#engure

[gemstonedragon]

Nammu with 6 Chaos Emeralds (Chaos' son)

[sag-dab-sar]

Namma/Nammu

𒀭𒇉

Sumerian Goddess, primarily from the city of Eridu

Mother of the Gods. Creator of Mankind, specifically in Eridu, elsewhere this role went to Nintur or Ninmah

—How to use internet archive link

🔵 Information

From Gods Demons & Symbols by Black [Internet Archive Link]

"Nammu was a goddess who was considered, in some traditions, to have given birth to An (heaven) and Ki (earth) and to many more of the more ancient gods. Especially she was regarded as the mother of Enki. She came to be thought of as one of the mother goddesses. Her name is written with the same sign as engur, a synonym of abzu, and it is probable that she was originally a personification of the subterranean ocean." [p134]

Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology by Leick [Internet Archive Link]

Her name is usually written with the sign engur which was also used to write Apsu. In ancient times she personified the Apsu as the source of water and hence fertility in lower Mesopotamia. She may well have been worshipped in Eridu before Enki, who took over most of her prerogatives and functions. Significantly he was called the son of Nammu. In spite of her decline following the superiority of Enki, during the Neo-Sumerian period, at least at Ur, she was still considered important enough to have statues commissioned in her honour and she also features in the name of the famous king Ur-nammu. In mythology, Nammu appears as the primeval Mother-goddess in Enki and Ninmah who 'has given birth to the great gods'. She has the idea of creating mankind as a help for the gods and it is she who goes to wake her son Enki, asleep in the Apsu, that he may set the process going. [p 124]

Handbook of Gods & Goddess of the Ancient Near East [Google Books Link]:

"Namma: Sumerian goddess of the primeval, subterranean ocean. In the lexical series Diri the name has a syllabic rendering na-am-ma. In some traditions she was the mother of the sky god An, the earth goddess Ki, and a number of other deities. Enki/ Ea, the god of freshwater and wisdom, was considered her son. In the myth of "Enki and Nin-mah," when the other deities began complaining about how hard they had to work, it was Namma who awakened Enki from his sleep to urge him to create more creatures to take on the work of the gods. However, he delegated the task to Namma, who then received the credit for creating human beings. There was a shrine to the goddess in Marduk's great temple at Babylon, and at least one other of her sanctuaries is known"[p222]

Excerpt from Oracc [Link]:

"Very little is known about Namma, who belongs to the oldest generation of Mesopotamian deities and is associated with the pantheon of Eridu. She is mainly known for her role in the cosmogony of early Mesopotamia and her importance in magic, which is restricted to texts written in Sumerian [...]. According to the god list An-Anum, tablet I line 28 [...], Namma bears the title "mother who gave birth to the heavens and the earth. Because this goddess's name is written with sign for "(cosmic) subterranean waters" (Sumerian: engur) Wiggermann [..] has called her the "Cosmic Ocean. [...] In the Sumerian poem of Enki and Ninmah (ETCSL 1.1.2, line 17 link) Namma is called the "original mother who gave birth to the gods of the universe", again according her primary status among all the gods and describing her role in Mesopotamian cosmogony"

Section from Enki & Ninmah (ETCSL 1.1.2) [Link]

*Bolded part that explains her mother of Gods role, and also her creating man (different deities depending on myth)

*How deity, people, and place names are spelled is wildly inaccurate in the ETCSL, they don't even follow their own rules. But I still did not change the quote

"The gods said, weeping: "He is the cause of the lamenting!" Namma, the primeval mother who gave birth to the senior gods, took the tears of the gods to the one who lay sleeping, to the one who did not wake up from his bed, to her son: "Are you really lying there asleep, and ...... not awake? The gods, your creatures, are smashing their ....... My son, wake up from your bed! Please apply the skill deriving from your wisdom and create a substitute for the gods so that they can be freed from their toil!" At the word of his mother Namma, Enki rose up from his bed. In Hal-an-kug, his room for pondering, he slapped his thigh in annoyance. The wise and intelligent one, the prudent, ...... of skills, the fashioner of the design of everything brought to life birth-goddesses. Enki reached out his arm over them and turned his attention to them. And after Enki, the fashioner of designs by himself, had pondered the matter, he said to his mother Namma: "My mother, the creature you planned will really come into existence. Impose on him the work of carrying baskets. You should knead clay from the top of the abzu; the birth-goddesses will nip off the clay and you shall bring the form into existence. Let Ninmah act as your assistant; and let Ninimma, Cu-zi-ana, Ninmada, Ninbarag, Ninmug, ...... and Ninguna stand by as you give birth. My mother, after you have decreed his fate, let Ninmah impose on him the work of carrying baskets."

