MAGICAL TEXTS
[Extracted from Sayce's Hibbert Lectures, pp. 463-9.]
Col. iv.
35. The 9th tablet (of the series beginning:) A
spell for diseases of the head: thoroughly complete.
36. The palace of Assur-bani-pal, the king of legions, king of Assyria,
37. who puts his trust in Assur and Nin-lil.
IV. The 16th tablet concerning evil spirits.
Col. i.
1. "The reptiles that creep round and round, the evil gods are they
2. The warrior spirits (sedu) that spare not, who were created in the
cloudy vault of heaven, are they.
3. They are they who produce disease.
4. Enlarging (their) evil heads, .... to lay the yoke (upon it they march).
5. Among those seven, the first is a scorpion of rain,
6. The second is a monster (whose) mouth (no) one (can bridle).
7. The third is the lightning-flash, the strong son of ....
8. The fourth is a serpent ....
9. The fifth is a watch-dog which (rages) against (his foes).
10. The sixth is a rushing (tempest) which to god and king (submits not).
11. The seventh, like a messenger, is the evil wind which (Ami made ?).
12. Those seven are the messengers of Anu their king.
13. In city after city do they cause the rainy wind.
14. The storm that is in heaven they bind together strongly.
15. The fleecy clouds that are in heaven making the rainy wind are they.
16. The rushing blast of the wind which produces darkness on a clear day are
they.
17. With baleful wind, with evil wind, they darted forth.
18. The deluge of Rimmon, mighty whirlwinds are they,
19. at the right hand of Rimmon they march.
20. On the horizon of heaven like the lightning (they flash).
21. To impose the yoke they march in front.
22. In the wide heaven, the seat of Anu the king, they set them selves with evil
purpose and had no rival.
23. On that day Mul-lil heard of this matter and carried the word to his heart.
24. With Ea, the supreme adviser of the gods, he was king, and
25. had appointed Sin, Samas and Istar to direct the cloudy region of heaven.
26. Along with Ami he had divided among them the sovereignty of the hosts of
heaven.
27. Among the three of them, the gods his children,
28. he had divided the night and the day; that they cease not (their work) he
urged them.
29. On that day those seven, the evil gods, in the cloudy region of heaven
darted forth.
30. In front of Nannar violently they beset the Moon-god.
31. The hero Samas and Rimmon the warrior returned to their quarters;
32. Istar set (her) holy seat with Anu the king, and over the kingdom of heaven
is exalted.
Col. ii.
[The first 19 lines are destroyed.]
20. (Sin) was troubled and sat in grief;
21. (night and) day in darkness, on the throne of his dominion seated not.
22. The evil gods, the messengers of Anu their king,
23. enlarging (their) evil heads, assisted (one another).
24. Evil they plotted together.
25. From the midst of heaven, like the wind on the land they swooped.
26. Mul-lil beheld the darkness of the hero Sin in heaven.
27. The lord (Bel) says to his messenger Niisku:
28. Niisku, my messenger, carry my word to the deep;
29. the news of my son the Moon-god, who is grievously darkened in heaven,
30. to Ea in the deep convey.
31. Niisku exalted the word of his lord;
32. to Ea in the deep he went with the message.
33. To the divine prince, the counsellor supreme, the lord, the sovereign of the
world,
34. Niisku conveyed the word of his lord on the other side.
35. Ea in the deep listened to the tale, and
36. he bit his lip, with outcry he filled his mouth.
37. Ea addressed his son Merodach and roars out (isakhkhats) the word:
38. Go, my son Merodach!
39. Grievous is the eclipse of the son of the festival, the Moon-god;
40. his eclipse in heaven is proceeding.
41. Those seven, the evil gods, the serpents of death, who have no fear,
42. those seven, the evil gods, who swoop (tebuni) like the deluge,
43. swoop upon the world like a storm.
44. Before Nannar, the Moon-god violently (they beset);
44. the hero Samas and Kimmon the warrior (return) to their quarters;
45. (Istar plants her holy seat with Anu the king, and over the kingdom of
heaven is exalted).
[Many lines are lost here.]
Col. iii.
31. In the gate of the palace the mask (fold) doubly ....
32. In a cloak of many colours, the skin of a suckling still ungrown the skin of
an ungrown calf, make supplication.
32. Bind (the magic knots) round the hands and feet of the king, the son of his
god;
33. the king, the son of his god, who, like Nannar, the Moon-god, completes the
life of the land;
34. like Nannar, the resplendent, his head upholds favour.
[Many lines lost.]
46. make his .... pure and brilliant;
47. the evil (god), the evil spirit (utuk), the evil gallu:
48 the evil incubus (maskim).
