  There is also among the Assyrian hymns addressed in the second person to deity a group of hymns, which are distinguished by refrains, frequent repetitions of a phrase or clause, or marked parallelisms of lines. It is, however, in most cases very difficult to know whether the hymn is actually antiphonal or not. Nergal No. 4 is a hymn fragment of ten lines. For the first eight lines, the second half of each line is the refrain: “Destroyer of the hostile land,” while the first half of each line gives a separate title of the god. Thus: Warrior raging flood ..., destroyer of the hostile land; Warrior, lord of the underworld, destroyer of the hostile land; God that comest forth from Shitlam, destroyer of the hostile land; Great steer, mighty lord, destroyer of the hostile land. One would be inclined to suggest that a priest chanted the first half line and a choir the refrain. The difficulty is that elsewhere we have such refrains where an individual is the speaker. In a hymn to Ramman (No. 3) Enlil thus addressed his son Ramman: Thou, O my son, thou storm with all seeing eyes, Thou storm god with vision from on high; Ramman, thou storm, Thou storm god with vision from on high; Thou storm who like the seven demons flieth, Thou storm god with vision from on high. Storm, may thy sonorous voice give forth its utterance, Thou storm god with vision from on high. The lightning thy messenger send forth, Thou storm god with vision from on high. The next five lines, still continuing the message of Enlil to his son, has the refrain: “Who can strive with thee.” My son, go forth, go up, who that cometh can strive with thee? If the foe do harm, the father is over thee, who can strive with thee? With the small hail stones thou art skillful, who can strive with thee? With the great hail stones thou art skillful, who can strive with thee? Let thy small and great stones be upon him, who can strive with thee? Since these two refrains are both in a passage spoken by an individual, it must be concluded that in this hymn at any rate the refrain is used, not for antiphonal rendering, but for impressiveness, perhaps for magical power. In the light of the above fact, it is altogether possible that the refrain occurring eight times in the invocation to Sin (Sin No. 5) may have been recited by the priest, and not by the choir in antiphonal response to the priest. The refrain differs from the preceding examples in that the titles of deities which lend variety to the lines are imbedded in the middle of the refrain: Father Nannar, lord Anshar, chief of the gods; Father Nannar, lord great Anu, chief of the gods; Father Nannar, lord Sin, chief of the gods; Father Nannar, lord of Ur, chief of the gods; Father Nannar, lord of Egishirgal, chief of the gods; Father Nannar, lord of the tiara, brilliant one, chief of the gods; Father Nannar, whose rule is perfect, chief of the gods; Father Nannar, who dost go forth in the robe of majesty, chief of the gods. A fragment of a hymn to Nebo (Nebo No. 2) has in a passage of five lines yet a different use of the refrain. The refrain which makes up the second half of each line is varied in three lines by the introduction of a new word from the first half line: O lord, thy might is a might incomparable; O Nebo, thy might is a might incomparable; Thy house Ezida is a house incomparable; Thy city Borsippa is a city incomparable; Thy district of Babylon is a district incomparable. The carrying forward in the refrain of the important word of the first half line does suggest very forcibly that an individual chanted the first half line, and a choir the second half line. The same arrangement would hold for the couplet that follows the above lines, the second line of the couplet being a response to the first. Thy weapon is a dragon from whose mouth no poison flows; Thy weapon is a dragon from whose mouth no blood sprays. But mere arrangement in couplets and close parallelisms seems insufficient to prove the presence of responses, for in a hymn to Nebo (Nebo No. 4) it is Nusku who speaks, though the couplet would suggest a response: Lord, warlike art thou, perfect in understanding through thyself, Ninib, warlike art thou, perfect in understanding through thyself. Likewise the priest, we are informed, speaks in the following couplet: Bel, to whom in his strength there is no equal, Bel, gracious king, lord of the lands. (Marduk No. 12.) So also the hymnal introduction of the two following couplets is to the prayer of an individual: Thou treadest in the high heavens, lofty is thy place; Thou art great in Hades there is none like thee. With