The instructions of Shuruppag

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This Tablet WAS one of the oldest (about 2,500 BC, tablets in the Iraq Museum of Bagdad but was destroyed during the second Iraq-American War in 2003.

In those days, in those far remote days, in those nights, in those faraway nights, in those years, in those far remote years, at that time the wise one who knew how to speak in elaborate words lived in the Land; Curuppag, the wise one, who knew how to speak with elaborate words lived in the Land. Curuppag gave instructions to his son; Curuppag, the son of Ubara- Tutu gave instructions to his son Zi-ud-sura: My son, let me give you instructions: you should pay attention! Zi-ud-sura, let me speak a word to you: you should pay attention! Do not neglect my instructions! Do not transgress the words I speak! The instructions of an old man are precious; you should comply with them!

You should not buy a donkey which brays; it will split (?) your midriff (?).

You should not locate a field on a road; ....... You should not plough a field at (1 ms. adds: a road or) a path; ....... You should not make a well in your field: people will cause damage on it for you. You should not place your house next to a public square: there is always a crowd (?) there.

You should not vouch for someone: that man will have a hold on you; and you yourself, you should not let somebody vouch for you (1 ms. adds:: that man will despise (?) you).

You should not make an inspection (?) on a man: the flood (?) will give it back (?) to you.

You should not loiter about where there is a quarrel; you should not let the quarrel make you a witness. You should not let (?) yourself ...... in a quarrel. You should not cause a quarrel; ....... ...... the gate of the palace ....... Stand aside from a quarrel, ...... you should not take (?) another road.

You should not steal anything; you should not ...... yourself. You should not break into a house; you should not wish for the money chest (?). A thief is a lion, but after he has been caught, he will be a slave. My son, you should not commit robbery; you should not cut yourself with an axe.

You should not make a young man best man. You should not ...... yourself. You should not play around with a married young woman: the slander could be serious. My son, you should not sit alone in a chamber with a married woman.

You should not pick a quarrel; you should not disgrace yourself. You should not ...... lies; ....... You should not boast; then your words will be trusted. You should not deliberate for too long (?); you cannot bear ...... glances.

You should not eat stolen food with anyone (1 ms. has instead: a thief). You should not sink (?) your hand into blood. After you have apportioned the bones, you will be made to restore the ox, you will be made to restore the sheep.

You should not speak improperly; later it will lay a trap for you.

You should not scatter your sheep into unknown pastures. You should not hire someone's ox for an uncertain ....... A safe ...... means a safe journey.

You should not travel during the night: it can hide both good and evil.

You should not buy an onager: it lasts (?) only until the end of the day.

You should not have sex with your slave girl: she will chew you up (?).

You should not curse strongly: it rebounds on you.

You should not draw up water which you cannot reach (1 ms. has instead: grasp): it will make you weak.

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You should not drive away a debtor: he will be hostile towards you.

You should not establish a home with an arrogant man: he will make your life like that of a slave girl. You will not be able to travel through any human dwelling without be being shouted at: "There you go! There you go!"

You should not undo the ...... of the garden's reed fence; "Restore it! Restore it!" they will say to you.

You should not provide a stranger (?) with food; you should not wipe out (?) a quarrel.

My son, you should not use violence (?); ....... You should not commit rape on someone's daughter; the courtyard will learn of it.

You should not drive away a powerful (1 ms. has instead: strong) man; you should not destroy the outer wall. You should not drive away a young man; you should not make him turn against the city.

The eyes of the slanderer always move around as shiftily as a spindle. You should never remain in his presence; his intentions (?) should not be allowed to have an effect (?) on you.

You should not boast in beer halls (1 ms. has instead: breweries) like a deceitful man: (1 ms. adds: then your words will be trusted.)

Having reached the field of manhood, you should not jump (?) with your hand. The warrior is unique, he alone is the equal of many; Utu is unique, he alone is the equal of many. With your life you should always be on the side of the warrior; with your life you should always be on the side of Utu.

Curuppag gave these instructions to his son. Curuppag, the son of Ubara- Tutu, gave these instructions to his son Zi-ud-sura.

