THE OLDEST SPELL IN THE WORLD
This spell is perhaps one of the oldest ever found. It was discovered at the site of the ancient city of Kish, in 1930. That year an English expedition lead by Ernest Mackay discovered a small cache of tablets in a layer of the city dating from around 2800 - 2600 b.c.e., a period known historically as the First Dynasty of Kish. These tablets revealed the earliest examples of the Akkadian language (known as "Old Akkadian"), as well as affording the most ancient example of any type of magical spell. This small tablet, measuring 87 x 46 x 11 mm, is almost perfectly preserved, and is an incantation for love.
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1. dEn-ki ir-e-ma-am 2. è-ra-a-am 3. ir-e-mu-um DUMU dInnana 4. in za-gi-im e-ra-ab 5. in ru-ùh-ti ga-na-ak-tim 6. ú-da-ra wa-ar-....... -da 7. da-me-iq da-tu-... da-pumx 8. ki-rí-šum tu-ur4-da-am 9. tu-ur4-da-ma a-na GIŠ.SAR 10. ru-ùh-ti ga-na-ak-tim 11. ti-ib da-ad-ga 12. a-hu-EŠ ba-ki ša ru-ga-tim 13. a-hu-EŠ bu-ra-ma-ti 14. e-ni-ki 15. a-hu-EŠ ur4-ki 16. ša lim-na-tim 17. a-áš-hi-it ki-rí-iš 18. dEN.ZU 19. ab-tuq GIŠ.A.TU.GAB.LIŠ 20. u-me-iš-sa 21. du-ri-ì i-da-as-ga-ri-ni 22. ki SIPA ì-du-ru za-nam 23. ÙZ ga-lu-ma-sa U8 SILA4-áš 24. a-da-núm mu-ra-áš 25. si-ir-gu-a i-da-su 26. X ù ti-bu-ut-tum 27. sa-ap-da-su 28. a-za-am X in ga-ti-su 29. a-za-am i-ri-nim in bu-ti-su 30. ir-e-mu ú-da-bi-bu-si-ma 31. ù iš-ku-nu-si a-na mu-hu-tim 32. a-hu-EŠ ba-ki ša da-ti 33. dInnana ù dIš-ha-ra 34. ù-dam-me-ki 35. a-ti za-wa-ar-su 36. ù za-wa-ar-ki 37. la e-dam-da 38. la da-ba-ša-hi-ì |
Enki ir'emam era"am ir'emum mara' Innana in zaggim errab in ruhti kanaktim udarra ......... damiq ..... tâbum kiršum turdam turdamma ana kirim ruhti kanaktim tib dâdka âhuz paki ša rûqatim âhuz burramati êniki âhuz ûrki ša limnatim ašhit kiriš Suen abtuq sarbatam jumišša dûri in-taskarinni ki re'ijum idûru sa'nam enzum kalumaša lahrum puhadaš atanum mûraš širkua idašu .......... u tibuttum šaptašu assam ....... in qâtišu assam irinim in pûdišu ir'emu udabbibušima u iškunuši ana muhhu'tim âhuz paki ša dâdi Innana u Išhara utammîki adi zawaršu u zawarki la êtamda la tapaššahi |
Ea loves Ir'emum, Ir'emum, Ištar's child, Sitting in her lap in the sap of the Kanaktu-tree You, N., beautiful girls, You are sweet, ........ You go down to the garden, You go into the garden, You collected the sap of the Kanaktu-tree. May you please your lover! I seized your luscious mouth, I seized your colorful Eyes, I seized your vulva Moistening. I jumped into the garden Of Sin, the Moon-God I cut off branches For her day. You shall surround me among my boxwoods, Like a shepherd circles his flock, The she-goat her kid, the ewe her lamb, The jenny her foal. His arms are covered with jewels, Like oil and tibuttum-plants Are his lips; A cruse of oil is in his hand, A cruse of oil is on his shoulder The Ir'emu have bewitched her And made her love-sick. I've seized your mouth of love By Ištar and Išhara I conjure you: As long as his neck And your neck Are not entwined, You shall find no peace! |