49. Never may they enter (the house);
50. never may they approach (the doors) of the palace;
51. never may they approach (the chamber) of the king;
52. never may they surround the . ...
53. never may they enter the ....
[Col iv. containing another incantation against the evil spirits, in which "the
spirit of Mul-lil"
is invoked and "the spell of Ea" named, is too mutilated for
translation.]
Col. v.
36. Conclusion (of the spell) for cursing the evil gods accursed.
37. Incantation. The huge reed of gold, the pure reed of the marsh,
38. the pure dish of the gods,
39. the reed of the double white cup which determines favour,
40. the messenger of Merodach am I.
41. When I deliver the pure incantation,
42. I lay a foundation of bitumen below in the centre of the gate.
43. May the god of the house dwell in the house!
44. May the propitious spirit (utuk) and the propitious god enter the
house!
45. May the evil utuk, the evil (god), the evil ekimrnu, the evil
gallu, and the evil (alu)
46. (never approach) the king.
47. spirit of heaven, conjure! (O spirit of earth, conjure!)
48. Conclusion (of the spell) cursing the evil gods.
[The beginning of the next incantation is lost.]
Col. vi.
1. Never may they enter the palace;
2. never may they approach the king!
3. spirit of heaven, conjure ! spirit of earth, conjure!
4. Conclusion (of the spell) of the light-coloured goat-skin which is ....
5. Incantation. Evil is the evil man, evil is that man;
6. that man among men is evil, that man is evil;
7. in the bed of a man he places a snake.
8. That man among men lays a snare misleadingly to ensnare (others).
9. The fear of him is the herald of his cry; the breath of the man
10. The place of his sickness the evil creeps into; his heart it cuts (in two).
[The following lines are too mutilated for translation.]
17. Conclusion (of the spell) cursing the evil gods.
18. Incantation. The Sun-god ....
19. The 16th tablet (of the series beginning) the evil spirits.
20. Palace of Assur-bani-pal, the king of legions, the king of Assyria,
21. who has put his trust in Assur and Nin-lil,
22. to whom Nebo and Tasmit
23. have given broad ears,
24. that he might have seeing eyes;
25. the store of written tablets,
26. as regards which, among the kings that have gone before me,
27. there was none who undertook this business;
28. the hidden wisdom of Nebo, the lines of characters as many as singly exist,
29. on tablets I wrote, I connected together, I published, and
30. for the inspection of my readers
31. I placed within my palace.
32. Thine is the kingdom, Assur, light of the king of the gods!
33. Whoever carries (them) away and his name with my name
34. shall write, may Assur and Mn-lil mighty and violently
35. overthrow him and destroy his name (and) his seed in the land."
1. [Lost.]
2. "never may they approach ... his hands.
3. Against such and such a man, the son of his god, may (the evil spirits) never
come.
4. Like a dove may he ascend .... to his place may he never return.
5. Whatever is evil, whatever is bad, which is in the body of such and such a
man,
6. like the water [perspiration] of his body and the purifications (?) of his
hands,
7. may he strip off, and may the river carry to the bottom of its bed.
8. The curse, spirit of heaven, conjure ! spirit of earth, conjure!
9. The coal (which) the great gods have polished, on the torch I have kindled
10. I offer the corn-god, the assembler of the gods of heaven and earth.
11. May the establishers of the fortresses of the great gods station themselves
here, and
12. may they promise life to such and such a man, the son of such and such a
man, the son of his god.
13. May his god and his goddess remain here, and on this day may they grant him
grace.
14. Incantation. The milk of a light-coloured goat I prepare in plenty, and I
light the fire.
15. The coal I place, I burn the whole offering.
16. The libation pure and white of Ea, the messenger of Merodach am I.
17. May the gods, as many as I have invoked, produce a flame.
18. May Ea and Merodach never have (wrath), though the god and the goddess are
angry.
19. (The coal I have kindled), the fire I have quieted, I burn, I increase;
20. the corn-god I have offered; I am great and glorious.
21. May (the god of herbs), the assembler of god and man, deliver from his bond.
22. Like a coal I have blazed, I have quieted the bird:
23. like the fire I have burned, I have increased food;
24. like the corn-god I have offered, I am great and glorious.
25. May the god of herbs, the assembler of god and man, deliver from his bond.
26. Deliver such and such a man the son of his god, and may he be saved.
27. Incantation. The directress ascends, the offspring of the house of the life
of the prince.
28. Like its old copy, written and published.
29. Tablet of Adar-sum-tir-su the Zoganes (sagan), the librarian: his
utterance.