Maqlu

Tablet II

Incantation. Mighty Nusku, counsellor of the great gods!
Overseer of the sacrifices of all Igigi,
Who founds cities, who reviews the seats of the gods!
Brilliant day, the promise of which is sublime,
5. Messenger of Anu, who is obedient to the secret of Enlil,
Obedient to Enlil, counsellor of the Igigi,
Powerful in the fight, and whose rising is powerful,
Brilliant Nusku, who blinds his enemies to the Earth,
Without you there is no meal in Ekur,
10. Without you, the great gods do not smell incense,
Without you, the judge Šamaš does not hold his court.
Whoever remembers your name, you save him from difficulty, you spare him from distress.
I, your servant N., son of N., whose god is N., whose goddess is N.,
I have turned to you, I have sought you out, my hands are raised, and at your feet throw myself;
15. Burn the warlock and the witch,
Away my warlock and my witch, lose their life fast and swiftly,
Spare my life so I will be indebted, so I can praise your greatness!
Incantation. To dissolve a spell with the help of an image made of tallow.
Incantation. Girra, perfect master; “you are powerful” is the meaning of your name.
20. Nanna, you see everything.
You lighten the dark house, eternally renewed light of the countries.
You light up everything; I stand in front of you,
Because you restore justice.
Like Sin and Šamaš you make right,
25. So restore my right, make my decision!
To your brilliant light I come,
To the shining torch, I come,
Master, I am grabbing the hem of your coat,
The hem of your divine coat I am grabbing.
30. She has packed the heart, the head, the neck and the face;
She packed my looking eyes,
Packed my going feet,
Packed my walking knees,
35. Packed my guiding arms.
Now, in front of your great divinity,
The crossed copper images,
Of my warlock and my witch,
My sorcerer and my sorceress,
40. My stupefier and my stupefyress,
My enchanter and my enchantress,
My lord opponent and my lady opponent,
My lord enemy and my lady enemy,
My lord persecutor and my lady persecutor,
45. My lord accuser and my lady accuser,
My lord slanderer and my lady slanderer,
My lord detractor and my lady detractor,
My lord nemesis and my lady nemesis,
My lord evil-doer and my lady evil-doer;
50. They gave me over to a corpse;
They subjected me to ridicule,
To the evil Utukku or the evil Alu or the evil Etemmu,
The evil Gallu or the evil god or the evil Rabisu,
The Lamaštu or the Labasu or the Ahhazu,
55. The Lilu or the Lilitu or the Ardat Lili,
Or fever, the Sibit Šadi disease,
Or epilepsy, the product of Šulpaea,
Or Antašubba or evil god,
Or hand of god, or hand of goddess,
60. Or hand of the Etemmu, or hand of the Utukki
Or hand of the human, or Lamaštu, the young daughter of Anu,
Or Saghulaza, the record-keeper of debts,
Or cooking of the flesh, paralysis, consumption,
Or everything bad that does not have a name,
65. Or everything that does bad things among human beings,
Which holds me prisoner during the night, which chases me during the day,
Which destroys my flesh, which seizes me,
Which does not let me free for one night!
Now, in front of your divine greatness,
70. I burn them, I incinerate them completely with pure sulphur.
Look at me, master, tear them out of my body,
Dissolve their spell!
You, Girra, master who walks on my side:
If you keep me alive, I will praise you, I will adore and serve you!
75. Incantation to undo a spell with a copper figure and sulphur.
Incantation. Burning Girra, first-born of Anu,
Who leads my hearing and speaks my decision, you are;
You lighten up the darkness,
You bring order to what is disordered, destroyed;
80. To the great gods you grant a resolution,
While for you no god makes any decision.
It is you who give order and direction;
You bind the evil-doer,
You strike quickly the evil enemy.
85. I, N., son of his god, whose god is N., and whose goddess is N.,
With witchcraft I am bewitched: this is why I have come to you!
In front of god and king I am encircled: that is why I have turned to you!
To whomever sees me, I am an unpleasant sight: this is why I have thrown myself in front of you!
Great Girra, radiant god!
90. Now, before your great divinity,
I have made two images of the warlock and the witch, in copper, by your hand;
Before you I have crossed them, I have given them to you.
They may die; but may I live!
They may detour; but may I go straight!
95. They may reach their limit; but may I grow!
They may become weak, but I strong!
Powerful Girra, illustrious among the gods,
Who seizes the evil and the enemy: seize them while I do not perish,
That I, your servant, may stay alive, may be safe, may stay standing in front of you!
100. You are my god, you are my master!
You are my judge, you are my helper!
You are my avenger! Incantation formula.
Incantation to undo the spell with a bronze figure.
Incantation. Burning Girra, first-born son of Anu!
105. You are the sternest among your brothers,
You who makes right like Sin and Šamaš.
Give me justice, make my decision!
Burn the warlock and the witch!
Girra, burn the warlock and the witch!
110. Girra, fry the warlock and the witch!
Girra, incinerate them!
Girra, fry them!
Girra, get them!
Girra, devour away!
