====== Legend of Etana ======

Myth of Etana, Etana

[[anteanus:laws_of_eshnunna|]]

Source: Foster, Benjamin (1995) From distant days... Myths, tales and poetry from Ancient Mesopotamia. CDI Press, Bethesda.

===== Chapter I =====

  - They planned a city [ ]
  - The gods laid tis foundations
  - They planned the city [Kish?]
  - The Igigi-gos founded its brickwork [ ]
  - Let [ ] be their (the people´s) shepherd,
  - Let Etana be their architect... "
  - The Great Anunnaki gods ordainers of destinies,
  - Sat taking their counsel concerning the land,
  - The creators of the four world regions, establishers of all physical form,
  - By command of all of them the Igigi gods
  - Ordained a festival for the people
  - No king did they establish, over the teeming peoples,
  - At that time no headdress had been assembled, nor crown,
  - Nor yet scepter had been set with lapis.
  - No throne daises whatsoever had been constructed,
  - Against the inhabited world they barred the gates...
  - The Igigi gods surrounded the city with ramparts
  - Ishtar came down from heaven to seek a shepherd,
  - And sought for a king everywhere.
  - Innina came down from heaven to seek a shepherd,
  - And sought for a king everywhere.
  - Enlil examined the dais of Etana,
  - The man whom Ishtar steadfastly....
  - She has constantly sought....
  - Let kingship be established in the land,
  - Let the heart of Kish be joyful"
  - Kingship, the radiant crown, throne [ ]
  - He (?) brought and [ ]
  - The gods of the lands....
  - (large gap)

