• The Eagle and the Snake, or anzû and bašmu? Another Mythological Dimension in the Epic of Etana

    Author(s):
    Jonathan Valk (see profile)
    Date:
    2020
    Group(s):
    Ancient Near East, Assyriologists
    Subject(s):
    Akkadians, Literature, Mythology, Assyriology, Middle East, History, Ancient
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    Akkadian, Ancient Near East
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/ah0e-zg89
    Abstract:
    Much of the surviving text of the Epic of Etana tells the story of an eagle and a snake. The eagle and snake are extraordinary creatures, and their story abounds with mythological subtext. This paper argues that the Neo-Assyrian recension of Etana was amended to include explicit references to the eagle and the snake by the names of their mythological counterparts, anzû and bašmu. These references occur in two analogous contexts and serve the same narrative purpose: to dehumanize the other when the eagle and the snake seek to do each other harm. The deliberate character of these changes and their symmetry suggest that they are the product of a conscientious scribe with a developed literary sensibility.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. DOI:
    https://doi.org/10.7817/jameroriesoci.140.4.0889
    Publisher:
    American Oriental Society
    Pub. Date:
    2020-12-7
    Journal:
    Journal of the American Oriental Society
    Volume:
    140
    Issue:
    4
    Page Range:
    889 - 900
    ISSN:
    0003-0279
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    3 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved

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