Babylonian Mythology

Babylonia was a historic region in present day Iraq and Syria, located south of Assyria and east of Canaan. It was named after the city of Babylon, and was the seat of the Babylonian Empire.

Much of Babylonian mythology was adapted from that of the earlier Sumerians.

Many of the primary sources of Babylonian mythology are from a religious or administrative context, instead of a folkloric one. To separate the folklore from the religion, motifs that appear elsewhere in the region are identified, with the motif's spread being used to assign a range for the folk belief associated with the motif.

An issue of confusion for scholars is the term "*ilu*", which is used to refer to any supernatural being, and beyond this term they are rarely explained in greater detail.

Babylonian kings and deities each have a multitude of roles, and often display the traits of one role while acting in a way associated with another. An example of this is the god Shamash, who is both a solar and legal god, wielding the tools associated with a legal setting (a saw, as they saw cutting as the same as arbitrating) when he breaks the doors of darkness, though these tools would not be what he used to break the doors.

## Stories

It is assumed by scholars that epic mythical accounts were viewed as a living work, to which each generation was expected to add and alter to fit with the needs of their present society, with the longest of these works representing a number of originally separate tales that were combined together over time as the people felt necessary, similar to the much later *Decameron* and *Thousand and One Nights*.

### Epic of Gilgamesh

For example, in the *Epic of Gilgamesh*, the following tales have been combined together:

* The rivalry between two heroes
* The fight against Humbaba
* Ishtar attempting to seduce a hero after abusing those she had seduced before
* The hero's journey to the other world
* The deluge
* The loss of immortality

What these show is that a number of motifs have been applied to a pre-existing earlier legend focusing on a single figure.

#### Rivalry Between Two Heroes

This story, related to that of the conflict between Jacob and Esau, and that between Proteus and Acrisius, is about the intelligent hero who founded a city fighting a homeless hero.

#### Fight against Humbaba

Humbaba is described in a way that invokes the later Gorgon of Greek mythology, both in appearance and abilities, and is likely related to the Eastern European Rübezahl.

#### Ishtar Attempting to Seduce a Hero After Abusing Those she had Seduced Before

Related to the Ancient Greek stories of Circe and Sirens, as well as the much later story of Lorelei, Ishtar is stated to transform her lovers into animals in a way that is likened to their death.

#### Hero's Journey to the Other World

This story of the hero being passed from helper to helper until he reaches his destination is thought to be related to the story of Elijah, and is notably similar in theme to a number of Melanesian myths.

Gilgamesh reaching a magical garden of jewel-producing trees and crossing the sea which he was told not to touch with his hands, as well as him having to be given food for his journey instead of what he can acquire on his way (the implication is that doing so would prevent his return) are all common aspects of other stories that these motifs were added into as well.

#### Loss of Immortality

The story about a herb of immortality that passes from man to serpent is a motif that appears in other stories as well.

### Ishtar's Descent into the Netherworld

The main motif present in this myth is that of pleading. Ereshkigal banned the gods and goddesses of Heaven from entering the Underworld for the disrespect they showed to her emissaries, which Ea got around by creating androgynous deities who were neither gods nor goddesses to go to the Underworld on his behalf. There is also reference to a tale of Belili who, upon hearing the fate of Dumuzi, tore her lapis lazuli necklace from he neck, causing the stones to fall to Earth and become dark blue flowers (This is also present in Rome, where *gemma* means "jewel" and "bud", and in Greek mythology, where roses and anemones sprang from the blood of Adonis (who is often considered to be the a reflex of Dumuzi)).

## Folk Songs

While no Babylonian folk songs have been preserved into the modern day, it is thought that the lament of Gilgamesh over the corpse of Enkidu is a version of a conventional Babylonian funeral dirge.

Funeral dirges were accompanied by a *limping dance*, which is attested to in Babylonian texts and still performed in parts of the Middle East today.

## Proverbs

A collection of Babylonian proverbs was unearthed in the Library of King Ashurbanipal, and bi-lingual Babylonian-Hittite proverbs have been uncovered in excavations of Hattusas. Most of these proverbs are more accurately didactic admonitions, and often they begin with "My son", showing they are part of the same tradition as the Biblical *Book of Proverbs* and Isocrates' *Manual for Demonikos*. Aside from these, there are also a number of popular sayings, such as "Never goad a toiling ox", "In a strange city, the ass is mayor", "Where there are servants, there are bound to be quarrels, and where there is a barber shop, there is bound to be gossip", and "Is a swamp paid for producing reeds, or a field for yielding crops?".

## Cultural Practices

If the biological parents of a baby given up for adoption wanted to reassert their claims to the child, they would offer the child a bowl of human milk, regaining rights if the child drunk the milk. This is linked to earlier practices of simulating nurturing by placing a baby at a woman's bosom.

Brides were anointed with oil on their head, linked to an older idea that doing so imbues the bride with a new "essence".

During solar and lunar eclipses, it was customary to beat drums.

Humbaba had a gorgon-like face, leading to masks made in his image for the purposes of magical transfiction. These masks were known as "Humbaba Heads".

The dead were believed to be thirsty in the netherworld, the goddess of the netherworld was accompanied by demonic hounds, and the dead spirits were winged.

Toothache was believed to be caused by worms.

Evil spirits were believed to live in the desert.

Human destiny was designed and shaped by the gods, similar to the Germanic idea of *Scap*.

The gods were believed to be surrounded by a nimbus.

## Further Reading

* *Ana Ittišu,* Landsberger
* *Anatomie of Malcncholy*, Burton
* *Balor*, Krappe, A.
* *Comus*, Milton
* *Die Selle als Vogel*, Aptowitzer
* *Griechische Mythologie*, Gruppe
* Homeric Hymn to Demeter
* *Iraq*, Fish
* Oppenheim, in *Journal of American Oriental Studies, vol.63*
* Much Ado About Nothing
* *Orientalia*, Oppenheim
* *Popular Tales and Fictions*, Clouston
* *Studies in the Gospels*, Trench
* Hooke, S. in *Studies Presented to J. H. Hertz*
* *Sumerischakkadische Namen der Totenwelt*, Tallquist
* *The Travels of Marco Polo*
* *Tuetonic Mythology*, Grimm
* *Zeus*, Cook

## See Also

* Vampires in Ancient Babylon and Assyria

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 Gaster, T.H. (1972). "Semitic folklore", in Leach, M. (ed) *Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend*. 3rd ed. pp.981-989