02.04.2013 Views

Reading akkadian PRayeRs & Hymns An Introduction

Reading akkadian PRayeRs & Hymns An Introduction

Reading akkadian PRayeRs & Hymns An Introduction

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

212<br />

READING AKKADIAN PRAYERS AND HYMNS: AN INTRODUCTION<br />

16. The goddess who placed you (there), they have expelled you from the body<br />

of so-and-so, son of so-and-so, the patient.<br />

17. On the third day, in the evening, you set up a ritual arrangement before<br />

Shamash. 18. The patient raises the figurine before Shamash, and you make him<br />

recite as follows:<br />

19. Incantation: O Shamash, noble among the <strong>An</strong>unnakki, prince among the<br />

Igigi, pre-eminent leader, guide of the people,<br />

20. Judge of heaven and earth, unchanging with regard to his command,<br />

21. O Shamash, organizer of darkness, bringer of light for humanity,<br />

22. O Shamash, at your setting, humanity’s light darkens; O Shamash, at your<br />

rising, the four quarters brighten.<br />

23. The homeless girl, the widow, the waif(?), and the female companion,<br />

24. (By) your rising all humanity is warmed.<br />

25. Beasts, living creatures, animals of the steppe,<br />

26. They continually give you their lives, their limbs.<br />

27. You judge the case of the wronged man and woman. You make their verdict<br />

right.<br />

I, so-and-so, son of so-and-so, exhausted, am kneeling (before) you,<br />

28. Who on account of the anger of a god and goddess a binding has bound me.<br />

29. <strong>An</strong> utukku-demon, a rābiṣu-demon, a ghost, a lilu-demon, paralysis, dizziness,<br />

numbness of the flesh, vertigo,<br />

30. Stiffness, (and) confusion weigh on me and daily. . . .<br />

31. O Shamash, you are the judge. I bring you my life. I am kneeling for a<br />

verdict with regard to the case of the disease that has seized me.<br />

32. Judge my case. Provide my verdict. Until you make my case come to a<br />

verdict,<br />

33. To another case, do not deliver its verdict. After you make my case come to<br />

verdict,<br />

34. (<strong>An</strong>d) my binding releases me and flees from my body, wherever I put my<br />

trust, may the gods agree with one another with regard to what you say (lit.<br />

your mouth).<br />

35. May the heavens be joyful with you. May the earth rejoice in you. End of<br />

incantation.<br />

36. Thus you have him speak. You put it (i.e., the figurine) in a pot and you bind<br />

it (i.e., the figurine) by oath: 37. “By Earth be adjured; by Heaven be adjured; by<br />

Shamash be adjured,” you say and then you block its (i.e, the pot’s) opening.<br />

38. . . . You bury it in abandoned wastelands.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!