227

8’

"Kusu, the (divine) high priest of Enlil"

228

41’

"S^amas^, lord of the aromatic cedar"

 

42’

"Ningirimma, lady of the pure censor [censer]"

 

43’

"Girra, ... fire and flame to the torch"

 

44’

"Kusu, s^angamahhu-priest of Enlil"

 

45’

"Nisaba, mistress of the living creatures, ... arsuppu-barley, s^egus^u-wheat, inninu-barley, wheat, emmer, chick-peas, lentils, and kis^s^anu-pea"

 

46’

"Lisi ... through alkali, salt, sulphur, horn of stag, ninu^, azupiru, and cress"

 

47’

"Nunurra, the great potter of Anu"

     
   

dismissal of evil daimones

 

48’

"As for the S^edu-demon – may your noise from the copper drum, ‘hero of heaven,’ frighten him away."

229

74’

"I have drawn for your benefit the (image of the) oath-demon in flour in the house, ...

 

76’

Swear to these things by the great gods, so that you may go away."

     
   

prohibitions addressed to evil daimones

230

94’

"You must not lean out of the window to him,

 

95’

nor strike him down via the ribbed window,

 

96’

nor cry out to him from the karratu-window,

 

97’

nor may you look at him through the upper window,

 

98’

nor may you enter to him through the ‘leaning-out’ window,

 

99’

" " " " " " through the lattice window,

 

100’

" " " " " " through the tom-opening (lit. window),

 

101’

" " " " " " through the ventilation-window,

 

102’

" " " " " " with fireballs produced by the sun, ...

 

110’

nor may you always slither through the door, bolt, or lock of the house to him."

pp. 230-233 Tablet 10

p.

l.

 

230

 

"of the Apsu^, creator of __"

 

4’

"heaven and earth"

 

5’

"the upper and lower regions"

 

6’

"all peoples"

     

231

 

"The hero Marduk __"

 

37’

"struck [slapped] his thigh [for emphasis] and took up the tamarisk"

 

38’

"struck [slapped] his thigh [for emphasis] and took up the torch"

 

40’

"brought the gypsum near"

 

41’

"brought the bitumen near"

     
   

offerings offered

233

92’

set out cakes

 

93’

set out ghee

 

94’

"pour out [liqueur?] of dates"

pp. 233-235 Tablet 11

p.

l.

 

233

 

Excerpt 2

 

1

"I am Asalluhi, who was born in the Eunir-temple"

 

4

"I am Asalluhi, who knows the depth of the vast Hubur (netherworld-river)"

 

6

"I am Asalluhi, whom Laguda magnifies in the Lower Sea"

 

7

"I am Asalluhi, indeed being the bond of all and the first-born of Mami."

     

234

 

Excerpt 4

 

6

"I am Asalluhi, unveiling cuneiform"

 

9

"I am Asalluhi, whosr glare destroys a wall of stone"

     
   

Excerpt 5

 

7

"I am Asalluhi, inspecting (esoteric) sources, creating cosmic plans"

 

13

"I am Asalluhi, who removes illness and destroys the great Sheriff-demons"

     

235

 

Excerpt 8

 

4

by S^amas^

 

5

by Hendursagga

 

6

by S^arur and S^argaz

 

12

"Nedu, the great gatekeeper of the Netherworld"

 

13

"Ningis^zida, the throne-bearer of the broad Netherworld"

pp. 236-241 Tablet 12

p.

l.

 

236

 

description of Utukku

 

14

"the evil Utukku-demon ... is tall in stature ... .

 

16

He is shady, his shadow is very dark ... .

 

18

Gall is always dripping from his finger nails, his tread is harmful poison."

     

237

 

description of Alu^

 

28

"The Alu^ (storm)-demon is like a mountain ...,

 

30

set into the Netherworld like a trap.

 

31

He trapped the distraught victim".

     
   

Belet-ili [Ninhursag]

 

44

"Belet-ili, elder sister of Sin, great mother of Kesh,

 

45

in the Egula, the exalted temple, where she has the fate of heaven and earth, as well as the fate of the gods in her hand."

     
   

ritual to cure patient afflicted by Alu^

238

64

"S^amas^ offers him renewed life.

 

65

Set up on a pedestal a black goat, the face of which is multicolored".

 

70

"Let [the patient] exhale normally, so that the Alu^-demon is removed".