The Harps That Once by Jacobsen [Google Books Link]

"Namma, Enki's mother, was probably seen as the power in the riverbed which, empty or nearly empty in summer, gives birth to the fresh waters, to Enki, in the spring flood. This interpretation gains a measure of support from the fact that the cuneiform sign with which her name was written served also, if supplemented with the sign for "water," to write the word for "river." Etymologically the name Namma goes back to Nin-imma (nin-immaran-amma nama›namma) "lady female genitals," a personification of the numinous power to shape, mature, and give birth to the child, and it is as birth goddess generally, rather than as goddess of the riverbed, that the text here characterizes her. That latter aspect she may conceivably have acquired because the mythopoeic imagination conceived of the great gash in the earth which the dry riverbed presents as the genitals of Mother Earth herself, and the prototype of all female parts everywhere. Namma's role as birth goddess generally and as the one who gave birth to man probably represents a local tradition, perhaps at home in Eridu. Elsewhere it is the goddess Nintur, or Ninmah as she is called in this composition," [p 158]

From Wiggermann "Nammu" [PDF Link]

*He disagrees with Jacobsen on Nin-imma, but Wiggmann addresses many other authors both agreeing and disagreeing but its too densely written for me to even remotely understand the back & forth between the Assyriologists.

"Nammu is an ancient goddess of Eridu, who plays a part in the local (and early national) mythology as creatrix/mother goddess and as supporter of Enki in Magic. Most references relate to either of these two roles [...] Only her epithet "(^munus)agrig-zi-é-kur-(ra-)ke", "true housekeeper of Ekur" points outside Eridu to the pantheon of Nippur, but it may be due to a confusion with Nin-imma, Enlil's scholar and scribe." [p 137 Column 2]

🔵 Titles / Epithets

*I did not use š, ḫ, or ĝ when typing these for ease of reading. See Sisterofiris' posts on transliterations [link] & normalizations [link]. Page numbers correspond to Wiggermann's Nammu PDF, linked above.

🔹Amaùtuanki — "Mother who gave birth to Heaven and Earth" (p137 column 2)

🔹Ama-palil-ù-tu-dingir-shár-shárra-ke-ne — "Mother, who gave birth to all the gods" [I kept dashes so it can be read] (p138 column 1)

🔹Amarhusheke — "Compassionate Mother" (p138 column 2)

🔹Amagal — "Great Mother" (p138 column 2)

🔹Agrigziékurrake — "True housekeeper of Ekur" (p137 column 2)

🔹Amadingirdingira | Modern— [Link]

"Mother of (the) Gods" in Sumerian

𒂼 — Mother, ama [Link]

𒀭𒀭— Many Gods, dingirdingir [Link]

𒀝 - "of" genetive case suffix, .a(k) [Link]

🔵 Iconography

She has no known iconography that has been found yet according to Oracc.

I made these tonight on my phone. Left has an ocean as its background to represent the "Cosmic Sea" aspect.

Its the Mesopotamian horned cap/crown of divinity then her name 𒀭 (diĝir) and 𒇉 (engur)

(click on right its not cut off as mobile shows)

[theladyofpaintedstars]

This is for the ask game thing :))

1

3

31

48

HELLOOOO(: thanks for the ask < sooo

1) I think my easel, my window or my bed (: but if it's a little thing I'm not sure, I love everything in my room !!

3) my hair is many shades of brown :3 (brown :)

31) I'm not sure, I think weather I will be happy that's all, if it's too specific I think it takes away it's spontaneity, what is the greatest tragedy I will engure, will I be a mother (anything really I suppose)

48) YESS MANYY <3 a rabbit , he is pale brown and I love him!!, a dragon, he is gween and I love him too !! And a bird pillow :p

THANKYOU SM !! Ily and I would like to ask youuu:

3,6, 8, 13,20, ahhh there's too many/: thankyou soo mucchh !!!!

