Against an Infant Illness

(return to Old Babylonian Akkadian Literature) NOTOC

The incantation that Foster refers to as “Against an Infant Illness” is the first of several incantation on YOS 11, 5. It begins with what has come to be called the “cosmological motif” by some; others refer to introductions such as the one in this text as “minor cosmogonies” (van Dijk 1964; Bottéro; Foster 2005, 43). Minor cosmogonies such as the one in this text describe the creation of the particular evil in question.

1. da-nu ir-he-a-am ša-me-e ša-mu-u2 er-s,e-tam ul x x :: An impregnated the heavens, and the heavens . . .

2. er-s,e-tum u2-li-id pu-ša-am pu-šum u2-li-id lu-hu-ma-a-am :: Earth bore stench and stench bore mud

3. lu-hu-mu-um u2-li-id ba-ba ba-x u2-li-id tu-ul-tam :: Mud bore flies and the flies bore the worm

4. tu-ul-tum x dgu-la lu-ul-lu-um-tam lu-ub-bu-ša-at da-mi ha-ab-ra-at :: The worm, :: The worm, daughter of Gula, is clad in a traveling cloak, (Foster)

5. A [x x] x lu da-mi s,e-eh-ri-im u2-be2-el-li-a-am i-ni-i-šu :: She is blood soaked, . . . the child's blood, she extinguished his eyes (Foster)

6. id-di ši-ip-pi ^dda-mu u3 dgu-la u2-ne2-ra-x x [. . .] it,-bu-uh-šu-nu x a-na x HI [x x] :: Damu cast the spell and Gula killed (?) [the worm] . . . he slaughtered them . . . (Foster)

7. ip-te pi2-i-šu is,-s,a-bat tu-la-a-am ša-šsi-i-ma i-ni-šu i-[. . .] :: He (the child?) opened his mouth, took the breast, raised his eyes and [saw] (Foster)

8. ši-ip-tum u2-ul ia-a-tum ši-pa-at ^dda-mu u3 ^dgu-la ^dda-mu [id]-di-ma a-na-ku el-qe :: (The spell is not mine: It is the spell of Damu and Gula, Damu cast and I took) (Foster)

*Veldhuis, OLP 24 (1993), 45-46, 52 *van Dijk, YOS 11, 19 *Farber, YOS 11, 61 *Scurlock, AfO 48/49 (2001/2002), 243-244 *J. J. A. van Dijk. 1964. Le motif cosmique dans la pensée sumérienne. Acta Orientalia 28: 1-59 *Bottéro, J. Les textes cosmogoniques mineures en langue akkadienne. Mythes 279-328 (return to Old Babylonian Akkadian Literature)