A second time, Curuppag gave instructions to his son. Curuppag, the son of Ubara- Tutu gave instructions to his son Zi-ud-sura: My son, let me give you instructions: you should pay attention! Zi-ud-sura, let me speak a word to you: you should pay attention! Do not neglect my instructions! Do not transgress the words I speak! (1 ms. adds the line: The instructions of an old man are precious; you should comply with them! )

The beer-drinking mouth ....... My little one ....... The beer-drinking mouth ....... Ninkasi .......

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Your own man will not repay (?) it for you. The reed-beds are ......, they can hide (?) slander.

The palace is like a mighty river: its middle is goring bulls; what flows in is never enough to fill it, and what flows out can never be stopped.

When it is about someone's else bread, it is easy to say "I will give it to you", but the time of actual giving can be as far away as the sky. If you go after the man who said "I will give it to you", he will say "I cannot give it to you -- the bread has just been finished up".

Property is something to be expanded (?); but nothing can equal my little ones.

The artistic mouth recites words; the harsh mouth brings litigation documents; the sweet mouth gathers sweet herbs.

The garrulous (1 ms. has instead: liar) fills (?) his bread bag; the haughty one brings an empty bag and can fill his empty mouth only with boasting.

Who works with leather will eventually (?) work with his own leather.

The strong one can escape (?) from anyone's hand.

The fool loses something. When sleeping, the fool loses something. "Do not tie me up!" he pleads; "Let me live!" he pleads.

The imprudent decrees fates; the shameless one piles up (?) things in another's lap: "I am such that I deserve admiration".

A weak wife is always seized (?) by fate.

If you hire a worker, he will share the bread bag with you; he eats with you from the same bag, and finishes up the bag with you. Then he will quit working with you and, saying "I have to live on something", he will serve at the palace.

You tell your son to come to your home; you tell your daughter to go to her women's quarters.

You should not pass judgment when you drink beer.

You should not worry unduly about what leaves the house.

Heaven is far, earth is most precious, but it is with heaven that you multiply your goods, and all foreign lands breathe under it.

At harvest time, at the most priceless time, collect like a slave girl, eat like a queen; my son, to collect like a slave girl, to eat like a queen, this is how it should be.

Who insults can hurt only the skin; greedy eyes (?), however, can kill. The liar, shouting, tears up his garments. Insults bring (?) advice to the wicked. To speak arrogantly is like an abscess: a herb that makes the stomach sick.

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My words of prayer bring abundance. Prayer is cool water that cools the heart. Only (?) insults and stupid speaking receive the attention of the Land.

Curuppag gave these instructions to his son. Curuppag, the son of Ubara- Tutu, gave these instructions to his son Zi-ud-sura.

A third time, Curuppag gave instructions to his son. Curuppag, the son of Ubara- Tutu gave instructions to his son Zi-ud-sura: My son, let me give you instructions: you should pay attention! Zi-ud-sura, let me speak a word to you: you should pay attention! Do not neglect my instructions! Do not transgress the words I speak! (Some mss. add the line: The instructions of an old man are precious; you should comply with them! )

You should not beat a farmer's son: he has constructed (?) your embankments and ditches.

You should not buy a prostitute: she is a mouth that bites. You should not buy a house-born slave: he is a herb that makes the stomach sick. You should not buy a free man: he will always lean against the wall. You should not buy a palace slave girl: she will always be the bottom of the barrel (?). You should rather bring down a foreign slave from the mountains, or you should bring somebody from a place where he is an alien; my son, then he will pour water for you where the sun rises and he will walk before you. He does not belong to any family, so he does not want to go to his family; he does not belong to any city, so he does not want to go to his city. (1 ms. adds 2 lines: He cannot knock at the door of ......, he cannot enter .......) He will not ...... with you, he will not be presumptuous with you.

My son, you should not travel alone eastwards. Your acquaintance should not .......

A name placed on another one ......; you should not pile up a mountain on another one.

Fate is a wet bank; it can make one slip.

The elder brother is indeed like a father; the elder sister is indeed like a mother. Listen therefore to your elder brother, and you should be obedient to your elder sister as if she were your mother.

You should not work using only your eyes; you will not multiply your possessions using only your mouth.

The negligent one ruins (?) his family.

The need for food makes some people ascend the mountains; it also brings traitors and foreigners, since the need for food brings down other people from the mountains.

A small city provides (?) its king with a calf; a huge city digs (?) a house plot (?).