[magnetar1]

Before the Storm

Far removed from land or hollow, In a desperate attempt to get away;  Undertow of solace,  Purview of time’s eternal shadow. They do not let it get too far, Haunting them from a dusky grave, Opaque den of distilled ideas, Frightening the villagers once again, That came to summon a Behemoth, But got a stripling martyr instead. Under all that soft water lie crags,  Endless ocean protects the damned, Who could not determine, One way or another, If the sands are going the wrong way; Vertiginous breakers, channeling ire; Destruction of the Albatross . . .         Sundered in the eternal moment, Death swings like a bridge,  Over the abyss & its creatures;  Confused epicenter straining below, Fault-line of disordered truths.  Monsters that die in their sleep, Under blue & green currents . . . Coral labyrinths, built by strangers, Entombing the Memory of Engur.

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2023-01-16

it's so warm

Listening: Billy Joel. I like Billy Joel. His songs are often what I want from music, which is a guy singing about being in or witnessing a situation. Billy Joel has, as all singers seem to have, songs about being in love or having a good time at a party or whatever but they come across more as like. Advice packaged up as a song, obvious examples being Vienna and Tell Her About It. My car's music player is usually somewhere in Billy Joel.

I have had independent lines from "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" stuck in my head all week.

There's like three songs in this song. That's a lot of song per song!

Reading: Finished Fugitive Telemetry earlier in the week, a Murderbot Murder Mystery that finally spends enough time on Preservation to really get into it.

Preservation reminds me of a setting an old friend came up with, although hers was more. Authoritarian. In a weird way that managed to weave in a strong sense of individual freedom and liberty with an extremely powerful and controlling state.

Murderbot really does work best as short stories, for me at least, the heavy use of descriptions of interacting with computer resources gets taxing after a while but in short bursts is really good at painting a vibrant and multifaceted information landscape as interesting as the physical spaces the story takes place in.

Also reading a Rane Audio Note I somehow missed when I read most of these a while ago, this one on low voltage circuit designs for audio, mostly centred on the problem statement "You've got a 1.5V alkaline cell, how do you get good audio out of this" and then very neatly and helpfully breaking down your possible concerns, specs to care about, matters of reference voltage creation, etc. Love industry application notes, fantastically handy pieces of documentation.

Watching: Nothing, nothing, nothing. I've got some evenings where the power's out where I should probably put some Shows on but I tend to end up browsing blogs instead.

Playing: Her Story, which was really good. I mentioned how it was going earlier but I'll put my extended discussion in rot13 for those who haven't played it.

V fhfcrpg zl qrfver gb rfgnoyvfu zl onpxtebhaq vasbezngvba xvaq bs fubeg-pvephvgrq gur tenqhny erirny gur tnzr unq sbe cynlref, orpnhfr V uvg gur gjva gjvfg nyzbfg vzzrqvngryl ol nppvqrag engure guna sbyybjvat gur onfvp zlfgrel bs Rir rfgnoyvfuvat ure nyvov naq fhccbegvat pnfg.

V jbhyq or vagrerfgrq gb frr jung bgure qrqhpgvir ebhgrf crbcyr sbyybj guebhtu gur tnzr. Gurer'f n ybg bs bcgvbaf, lbh pna sbyybj hc ba gur jrveq snvel gnyr gurzr gung xrrcf pebccvat hc, V arire sbhaq bhg jul gurl xrcg fubjvat ure cvpgherf sebz n fgbel obbx. V guvax vs lbh qvt sne rabhtu qbja whfg gur certanapl fvqr bs guvatf lbh pbhyq hapbire n ybg. Vg'f n irel pyrireyl chg gbtrgure chmmyr.

Fgvyy n qnza svar zlfgrel tnzr, V qvq trg uhat hc sbe n juvyr ubcvat V pbhyq svther bhg jung zvtug unir unccrarq gb Unaanu nsgrejneqf, hagvy V purpxrq gur QO erpbeqf naq ernyvmrq V unq frra nyy gur ynfg ivqrbf.

V'yy cvpx hc Gryyvat Yvrf ng fbzr cbvag.

Making: more quilting.

Also whipped up rough cuts for round 2 of Galena's cases, there's more build log posts in the Galena tag that you can check out, but here's what those look like.

the old cases there are mitered white oak, which is nice but I way overdid the sizes, and I wanted to try my original idea, which was to cut the whole thing out of a solid chunk of wood. Rhodesian teak, in this case, super hard, super tough, unbelievably annoying to work with wood. Looks great.

Tools and Equipment: my usual non-water cleaning solvent is isopropyl alcohol, but I recently picked up some acetone for the first time in ages and it's really compelling for stubborn goo. For one thing, you can get 100% acetone off the shelf, and it's a really effective non-polar solvent. It is of course hideously flammable and very very volatile, so pick your fights.

