Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 98

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1875.
thy gate! again, that I may enter! 16 If thou openest not thy gate, and I enter not, 17 I will Assault the door: I will break down the gate: 18 I will attack the entrance: I will split open the portals. 19 I will raise the dead to be the devourers of the living ! 20 Upon the living the dead shall prey !'91 Then the Porter opened his mouth and spoke, 23 and said to the great Ishtar, 23 Stay, Lady I do not shake down the door! I 24 will go, and tell this to the Queen Nin-ki-gal.'+ 25 The Porter entered, and said to Nin-ki-gal, 28 These curses thy sister Ishtar [atters,]: 37 blaspheming thee with great curses' [...].
" 38 When Nin-ki-gal heard this, [....] 29 she grew pale, like a flower that is cut off :,30 she trembled, like the stem of a reed: 31 I will cure her rage,' she said: 'I will cure her fury: 32 these curses I will repay to her! 93 Light up consuming flames ! light up blazing straw ! 34 Let her doom be with the husbands who deserted their wives ! 36 Let her doom be with the wives who from their husbands' sides departed ! 38 Let her doom be with youths who led dishonoured lives! 37 Go, Porter, open the gate for her, 38 but strip her, like others at other times.' 30 The Porter went and opened the gate. 40 "Enter Lady of Tiggaba city!'S It is
armitted! 41 May the sovereign of Hades rejoice at thy presence !' || 42 The first gate admitted her, and stopped her: there was taken off the great Crown from her head. 43 Keeper! do not take off from me the great Crown from my head!' 44'Excuse it, Lady! for the Queen of the land commands its removal.'
" 45 The second gate admitted her, and stopped her: there were taken off the earrings of her ears. 48 Keeper! do not take off from me the earrings of my ears! 17 Excuse, it, Lady! for the Queen of the land commands their removal !
" 48 The third gate admitted her, and stopped hor: there were taken off the precious stones from her head. 40Keeper! do not take off from me the precious stones from my head!' 60 Excuse it, Lady for the Queen of the land commands their removal !
" 51 The fourth gate admitted her, and stopped
her: there were taken off the small lovely gems from her forehead. 62 Keeper! do not take off from me the small lovely gems from my fore. head! 63 Excuse it, Lady! for the Queen of the land commands their removal !'
"54 The fifth gate admitted her, and stopped her: there was taken off the central girdle of her waist. 65 Keeper! do not take off from me the central girdle from my waist !' 60'Excuse it, Lady ! for the Queen of the land commands its removal!'
"67 The sixth gate admit:ad her, and stopped her : there were taken off the golden rings of her hands and feet. 68 Keeper! do not take off from me the golden rings of my hands and feet!' 60 Excuse it, Lady! for the Queen of the land commands their removal !
" 00 The seventh gate admitted her, and stopped her : there was taken off the last garment from her body. 61 Keeper! do not take off from me the last garment from my body!' 02. Excuse it, Lady! for the Queen of the land commands its removal !
" 63 After that mother Ishtar had descended into Hades, 64 Nin-ki-gal saw her, and stormed on meeting her. 65 Ishtar lost her reason, and heaped curses upon her. 66 Nin-ki-gal opened her mouth and spoke, 87 to Namtar her inessenger & command she gave : 68 Go, Namtar! (some words lost] 60 Bring her out for punishment.'
"Column II.- 1 The divine messenger of the gods lacerated his face before them. 3 The assembly of the gods was full,+ 3 the Sun came along with the Moon his father. Weeping he spoke thus to Hea the king: 5 Ishtar descended into the earth; and she did not rise again: 6 and since the time that mother Ishtar descended into Hades, 7 the bull has not sought the cow, nor the male of any animal the female. & The slave and her master (some words lost]; 9 the master has ceased from commanding: 10 the slave bas ceased from obeying.' 11 Then the god Hea in the depth of his mind laid a plan: 18 he formed, for her escape, the figure of a man of clay 13 Go to save her, Phantom ! present thyself at the portal of
* This very violent language is evidently introduced by the writer of this Legend in order to justify the subsequent wrath of Proserpine.
+ Nin-ki-gal answers to the Proserpine of the Latins. Her name means "goddess of the great region," i.e. Hades. She is also identified with Gula or Bahu (the Bohu or "Chaos" of Gen. i. 2), "The Lady of the House of Death,' and wife of Hea or Nin-a'su.
I The end of this and several following lines is broken off, which makes the translation uncertain.
9 A principal seat of Ishtar's worship. || Ironical.
The end of this line is lost, and all the remaining lines of column I. are similarily mutilated; the meaning in au abridged form is this-Namtar is commanded to afflict
Ishtar with dire diseases of the eyes, the side, the feet, the heart, and the head. The story then says that after the goddess of Love had descended into Hades, the world soon felt the loss of her influence. But these lines, which are much broken, are better preserved in the second column, where they are repeated.
A sign of violent grief. Forbidden in Deut. xiv. 1, Lev. xix. 28. The bleeding face betokened a Messenger of Evil News. + Line injured : sense doubtful.
The original has assinnu, which I have derived from the Chaldee word sin, clay. But this is mere conjectare. The meaning evidently is, that Hea moulded a figure and breathed life into it. Hea was the god to whom all clever inventions were attributed. "Lord of deep thoughts" was one of his most usual titles.