===== Chapter II =====

  - [ ] which he called [ ]....
  - the High Water
  - [ ] he had built a tower (?) [ ]
  - [ ] shrine for Adad, the god [ ],
  - In the shade of that shrine a poplar was growing [ ],
  - In its crown an eagle settled,
  - A serpent settled at its root.
  - Daily they watched the wind beasts.
  - The eagle made ready to speak, saying to the serpent,
  - Come, let us make friendship,
  - Let us be comrades, you and I.
  - The serpent made ready to speak, saying to the eagle,
  - If indeed.... of friendship and [ ]
  - Then let us swear a mighty oath of Shamash.
  - An abomination of the gods [ ]
  - Come then, let us set forth and go up the high mountain to hunt.
  - Let us swear an oath by the netherworld.
  - Before Shamash the warrior they swore the oath,
  - Whoever transgresses the limits of Shamash
  - May Shamash deliver him as an offender into the hands of the executioner,
  - Whoever transgresses the limits of Shamash,
  - May the mountains remove their praises far away from him,
  - May the oncoming weapon make straight for him,
  - May the trap and curse of Shamash overthrow him and hunt him down!"
  - After they had sworn the oath by the netherworld,
  - They set forth, going up the high mountains,
  - Each day by turns watching for the wild beasts,
  - The eagle would hunt down wild oxen and gazelle,
  - The serpent would eat, turn away, then his children would eat.
  - The eagle would hunt down wild sheep and aurochs,
  - The serpent would eat, turn away, then his children would eat.
  - The serpent would hunt down beasts of the field, the creatures of earth,
  - The eagle would eat, turn away, then his children would eat the food,
  - The eagle´s children grew big and flourished.
  - After the eagle´s children were grown big and were flourishing,
  - The eagle´s heart indeed plotted evil,
  - Evil his heart plotted indeed!
  - He set his thoughts upon eating his friend´s young!
  - The eagle made ready to speak, saying to its children:
  - I will eat the serpent´s children, the serpent [ ],
  - I will go up and dwell in heaven,
  - If I descend from the crown of the tree, ... the king.
  - The littlest fledgling, exceedingly wise, siad these words to the eagle, his father:
  - Do not eat, my father!
  - The net of Shamash will hunt you down,
  - The mesh and oat of Shamash will overthrow yu and hunt you down.
  - Whoever transgresses the limits of Shamash,
  - Shamash will deliver him as an offender into the hands of the executioner!
  - He did not heed them, nor listen to his sons´ words,
  - He descended and ate up the serpents´ children,
  - In the evening of the same day,
  - The serpent came, bearing his burden,
  - At the entrance to his nest he cast down the meat,
  - He looked around, his nest was gone"
  - He looked down, his children were not [ ]!
  - The eagle had gouged the ground with his talon,
  - The cloud of dust from the sky darkened the sky.
  - The serpent.... weeping before Shamash,
  - Before Shamash the warrior his tears ran down,
  - I trusted in you, O warrior Shamash,
  - I was the one who gave provisions to the eagle,
  - Now my nest [ ]!
  - My nest is gone, while his nest is safe,
  - My young are destroyed, while his young are safe,
  - He descended and ate up my children!
  - You know, O Shamash, the evil he has done to me,
  - Truly, O Shamash your net is the wide earth,
  - Your trap is the distant heaven,
  - The eagle must not escape from your net,
  - That malignant Anzu who harbored evil against his friends!
  - When he had heard the serpent´s lament,
  - Shamash made ready to speak, and said to him:
  - Go your way and cross the mountain,
  - I have captured for you a wild ox.
  - Open its insides, rend its belly,
  - Set an ambush in its belly,
  - Every kind of bird of heaven will come down to eat the meat.
  - The eagle will come down with them to eat the meat,
  - As he will not know the evil in store for him,
  - He will search for the juiciest meat [ ], he will walk about outside,
  - He will work his way into the covering of the instestines,
  - When he comes inside, seize him by his wings,
  - Cut off his wings, his pinions and tailfeathers,
  - Pluck him and cast him into a bottomless pit,
  - Let him die there of hunger and thirst.
  - As Shamash the warrior commanded,
  - The serpent went and crossed the mountain.
  - Then did the serpent reach the wild ox,
  - He opened its insides, he rent its belly.
  - He set an ambush in its belly.
  - Every kind of bird of heaven came down to eat the meat.
  - Did the eagle know of the evil in store for him?
  - He would not eat the meat with the other birds!
  - The eagle made ready to speak, saying to his children:
  - Come, let us go down and we too eat the meat of the wild ox.
  - The little fledgling, exceedingly wise, said these words to the eagle, his father:
  - Do not go down, father, no doubt the serpent is lurking inside the wild ox.
  - The eagle said to himself,
  - Are the birds afraid? How is it they eat the meat in peace?
  - He did not listen to them, he did not listen to his sons´ words,
  - He descended and perched on the wild ox.
  - The eagle looked at the meat, searching in front and behind it.
  - A second tme he looked at the meat, searching in front and behind it,
  - He walked around outside, he worked his way into the covering of the intestines,
  - When he came inside, the serpent seized him by his wings,
  - You intruded... you intruded...!
  - The eagle made ready to speak, saying to the serpent:
  - Have mercy on me! I will make you such a gift as a king´s ransom!"
  - The serpent made ready to speak, saying to the eagle:
  - If I release you, how shall I answer to Shamash o high?
  - Your punishment would turn upon me,
  - Me, the one to lay punishment upon you!
  - He cut off his wings, pinions and tail feathers,
  - He plucked him and cast him into a pit.
  - That he should die there of hunger and thirst.
  - As for him, the eagle,.....[ ]
  - He kept on beseeching Shamash day after day:
  - Am I to die in a pit?
  - Who would know how your punishment was imposed upon me?
  - Save my life, the eagle!
  - Let me cause your name to be heard for all time.
  - Shamash made ready to speak and said to the eagle:
  - You are wicked and have done a revolting deed,
  - You committed an abomination of the gods, a forbidden act.
  - Were you not under oath? I will not come near you,
  - There, there! A man I will send you will help you"
  - Etana kept on bseeching Shamash day after day.
  - O Shamash, you have dined from my fattest sheep!
  - O Netherworld, you have drunk of the blood of my sacrificed lambs!
  - I have honored the gods and revered the spirits,
  - Dream intepreters have used up my incense,
  - Gods have used up my lambs in slaughter.
  - O Lord, give the command!
  - Grant me the plant of birth [of insight]!
  - Reveal to me the plant of birth [of insight]!
  - Relieve me of my burden, grant me an heir!
  - Shamash made ready to speak and said to Etana:
  - Relieve me of my burden, grant me an heir!
  - Shamash made ready to speak and said to Etana:
  - Find a pit, look inside,
  - An eagle is cast within it.
  - He will reveal to you the plant of birth.
  - Etana went his way.
  - He found the pit, he looked inside
  - The eagle was cast within it
  - There he was for him to bring up!

