meeting of hea-bani and izdubar.

dream of izdubar.—hea-bani.—his wisdom.—his solitary life.—izdubar’s petition.—zaidu.—kharimtu and samkhat.—tempt hea-bani.—might and fame of izdubar.—speech of hea-bani.—his journey to erech.—the midannu or tiger.—festival at erech.—dream of izdubar.—friendship with hea-bani.

n this chapter are included the fragments of what appear to be the second and third tablets or books. in this section of the story izdubar comes prominently forward, and meets with hea-bani. the notice of his mother dannat appears in one of the tablets given in this chapter.

izdubar, in the babylonian and assyrian sculptures, is always represented with a marked physiognomy, and his peculiarities can be seen by noticing the photograph from a babylonian gem at the beginning of the book, the engraving from an assyrian sculpture in the last chapter, and the engraving in page 249202 showing izdubar and hea-bani struggling with wild animals. in all these cases, and in every other instance where izdubar is represented, he is indicated as a man with masses of curls over his head and a large curly beard. the type is so marked and so distinct from either the assyrian or the babylonian one that it is hard to say to what race it should be attached.

the deity of izdubar was lugal-turda, the god who was changed into the bird of storm according to the old myth, from which it may be supposed that he was a native of the district of amarda or marad, where that god was worshipped. this district mr. smith thought was probably the amordacia or mardoc?a of ptolemy, but its situation is uncertain.

the fragments of the second and third tablets assume by their notices that izdubar was already known as a mighty hunter, and it appears a little later that he claimed descent from the old babylonian heroes, as he calls xisuthrus, the chaldean noah, his “father.”

tablet ii.

a single fragment which mr. smith believed to belong to this tablet has been found; it is k 3389, and contains part of the third and fourth columns of writing. it appears from this that izdubar was then at erech, and had a curious dream. he thought he saw the stars of heaven fall to the ground, and in their descent they struck upon his back. he203 then saw standing over him a terrible being, the aspect of whose face was fierce, and who was armed with claws, like the claws of lions. the greater part of the description of the dream is lost; it probably occupied columns i. and ii. of the second tablet. thinking that the dream portended some fate to himself, izdubar calls on all the wise men to explain it, and offers a reward to any one who can interpret the dream. here the fragment k 3389 comes in:

column iii.

1. .... ru kili i ....

2. .... he and the princes may he ...

3. .... in the vicinity send him,

4. .... may they ennoble his family,

5. .... at the head of his feast may he set thee

6. .... may he array thee in jewels and gold

7. .... may he enclose thee

8. .... in his .... seat thee

9. into the houses of the gods may he cause thee to enter

10. .... seven wives

11. .... cause illness in his stomach

12. .... went up alone

13. .... his heaviness to his friend

14. .... a dream i dreamed in my sleep

15. .... the stars of heaven fell to the earth

16. .... i stood still

17. .... his face

18. .... his face was terrible

204

19. .... like the claws of a lion, were his claws.

20. .... the strength in me

21. .... he slew

22. .... me

23. .... over me

24. .... corpse ....

the first part of this fragment appears to recount the honours offered by izdubar to any one who should interpret the dream. these included the ennobling of his family, his recognition in assemblies, his being invested with jewels of honour, and his wives being increased. a description of the dream of the hero, much mutilated, follows. the conduct of nebuchadnezzar in the book of daniel, with reference to his dreams, bears some resemblance to that of izdubar.

after this fragment we have again a blank in the story, and it would appear that in this interval application was made to a nondescript creature named hea-bani that he would go to the city of erech and interpret the dream of izdubar.

hea-bani appears, from the representations on seals and other objects on which he is figured, to have been a satyr or faun. he is always drawn with the feet and tail of an ox, and with horns on his head. he is said to have lived in a cave among the wild animals of the forest, and was supposed to possess wonderful knowledge both of nature and human affairs. in appearance he resembles the se’irim or hairy demons, half men, half goats, who inhabited the205 deserts and were a terror to passers-by. reference is made to them in lev. xvii. 7, 2 chron. xi. 15, is. xiii. 21, xxxiv. 14, from which we learn that worship was paid to them, and that they were supposed to be specially connected with the neighbourhood of babylon. hea-bani was angry at the request that he should abandon his solitary life for the friendship of izdubar, and where our narrative reopens the god samas is persuading him to accept the offer. it may be added that the name hea-bani signifies “hea created me,” from which we may infer that the monster was believed to have originally ascended like oannes out of the abysses of the sea.

column iv.

