Ea’s
Tricky Plan: Ea knew he could not make such a deal on
his own. Something of such importance would need the approval of
the entire Assembly of the Gods. Ea was pretty sure that a lot of
the gods would not be happy about this, especially the older ones
who typically teamed up so their collective vote often ruled the
day.
Ea decided to
throw a banquet and invite the entire Assembly to the party. He
really went all out to lull the gods into a peaceful and happy
state. Ea had his servants serve mounds of pancakes, a most
favorite and sought after food in ancient Mesopotamia. He ordered
many huge vases, brimming with delicious date wine, be placed on
the floor around the banquet table. Each god was given a tube
(somewhat like a very long straw) to use to drink from the vases
of wine. He had musicians play soft music on their pipes,
accompanied by the bleating of live sheep, which was thought to be
a most restful sound.
The combination
of pancakes and date wine and the bleating of sheep put all the
good gods in such a great mood that the entire Assembly agreed to
Marduk’s terms. Besides, the gods really did not think the boy
had a chance.
The
Battle: Marduk
armed himself with a bow and several arrows, a thunderous club, a
net of storms, and a saw-toothed lightning dagger. He went in
search of Tiamat.
Rolling his
thunder and storms before him, Marduk fought one monster after
another that the evil goddess Tiamat kept creating and throwing in
his way. Each time he killed a monster, he moved closer to the
evil goddess Tiamat. One day, he got close enough to catch her in
his nets! Tiamat howled with fury. Before she could conjure yet
another monster, Marduk shot an arrow down her howling throat, and
killed her!
The mighty Marduk
took his club and split Tiamat’s body in half. He placed half of
her body in the sky and made the heavens. He posted guards to make
sure she did not escape and gave them twinkling lights to show
that all was well. He created the moon to guard the heavens, and
set it moving back and forth, on endless patrol. With the other
half of Tiamat's body he made the land. From each of her eyes, he
set a river flowing. One eye made the Tigris River. The other eye
watered the Euphrates River. He planted fields of grain and
vegetables, and blessed the land with rain and cows and forests
and orchards.
Why
humans were first put on the earth: Marduk told the
gods who had supported Tiamat that they had to work the fields and
tend the canals as punishment. These gods soon complained of all
the work they had to do. They burnt their spades and baskets in
protest.
Marduk, with an
eye on the future, offered the gods a deal. If they agreed to
recognize Marduk for all time as the Chief of all
the gods, he would release them and find others to do the work in
their place. That’s how humans were first put upon the earth.
Marduk created humans to do the work, to till and hoe, to tend the
canals and animals, and to worship all the gods at festivals.
Chief
of the Assembly of Gods: Impressed, and as promised,
the gods awarded Marduk with the permanent position of first
Chief, leader of the Assembly of all the Gods. To this day,
Marduk’s symbol is the saw-toothed lightening dagger
that he holds in his belt, his trusty weapon that still helps him
keep order in the heavens.
Note:
The truly
interesting thing about this creation myth is not how consent was
obtained from the Assembly, but rather that consent was
necessary, even among the gods.
Ancient
Mesopotamian gods and goddesses