...... is well equipped. The poor man inflicts all kinds of illnesses on the rich man. The married man is well equipped; the unmarried makes his bed in a haystack (?). He who wishes to destroy a house will go ahead and destroy the house; he who wishes to raise up will go ahead and raise up.

By grasping the neck of a huge ox, you can cross the river. By moving along (?) at the side of the mighty men of your city, my son, you will certainly ascend (?).

When you bring a slave girl from the hills, she brings both good and evil with her. The good is in the hands; the evil is in the heart. The heart does not let go of the good; but the heart cannot let go of the evil either. As if it were a watery place, the heart does not abandon the good. Evil is a store-room .......
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May the boat with the evil sink in the river! May his waterskin split in the desert!

A loving heart maintains a family; a hateful heart destroys a family.

To have authority, to have possessions and to be steadfast are princely divine powers. You should submit to the respected; you should be humble before the powerful. My son, you will then survive (?) against the wicked.

You should not choose a wife during a festival. Her inside is illusory (?); her outside is illusory (?). The silver on her is borrowed; the lapis lazuli on her is borrowed (1 ms. has instead the line: ......; the jewellery on her is borrowed, the jewellery on her is borrowed). The dress on her is borrowed; the linen garment on her is borrowed. With ...... nothing (?) is comparable.

You should not buy a ...... bull. You should not buy a vicious bull; ...... a hole (?) in the cattle-pen .......

One appoints (?) a reliable woman for a good household.

You should not buy a donkey at the time of harvest. A donkey which eats ...... will ...... with another donkey.

A vicious donkey hangs its neck; however, a vicious man, my son, .......

A woman with her own property ruins the house.

A drunkard will drown the harvest.

A female burglar (?) ...... ladder; she flies into the houses like a fly. A she-donkey ...... on the street. A sow suckles its child on the street. A woman who pricked herself begins to cry and holds the spindle which pricked (?) her in her hand. She enters every house; she peers into all streets. ...... she keeps saying "Get out!" She looks around (?) from all parapets. She pants (?) where there is a quarrel.

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Marry (?) ...... whose heart hates (?). My son, ......

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A heart which overflows with joy .......

Nothing at all is to be valued, but life should be sweet. You should not serve things; things should serve you. My son, .......

You should not ...... grain; its ...... are numerous.

You should not abuse a ewe; otherwise you will give birth to a daughter. You should not throw a lump of earth into the money chest (?); otherwise you will give birth to a son.

You should not abduct a wife; you should not make her cry (?). The place where the wife is abducted to .......

"Let us run in circles (?), saying: "Oh, my foot, oh, my neck!". Let us with united forces (?) make the mighty bow!"

You should not kill a ......, he is a child born by ....... You should not kill ...... like ......; you should not bind him.

The wet-nurses in the women's quarters determine the fate of their lord.

You should not speak arrogantly to your mother; that causes hatred for you. You should not question the words of your mother and your personal god. The mother, like Utu, gives birth to the man; the father, like a god, makes him bright (?). The father is like a god: his words are reliable. The instructions of the father should be complied with.

Without suburbs a city has no centre either.

My son, a field situated at the bottom of the embankments, be it wet or dry, is nevertheless a source of income.

It is inconceivable (?) that something is lost forever.

...... of Dilmun ......

o get lost is bad for a dog; but terrible for a man (1 ms. has instead: An unknown place is terrible; to get lost is shameful (?) for a dog). On the unfamiliar way at the edge of the mountains, the gods of the mountains are man-eaters. They do not build houses there as men do; they do not build cities there as men do.

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For the shepherd, he stopped searching, he stopped bringing back the sheep. For the farmer (?), he stopped ploughing the field.

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This gift of words is something which soothes the mind ......; when it enters the palace, it soothes the mind ....... The gift of many words ...... stars.

These are the instructions given by Curuppag, the son of Ubara- Tutu.

Praise be to the lady who completed the great tablets, the maiden Nisaba, that Curuppag, the son of Ubara- Tutu gave his instructions!

Sumerian Inscription Umma and Lagash

Lagash and Umma were two Sumerian cities located 18 miles apart.

These documents were found on clay cylinders and date from about 2500 BC At the time of the events recorded here, Entemena is king of Lagash. His uncle, Eannatum, had been king earlier and was responsible for the treaty with Lagash mentioned in these documents. The names of the rulers of Lagash are confusing: Eannatum was king of Lagash at the time the original treaty with Umma was negotiated. Enannatum was Eannatum's brother and succeeded him on the throne. Entemena, Enannatum's son and Eannatum's nephew, was king of Lagash at the time of the dispute described in the documents.