[orinthered]

yvxr vqx v whfg guvax gung yvivat jvgu gur erterg bs lbhe cneragf qlvat ol lbhe unaq gurzngvp jbhyq whfg jbex orggre vs vg jnf fbzrguvat fur qvq va gur cnfg engure guna yvxr fbzrguvat fur gung unccraf jura fur ernpurf gurz nsgre xvyyvat 30 thlf naq gurl'er yvxr Qbag Jbag Qnhtugre jr Jnag gb ghea Vagb Onyyf naq Sybg Njnl. yvxr vqx v whfg guvax vg'q or pbby? rira vs lbh erterg lbhe cnfg naq qrpvqr lbh jnag gb erzrql vg gurer'f whfg ab gheavat onpx fbzrgvzrf. rira vs lbh qbag erzrzore qbvat vg. cyhf gurz gheavat vagb onyyf jnf xvaq bs fvyyl naq v guvax gung ure pbzvat gb gur ernyvmngvba gung lrf gurl'ir orra qrnq sbe yvxr 10 lrnef ol abj jbhyq'ir abg bayl znqr zber frafr ohg znqr n orggre zber rzbgvbany fprar. h srry zr

(this is rot13 regarding shadowheart quest spoilers, first part of anon’s ask below)

v rawblrq funqbjurnegf dhrfg ohg gur svany bar jnf xvaqn jrveq gb zr.. jul gur uryy jrer ure cneragf ybpxrq va n pryy sbe yvxr 10 lrnef yvxr vs lbh trg punvarq naq gbegherq sbe n qrpnqr lbh'er tbvat gb qvr Zna. v guvax vg'q or orggre (nf va aneengviryl) vs gurl jrer nyernql qrnq ol gur cbvag lbh ernpu gurz (v qvqag zvaq gung byq yrnx gung fnvq fur gbegherq gurz gb qrngu). v guvax vg'q whfg znxr zber frafr?? cyhf jul qb gurl ghea vagb onyyf bs yvtug. gurerf nyernql nabgure "xvyy lbhe cnerag gb or eryrnfrq sebz n rivy phefr" cybg va gur tnzr. bgure guna gung v guvax vg ebpxrq. v gubhtug funef nccrnenapr va gur raq jnf xvaqn tbbsl. yvxr ure ibvpr whfg fbhaqrq tbbsl. yby

HOLYYYY SHIT YOUR FUCKING BRAIN NO THIS IS SO FUCKING REAL AND WOULDVE MADE SO MUCH MORE SENSE FUCK OH MY GOD

[loving-n0t-heyting]

.

V jbhyq engure or n ernpgvbanel guna n frys ybnguvat cvyr bs funzr naq V qba’g unir gb pubbfr npghnyyl guvf vf n snyfr naq vafnar qvpubgbzl gurer vf abguvat snfpvfgvp nobhg yvxvat zyc be jungrire ohg onpx va gur qnlf jura V gubhtug V qvq V jnf pybfre gb orvat n jbegujuvyr rkphfr sbe n uhzna juvyr jevgvat qrenatrq chevgnavpny rffnlf nobhg vafgnyyvat gurbpenpl guna jura V jnf zrrxyl nffragvat gb enaqbz yvoreny phygher jnef gnyxvat cbvagf bhg bs hacevapvcyrq srne bs fbpvny erohxr

[kibrisolay]

Oyuncu Köksal Engür yaşamını yitirdi

Oyuncu Köksal Engür yaşamını yitirdi - https://olaykibris.com/oyuncu-koksal-engur-yasamini-yitirdi/ #kıbrıs #kktc #haber #türkiye #dünya

[brothertodeath]

V jbhyq engure qvr n yvsr haxabja

guna or pnyyrq nalguvat nyvxr

fb V fpenzoyr gurfr jbeqf bs zvar

va gur ubcrf lbh jvyy arire svaq

gur qrrcre zrnavat bs zl fbhy

[gemstonedragon]

Knuckles petting Chaos’ son Nammu. Like most chao he likes pets.

[sag-dab-sar]

God Apsû (Abzu)

𒀊𒍪

Akkadian God in the Enūma Eliš

Mesopotamian Terminology

As a God: Apsû was the primordial freshwater sea in Babylonian mythology, one of the first two Gods of creation along with the salt sea Tiāmat.

