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Anu begot her

Incantation against Lamashtu (Alternate Title)

Anu begot her, Ea reared her, ~(1)
Enlil doomed her the face of a lioness.
She is furious,
She is long of hand, long(er still) of nail.
Her forearms(?) are smeared (with blood).* (5)
She came right in the front door,
Slithering over the (door)post casing!
She slithered over the (door)post casing,
She has caught sight of the baby!
Seven seizures has she done him in his belly!
Pluck out your nails! Let loose your arms! ~(10)
Before he gets to you, valiant Ea,
sage of the (magician's) craft,
The (door)post casing is big enough for you,
~the doors are open,
Come then, be gone into the open country! ~(15)
I will surely fill your mouth with sand, your face with dust,
Your eyes with finely ground mustard seeds!*
I exorcise you by Ea's curse: you must be gone! ~(20)

Explanatory Notes:  Literature: Landsberger, JNES 17 (1958), 53 note 7, 57; Farber, ZA 71 (1981), 72; ;Veldhuis in Abusch, ed., Magic, 42–45; Wiggerman in Stol, Birth in Babylonia, 231–232; Edzard, Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 160/4 (2002), 542–544.<br />*Notes to Text: (2) Or: “dog's face.” (3–5) Differently Wasserman, Style, 34. (16–19) Wasserman, Style, 163.<br /> <br />
Publication:  Benjamin R. Foster, Before the Muses, 3rd edition; 2005, (p. 173)
Source:  Text: Keiser, BIN 2 72; Edition: von Soden, OrNS 23 (1954), 337–344
See all in category Incantation texts