Enuma Elish

Seven Tablets of Creation — tablet 3

THIRD TABLET. 1. Anshar opened his mouth, and 2. Unto the god Gaga, his envoy, spake a word [saying], 3. "O Gaga, my envoy, who makest glad my liver. 4. "I will despatch thee unto the gods Lakhmu and Lakhamu. [Illustration: Portion of a tablet inscribed in Assyrian with a text of the Third Tablet of the Creation Series. [No. 93,017.]] 5. "Thou must know and understand the [intention of my heart] 6. "... are brought before thee 7. "... all the gods. 8. "Let them make a council, let them sit down to a feast 9. "Let them eat bread, let them heat sesame wine. 10. "Let them issue decrees to Marduk as their avenger. 11. "Get thee gone, Gaga, take up thy stand before them. 12. "All that I am now going to tell thee do thou repeat to them [saying], 13. "'[O ye gods], Anshar your son hath charged me, 14. "'The intention of his heart he hath made me to know in this wise:-- 15. "'Mother Tiamat who gave us birth hath sown these things, 16. "'She hath set in order her assembly, she rageth furiously, 17. "'All the gods have joined themselves to her. 18. "'They march by her side together with those whom ye have created. 19. "'They formed a band and went forth to battle to help Tiamat. 20. "'They were exceedingly wroth, they made plots by day and by night without ceasing. 21. "'They offered battle, foaming and raging. 22. "'They set the battle in array, they uttered cries of defiance. 23. "'Ummu-Khubur, who formed all things, 24. "'Set up the unrivalled weapon, she spawned huge serpents, 25. "'Sharp of tooth, pitiless in attack (?) 26. "'She filled their bodies with venom instead of blood. 27. "'Grim, monstrous serpents arrayed in terror. 28. "'She decked them with brightness, she fashioned them in exalted forms, 29. "'So that fright and horror might overcome him that looked upon them, 30. "'So that their bodies might rear up, and no man resist their attack. 31. "'She set up the Viper, and the Snake, and the god Lakhamu, 32. "'The Whirlwind, the Ravening Dog, the Scorpion-man, 33. "'The Storm-wind, the Fish-man, the Horned Beast. 34. "'They carried the Weapon which spared not, nor flinched from the battle, 35. "'Most mighty were Tiamat's allies, they could not be resisted. 36. "'Thus she caused Eleven [monsters] of this kind to come into being. 37. "'Among the gods, her first-born son who had collected her company, 38. "'That is to say, Kingu, she set on high, she made him the great one among them, 39. "'Leader of the hosts in the battle, disposer of the troops, 40. "'Bearer of the firmly-grasped weapon, attacker in the fight. 41. "'He who in the battle is the master of the weapon, 42. "'She appointed, she made him to sit down in [goodly apparel] 43. "'[Saying]: I have recited the incantation for thee, I have magnified thee in the assembly of the gods. 44. "''I have filled his (i.e., thy) hand with the sovereignty of the whole company of the gods. 45. "''Mayest thou be magnified, thou who art my only spouse, 46. "''May the Anunnaki make great thy renown over all of them."' 47. "She gave him the TABLET OF DESTINIES, she fastened it on his head [saying]: 48. "'As for thee, thy command shall not fall empty, what goeth forth from thy mouth shall be established.' 49. "When Kingu was raised on high and had taken the heavens (literally, the god Anutum), 50. "He fixed the destinies for the gods, his sons, [saying]: 51. "'Open your mouths, let the Fire-god be quenched. 52. "'He who is glorious in battle and is most mighty shall do great deeds.' 53. "'I sent the god Anu, but he could not prevail against her. 54. "'Nudimmud (i.e., Ea) was afraid and turned back, 55. "'Marduk, your son, the envoy of the gods, hath set out. 56. "'His heart is stirred up to oppose Tiamat. 57. "'He opened his mouth, he spoke unto me [saying]: 58. "'Should I as your avenger 59. "'Slay Tiamat, and bestow life upon you, 60. "'Summon a meeting, proclaim and magnify my position, 61. "'Sit ye down together in friendly fashion in Up-shukkinaku. 62. "'Let me issue decrees by the opening of my mouth even as ye do, 63. "'Whatsoever I bring to pass let it remain unaltered. 64. "'That which my mouth uttereth shall neither fail nor be brought to nought.' 65. "Hasten ye therefore, issue your decrees speedily 66. "That he may go to meet your mighty enemy." 