1. ... me

2. ... on my back

—–———–———–———–

3. and samas opened his mouth

4. and spake and from heaven said to him:

5. .... and the female samkhat thou shalt choose

6. they shall array thee in trappings of divinity

7. they shall give thee the insignia of royalty

8. they shall make thee become great

9. and izdubar thou shalt call and incline him towards thee

10. and izdubar shall make friendship unto thee

11. he shall cause thee to recline on a grand couch

12. on a beautiful couch he shall seat thee

206

13. he will cause thee to sit on a comfortable seat a seat on the left

14. the kings of the earth shall kiss thy feet

15. he shall enrich thee and the men of erech he shall make silent before thee

16. and he after thee shall take all ....

17. he shall clothe thy body in raiment and ....

—–———–———–———–

18. hea-bani heard the words of samas the warrior

19. and the anger of his heart was appeased

20. .... was appeased

here we are still dealing with the honours which izdubar promises to the interpreter of his dream, and these seem to show that izdubar had some power at erech at this time; he does not, however, appear to have been an independent king, and it is probable that the next two columns of this tablet, now lost, contain negotiations for bringing hea-bani to erech, the subject being continued on the third tablet.

tablet iii.

this tablet is far better preserved than the two previous ones; it gives the account of the successful mission to bring hea-bani to erech, opening with a broken account of the wisdom of hea-bani.

column i.

1. .... knows all things

2. .... and difficult

3. .... wisdom of all things

207

4. .... the knowledge that is seen and that which is hidden

5. .... bring word of peace to ....

6. from a far off road he will come and i rest and ....

7. .... on tablets and all that rests ....

8. .... and tower of erech the lofty

9. .... beautiful

10. .... which like ....

11. .... i strove with him not to leave ....

12. .... god? who from ....

13. .... carry ....

14. .... leave ....

(many lines lost.)

column ii.

1. izdubar did not leave .....

2. daughter of a warrior .......

3. their might ......

4. the gods of heaven, lord ......

5. thou makest to be sons and family? .....

6. there is not any other like thee ......

7. in the depth made ......

8. izdubar did not leave, the son to his father day and night ......

9. he the ruler also of erech ......

10. he their ruler and ......

11. made firm? and wise ......

12. izdubar did not leave dannat, the son to his mother ......

208

13. daughter of a warrior, wife of .....

14. their might the god .... heard and ...

15. aruru strong and great, thou aruru hast made ......

16. again making his strength, one day his heart ......

17. he changed and the city of erech ......

18. aruru on hearing this, the strength of anu made in the midst ......

19. aruru put in her hands, she bowed her breast and lay on the ground

20. ... hea-bani she made a warrior, begotten of the seed of the soldier ninip

21. ...... covered his body, retiring in companionship like a woman,

22. the features of his aspect were concealed like the corn god

23. possessing knowledge of men and countries, in clothing clothed like the god ner

24. with the gazelles he ate food in the night

25. with the beasts of the field he consorted in the day

26. with the creeping things of the waters his heart delighted

27. zaidu catcher of men

28. in front of that field confronted him

29. the first day the second day and the third in the front of that field the same,

30. the courage of zaidu dried up before him

31. and he and his beast entered into his house and

209

32. .... fear dried up and overcome

33. .... his courage grew before him

34. .... his face was terrible

—–———–———–———–

column iii.

1. zaidu opened his mouth and spake and said to ......

2. my father the first leader who shall go ....

3. in the land of ......

4. like the soldier of anu ......

5. shall march over the country ......

6. and firmly with the beast ......

7. and firmly his feet in the front of the field ...

8. i feared and i did not approach it

9. he filled the cave which he had dug

10. .....

11. i ascended on my hands to the ....

12. i did not reach to the .....

—–———–———–———–

13. .... and said to zaidu

14. .... erech, izdubar

15. .... ascend his field

16. .... his might

17. .... thy face

18. .... the might of a man

19. ......

20. .... like a chief

21. ...... field

22 to 24. three lines of directions.

210

25. according to the advice of his father ....

26. zaidu went .....

27. he took the road and in the midst of erech he halted

28. .... izdubar ....

29. the first leader who shall go ....

30. in the land of ....

31. like the soldier of anu ....

32. shall march over the country ....

33. and firmly with the beast ....