Ea in the multitude of the gods is thy counsel preËminent With Sin in the heavens thou see’st through everything. (Nergal No. 1.) There are two long hymns to Nergal (Nergal No. 5 and No. 6) in which the antiphonal response seems to be a certainty. In Nergal No. 5 the response, coming in the second line, consists of the words: “God Nergal” followed by an additional word or phrase borrowed from the preceding line. Warrior whose terribleness ... God Nergal, Warrior; Prince of the shining face and flaming mouth ... God Nergal, Prince of the Shining Face; Legitimate son, favorite of Bel, Great Guardian ... God Nergal, Legitimate Son; Chief of the great gods Clothed in grandeur and splendor ... God Nergal, Chief; Mighty one over the Annunaki Whose splendor is terrifying ... God Nergal, Mighty One Lord of the raised head, Lofty one, favorite of Ekur ... God Nergal, Lord of the Raised Head High one of the great gods Whose judgment and decision ... God Nergal, High One Lofty giant Who spittest out poison ... God Nergal, Lofty Giant Of gigantic size with terrible limbs, raging demons to right and left of him, God Nergal, of Gigantic Size Of tremendous power, whose blow is effective, crouches a demon at his side, God Nergal, of Tremendous Power; Great sword god, at the noise of whose feet the barred house opens, God Nergal, Great Sword God Lord who goeth about by night, to whom bolted doors open of themselves, God Nergal, Lord Who Goeth by Night; Warrior his whip cracks and men cry: “The noise of his weapon” God Nergal, Warrior His Whip Cracks; Perfect one, whose strength is overwhelming ... God Nergal, Perfect One; Combatter of the enemy of Ekur, the foe of Duranki thou combattest, God Nergal, Combatter of the Enemy; Frightful one, raging fire god ... God Nergal, Frightful One; Storm flood which overwhelms the disobedient land ... God Nergal, Storm Flood which Overwhelms. [Tablet breaks off.] Since the second line of each of the twenty-five couplets above begins with the words: “God Nergal” and, then adds the first word or phrase of the preceding line, it may be called a refrain with variations. Moreover it would seem probable that a priest chanted the longer first line, and a choir the second line in response. Nergal No. 6 opens with an introductory couplet: Flood watering the harvest knows any one thy name? Powerful one, flood watering the harvest knows any one thy name? This usage of repeating the first line and adding a word to it, suggests that the second line was repeated with greater emphasis, and possibly by a choir in response to a priest. After this introductory couplet there follow eleven couplets with a double refrain, made up of the first half lines of each couplet. Thus: Powerful one, mighty one, lord of the kingdom of the dead, Most mighty one, divine scion of Shitlam; Powerful one, great strong steer, Most mighty one, lord of Gushidi; Powerful one, ruler, divine prince of Erech, Most mighty one, lord of Kutha. For the eleven such couplets one is inclined to surmise a choir chanting the refrains, and a priest announcing the titles of the deity. This seems more probable than that one choir repeated the first line and a second choir the second line. After two ordinary couplets, marked only by fairly close parallelism, there follows a triplet in praise of the incomparable god: Lord who is like thee who rivals thee? Most mighty one who is like thee who rivals thee? Nergal who is like thee who rivals thee? With the change of the invocation from “Lord” to “Most mighty one” to “Nergal” the lines undoubtedly grow in intensity until the name Nergal, which is held back until the third line, would be thundered forth in that third line with the greatest enthusiasm. Here again it seems highly probable that a choir chanted the refrain: “Who is like unto thee, who rivals thee?” The second part of this hymn consists of eighteen lines in couplets and triplets in praise of the word of Nergal. The ease with which the second half line follows from the first half line suggests that here the priest chanted the first half line, and a choir the second half line. In this same class of Antiphonal hymns belong two hymns with a veritable din of repetitions. The first is Sin No. 3. It opens with the formal invocation: Thou whose glory in the sacred boat of heaven is self created, Father Nannar lord of Ur, Father Nannar lord of Ekissirgal, Father Nannar lord of the new moon. Lord Nannar first born son of Enlil. It is easy to suppose that a priest chanted the entire first line, and that a choir chanted the first half lines of the next four lines