67. Gaga departed and hastened upon his way 68. To the god Lakhmu and the goddess Lakhamu, the gods his fathers, reverently 69. He did homage, and he kissed the ground at their feet. 70. He bowed down, stood up, and spake unto them [saying]: 71. "[O ye gods], Anshar your son hath charged me, 72. "The intention of his heart he hath made me to know in this wise:-- 73. "Mother Tiamat who gave us birth hath sown these things, 74. "She hath set in order her assembly, she rageth furiously. 75. "All the gods have joined themselves to her. 76. "They march by her side together with those whom ye have created, 77. "They formed a band and went forth to battle to help Tiamat. 78. "They were exceedingly wroth, they made plans by day and by night without ceasing. 79. "They offered battle, foaming and raging. 80. "They set the battle in array, they uttered cries of defiance. 81. "Ummu-Khubur, who formed all things, 82. "Set up the unrivalled weapon, she spawned huge serpents, 83. "Sharp of tooth, pitiless in attack (?) 84. "She filled their bodies with venom instead of blood, 85. "Grim, monstrous serpents, arrayed in terror, 86. "She decked them with brightness, she fashioned them in exalted forms, 87. "So that fright and horror might overcome him that looked upon them, 88. "So that their bodies might rear up, and no man resist their attack. 89. "She set up the Viper, and the Snake, and the god Lakhamu, 90. "The Whirlwind, the Ravening Dog, the Scorpion-man, 91. "The Storm-wind, the Fish-man, the Horned Beast, 92. "They carried the Weapon which spared not, nor flinched from the battle. 93. "Most mighty were Tiamat's allies, they could not be resisted. 94. "Thus she caused Eleven [monsters] of this kind to come into being. 95. "Amongst the gods, her first-born son who had collected her company, 96. "That is to say, Kingu, she set on high, she made him the great one among them. 97. "Leader of the hosts in the battle, disposer of the troops, 98. "Bearer of the firmly-grasped weapon, attacker in the fight, 99. "He who in the battle is the master of the weapon 100. "She appointed, she made him to sit down in [goodly apparel], 101. "[Saying]: 'I have recited the incantation for thee, I have magnified thee in the assembly of the gods. 102. "'I have filled his (i.e., thy) hand with the sovereignty of the whole company of the gods. 103. "'Mayest thou be magnified, thou who art my only spouse. 104. "'May the Anunnaki make great thy renown over all of them.' 105. "She gave him the TABLET OF DESTINIES, she fastened it on his head [saying]: 106. "'As for thee, thy command shall not fall empty, what goeth forth from thy mouth shall be established.' 107. "When Kingu was raised on high, and had taken the heavens (Anutum) 108. "He fixed the destinies for the gods, his sons, [saying]: 109. "'Open your mouths, let the Fire-god be quenched, 110. "'He who is glorious in battle and is most mighty shall do great deeds. 111. "'I sent the god Anu, but he could not prevail against her. 112. "'Nudimmud (i.e., Ea) was afraid and turned back. 113. "'Marduk, your son, the envoy of the gods, hath set out. 114. "'His heart is stirred up to oppose Tiamat. 115. "'He opened his mouth, he spoke unto me, [saying]: 116. "'Should I as your avenger 117. "'Slay Tiamat, and bestow life upon you, 118. "'Summon a meeting (i.e., council), proclaim and magnify my position, 119. "'Sit down together in friendly fashion in Upshukkinaku, 120. "'Let me issue decrees by the opening of my mouth, even as ye do, 121. "'Whatsoever I bring to pass let it remain unaltered. 122. "'That which my mouth uttereth shall neither fail nor be brought to nought."' 123. "Hasten ye therefore, issue your decrees speedily 124. "That he may go to meet your mighty enemy." 125. The gods Lakhmu and Lakhamu heard, they wailed loudly, 126. All the Igigi gods wept bitterly [saying]: 127. "Who were [our] enemies until [the gods] were posted [in heaven]? 128. "We cannot comprehend the work of Tiamat." 129. They gathered themselves together, they went, 130. All the great gods, who issue decrees. 131. They entered in, they filled [the court] before Anshar. 132. Brother [god] kissed brother [god] in the [divine] assembly, 133. They held a meeting, they sat down to a feast, 134. They ate bread, they heated the [sesame wine], 135. The taste of the sweet drink confused their ... 136. They drank themselves drunk, their bodies were filled to overflowing, 137. They were overcome by heaviness [of drink], their livers (i.e., spirits) were exalted, 138. They issued the decree for Marduk as their avenger.