Document I

By the immutable word of Enlil, king of the lands, father of the gods, Ningirsu and Shara set a boundary to their lands. Mesilim, King of Kish, at the command of his deity Kadi, set up a stele [a boundary marker] in the plantation of that field.

Ush, ruler of Umma, formed a plan to seize it. That stele he broke in pieces, into the plain of Lagash he advanced. Ningirsu, the hero of Enlil, by his just command, made war upon Umma. At the command of Enlil, his great net ensnared them. He erected their burial mound on the plain in that place.

Document II

Eannatum, ruler of Lagash, brother of the father of Entemena [who put up this inscription] ... for Enakalli, ruler of Umma, set the border to the land. He carried a canal from the great river to Guedin . He opened the field of Ningirsu on its border for 210 spans to the power of Umma. He ordered the royal field not to be seized. At the canal he inscribed a stele. He returned the stele of Mesilim to its place. He did not encroach on the plain of Mesilim. At the boundary-line of Ningirsu, as a protecting structure, he built the sanctuary of Enlil, the sanctuary of Ninkhursag .... By harvesting, the men of Umma had eaten one storehouse-full of the grain of Nina [goddess of Oracles], the grain of Ningirsu; he caused them to bear a penalty. They brought 144,000 gur,, a great storehouse full, [as repayment]. The taking of this grain was not to be repeated in the future.

Urlumma, ruler of Umma drained the boundary canal of Ningirsu, the boundary canal of Nina; those steles he threw into the fire, he broke [them] in pieces; he destroyed the sanctuaries, the dwellings of the gods, the protecting shrines, the buildings that had been made. He was as puffed up as the mountains; he crossed over the boundary canal of Ningirsu. Enannatum, ruler of Lagash, went into battle in the field of Ugigga, the irrigated field of Ningirsu. Entemena, the beloved son of Enannatum, completely overthrew him. Urlumma fled. In the midst of Umma he killed him. He left behind 60 soldiers of his force [dead] on the bank of the canal "Meadow- recognized-as-holy-from-the-great-dagger." He left these men-their bones on the plain. He heaped up mounds for them in 5 places. Then Ili Priest of Ininni of Esh in Girsu, he established as a vassal ruler over Umma.

Document III

Ili, took the ruler of Umma into his hand. He drained the boundary canal of Ningirsu, a great protecting structure of Ningirsu, unto the bank of the Tigris above from the banks of Girsu. He took the grain of Lagash, a storehouse of 3600 gur . Entemena, ruler of Lagash declared hostilities on Ili, whom for a vassal he had set up. Ili, ruler of Umma, wickedly flooded the dyked and irrigated field; he commanded that the boundary canal of Ningirsu; the boundary canal of Nina be ruined.... Enlil and Ninkhursag did not permit [this to happen]. Entemena, ruler of Lagash, whose name was spoken by Ningirsu, restored their canal to its place according to the righteous word of Enlil, according to the righteous word of Nina, their canal which he had constructed from the river Tigris to the great river, the protecting structure, its foundation he had made of stone ....

Based on: George A. Barton, "Inscription of Entemena #7" in: The Royal Inscriptions of Sumer and Akkad (New Haven, CT; Yale Univ., 1929) pp. 61, 63 and 65. Reprinted in D. Brendan Nagle and Stanley M. Burstein, The Ancient World: Readings in Social and Cultural History (Englewood CLiffs, NJ; Prentice Hall, 1995) pp. 30-31.

Inana and Shu-kale-tuda

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The mistress who, having all the great divine powers, deserves the throne-dais; Inana, who, having all the great divine powers, occupies a holy throne-dais; Inana, who stands in E-ana as a source of wonder -- once, the young woman went up into the mountains, holy Inana went up into the mountains. To detect falsehood and justice, to inspect the Land closely, to identify the criminal against the just, she went up into the mountains. -- Now, what did one say to another? What further did one add to the other in detail?

My lady stands among wild bulls at the foot of the mountains, she possesses fully the divine powers. Inana stands among stags in the mountain tops, she possesses fully the divine powers. -- Now, what did one say to another? What further did one add to the other in detail?

