God descriptions from A Merritt’s “Ship of Ishtar”

"The House of Sin!" the voice rang. "Chief of the Gods! Nannar! Begetter
of Gods and men! Lord of the Moon! Lord of the Brilliant Crescent! Great
of Horns! Nannar Perfect of Form! Decreer of Destiny! Self Created!
Whose House is the first of the Zones and Whose Color is Silver!

"He passes through the House of Sin!

"He goes by the altars of chalcedon and of sard which are set with the
great moonstones and with rock crystals, the altars where burn the white
flames from which Sin the Fashioner created Ishtar! He sees the pale and
shining serpents of Nannar writhe toward him and from the silver mists
that veil the crescented horns of sin he sees the winged white scorpions
dart upon him!

"He hears the sound of the tramping of myriads of feet, the feet of all
the men to be born beneath the Moon! And he hears the sound of the
sobbing of myriads of women, the sobbing of all the women to be born and
to bear! He hears the clamor of the Uncreate!

"And he passes!

"For lo! Not the Begetter of Gods nor the awe of him may stand before
man's desire!"

"The House of Shamash! Offspring of the Moon! God of the Day! Dweller in
the House of Luster! Banisher of Darkness! King of Judgment! Judge of
Mankind! On Whose Head Resteth the Crown with the High Horns! In Whose
Hands are Life and Death! Who cleanseth Man with His Hands like a Tablet
of Burnished Copper! Whose House is the Second of the Zones and Whose
Color is Orange!

"He passes through the House of Shamash!

"Here are the altars of opal set with diamonds and the altars of gold
set with amber and the yellow sunstones. Upon the altars of Shamash burn
sandalwood and cardamon and verbena. He goes by the altars of opal and
of gold; and he goes by the birds of Shamash whose heads are wheels of
flame and who guard the wheel that turns within the House of Shamash and
is a potter's wheel upon which all the souls of men are shaped.

"He hears the noise of myriads of voices, the wailing of those who have
been judged and the shouting of those who have been judged!

"And he passes!

"For lo! Not the King of Judgment nor the fear of him may stand before
man's desire!"

"The House of Nergal! The Mighty One of the Great Dwelling Place! King
of the Dead! He who Scattereth the Pestilence! He Who Ruleth over the
Lost! The Dark One without Horns! Whose House is the Third of the Zones
and Whose Color is Black!

"He passes through the House of Nergal!

"He goes by Nergal's altars of jet and of bloodstone! He goes by the red
fires of civet and of bergamot that burn thereon! He goes by the altars
of Nergal and the lions that guard them! The black lions whose eyes are
as rubies and whose claws are blood red, the red lions whose claws are
as black iron and whose eyes are as jet; and he passes the sable
vultures of Nergal whose eyes are as carbuncles and whose heads are the
fleshless heads of women!

"He hears the whimpering of the People of the Great Dwelling Place and
he tastes the ashes of their passion!

"And he passes!

"For lo! Not the Lord of the Dead nor the dread of him may swerve man
from his desire!"

"The House of Ninib!" whispered the voice. "Lord of Spears! Lord of the
Battle! Master of the Shields! Master of the Hearts of Warriors! Ruler
of the Strife! Destroyer of Opposition! Breaker of the Lock! The Smiter!
Whose Color is Scarlet, Whose House is the Fourth of the Zones! Of
shields and of spears are builded the altars of Ninib and their fires
are fed with the blood of men and the tears of women, and upon the
altars of Ninib burn the gates of fallen cities and the hearts of
conquered kings! He goes by the altars of Ninib. He sees threaten him
the crimson fangs of the boars of Ninib whose heads are wreathed with
the right hands of warriors, the crimson tusks of the elephants of Ninib
whose feet are ankleted with the skulls of kings, and the crimson
tongues of the snakes of Ninib which lick up the cities!

"He hears the clashing of spears, the smiting of swords, the falling of
walls, the crying of the conquered!

"And he passes!

"For lo! Since ever man was, the altars of Ninib have been fed with the
fruits of man's desire!"
"The House of Nabu! Lord of Wisdom! Bearer of the Staff! Mighty One of
the Waters! Lord of the Fields Who Openeth up the Subterranean Streams!
The Proclaimer! He who Openeth the Ears of Understanding! Whose Color is
Blue and Whose House is the Fifth of the Zones!

"The altars of Nabu are of blue sapphire and of emerald and from them
shine clear amethysts! The flames that burn on the altars of Nabu are
blue fires in whose light only the truth has shadow! And the flames of
Nabu are cold flames nor is there any scent over his altars! He passes
by the altars of sapphire and of emerald and their cold fires! He passes
the fishes of Nabu which have women's breasts but silent mouths! He
passes the seeing eyes of Nabu which look forth from behind his altars
and he touches not the staff of Nabu which holdeth up with wisdom the
feet!

"Yea--he passes!

"For lo!--when did Wisdom stand before man's desire!"

"The House of Ishtar!" came the voice. "Mother of the Gods and of Men!
The Great Goddess! Lady of the Morning and of the Evening! Full Bosomed!
The Producer! She who Hearkeneth to Petition! The Mighty Weapon of the
Gods! She who Slays and She Who Creates Love! Whose Color is
Rose--pearl. And the House of Ishtar is the Sixth of the Zones!

"He passes through the House of Ishtar! Of white marble and of rose
coral are her altars and the white marble is streaked with blue like a
woman's breast! Upon her altars burn ever myrrh and frankincense, attar
and ambergris! And the altars of Ishtar are set with pearls both white
and rose, with hyacinths and with turquoise and with beryls!

"He goes by the altars of Ishtar, and, like the pink palms of maidens
desirous, the rose wreaths of the incense steal toward him. The white
doves of Ishtar beat their wings about his eyes! He hears the sound of
the meeting of lips, the throbbing of hearts, the sighs of women, and
the tread of white feet!

"Yet he passes!

"For lo! Whenever did Love stand before man's desire!"

"The House of Bel!" Rang the voice. "Merodach! Ruler of the Four
Regions, Lord of the Lands! Child of the Day! Bull Necked! Elephant
Thewed! Mighty One! Conqueror of Tiamat! Lord of the Igigi! King of
Heavens and Earth! Bringer of Things to Completeness. Lover of Ishtar.

"Bel-Merodach, Whose House is the Seventh of the Zones, and Whose Color
is Golden! Swiftly he passes through the House of Bel!

"The altars of Bel are of gold and rayed like the sun! On them burn the
golden fires of the summer lightnings and the smoke of the incense hangs
over them like the clouds of the thunderstorm! The Kerubs whose bodies
are lions and whose heads are eagle heads, and the Kerubs whose bodies
are bulls and whose heads are the heads of men guard the golden altars
of Bel, and both are winged with mighty wings! And the altars of Bel are
reared upon thews of elephants and are held upon the necks of buijs and
the paws of lions!

"He goes by them! He sees the fires of the lightnings sink and the altar
shake! In his ears is the sound of worlds crushed by the fist of Bel; of
worlds breaking beneath the smiting of Bel!

"Yet he passes!

"For lo! Not even the Might of God may crush the desire of man!"