===== Chapter III =====

  - The eagle looked at him....
  - He said [ ] to Etana,
  - You are Etana, king of the wild beasts,
  - You are Etana, [ ] among (?) birds.
  - Bring me up from this pit
  - Give me [ ] your hand,
  - ..... [ ],
  - I will sing your praises for all time".
  - Etana said to the eagle these words:
  - If I save your life, [ ]
  - If I bring you up from the pit,
  - From that moment we must be ..........
  - [ ] to me [ ]
  - From sunrise till [ ]
  - ..... [ ]
  - I will grant you the plant of life".
  - When Etana heard this,
  - He filled the front of the pit with [ ]
  - Next he threw in.... [ ]
  - He kept throwing in [ ] in front of him,
  - The eagle.... from the pit
  - As for him, he flapped his wings,
  - A first time and a second time... the eagle in the pit,
  - As for him, he flapped his wings .....
  - A third time and a fourth time... [the eagle ... in? The pit
  - As for him, he flapped his wings
  - A fifth and a sixth time....
  - (fragmentary lines, then gap)
  - He took him by the hand in his seventh month in the pit,
  - In the eighth month he brought him over the edge of his pit,
  - The eagle took food like a ravening lion,
  - He gained strength.
  - The eagle made ready to speak and said to Etana,
  - My friend! Let us be friends, you and I!
  - Ask of me whatever you desire and I shall give it to you .
  - Etana made ready to speak and said to the eagle:
  - My eyes..... open up what is hidden.
  - (gap)
  - Etana and the eagle become friends. Etana has dreams, which he relates to the eage.
  - [ ] above
  - [ ] at my feet
  - The eagle made Etana understand the dream,
  - [ ] seated before him,
  - [ ] your dream is propitious,
  - [ ] burden is brought,
  - They will give [ ]
  - You have done [ ] of the people
  - You will seize... in your hand,
  - The sacred bond [ ] above
  - [ ] at your feet."
  - Etana said to him, to the eagle.
  - My friend, I saw a second dream,
  - [ ] reeds [ ] in the house,
  - In all [ ], the whole land,

===== Chapter IV =====

  - The eagle made ready to speak, saying to Etana:
  - My friend... that god....
  - We passed through the gates of Anu, Enlil and Ea,
  - We passed through the gates of Sin, Shamash, Adad and Ishtar,
  - We did obeisance together, you and I,
  - I saw a house with windows, it had no seal
  - I.... and went inside.
  - A remarkable young woman was seated therein,
  - She was imposing... beautiful of feature.
  - A throne was set out, the ground was trodden down,
  - Under the throne [ ] lions were crouching,
  - As I went in, the lions sprang at me.
  - I awoke with and start and shuddered [ ]".
  - The eagle siad to him, to Etana:
  - My friend, the [ ] are obvious,
  - Come, let me take you up to heaven,
  - Put your chest against my chest,
  - Put your hands against my wing feathers,
  - Put your arms against my sides.
  - He put his chest against his chest,
  - He put his hands against his wing feathers,
  - He put his arms against his sides,
  - Great indeed was the burden upon him.
  - When he bore him aloft one league,
  - The eagle said to him, to Etana:
  - Look, my friend, how the land is now
  - Examine the sea, look for its boundaries
  - The land is hills...
  - The sea has become a stream.
  - When he had borne him aloft a second league,
  - The eagle said to him, said to Etana,
  - Look, my friend, how the land is now!
  - The land is a hill.
  - When he had borne him aloft a third league,
  - The eagle said to him, said to Etana,
  - Look, my friend, how the land is now!
  - The sea has become a garedener´s ditch.
  - After they had ascended to the heaven of Anu,
  - They passed through the gates of Anu, Enlil and Ea,
  - The eagle and Etana did obeisance together,
  - At the gate of Sin
  - The eagle and Etana did obeisance together
  - They heaped up loads of them in piles,
  - [ ] enemies, they were wicked serpents,
  - [ ] were coming before me,
  - [ ] they were kneeling before me".
  - The eagle made Etana understand the dream
  - [ ] seated bore him
  - [ ] your dream is propitious