239

88

"Wrap a multicolored cord around the four legs of the bed". {cf. variegated cord around 4 stakes to make an enclosure for a Vajrayana Tantrik ritual}

 

90

"Within the protective covering of that man’s garment [Sum. ‘heavenly garment’ (fn. 43)], lift him in the reed bundles".

     

240

 

healing of patient in the temple

 

114

"on the cult-socle, the lofty dais of Kusu,

 

115

may the pure statue (var. cella), at the place of healing, [face] the sunrise."

     
   

the 7 healing figurines

 

125

" ‘Storm-demon of life,’ born in Ur,

 

126

‘Storm-demon of abundance’ of the good denizen of Nippur,

 

127

‘Storm-demon of celebration,’ growing up in Eridu,

 

128

‘Benevolent Storm-demon,’ which came forth in Kullab,

 

129

‘Storm-demon with the fair face,’ offspring of Kis^,

 

130

‘Just Storm-demon,’ august judge of Lagas^,

 

131

‘Storm-demon which grants a threatened man life,’ the protection of S^uruppak."

     

241

 

the 2 wrestlers

 

140

"Fashion [two] bitumen statues of interlocked wrestlers,

 

141

set (them) there on the threshold".

pp. 242-250 Tablet 13-15

p.

l.

 
   

metaphors for daimones

242

21

"They are the swooping vultures which darken the daybreak."

243

23

"They cast off fearsome radiance like an Alu^-demon, they are concealed by an aura."

     
   

their disclosure by Girra

 

41

"Girra, ... the great judge of Anu,

 

43

... made known the evil of the seven of them."

     
   

Rabis.u

244

74

"As for the e’ru-wood sceptre of the (protective) spirits (rabis.u),

 

75

... Ea is invoked by name,

 

76

... along with the august Eridu incantation".

     

245

 

other gods take an interest

 

87

"Eres^kigal, wife of Ninazu, directed her attention elsewhere.

 

88

Headache, chills, fever, ...

 

89

may Ningirimma remove (them) ... . ...

 

92

May Is^um, great herald, ... serve as his night watchman."

     
   

kis^kanu-tree

 

95

"A black kis^kanu-tree grew in Eridu, ...

 

96

the appearance of which is pure lapis [lazuli] which extends into [Sum. ‘from’ (p. 246, fn. 62)] the Apsu^.

 

97

Ea’s ...

 

98

dwelling is right on the Netherworld,

 

99

and his sanctuary is Nammu’s couch. ...

 

102

Between the two mouths of the rivers, Kahegal, Igihegal, and Lahmu-abzu of Eridu

 

103

took that kis^kanu-tree ... ."

246

105

"May the Muzzler and Crippler ...

 

106

be denied access."

     
   

datepalm

 

128

"Amurriqanu, the great gardener of Anu,

 

129

uprooted the date-palm frond".

     

247

 

slander

 

146

"It was named for evil, its name was reckoned for evil,

 

147

human language named it for evil, its name was created for evil,

 

148

(it is) the evil slander".

     
   

spinning of wool

 

168

"in the steppe of Tammuz, the shepherd ...

 

170

(threading) the white and black hair of a virgin lamb and virgin kid,

248

171

Marduk, son of Eridu, delivered the seal-stone,

 

172

Uttu the good woman and grand dame spun Is^tar’s spittle [!] in (her) right hand, and twined it with her left hand.

 

182

... the hair of the virgin lamb

 

183

and hair of a virgin kid is to be placed around the patient ["for the binding of his limbs." (fn. 63)]

     
   

deities exuding divine spittle spattering the patient

 

189

Sin and S^amas^

 

190

Is^tar [cf. l. 172]

 

191

"the spirit and Lamas^tu"

 

192

"Ninazu, lord of the weapon"

 

193

"Hanis^, the god of the quiet street"

 

194

"Is^um, guardian of the still night"

     

249

 

ritual materials

 

211

"The sulphur which was created in the Apsu^,

 

212

pure salt and horned alkali, brought from the mountains,

 

213

the azupiru-plant, well-suited to the garden,

 

214

and powder of the horn of the stag, well-suited to the mountain"

     

250

 

ritual

 

249

"you hold the e’ru-wood sceptre – the ‘protector of Anu’ --

 

250

on your left side,

 

251

and you hold the date-palm on your right side.

 

252

You strike the patient’s bed

 

253

and make a frightful noise."

pp. 251-256 Tablet 16

p.

l.

 

251

 

the Sibitti (‘7’), one by one

 

5

"the first of them is the furious South Wind,

 

6

and the second is a predator whose mouth is open ... .

