Kiskilpu

The Bestiary of Mara ~ Die Bestiarum van Mara Heed mine warnings. Incline thine ear to mine teachings. Nature brought not forth every spirit inhabiting air, earth, fire and water. Nay, she neither raised nor gave suck to them all. In the primordial time was earth infested by the foul spawn of Tiamat who would rip existence apart by smashing together the stars of heaven.

Verily hath Kulyanna* sinister siblings, yea, perverse sisters were born to the mermaiden of the sea. In the salty water dwelleth Kulyanna, yet be fresh water the abode of her villainous kin, the wicked watermaiden Kiskilpu.
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When nature was formed and the green plants sprouted forth according to their kind in order to fill the waters, the dry land, the fields, the mountains, the marshes, the lakes, the lagoons and the rivers, did these malicious seeds of Tiamat seek out the deep murky places, the grotto and the cavern, the crevice and indeed also the spaces of unlight under the sea. These they invaded in fear of the sun and filled with the spirit of their malevolent mother, lying in wait to murder and to undo and to smother.

Parasites and invaders are these, verily perform they no function in the great work of nature. Like the mould which destroyeth, like the tiny crystals of plague that slay, so are these odious offspring of Tiamat. Clever and cunning are they in the power of shape shifting, expertly blend they into nature oft assuming the form of the nature spirit or a mockery thereof. In the depths where it hideth it surroundeth itself with a membrane, with garments of gloom. It hateth the light, it dreadeth the rays, the sun is its doom. Under rotting leaves in the midst of the forest, in the treacherous quicksand, in the malarial marsh, in the bottomless pool, in the grottos inside the earth, in the caverns under the sea, they lurk and they brood. Those serve as their lair, their nest and their hood.

Such is Kiskilpu in the perilous pool, verily on the surface grow reeds and deep down is the ghoul. By sorcery attracteth she the unwary to the water hole, by dancing spectres she lureth the curious, the careless soul. Touch not the water, extend not thy hand! Stay on the ground, keep they feet on the land!

The water is poisoned, twill weaken thy mind, the will of the ghoul will immobilize, thee forthwith to bind. Down, deeper thou sinkest into the bottomless slime and neermore wilst thou be seen. No corpse will attest to the crime out of the creepy green. Kiskilpu taketh the form of Kulyanna, the shape of the maiden above the waist, long flowing locks to lure each according to taste. Below, she appeareth like a fish or shapeshifteth according to her wish.

* Mermaid

Heed thou therefore thine inner feel of alarm, give ear to the voice of the guardian when it sayeth that ought be amiss. Despise not the message in dreams, find out what it means. Take care lest ye be trapped by the phantom that lureth to kill, yea, resist ye the lust that leadeth to ill.

Translated from Sumerian by Pieter Uys English text finalised with the assistance of Gerhard Richter From: The Bestiary of Bawa Mara, the great seer of Nippur Text rights reserved. Pieter Uys 2013 Illustrations: Unknown.