Lamentations/Prayers to Calm an Angry God, Handout, ANE Religions, Autumn 2022

Eršahunga to Ninurta (S.M. Maul, Herzberuhigungsklagen, no. 31, pp. 184ff.)

This lamentation prayer was directed at the warrior god Ninurta, who was the patron deity of
Nippur, the old religious center of Mesopotamia. It was written in Sumerian (Emesal) and
Akkadian, though not all lines are bilingual. Angry gods were seen as the cause of illness,
misfortune, or death, therefore, treating a patient involved removing the cause of illness or
misfortune through calming down the angry heart of a god.
Emesal has been variously described as a genderlect, sociolect, or dialect. It was the language
used in lamentations and love songs (e.g. the Inanna-Dumuzi love songs), and sometimes it
was used in mythological texts for the direct speech of goddesses.

1 And I, let me recite a lamentation to my lord!

2 To the warrior Ninurta, wailingly [I want to speak]

3 To the steward of Mullil/Enlil, wailingly

4 To the lord of Nippur, wailingly

5 To the lord of the Eshumesha,1 wailingly

6 To the lord of the Eshamaham, wailingly

7 To the lord of the Ehar…, wailingly

8 To the lord of the Eibi[shugalamma?], wailingly

9 To the lord of the Ehursag (?), wailingly

10 To the lord of the E’igikalamma, wailingly

11 Wailingly I want to speak! May my heart calm you!

12 Let me bring a lamentation ritual to him. May I calm his mood!

13 Turn your neck around for me and accept my wailing!

14 I (am) your servant, I kneel before you!

15 …, I constantly search out your place(s)!

16 [How long, oh Lord,] how long? Say my “MUŠ-am!”2 / “Ahulap!”3

17 [… I do] not know. You, do not cast me away!

18 [… I] do not know. (empty)

1
The Eshumesha and the words beginning with “E” in the following lines are the names of Ninurta’s temples in
various cities.
2
“MUŠ-am” was a Sumerian expression of compassion, perhaps something like “Enough!”
3
“Ahulap” was an Akkadian expression of compassion, perhaps something like “Oh dear!” or “Poor you!”

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Lamentations/Prayers to Calm an Angry God, Handout, ANE Religions, Autumn 2022

19 [… how] long? May your heart calm down.

20 […] May the ritual calm you down.

21 May your heart be restored.4

22 May your hateful mood cool down.

23 May your angry neck turn in favor.5

24 Extract the anger of your heart from your body!

4
“Restored” here means that the god’s heart may be restored to its former state of calm.
5
Meaning: “may you relent.”

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Lamentations/Prayers to Calm an Angry God, Handout, ANE Religions, Autumn 2022

Eršemma me-er-ra-gu10-ne “In my rage” to Nintinugga, (Gabbay, The Eršemma Prayers

of the First Millennium BC, no. 10)

Eršemma prayers were written in Sumerian (Emesal) and Akkadian. Their name may indicate
that they were sung and accompanied by a drum (šem). This prayer is addressed to the
goddess Nintinugga, one of the Mesopotamian healing goddesses, who was syncretized with
other healing goddess (e.g. Baba, Abba, Ninsikila, etc.).

Translation

1 In my rage, who can calm me down?

2 Enraged, my lady Baba, I am; in my rage (who can calm me down)?

3 Mother Abba I am, (in my) rage

4 The Guardian (Lamassu) of the Eanna6 I am, (in my) rage

5 Her Majesty, Ninsikila I am, (in my) rage

6 The deity Nap, the foremost child of An I am, (in my) rage

7 The magnificent daughter-in-law of Guenna I am, (in my) rage

8 The holy daughter of Ninmarki I am, (in my) rage

9 The daughter-in-law of the Guardian (Lamassu) of the temple Ešaga I am, (in my) rage

10 The temple Eudu in my holy city, (in my) rage

11 The shrine of the temple Eninnu, (in my) rage

12 The steppe outside of Lagash I am, (in my) rage

13 My anger (is) because of her city, which was plundered,

14 My anger, because of her house/temple, which was plundered,

15 When saying “O my city,” “O my house,”

16 When saying “O my husband, “O my son,”

17 In the house, I scream at night (?).

18 I wail a lamentation at night.

19 They stand in submission (?).

6
The Eanna was the goddess Inanna’s temple in the city of Uruk (Warka).

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Lamentations/Prayers to Calm an Angry God, Handout, ANE Religions, Autumn 2022

20 In rage, the important one made me well (again).

21 In rage, the great mountain (=Enlil) made me well (again).

22 Lord Mullil7 made me well (again).

23 I say “Ua,”8 I say “Ua,” because of that which was plundered, for that, thus I cannot be
glad.

24 My destroyed house, tears because of him (Enlil)! Lamentations because of him!

25 My ruined city, tears because of him! Lamentations because of him!

26 The destroyed cattle pens, lamentations …

27 The torn-up sheepfolds, lamentations …

28 My house, in his destruction, brought tears to me, who can calm me down?
—————————————————————————————————————
29 May your heart be calm; may your mood cool down.

30 May Lord Dikumah calm your heart.

31 May Lord Erabriri (calm) your heart.

32 Gašantinluba,9 (may) your heart (be calm)!

33 Gašanisinna,10 (may) your heart (be calm)!

34 Lady of the Egalmah, (may) your heart (be calm)!

35 Lady of the Erabriri, (may) your heart (be calm)!

36 My lady, my Baba, (may) your heart (be calm)!

37 Princess, mother Baba, (may) your heart (be calm)!

38 Baba, the good/beautiful woman, (may) your heart (be calm)!

39 Nugig (divine midwife), Gašanana,11 (may) your heart (be calm)!

It is an Eršemma-lamentation of the goddess Nintinugga.

Eršemma (of the series) mu-tin nu-nus dim2-ma

Colophon (of king Aššurbanipal’s library)

7
Mullil is the Emesal name of the god Enlil, the highest god of the pantheon.
8
“Ua” is another expression of compassion and lamenting.
9
Gašantinluba is Nintinuga’s Emesal name.
10
Gašanisina is Ninisina’s Emesal name.
11
Gašanana is Inanna’s Emesal name.