3.2.1: Enūma eliš
- Page ID
- 279481
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The Assyrian creation epic, enūma eliš (often spelled phonetically as “Enuma elish”), literally translates to “When above,” but it is more often translated as “The Epic of Creation.” The literal name is cryptic to many as it doesn’t immediately imply a cosmogony or creation connection, and the translated name is also problematic, since it doesn’t follow the traditions of epics, as modern readers of ancient texts expect. There is no national hero figure who delivers or saves the culture nor does it follow established norms of epics. However, as one of the earliest creation stories, and the foundational element of the later Sumerian epics, its significance is indisputable.
Discovered on seven cuneiform tablets, which date as early as 1800 BCE, the epic was performed or recited at the annual Babylonian New Year (the Akitu) celebration to reinforce fertility practices and teach the cosmology of the culture.