The Mesopotamians' View of Gods

The gods in “The Epic of Creation” are nothing like what we are accustomed to thinking of as “godly”. Usually, we think of a god as someone who is flawless and all-knowing. We would think a god, in addition to having supernatural powers, would be morally superior to humans. However, the gods in this myth do not live up to those expectations. They could be considered even worse than humans. They have no moral high ground since they are violent, greedy, and fickle. They are not even immortal; they are constantly fighting and killing each other. The only thing that sets the gods apart from the humans is their power and the fact that the humans were created to serve them.

The gods care much more about their own selfish desires than about morals or loyalty. They do whatever they can, including manipulating and killing others, to achieve their own ends. Apsu plots to kill the younger gods just because they are rowdy. For us, killing one’s own descendants for such a reason is unthinkable. The gods are easily moved, siding with whoever is convenient at the moment without regard for the past. All it takes for a god to become extremely happy is for someone to agree with him. For example, when Mummu agrees with Apsu that he should kill the younger gods, “Apsu was delighted with him, he beamed” (12).

The gods in this myth usually gain power just because they can, not because they deserve it. Marduk is similar to a creator; he organizes the heavens and the seasons, and creates the netherworld and the important rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris. However, it is hard to have respect for him because he did not do anything to deserve his power. He was born strong and was spoiled by Anu who gave him the four winds. He was able to demand rule over everything because he was the only one who could defeat Tiamat. The only reason he was able to do that was because of powers he was born with, not ones he earned. Still, all the other gods have feasts to celebrate him. In this realm of gods, anyone can earn respect through brute force.

The humans worship the gods because they were created to serve the gods. But again, the gods do not seem to deserve, or care if they deserve, the worship. They created the humans because they did not want to provide for themselves. They said nothing about how they were worthy of being worshipped and served by the humans.

The character traits of the gods in “The Epic of Creation” reflect the way Mesopotamians thought about gods. Although they regarded them as powerful and worshiped them, they also believed that the gods were flawed just like humans.

#2. Absolutism

This Mesopotamian Epic of Creation tells the tale of Marduk rising up to save the gods from the wrath of Tiamat, the “mother ocean” (11). As Foster states in his intro to the creation story, the epic that unfolds can be seen as a Babylonian argument for the “necessity of absolute rule” (9). I would argue that the Epic of Creation demonstrates the tremendous value of confiding much power in the hands of a capable leader especially in times of eminent turmoil; the epic continues to show that a good, single leader can also be valuable in peaceful times.

The story of Marduk shows that granting power to a single entity during times of stress is quite useful. After Anshar attempts to delegate the task of stopping Tiamat from wreaking havoc on the divine community and these attempts fail, Marduk steps in to offer his services. His price is gaining the power to become the sole ruler of the gods (22). When this power is granted, Marduk, is able to subdue Tiamat and bring peace where other, lesser powers could not. Marduk’s success shows that granting absolute power to one, qualified leader is beneficial if not essential for the best results during extreme situations. It is made clear before these events, however, that Marduk is no ordinary god. From birth it is said that his senses, abilities, and even figure surpassed all other gods (14), and I believe that the author was attempting to show that only extraordinary individuals are capable of successful autocratic rule.

Following the fall of Tiamat, Marduk’s rule continues to thrive as he successfully “regulates the moon, sun, weather, and subterranean waters” and also “links various parts of the cosmos” (32). Marduk then goes on to create mankind to “bear the gods’ burden” (38). Basically, all of his actions create an order to the world that simplifies and explains everyone’s role. His great actions therefore create a sense of dependence on the qualities of a single great individual that was arguably seen as a necessity in Babylonian culture. However, it is clear, that Marduk is an incredibly exceptional god and therefore his rule was also exceptional. In conclusion, absolute rule works when the right person is in charge.

The Power of Names

The Power of Names

Throughout history, names and titles have always borne incredible significance. The mythos of the vast majority of ancient cultures have pantheons complete with hundreds of lesser and greater gods, each with their own appellations, and some with more than others. As a rule of thumb, the gods with the most names were as a matter of course also the most powerful.
Many of the greater gods in this tale had multiple names, for example, “Nudimmud was he who dominated his forebears: profound in wisdom, acute of sense, he was massively strong…” (11), he also held the title “Ea.” His son Marduk, the most powerful, and newly crowned king of the gods as far as recently after the events of The Epic of Creation had come to pass, had by far the most names of the gods, with fifty. Each name described an aspect of his personality, or told of his great accomplishments or prowess. Some examples of his titles and their descriptions include, “Marduk… establisher of pasture and watering place… who saved the gods his forefathers from danger… Maruka shall he be, the god who created them (mankind)… Mershakushu, angry but deliberative, furious but relenting…” etc (43). The list goes on, and clearly these many names indicate, or perhaps even grant him this great power.
Throughout history, humans have used the power of names to grant themselves authority as well. Kings have changed their names upon taking the throne to the titles of those who had come before them, perhaps in an effort to channel or receive some of their forbearers’ powers, or to honor them. Parents name their children after influential people to confer them greater ability or significance as well. Even the gods in the tale take part in this practice, “They said to the gods their sons, “We have named three each of his names, do you, as we have, invoke his names… our provider, we will exalt his name!... In all their rites they invoked of him a name” (44). A name or a title is not just a word, it is an idea bearing much significance and worthy of thought. As this is so, one worthy of many names was likely seen to be quite important.