As terminology: prior to the myth of the Enūma Eliš, Apsû (Akkadian) / Abzu (Sumerian) was known as a non-anthropomorphic cosmological location— the very source of all fresh water on Earth—home to many gods, principally Ea (Akkadian) / Enki (Sumerian). The Apsû/Abzu also referred in some cases to water than can be accessed at the surface in order to pinch off clay or to catch fish— according to Jensen (Link). The Abzu/Apsû was also the name for tanks of holy purified water.

Thus the term is multifaceted. However, the anthropomorphic God Apsû of the Enūma Eliš does not seem to have been worshipped in Mesopotamia.

—How to use the internet archive Link

🔵 Information

From Oracc [Link]

The abzu (Sumerian form) or apsû (Akkadian form) was a large underground body of water in Mesopotamian cosmic geography. It was the domain of the god Enki/Ea. The city of Babylon was said to have been built on top of the abzu, and the Sumerian myth Enki and Ninhursag describes that the first humans were created from clay taken from the top of the abzu.

From Gods Demons & Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia by Jeremy Black & Antony Green [Internet Archive Link]

Abzu (apsû)

Although it can sometimes rain very hard in southern Mesopotamia, it was anciently believed that springs, wells, streams, rivers and lakes drew their water from and were replenished from a freshwater ocean which lay beneath the earth in the abzu (apst) or engur. (The salt sea, on the other hand, surrounded the earth.) The abzu was the particular realm and home of the wise god Enki (Ea), his wife Damgalnuna (Damkina) and his mother Nammu, and was also inhabited by a number of creatures subordinate to him (see Enki's creatures).

Enki was thought to have occupied the abzu since before the creation of mankind.

According to the Babylonian Epic of Creation, Apsû was the name of a primal creature, the lover of Tiāmat, and when Ea killed Apsû, he set up his home on the dead creature's body, whose name was henceforth transferred to Ea's residence. Marduk, as Ea's son, was called 'firstborn son of the aps‹'. Enki's temple at Eridu was known as E-abzu, 'Abzu temple'.

The underworld was located even further down, beneath the abzu. Since in some traditions it was necessary to cross a river (the Hubur) to reach the underworld, the river may sometimes have been identified with the abzu (see river of the underworld).

The term abzu/apsû was also used to designate a tank for holy water in a temple courtyard.

From A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology by Gwendolyn Leick [Internet Archive Link]

Apsu

from Sumerian Abzu, which denotes the subterranean 'sweet water ocean or groundwater, also generally the marshland of southern Mesopotamia.

In this area where rainfall is rare and where the semi-floating reed-islands support a great variety of wild life, the fertile marshes were regarded as the source of abundance. In mythological terms the Apsu extended underneath the surface of the earth, into a watery depth.

Several literary texts express the creative potential of the Apsu's muddy moisture. In the Sumerian myth Enki and Ninmah it is the place where Nammu forms the first human being. The god Kullu was also made there, according to the enuma Am ritual. Furthermore, an anthropomorphic Apsu is called the begetter of the great gods' in the cosmogonic beginning of the Enuma elis (1, 59-78). In this composition the Apsu is inert and sleepy but finds his peace disturbed by the restless ways and clamour of the younger gods, the offspring of his union with another watery body, Tiamat. He decides to destroy them. The gods choose Ea as their champion and he puts a spell on Apsu, casting him into a deep sleep and 'killing him'. This death, however, does not annihilate the essence of the Apsu, it just renders him without any will of his own. Thereby the Apsu is contained underground and becomes the dwelling of Ea Enku, the 'Lord of the Apsu' One of the oldest sanctuaries in Mesopotamia was at the southern city of Eridu, which was apparently situated on a hillock surrounded by a lagoon. In historical times, the temple was known as E-abzu, 'the House of the Apsu', and dedicated to Enki. Other cult-centres seem to have had natural or artificial ponds or basins which represented the Apsu.

From A Handbook of Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Near East by Douglas R Frayne and Johanna H Stuckey [Google Book Link]

Apsû(m) (Akk.), Abzu (Sum.)

Primeval deity of sweet (fresh) subterranean waters, which were the source of springs, lakes, rivers, and well water.

His consort was Ti'amat. The Enūma Eliš told how, in the beginning, the god Apsû(m), sweet waters, mingled with the goddess Ti'amat, salt waters. Another entity, Mummu, Apsû's minister or vizier, might also have been with them. The joining of the primordial pair begat a line of deities starting with Lahmu(m) and Lahamu(m) and fol-lowed, in sequence, by An-sar and Ki-Sar, Anu(m), Ea, and, finally, Marduk.