115. Girra, take them away!
They who inflict the evil witchcraft and malevolent spell,
Who thought of me with evil intention:
Let a criminal take their possessions!
Let a thief steal their property!
120. Let a looter invade their residence!
Furious Girra, perfect and all-powerful,
In Ekur where you go back, as fast as possible calm down!
By the word of Ea, your procreator, and of Šamaš, I have become radiant;
May the seven Apkallu of Eridu think of them with evil intention! Incantation formula.
125. Incantation to undo the spell with an image made of dough.
Incantation. Powerful Girra, terrible weather!
You lead gods and princes right!
You lead the trial of the oppressed man and the oppressed woman;
Come to my trial! Like Šamaš the hero,
130. Lead my trial, and make my decision.
Burn the warlock and the witch!
Eat my enemies! Devour those who wish evil!
May they catch your ferocious weather! Incantation formula.
Incantation to undo the spell with an image made of bronze.
135. Incantation. Majestic Girra, first-born of Anu!
Radiant offspring of the great Šalaš!
Majestic, forever becoming, constant word of the gods,
Who distributes the offerings to the gods the Igigi,
Who gives brilliance to the Anunnaki, the great gods!
140. Furious Girra, who destroys the conduit,
Strong Girra, who destroys wood and stone,
Who burns the evil offspring of the warlock and the witch,
Who destroys the wicked offspring of the warlock and the witch!
Today come to my trial furiously,
145. You, who makes submission … seize the evil!
As these figures drip, melt and dissolve,
So may the warlock and the witch drip, melt, and dissolve!
Incantation to release witchcraft with a figure made of asphalt.
Incantation. Keš, Libeš, Kideš!
150. Arabbeš Nadreš!
Who carries the torch, rides the wind!
Lirun Hunti!
Kasayašu Izannun!
Rain like Heaven on them!
155. Like a snake may they come in, go hither!
May the furious great incantation of Ea the magician,
Fall on you of Ninahaquddu,
May they destroy your appearance! Incantation formula.
Incantation to undo the spell with a figure of kuspum.
160. Incantation. They did magic, they did ceaseless magic!
They tried to roll me like a ball of wool!
They tried to clap me to the ground like a bird-clapper!
They tried to destroy me like a chip of rock!
They tried to cover me like a net!
165. They tried to roll me like a wick!
They tried to climb me like a wall of clay!
They tried to fill me with dirty water!
They tried to sweep me out the door like household refuse!
But I, by order of Marduk, the master of the holy evening,
170. And Asarluhi, the master of magic,
The sorcerer and sorceress,
Like a ball of wool I roll them!
Like a bird-clapper I throw them to the ground!
Like a chip of rock I destroy them!
175. Like a net I cover them!
Like a wick I roll them!
Like a wall of clay I climb them!
Like dirty water I fill them!
Like household refuse I sweep them out the door!
180. May the image of the warlock and the witch become ashes! Incantation.
Incantation to undo a spell with a figure of asphalt covered with plaster.
Incantation. Who are you, witch, who took the clay from my river?
Who burned my figures in her dark house?
Who spilled my water over a grave?
185. Who gathered sprigs of my fruit trees in the corners?
Who cut the seam of my robe in the house of the tanner?
Who gathered up the dust of my feet on the threshold?
I sent to the mouth of the harbour, where tallow was bought for you;
I sent to the moat, where clay was picked up for you;
190. I sent against you a portable furnace,
The fire already lit,
The forever becoming Girra, constant light of the gods;
Sin in Ur, Šamaš in Larsa,
Nergal together with his people,
195. Ištar in Akkad at her house:
May they seize the offspring of the warlock and the witch,
However numerous they are,
May they kill the witch, but I stay alive!
Because I did not bewitch her, she bewitched me!
200. Because I did not use sorcery on her, she used sorcery on me!
She trusts the spell that she designed,
But I trust my judge Gibil!
Girra, burn her! Girra, incinerate her!
Girra, strike her! Incantation formula.
205. Incantation with a clay figure dipped in tallow.
Incantation. Who are you, witch, who visits me continuously?
Who continuously looks for me with evil intentions?
Who continuously looks for me with unfavourable intentions?
I do not know your city, I do not know your house, I do not know your name, I do not
know your residence.
210. May the Šedu visit you,
May the Utukku look for you,
May the Etemmu hover around you,
May a bad epilespy fall upon you!
So may the evil stool “lift your head,”
215. May the god … and Šulpaea kill you!
May the god … … wash you out!
May furious Gibil, who knows no pity, steal reason from you!
May Gula, the great physician, strike your cheek!
May furious Gibil burn your body!
220. Pure daughter of the sky-god Anu,
Who is spread in the vessel,
… of the heart … Gibil the hero …
… … which the sky,
… … burn …
225. Incinerate as fast as possible! Of my warlock and my witch,
Uproot their life!
Let me live, so I can praise your greatness;
So I can adore you!
Incantation to undo the spell with a figure of tamarisk or cedar-wood.
230. Incantation. The witch, who goes on the roads.
Tablet II of Maqlu.