while the priest supplied in the second half lines the titles of the deity. There follows what might be regarded as an imitation of the huzzas of a crowd welcoming a sovereign. Here it is welcoming the ascent of the moon god in the heavens: When thou ascendest, when thou ascendest, When before thy father before Bel thou art glorious, Father Nannar when thou art glorious, when thou pursuest thy way, When in the boat that in the heavens ascendest thou art glorious, Father Nannar when unto Esaguz thou mountest, Father Nannar when like skiff upon the floods thou ascendest, When thou ascendest, when thou ascendest, thou when thou ascendest, In thy rising and in thy completion of thy course, yea in thine ascension. After one further couplet the long subordinate clause ends, and the principal statement is made: “Hail thou that in the majesty of a king daily rises.” In the above, the clause: “when thou ascendest” is repeated nine times and may well have been shouted by the choir or concourse of worshippers. Nergal No. 7 is a hymn with an even greater complexity of repetitions, and is somewhat suggestive of the repetitions characteristic of Nergal’s heroism I will praise (I will sing) When with a shout the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, When Shitlam’s scion the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, Shitlam’s scion who alone is a warrior, (When with a shout) the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, When with rejoicing the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, The great steer the strong one who alone is a warrior, When with rejoicing the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, When with a shout the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, an ox bound in the yoke, When Shitlam’s scion the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, his creative implement ... When with a shout the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, whose reed is in process of growth, When the great steer the strong one the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, his raven is black, When with a shout the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, When Shitlam’s scion the house of the hostile land the lord attacked, his raven is white. [Gap in text.] As to the rendering of this first part of Nergal No. 7, the first line “Nergal’s heroism, I will praise, I will sing” makes it certain that an individual, probably a priest or a choir leader, sang the first line, and highly probable that he recited the beginnings of each line, and the new additions to the lines, leaving to the choir to recite the refrain. The main purpose of the hymn, as announced in the opening line, was to narrate the heroic exploits of the gods in war against the enemy. The narration was sung by the leader, and the repetitions, giving clarity and emphasis, and possibly magical power, were evidently sung by the choir. The second portion of the hymn, as it is continued beyond the gap in the inscription until the tablet breaks off, differs from the first part, in that it largely lacks the repetitions, and in that it does not employ the third person of the verb, but is addressed directly to deity. It belongs accordingly among the hymnal introductions. Finally there is now appended to this chapter the discussion of three hymns, which might perhaps be better called dramatic rather than antiphonal compositions. The first hymn is Ishtar No. 6, and it has three distinct parts. Part I is addressed by the worshipper to the deity, and consists of eleven lines. In lines 1-7 the worshipper attempts Light of heaven, which flames like fire over the earth thou art; Goddess when over the earth thou standest One who as the earth stands firm thou art; Unto thee the way of truth pays homage; When thou enterest a man’s house, A leopard gone forth to seize the lamb thou art; A lion which strides over the plains thou art. And having thus stated her attributes, the worshipper goes on to summon the goddess by her names: Storming Virgin Ornament of heaven, Virgin Ishtar Ornament of heaven, Thou who art adorned with the brilliancy of sparkling stones Ornament of heaven, Sister of Shamash Ornament of heaven. Part II is the reply of the deity to the worshipper, announcing first in a strophe of four lines her appearance and the purpose thereof: To give omens I rise I arise in perfection; Beside my father to give omens I rise I arise in perfection; Beside my brother Shamash to give omens I rise I arise in perfection; In the bright heavens to give omens I rise I arise in perfection. In