The younger gods were so rowdy and raucous that their parents could not get any sleep. Finally, Apsû(m) persuaded a reluctant Ti'amat that they should rid themselves of their noisy children. When the younger gods got wind of the plan, they quieted down until wise Ea thought of a solution. He put a magical sleeping spell on Apsû(m) and then, while Apsû(m) slept, Ea killed him. On Apsû(m)'s dead body Ea built his house at Eridu and called it

"Apsu(m)," the name of Ea's Eridu temple (E-Apsû) from then on. Marduk, Ea's son, was born in the Apsû(m). An Abzu/ Apsû(m) tank filled with holy water stood in most temple court-yards.

From Bad King, False King, True King: Apsû and His Heirs by Karen Sonik [JSTOR Link]

The problem of accurately pinpointing Apsû’s role and identity within Enuma elis, whether as monster or personified or deified subterranean waters, springs both from the shifting nature of his depiction in the narrative and from the writing of his name therein, which never includes the divine determinative that marks the gods proper within the text. Portrayed as an elemental entity at the opening of the epic as he mingles his waters with those of Tiamat, Apsû does not remain such for long. Once the first gods are generated from his intercourse with Tiamat, beginning the process of differentiation, Apsû himself seems to morph into a sort of proto-god, still not endowed with the dingir-determinative but newly provided with anthropomorphic features and with insignia reflecting his new rank and status: He is given both a voice and a mouth with which to speak (Ee I 35–36); a more or less anthropomorphic physical form (I 53–54), clothing or insignia including at least an agû, crown; and possibly also a riksu, sash or tie (I 67); melammu (I 68); and a rudimentary household of the type standard for the great gods, though here simply comprising his vizier or counselor Mummu (I 30–31). On the subject of Aprû’s state of dress, it is worth reiterating the association of clothing with life in Mesopotamian literature, specifically with civilized life. Thus, in well-known episodes from the SB Epic of Gilgames, Enkidu dons clothing as the second step in his transformation from wild proto-man to civilized man of the city (Gilg. SB II 34–35), while Gilgames, who dresses in lion skins during his wanderings in the wild, again dons his clean royal finery before returning to human civilization (XI 250–70). In the case of Apsû, his assumption of the agû may similarly signify his transformation into a more civilized and active entity, the direct result of his contribution to the differentiation and organization of the world through the generation of the gods.

From The Tablet of Destinies and the Transmission of Power in Enūma Eliš by Karen Sonik [PDF Link]

The opening lines of the epic describe the mingling of two primordial and el- emental entities, Apsû and Tiāmat, who generate the first gods and who seem to evolve thereby into active proto-deities, complete with at least semi-anthropomor- phic forms and divine powers and attributes. As the parents of all the gods, Apsû and Tiāmat may also be read as the first rulers of the text, legitimately endowed with divine authority over the gods. Apsû, as befits a king, stands at the head of a line of legitimate heirs, among them Lahmu and Lahamu, Anšar and Kišar, Anu, Ea, and ultimately Marduk, who comprise the great gods. He is also the apparent progenitor of a mass of unnamed and undifferentiated descendents, who comprise the lesser gods. Legitimate power, so far, is relatively concentrated: it is located in the hands of Apsû and Tiāmat and their rightful heirs. This situation, however, does not last.

[Footnote 6] Apsû and Tiāmat are not gods proper as has sometimes been suggested, ibid. Their names, unlike those of the rest of the gods in Enūma eliš, are never written with the divine determinative (Anšar alone is excepted, as his name begins with the dingir sign). Following the generation of the first gods from the mingling of their waters, however, Apsû and Tiāmat do seem to evolve into proto-deities, possibly as a result of the civilizing qualities of sexual intercourse [...]

[Footnote 7] Whether he is to be understood as the first king or ruler, Apsû is certainly the first major male authority figure to appear in Enūma eliš by virtue of his position as the father of all the gods. (Page 388)

🔵 Myth: Enūma Eliš

The myth he appears in. It was a very political myth used to justify Marduk as chief deity and therefore the government.