34. and firmly his feet ....

35. i feared and i did not approach it

36. he filled the cave which he had dug

37. ......

38. i ascended on my hands .....

39. i was not able to reach to the covert.

—–———–———–———–

40. izdubar to him also said to zaidu:

41. go zaidu and with thee kharimtu, and samkhat take,

42. and when the beast ... in front of the field

43 to 45. directions to the women how to entice hea-bani.

—–———–———–———–

46. zaidu went and with him kharimtu, and samkhat he took, and

47. they took the road, and went along the path.

48. on the third day they reached the land where the flood happened.

49. zaidu and kharimtu in their places sat,

211

50. the first day and the second day in front of the field they sat,

51. the land where the beast drank of drink,

column iv.

1. the land where the creeping things of the water rejoiced his heart.

2. and he hea-bani had made for himself a mountain

3. with the gazelles he ate food,

4. with the beasts he drank of drink,

5. with the creeping things of the waters his heart rejoiced.

6. samkhat the enticer of men saw him

7 to 26. details of the actions of the female samkhat and hea-bani. —–———–———–———–

27. and hea-bani approached kharimtu then, who before had not enticed him.

28. and he listened .... and was attentive,

29. and he turned and sat at the feet of kharimtu.

30. kharimtu bent down her face,

31. and kharimtu spake; and his ears heard

32. and to him also she said to hea-bani:

33. famous hea-bani like a god art thou,

34. why dost thou associate with the creeping things in the desert?

35. i desire thy company to the midst of erech the lofty,212

36. to the temple of elli-tardusi the seat of anu and istar,

37. the dwelling of izdubar the mighty giant,

38. who also like a bull towers over the chiefs.

39. she spake to him and before her speech,

40. the wisdom of his heart flew away and disappeared.

41. hea-bani to her also said to kharimtu:

42. i join to samkhat my companionship,

43. to the temple of elli-tardusi the seat of anu and istar,

44. the dwelling of izdubar the mighty giant,

45. who also like a bull towers over the chiefs.

46. i will meet him and see his power,

column v.

1. i will bring to the midst of erech a tiger,

2. and if he is able he will destroy it.

3. in the desert it is begotten, it has great strength,

4. ...... before thee

5. .... everything there is i know

6. hea-bani went to the midst of erech the lofty

7. .... the chiefs ... made submission

8. in that day they made a festival

9. ..... city

10. ..... daughter 213

11. ..... made rejoicing

12. ..... becoming great

13. ..... mingled and

14. ..... izdubar rejoicing the people

15. went before him

16. a prince thou becomest glory thou hast

17. .... fills his body

18. .... who day and night

19. .... destroy thy terror

20. .... the god samas loves him and

21. .... and hea have given intelligence to his ears

22. he has come from the mountain

23. to the midst of erech he will ponder thy dream

24. izdubar his dream revealed and said to his mother

25. a dream i dreamed in my sleep

26. .... the stars of heaven

27. .... struck upon my back

28. .... of heaven over me

29. .... did not rise over it

30. .... stood over .....

31. ...... him and

32. ..... over him

33. .... his ....

34. ....... princess

35. ....... me

36. ..... i know

37. ..... to izdubar

214

38. ..... of heaven

39. ..... over thy back

40. ..... over thee

41. ..... did not rise over it

42. ..... my .....

43. ..... thee

there is one other mutilated fragment of this and the next column with part of a relation respecting beasts and a fragment of a conversation between izdubar and his mother.

the whole of this tablet is curious, and it certainly gives the successful issue of the attempt to bring hea-bani to erech, and in very fragmentary condition the dream of the monarch.

it appears that the females samkhat and kharimtu prevailed upon hea-bani to come to erech and see the exploits of the giant izdubar, and he declared that he would bring a midannu, most probably a tiger, to erech, in order to make trial of the strength of izdubar, and to see if he could destroy it.

the midannu is mentioned in the assyrian texts as a fierce carnivorous animal allied to the lion and leopard; it is called midannu, mindinu, and mandinu. in a list of animals it is associated with the dumamu or cat.

in the fifth column, after the description of the festivities which followed the arrival of hea-bani, there appears a break between lines 15 and 16, some part of the original story being probably omitted here. the assyrian copy probably is here de215fective, at least one line being lost. the portion here omitted seems to have stated that the following speech was made by the mother of izdubar, who figures prominently in the earlier part of these legends.