 

7

The third one is a furious panther ... .

 

8

The fourth one is a fearful serpent,

 

9

the fifth one is a raging lion ... .

 

10

The sixth one is a rising wave ... .

 

11

The seventh one is a storm, a harmful gale ... .

 

12

The Seven of them (act as) messenger of Lord Anu.

 

19

... they walk on the right side of Adad (the storm god),

 

20

and continually flash like lightning on the horizon."

     

252

 

lunar-eclipse conspiracy in heaven

 

28

"Ishtar plots the eclipse of the moon (Sin),

 

29

At that time, the Seven of them were evil gods who were whirling about in the base of heaven,

 

30

they kept circling furiously in front of the crescent moon.

 

31

Once the hero S^amas^ and valiant Adad were deflected,

 

32

Is^tar, together with Lord Anu, occupied the holy residence and was plotting against the rule of heaven."

     
   

lunar eclipse accomplished

 

45

"Enlil cast an observant eye over the eclipse of the lad Sin,

 

46

and the Lord called to his vizier, Nusku.

 

47

‘My vizier, Nusku, bring my message to the Abzu,

 

48

and news of my son Sin, who is being cruelly darkened in heaven.’ ...

 

50

Nusku paid heed to his master’s command

 

51

and runs ...

 

52

to the prince and august leader, Lord Nudimmud."

253

56

"Ea called to his son Marduk ... :

 

57

‘Go, my son Marduk,

 

58

... moon Sin... is being cruelly darkened in heaven --

 

59

his eclipse is apparent in heaven.’

 

60

The Seven of them

 

63

... constantly circle before the crescent moon.

 

64

Once the hero S^amas^ and valiant Adad had been deflected,

 

65

the great gods went into hiding.

 

67

... the wild animals ... devour each other.

 

69

... darkness has encircled the whole [of the] lands."

     
   

the king resembleth the moon

 

83

"(It is) the king, the son of his personal god, who, like the moonlight, supports the population,

 

84

bearing radiance on his head like the new moon."

     

254

 

Anu & Enlil explain to the other gods

 

110

"They have darkened Sin in the midst of heaven,

 

111

they have torn off his corona

 

112

and stripped off his ornaments,

 

113

they have darkened his beloved face."

     
   

magical protection for palace

256

190’

"The yellow hair of a goat and a female kid from the pen and fold of Dumuzi --

 

191’

did Ninamas^kuga, shepherd and herdsman of Enlil

 

192’

..., twist (together) into a cord. ...

 

194’

With a magic formula, the word of Ea, I stretched (this) cord across the threshold,

 

195’

so that the good spirit and good luck may be [present] in the house."

names of deities

p.

tablet:

line

Sumerian

Akkadian writing

Akkadian pronunciation

96

1(add):14

S^u-la-ak

   
         

113

4:93’

Nanna

30

Sin

 

:94’

Nin-gal

   
 

:95’

Inanna-la`l

 

Alammus^

 

:96’

Nin-asilal4

   
 

:97’

Ni’saba

   
 

:98’

Ama-ra-e`-a

   
 

:99’

Ama-ra-a-zu

   
 

:100’

En-s^ul-gu`b-bu

   
         

120

5:49

En-du6-ku`-ga

   
 

:50

En-u4-ti-la

   
 

:51

En-me-s^a’r-ra

   
 

:55

Utu

UTU

S^amas^

 

:56

Inanna

Is^-tar

 
 

:57

Namma

 

Nammu

121

:64

Bi’-du8

   
 

:65

Hus^-bi-sa6

   
 

:66

Di`m-ku`

   

123

:117

Nuska

 

Nusku

 

:118

Zuen

 

Sin

 

:120

Is^kur

 

Adad

125

:163

Hendur-sag

 

Is^um

         

147

9:43’

Gibil6

 

Girra

 

:44’

Ku`-su`

   
 

:46’

Li9-si4

   
 

:47’

Nun-ur4-ra

   
         

157

11:8:6

S^a’r-ur4

   
 

:8:6

S^a’r-gaz

   
 

:8:7

Mes-lam-ta-e`

   
 

:8:12

 

NE’.DU8

 
         

186

16:191’

Nin-amas^-ku`-ga

   

STATE ARCHIVES OF ASSYRIA CUNEIFORM TEXTS, Vol. V = M. J. Geller : Evil Demons : Canonical Utukku Lemnutu Incantations. Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, Institute for Asian and African Studies, University of Helsinki, 2007.