Read it:

LW King Translation from 1902 — Link

Translation on Electronic Tools and Ancient Near East Archives (ETANA) — Link

Compiled translation primarily based on E.A Speiser — Link

E.A Speiser's translation is available in The Ancient Near East an Anthology of Texts and Pictures by James Pritchard page 28. — Link

🔵 Iconography

None that we know of, but here is one of the ritual pools:

🔵 Ask answered about modern worship of Apsû as an anthropomorphic deity despite him lacking historical worship. — Link

[rukbat3]

Babylon 5 Rewatch - Babylon Squared

I could have sworn I'd posted this one already, but I can't find it in the tag, so here goes!

This is a post I originally wrote several years ago for Mark Oshiro’s Mark Watches blog. I don’t really plan to edit them before posting, so there may be some references that don’t make sense. If you see words that look like gibberish, they are actually rot13, which was our way of discussing spoilers. There are plugins you can install to decode the text (Cryptext is the one I use), or you can copy/paste to rot13.com, or just ignore it.

EEEEEEEEE!!!! We’re finally here! I think this is one of the episodes I have most been looking forward to Mark getting to. It’s also one of my favorites of the series (although there are many, so I’m not sure that’s saying as much as it seems). One of the things I really love about it is the way it both “solves” a mystery and sets up another, bigger one at the same time.

So, Babylon 4 is back! Briefly, at least, before being PULLED THROUGH TIME again to some unknown destination! I feel like this episode is really the first one that opens up the show to give us a glimpse of just how big a story we could be getting. (Sinclair is not the One—but someone who looks very much like an older version of him is? What does it all mean?!)

This episode also has one of my very favorite guest characters—Zathras. He’s so endearingly odd (and quotable!), and I’m super glad that “the One” arrives at the the end to presumably rescue him.

[season 3] Mnguenf fnlf va guvf rcvfbqr: "Jr yvir sbe gur Bar. Jr jbhyq qvr sbe gur Bar." Guvf vf gur svefg gvzr jr urne jung jr jvyy riraghnyyl yrnea vf gur zbggb bs gur Enatref, naq vs jr erzrzorerq vg ol gung gvzr, vg jbhyq, creuncf, tvir hf n uvag!

[whole series] Gur raqvat erirny gung vg jnf Byqre Fvapynve vafvqr gur fcnprfhvg nyy nybat—be jnf vg?—vf vagrerfgvat sebz n ovt cvpgher crefcrpgvir. V urneq fbzrjurer gung va WZF'f bevtvany cyna, gur svany wbhearl bs Onolyba Sbhe onpx guebhtu gvzr naq gur erirny bs Fvapynve nf Inyra jbhyq unir bppheerq va gur frevrf svanyr, naq Fvapynve jbhyq unir ntrq anghenyyl gb gung cbvag. WZF'f fbyhgvba gb gur ceboyrz bs rkcynvavat gur byq-ntr znxrhc vf cerggl vatravbhf, rfcrpvnyyl nf vg tvirf uvz na rkphfr gb shysvyy Vinabin'f erdhrfg gung arkg gvzr fur trgf gb tb juvyr Vinabin fgnlf oruvaq. Vg qbrf znxr zr jbaqre, gubhtu, ng jung cbvag gur qrpvfvba jnf znqr abg gb unir Zvpunry B'Uner erghea. Bar jbhyq guvax gurl zvtug unir unq na vaxyvat ng guvf cbvag, fb V jbaqre jul WZF qvqa'g punatr gur fprar.

Moving on to Delenn’s storyline, we see that her desire to spend more time studying the humans (and perhaps her dislike of leaving a job half finished) has now caused a rift between her and and the rest of the Grey Council. You’d think if they were ready to make her the leader of the whole thing, they might trust her judgement a bit more? But I guess the very idea that she could turn down such a great honor is enough to call the rest of her judgement into question. Regardless, this seems like something that could have repercussions in the future. We’ll see!

[season 4] Bar bs gur Pbhapvy zrzoref nfxf Qryraa vs fur vf shyyl njner bs gur pbafrdhraprf bs gheavat qbja gur bssre gb yrnq gur Terl Pbhapvy. Fur fnlf fur vf, ohg fur vf jebat. V jbaqre vs fur jbhyq unir punatrq ure zvaq vs fur unq xabja gung guvf zbzrag jbhyq riraghnyyl yrnq gb gur oernxvat bs gur Pbhapvy, naq gura gb n pvivy jne? V zrna, pyrneyl va gur ybat grez guvatf ghearq bhg bxnl, ohg vg'f engure uneqre gb frr gung jura lbh'er va gur zvqqyr bs vg.