Then the ...... left heaven, left the earth and climbed up into the mountains. Inana left heaven, left the earth and climbed up into the mountains. She left E-ana in Unug and climbed up into the mountains. She left the giguna in Zabalam and climbed up into the mountains. As she had gone up from E-ana, ...... jipar ....... Inana ...... her cloak ...... and climbed up into the mountains. -- Now, what did one say to another? What further did one add to the other in detail?

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After ...... had tired ...... with questions and searching, may ...... come alone (?) to the back-room of my shrine. -- Now, what did one say to another? What further did one add to the other in detail?

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"He will ...... its feet", he ( Enki) says. Full of wisdom he adds the following words: "Raven, I shall give you instructions. Pay attention to my instructions. Raven, in the shrine I shall give you instructions. Pay attention to my instructions. First, chop up (?) and chew (?) the kohl for the incantation priests of Eridug with the oil and water which are to be found in a lapis-lazuli bowl and are placed in the back-room of the shrine. Then plant them in a trench for leeks in a vegetable plot; then you should pull out (?) ......". -- Now, what did one say to another? What further did one add to the other in detail?

The raven paid exact attention to the instructions of his master. It chopped up (?) and chewed (?) the kohl for the incantation priests of Eridug with the oil and water which were to be found in a lapis-lazuli bowl and were placed in the back-room of the shrine. It planted them in a trench for leeks in a vegetable plot; then it pulled out (?) ....... A plant growing in a plot like a leek, an oddity standing up (1 ms. has instead: sticking up) like a leek stalk -- who had ever seen such a thing before?

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That a bird like the raven, performing the work of man, should make the counterweight blocks of the shadouf bump up and settle down; that it should make the counterweight blocks of the shadouf bump down and rise up -- who had ever seen such a thing before?

Then the raven rose up from this oddity, and climbed up it -- a date palm! -- with a harness. It rubbed off the kohl (?) ...... which it had stuffed into its beak onto the pistils (?). ...... just as with a date palm, which......, a tree growing forever -- who had ever seen such a thing before? Its scaly leaves surround its palm heart. Its dried palm-fronds serve as weaving material. Its shoots are like surveyor's gleaming line; they are fit for the king's fields. Its (?) branches are used in the king's palace for cleaning. Its dates, which are piled up near purified barley, are fit for the temples of the great gods. That a bird like the raven, performing the work of man, makes the counterweight blocks of the shadouf bump up and settle down; that it makes the counterweight blocks of the shadouf bump down and rise up -- who had ever seen such a thing before? At his master's command, the raven stepped into the abzu. -- Now, what did one say to another? What further did one add to the other in detail?

...... Cu-kale-tuda was his name. ......, a son (?) of Igi-sigsig, the ......, was to water garden plots and build the installation for a well among the plants, but not a single plant remained there, not even one: he had pulled them out by their roots and destroyed them. Then what did the storm wind bring? It blew the dust of the mountains into his eyes. When he tried to wipe the corner of his eyes with his hand, he got some of it out, but was not able to get all of it out. He raised his eyes to the lower land and saw the exalted gods of the land where the sun rises. He raised his eyes to the highlands and saw the exalted gods of the land where the sun sets. He saw a solitary ghost. He recognised a solitary god by her appearance. He saw someone who fully possesses the divine powers. He was looking at someone whose destiny was decided by the gods. In that plot -- had he not approached it five or ten times before? -- there stood a single shady tree at that place. The shady tree was a Euphrates poplar with broad shade. Its shade was not diminished in the morning, and it did not change either at midday or in the evening.

Once, after my lady had gone around the heavens, after she had gone around the earth, after Inana had gone around the heavens, after she had gone around the earth, after she had gone around Elam and Subir, after she had gone around the intertwined horizon of heaven, the mistress became so tired that when she arrived there she lay down by its roots. Cu-kale-tuda noticed her from beside his plot. Inana ...... the loincloth (?) of the seven divine powers over her genitals. ...... the girdle of the seven divine powers over her genitals ....... ...... with the shepherd Ama-ucumgal-ana ....... ...... over her holy genitals ....... Cu-kale-tuda undid the loincloth (?) of seven divine powers and got her to lie down in her resting place. He had intercourse with her and kissed her there. After he had had intercourse with her and kissed her, he went back to beside his plot. When day had broken and Utu had risen, the woman inspected herself closely, holy Inana inspected herself closely.