The Epic of Creation and the Paradox

The Epic of Creation narrates a series of events that leads to the creation of the world and the foundation of Babylon. Those responsible for these results are, of course, the gods. While these gods are powerful, some capable of creating a whole new universe, breathing fire, or producing the four winds, they can also be just as vulnerable, both physically and emotionally, as their creation, the people.

I found it very interesting to see how easily Ea and murders Apsu, the father of all gods and how quickly Marduk suppresses Tiamat, whose body was so big that Marduk created the world with it, and her hundreds of Igigi gods. These gods also experience jealousy and hatred, like when Marduk easily taunts and provokes Tiamat to duel one on one. Just as humans have, these gods are characterized in this story with human traits. It may be that the poet had intended it to be this way so that people could easily relate to the epic, but to me, the initial descriptions of these supernatural beings did not match their actions.

Response No. 2 - Ethical Values of Creation

In a world which changes so quickly, an unexpected anomaly can be found in the ancient Babylonian writings. Although some may be peculiar to modern society, the inherent values of the Sumerian culture often emphasize many of the same ethical traits as we still hold today thousands of years later.

One of the easiest ways of discovering what qualities are important to the Babylonian people is to look at the way the often describe their gods. In the Epic of Creation many gods are created then named according to their characteristics. Some gods are revered for specific traits such as “Nudimudd who dominated his for “Nudimudd who dominated his forbears [was] profound in wisdom, acute of sense, [and] massively strong” (Epic of Creation, Tablet 1, line 18). Marduk, lord of the gods, was famous for his “formidable fourfold perception” (Epic of Creation, Tablet 1, line 97). These dominant attributes to their religious idols reveal that the ancient peoples held the intelligence, intuition, and strength of their gods at great value, which in turn highlights the worth of these features in everyday life. The gods act as role models to their lowly human servants who live to serve and worship their deities.

However, there are also many disparities between the ethical values of the gods and humans. Humans are held to a tighter responsibility for their actions than the gods. In the Epic of Creation, the gods are frequently warring, lying, deceiving and betraying one another, but because they hold the true power, they are free to continue doing so. On the other hand, if the “black-headed folk” who were made to relieve the gods of their burdens were to initiate any such behaviors, they would be held accountable and often punished by the gods who command all of “creation, destruction, absolution, [and] punishment”.

The use of imperfections

The Epic of Creation tells the story of how the earth was created and the way in which Marduk came to power. But unlike the Bible, I was intrigued with the human attributes that the gods demonstrated throughout the entire story; and how that made them relatable to mankind. The fear of death and need for incentive are two of the most apparent characteristics that helped shape the story while also appealing to the Babylonians.

In today’s society, one would seldom stop to think that God had to worry about his own death. But the fear of dying is apparent through Ea, who upon hearing “all that is” about Apsu’s plan to kill his children, decides to murder his father. The way Ea turns against his parents proves how he instinctively makes life his first priority. However, our initial reactions are not of disgust. Instead we think of it as self-defense because we understand the fear of death and recognize that we would have behaved similarly ourselves. This fear is also essential to the story because it triggers a chain of events that lead to Tiamut’s anger and eventually gives Marduk the opportunity to rise in power.

Incentives also play a big role in the Epic of Creation, because Marduk might never have risked his life unless the throne had been promised to him in return. This differs greatly from the bible which tends to emphasize that good deeds should be done without expecting anything in return. But incentives make this story far more relatable and imply that having a reason to be motivated for can be highly beneficial. It appealed to the Babylonians, because men tend to base their decisions on convenience. But it is especially relevant today, considering our market economy works around incentives.

The gods in the Epic of Creation were far from perfect, but their mistakes almost seem to create a guideline for the human race. Ea and Marduk’s betrayal might imply that with every generation comes improvement, and that elders die with their conservative views. Marduk’s slicing of Tiamut to create heaven and earth could easily signify that the knowledge a parent bestows upon his child will eventually lead him to create something great for the world. But their imperfections make it easier for people to be follow religion and understand why some of the motives that the gods had. Not only did this make the gods more entertaining, but it got their messages across more efficiently.

The Gods of The Epic Creation

As I read the Epic of Creation I found the concept of gods with human emotions and actions to be quite intriguing. For the most part the gods acted in ways I could understand. This is perhaps one of the great separations between modern religion and ancient religion. The gods that can be found in The Epic Creation and in other myths display an array of human emotions ranging from love to lust, while many of the gods of our day are viewed as perfect, mysterious, even unknowable. This separation can be seen in a number of the characters in the poem.  Marduk is a classic example of humanity at it's best. He is brave, strong, and wise. He vanquished his foes and deals with them justly. On the other hand Tiamat seems to be driven out of fear and anger. Again two emotions I can understand and relate to. She is stirred into actions by the words of others, but ultimately in an act of anger she allows herself to be pulled into a battle she can not win.
The Epic of Creation displays a not always pretty picture of the gods, but it nonetheless paints a picture that the people of Babylon and indeed we today can understand.