[season 1] Jul qbrf gur sevraqyl Terl Pbhapvy Zvaonev tvir Qryraa gur gevyhzvanel? Vg qbrfa'g frrz yvxr ur vf njner bs nal fcrpvsvp ernfba jul fur zvtug arrq vg. Naq eryngrq, jung jbhyq Qryraa unir qbar vs ur unqa'g fhqqrayl unq gur oevtug vqrn gb tvir vg gb ure? (Naq jul qbrf fur gel gb ghea vg qbja?)

Favorite scene: How can I pick just one? No, seriously, I can’t. This episode contains so many moments which are iconic for me. However, there are two scenes I love which I haven’t talked about yet, both combining my favorite elements of humor and friendship, so I guess I’ll mention them here.

The first is the very first scene of the episode, where we see Sinclair, Garibaldi, and Ivanova sharing breakfast together. Or rather, Sinclair and Garibaldi get some breakfast. Ivanova not so much! :p (Okay, I’m sure she gets to eat after we cut away.) In addition to being hilarious, I love that they all know each other so well that this is clearly a Thing They Do. Although, I’m still not sure how Sinclair and Garibldi knew to be prepared with empty dishes right there underneath the table! Also, it seems unfair that Garibaldi should be the only one to get the blame when Sinclair was in it up to his neck! :D

[season 3] Fvapynve zragvbaf va guvf fprar, nf ur qbrf va n pbhcyr bs bgure cynprf guebhtubhg gur frnfba, uvf onpxtebhaq univat orra envfrq ol Wrfhvgf. Yby, WZF, lbh fb farnxl! ;) Guvf vf rknpgyl gur xvaq bs guvat juvpu fyvcf evtug cnfg lbh gur svefg gvzr, ohg juvpu vf fb svggvat bapr lbh pbzr onpx naq jngpu jvgu gur xabjyrqtr bs jung vf gb pbzr. <3

The second scene is the conversation Sinclair and Garibaldi have while they’re on their way to Babylon 4. It’s so delightfully random. But seriously, guys. You knew how long this trip was going to take. Bring a book!

[stars-and-loops]

Nu, V'z tynq! Ng nal engr, V qb ubcr lbh'ir rawblrq gur engure... erynkvat gharf V'ir frag lbhe jnl.

¹³

V ybir Evpx Nfgyrl

[pocketbelt]

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time

A fucking excellent finale not just to the Rebuild film series but the entire series as a whole. 3.0+1.0 nails the landing, locking the Rebuild films in as not just a fantastic set of movies in their own right, but as a proper continuation of Evangelion. What starts as a mostly straight-laced high-budget remake diverges into an adjustment, then reply and ending to what feels like one continuous story, across the original TV series, End of Eva and these. "Companion piece" kind of undersells it, I think if you're taken with the TV series you should see the whole thing the whole way through.

The most striking parts are in the ways it diverges from the TV series and End of Evangelion, both in how the characters change but also how the narrative itself views and treats Shinji throughout. Towards its end, 3.0+1.0's turn of the lens toward the source of all of Evangelion's events at last ties it all together well.

It very much feels like Hideaki Anno looking back at his work and moreso than changes, continuing it because he had more to say. Or rather, had more to say after reflecting on it. 3.0 and 3.0+1.0 in particular hit that note very precisely. Anno's changed, he's older and his view on people, the joys and miseries of being among them and with them, has changed accordingly.

Even outside of the character work and thematic work, I just delight in the madness of the events as well. The spectacle is through the roof, the choreography is stronger than ever and the concepts for the Eva Units, the Angels, the weapons and approaches are all so good. It evolves the "mundane" aspects just as much, if you will, going bigger and crazier in ways that make sense.

I also delight in how for all the patter about how Evangelion only uses Christianity imagery and names for flavour, deriving from either "Ultraman did it" or "it's just cool", it very clearly isn't; it's linking imagery, ideas and names for reasons, some blindingly clear as they do so. For instance, (ROT13 cipher) Shlhgfhxv qvqa'g pnyy ure "Znel Vfpnevbg" sbe tvttyrf be orpnhfr vg fbhaqf pbby, gur gjb cnegf bs gung anzr pneel engure qvfgvapg zrnavatf sbe ure ebyr.

Fucking excellent movies. Half-tempted to just rewatch them ASAP, when the UK Bluray release of 3.0+1.0 rolls in at the end of the month.

[lindamarieansonsnaps]

[dailyspark]

Engure Lake Nature Trail