Then the woman was considering what should be destroyed because of her genitals; Inana was considering what should be done because of her genitals. She filled the wells of the Land with blood, so it was blood that the irrigated orchards of the Land yielded, it was blood that the slave who went to collect firewood drank, it was blood that the slave girl who went out to draw water drew, and it was blood that the black-headed people drank. No one knew when this would end. She said: "I will search everywhere for the man who had intercourse with me". But nowhere in all the lands could she find the man who had had intercourse with her. -- Now, what did one say to another? What further did one add to the other in detail?

The boy went home to his father and spoke to him; Cu-kale-tuda went home to his father and spoke to him: "My father, I was to water garden plots and build the installation for a well among the plants, but not a single plant remained there, not even one: I had pulled them out by their roots and destroyed them. Then what did the storm wind bring? It blew the dust of the mountains into my eyes. When I tried to wipe the corner of my eyes with my hand, I got some of it out, but was not able to get all of it out. I raised my eyes to the lower land, and saw the high gods of the land where the sun rises. I raised my eyes to the highlands, and saw the exalted gods of the land where the sun sets. I saw a solitary ghost. I recognised a solitary god by her appearance. I saw someone who possesses fully the divine powers. I was looking at someone whose destiny was decided by the gods. In that plot -- had I not approached it five or ten (1 ms. has instead: three or six hundred) times before? -- there stood a single shady tree at that place. The shady tree was a Euphrates poplar with broad shade. Its shade was not diminished in the morning, and it did not change either at midday or in the evening.

"Once, after my lady had gone around the heavens, after she had gone around the earth, after Inana had gone around the heavens, after she had gone around the earth, after she had gone around Elam and Subir, after she had gone around the intertwined horizon of heaven, the mistress became so tired that when she arrived there she lay down by its roots. I noticed her from beside my plot. I had intercourse with her and kissed her there. Then I went back to beside my plot.

"Then the woman was considering what should be destroyed because of her genitals; Inana was considering what should be done because of her genitals. She filled the wells of the Land with blood, so it was blood that the irrigated orchards of the Land yielded, it was blood that the slave who went to collect firewood drank, it was blood that the slave girl who went out to draw water drew, and it was blood that the black-headed people drank. No one knew when this would end. She said: "I will search everywhere for the man who had intercourse with me". But nowhere could she find the man who had had intercourse with her."

His father replied to the boy; his father replied to Cu-kale-tuda: "My son, you should join the city-dwellers, your brothers (1 ms. has instead: who are your brothers). Go at once to the black-headed people, your brothers! Then this woman will not find you among the mountains." He joined the city-dwellers, his brothers all together. He went at once to the black-headed people, his brothers, and the woman did not find him among the mountains.

Then the woman was considering a second time what should be destroyed because of her genitals; Inana was considering what should be done because of her genitals. She mounted on a cloud, took (?) her seat there and ....... The south wind and a fearsome storm flood went before her. The pilipili (one of the cultic personnel in Inana's entourage) and a dust storm followed her. Abba-cucu, Inim-kur-dugdug, ...... adviser ....... Seven times seven helpers (?) stood beside her in the high desert. She said: "I will search everywhere for the man who had intercourse with me". But nowhere could she find the man who had intercourse with her.

The boy went home to his father and spoke to him; Cu-kale-tuda went home to his father and spoke to him: "My father, the woman of whom I spoke to you, this woman was considering a second time what should be destroyed because of her genitals; Inana was considering what should be done because of her genitals. She mounted on a cloud, took (?) her seat there and ....... The south wind and a fearsome storm flood went before her. The pilipili (one of the cultic personnel in Inana's entourage) and a dust storm followed her. Abba-cucu, Inim-kur-dugdug, ...... adviser ....... Seven times seven helpers (?) stood beside her in the high desert. She said: "I will search everywhere for the man who had intercourse with me". But nowhere could she find the man who had intercourse with her."

His father replied to the boy; his father replied to Cu-kale-tuda: "My son, you should join the city-dwellers, your brothers. Go at once to the black-headed people, your brothers! Then this woman will not find you among the mountains." He joined the city-dwellers, his brothers all together. He went at once to the black-headed people, his brothers, and the woman did not find him among the mountains.