the next strophe of four lines she expresses her gratification over her praise, possibly in allusion to the hymnal lines just sung by her worshipper or worshippers: In joy over my praise, in joy over my praise In joy a goddess I walk proudly. Ishtar goddess of the evening I am Ishtar goddess of the evening I am. Part II concludes in a strophe of seven lines, each line setting forth a great feat of Ishtar’s, and ending with the clause: “that is my glory.” Here again it is shown that the presence of a refrain is no certain proof of antiphonal rendering, since the repetition is in the mouth of the individual Ishtar. Part III is the petition. The hymn to Ramman (Adad No. 3) is also a composition in three Ramman the glorious, bull mighty and glorious, is thy name exalted God; Lord Ramman, bull mighty and glorious, is thy name exalted God; Ramman heaven’s child bull mighty and glorious, is thy name exalted God; Lord of Karkar, bull mighty and glorious, is thy name exalted God; Ramman, lord of plenty, bull mighty and glorious, is thy name exalted God; Companion of Lord Ea bull mighty and glorious, is thy name exalted God. The next three lines introduce variety into the second division, while the tenth line is uniform with the first six, save for a change of wording in the first division: Father Ramman lord that rideth the storm is thy name exalted God; Father Ramman that rideth the great storm is thy name exalted God; Father Ramman that rideth the great lion is thy name exalted God; Ramman lion of heaven bull mighty and glorious is thy name exalted God. The last four lines of Part I pass over from the praise of the name of Ramman to praise of the activity of the god of the storm: Thy name doth dominate the land; Thy majesty covers the land like a garment; At thy thunder the great mountain father Mullil is shaken; At thy rumbling the great mother Ninlil trembles. Part II of this hymn, lines 15-26, is made up of Enid’s summons to his son Ramman to go up with sonorous voice, with lightning, and with small and great hail stones against the hostile land. This section has already been discussed earlier in this chapter. Part III is in Ramman gave ear to the words which his father spoke to him; The father Ramman went out of the house storm of sonorous voice; Out of the house, out of the city went he up, the youthful lion; Out of the city took his way the storm of sonorous voice. The third hymnal composition of this group, the so-called litany to Asshur, is in two parts. Part I is a long hymn addressed by an individual, possibly Asshurbanipal, to Asshur, of which the chief distinguishing characteristic is the oft repeated vow of the individual to praise the deity. Nineteen of the twenty-two lines of Part I are as follows: Mighty lord of the gods, all knowing one; Powerful stately lord of the gods, determiner of fates; Asshur mighty lord, all knowing one; Powerful stately lord of the gods, determiner of fates; Asshur almighty one, lord of the gods, lord of the lands; His greatness (I will praise), his sublimity proclaim; The memory of Asshur I will glorify, his name I will magnify; The sublimity of him who dwells at Ekharraggalkurra I will proclaim; His might I will praise, to his will I will submit; He who dwells at Ascharra, Asshur determiner of fates; To reveal (his glory) to the inhabitants of the land That later generations may learn of his fame I will for ever praise his lordship Mighty one with broad understanding potentate of the gods; Mighty creator of the heavens, builder of the mountains; Mighty creator of the gods, begetter of the goddesses; Of great heart and deep understanding O glorious one, whose name arouses fear; O Asshur, whose decrees reach into the distance. The promise of the poet here to make the fame of Asshur known to later generations corresponds to the promise of the author of Psalm 45 for the fame of the reigning Hebrew king. In Part II of this litany to Asshur, first Anu, Bel, and Ea, the lords of the gods proclaim Through the mouth let it be proclaimed continually let the ear hear it, That I Asshur have named you to lordship over lands and men. May the memory of Asshur be praised, his divinity be exalted, So that the exaltation of Asshur, the lord of lords, may be known. Common to these three compositions and of great interest to the Old Testament student is the appearance and message of the deity, since there are parallels to this in the Old Testament. Especially close is the parallel to the decree of Yahwe in Psalm 2, and the oracle of Yahwe in Psalm 110. |
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