Then the woman was considering a third time what should be destroyed because of her genitals; Inana was considering what should be done because of her genitals. She took a single ...... in her hand. She blocked the highways of the Land with it. Because of her, the black-headed people ....... She said: "I will search everywhere for the man who had intercourse with me". But nowhere could she find the man who had intercourse with her.

The boy went home to his father and spoke to him; Cu-kale-tuda went home to his father and spoke to him: "My father, the woman of whom I spoke to you, this woman was considering a third time what should be destroyed because of her genitals; Inana was considering what should be done because of her genitals. She took a single ...... in her hand. She blocked the highways of the Land with it. Because of her, the black-headed people ....... She said: "I will search everywhere for the man who had intercourse with me". But nowhere could she find the man who had intercourse with her."

His father replied to the boy; his father replied to Cu-kale-tuda: "My son, you should join the city-dwellers, your brothers. Go at once to the black-headed people, your brothers! Then this woman will not find you among the mountains." He joined the city-dwellers, his brothers all together. He went at once to the black-headed people, his brothers, and the woman did not find him among the mountains.

When day had broken and Utu had risen, the women inspected herself closely, holy Inana inspected herself closely. "Ah, who will compensate me? Ah, who will pay (?) for what happened to me? Should it not be the concern of my own father, Enki?" Holy Inana directed her steps to the abzu of Eridug and, because of this, prostrated herself on the ground before him and stretched out her hands to him: "Father Enki, I should be compensated! What's more, someone should pay (?) (1 ms. has instead: make up) for what happened to me! I shall only re-enter my shrine E-ana satisfied after you have handed over that man to me from the abzu." Enki said "All right!" to her. He said "So be it!" to her. With that holy Inana went out from the abzu of Eridug. She stretched herself like a rainbow across the sky and reached thereby as far as the earth. She let the south wind pass across, she let the north wind pass across. From fear, (1 ms. adds: solitary) Cu-kale-tuda tried to make himself as tiny as possible, but the woman had found him among the mountains.

Holy Inana now spoke to Cu-kale-tuda: "How ......? ...... dog ......! ...... ass ......! ...... pig ......!"

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Cu-kale-tuda replied to holy Inana: "My lady (?), I was to water garden plots and build the installation for a well among the plants, but not a single plant remained there, not even one: I had pulled them out by their roots and destroyed them. Then what did the storm wind bring? It blew the dust of the mountains into my eyes. When I tried to wipe the corner of my eyes with my hand, I got some of it out, but was not able to get all of it out. I raised my eyes to the lower land, and saw the exalted gods of the land where the sun rises. I raised my eyes to the highlands, and saw the exalted gods of the land where the sun sets. I saw a solitary ghost. I recognised a solitary god by her appearance. I saw someone who possesses fully the divine powers. I was looking at someone whose destiny was decided by the gods. In that plot -- had I not approached it three or six hundred times before? -- there stood a single shady tree at that place. The shady tree was a Euphrates poplar with broad shade. Its shade was not diminished in the morning, and it did not change either at midday or in the evening.

"Once, after my lady had gone around the heavens, after she had gone around the earth, after Inana had gone around the heavens, after she had gone around the earth, after she had gone around Elam and Subir, after she had gone around the intertwined horizon of heaven, the mistress became so tired that when she arrived there she lay down by its roots. I noticed her from beside my plot. I had intercourse with her and kissed her there. Then I went back to beside my plot."

When he had spoken thus to her, ...... hit ....... ...... added (?) ....... ...... changed (?) him ....... She (?) determined his destiny ......, holy Inana spoke to Cu-kale-tuda: "So! You shall die! What is that to me? Your name, however, shall not be forgotten. Your name shall exist in songs and make the songs sweet. A young singer shall perform them most pleasingly in the king's palace. A shepherd shall sing them sweetly as he tumbles his butter-churn. A young shepherd shall carry your name to where he grazes the sheep. The palace of the desert shall be your home."

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Cu-kale-tuda ......

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Because ...... destiny was determined, praise be to ...... Inana!

A mythic narrative about Inana

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature

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SEGMENT A

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Holy Inana ....... The hero, youthful Utu, ....... At dead of night ....... E-ana ....... Inana ....... The great (?) heavens .......

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SEGMENT B

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...... E-ana came forth from heaven, ...... the lady of heaven set her mind to capturing the great heavens, ...... Inana set her mind to capturing the great heavens, ...... set her mind to capturing the great heavens from the ...... of heaven, ...... youthful Utu, she set her mind to capturing the great heavens.

Holy Inana spoke to her brother the hero, youthful Utu: "My brother, I want to tell you something -- pay attention to my speech. ...... Utu, my twin, I want to tell you something -- pay attention to my speech."

Her brother the hero, youthful Utu, answered holy Inana: "My sister, I swear an oath by the life of heaven, I swear by the life of the rainbow (?) of heaven, my ......, ......, I swear by the life of my throne, by my majesty: I will follow what my sister says to me, I will follow what holy Inana says to me."

The maiden Inana answered her brother the hero, youthful Utu: "......, my spouse (?), has made love to me, has kissed me. I wanted ...... for him but ...... he did not give it to him. I hastened (?) with him ...... but majestic An would not give him E-ana. The heavens are ours, the earth is ours: E-ana should be captured from An. After you have taken ......, listen to what I say to you. Examine ...... for me, you must observe these instructions: ...... the evil wind, the south wind, against me."

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SEGMENT C

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( Adagbir speaks:) "...... great net. ...... the flood. ...... the fisherman."

Holy Inana embarked (?) on the ....... The barge ....... The rope ....... The south wind, that south wind, rose up. The evil wind, that evil wind, rose up. In the distant heavens ....... Hienhi-sag ....... The fisherman ....... The reed thickets and the tall-growing reeds .......

Inana spoke to Adagbir: "Youthful Utu ....... The barge ......."

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SEGMENT D

( Inana speaks:) "I ....... ...... the way ......."

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Adagbir answered holy Inana: "My lady, you cannot ....... Your divinity ....... The fisherman ...... the south wind. My lady, if you travel on the barge, and he raises the south wind, that south wind, and he raises the evil wind, that evil wind, barges and small boats will sink in the marshes."

Whenever (?) he approached the ...... with his great net, as (?) it came out of the flood, the swelling sea, it lashed the water and made an evil .......

Holy Inana answered the fisherman: "If you are to find ...... E-ana ...... and I am to gaze in admiration ...... at that place, you said ...... the narrow passage."

Adagbir answered holy Inana: "...... through the reed thickets and the tall-growing reeds. For you ...... find E-ana, which came forth from heaven."

Adagbir, ...... of Enlil, ...... through the reed thickets and the tall-growing reeds. She gazed in admiration at E-ana which had come forth from heaven.

Cul-a-zida, An's herdsman, grasped the cosmic tethering rope in his hands. After he had brought the ...... forth from the sky, he overcame the protective deities. He ...... and kept it below the horizon.

Having drunk cleansing water from the Ulaya river, Inana stamped on the scorpion and cut off its tail. Like a lion it bellowed in an angry roar but its cries died down. ...... she threw it ...... and made it secure.

Having heard its ...... cries, ...... poured forth the ......, the clay of creation, ...... and laid it .......

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...... the great lady of heaven delivered those words to An.

Having heard those words, An slapped his thighs in ......, his voice filled with sighs of grief: "What has my child done? She has become greater than me! What has Inana done? She has become greater than me! From now on, the normal length of daylight becomes shorter, and daylight converts to night-time. From today, when the day's watch is three units long, daylight is equal to night-time." And now, when day began, it was indeed so.

An, who created gods and humankind, gazed at holy Inana (1 ms. adds: and addressed the favourite wife who travels by his side), unable to describe this arrogance, this arrogance -- An was unable to describe (1 ms. adds: to Inana) this arrogance, this arrogance: "My child, ...... you did not say ...... -- you were able to capture E-ana! Inana, ...... you did not say ...... -- you were able to capture E-ana! E-ana should be as firm as heaven, it should not be toppled (1 ms. has instead: its attractions should never be exhausted). Its name should be "The Settlement of the Land". (1 ms. adds: It should have no rival.) Mankind, all of the people, should prostrate themselves at her (?) feet." And now, under that sun and on that day, it was indeed so.

She had captured E-ana from An! She secured it ....... Now Inana speaks of the E-ana as the house that is the place of the lady. The goddess who has attained her triumphant position, Inana who has attained her triumphant position, declares in the good place: "I have captured E-ana from An."

Because you are unmatched among the Great Princes, maiden Inana, praising you is magnificent!