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PIOTR MICHALOWSKI
(l'hilaclell.lria)
Adapa and the Ritual Process
Lile rirtrrrr',ltr' i1s r.crr.L'ssrnrr., rcsisl. ilttL.ltlirt\ri lriclt tl oLrltltr-r. trr lrssigrrfintt), 'l'irris Ltllivcrsellllr'ilnlllgs to te\t5. it got. ..r'ith,)u1sii\ ing tlr.rt ani lrnltlt'sis,ti a s1-rcc- rrlrttirt' t orrrlrositiontirrr ,rnlr constitutt l slt I i1i tlrt nrver- t,ntlinq sclrclr tilr finrtl trlltl). Itt tlrt. s1to111'5,<111 J slrrrrrl.i like to oifLr':rn:rnllr:is ol lr ^\lesopotanrirtnliterarr- tt'tt. litt :tort ol -\tiaP:r,u irit'lt rroriltl ur't'r,ur)tlor tlre iact thet thc ltcrri ()f thc stor\- ts ril.,r t'ttcotttttercti in otlrrr corttllositions.rr lrcrc irc lrolrls tltr, strltus tf :r sagc (a,b- httllul.\rrntcrorrs prcri,rrrsilttr.rllrL.tJti,,tr- rrl tllr: st()rVltare lteen propose(lr.'l'hc l)rcselltstrrtiv is intcntlccl as:r fLrrtlrcrl.lrritorrrtion r't tirc nork alreatlt'done _' For a thorougl.r exarnination of thc problcnis involved see l]. F o s t e r, Wis- dom and the Gods in Ancient -llesopotania, or\S +3,197+, pp. 34+,3-i4, rvith prer-ious literature. Since then the follorving rclevant stuclies har.e uppeured: G. B ii c c e I - lati, Adapa,-,()enesis,and the itlittrontf Faith, UIr 5, 19i3, pp. 6I-66; B. K i e - n a s t' Die trVeisheitdes ,ldapa t;on Eridu, in: Svmholae bibliiae et mesopotamicae Itrancisco J'lario Ther,tdorode Liagre Bijht dedicatae,\I. A. B e e k el a/. eds., I-eiden -1?i3,^!l 234-239; \\'. r-o n S-o d e n, Ilemerkungenzun Adapa-II1,thos, .\OAf' 25, 1976, pp. 428-'133; P. X e lla, Probleni det-rIito nel viiino driente Antico. \aples 1976,pp. +7,60. 78 i'to;'11"1111 11.11.()\\sKI of triis rnaterial has bcen rccentr\, srrr'eyetr br. 13. Ir o s t e r, *.e slralr onry skctclr tltt' nccessarvdata hcre2. '\ll the extant referencesto .'\tlapa connect him *,ith thc citv god EnkirEa of Erid' and ir: and u.ith the knou.lcclgeof u.isclorn.Ilr u.isdour I mean here technical term b.rro*'ecl not tht frorr IJiblical sttrtrics, ;..;, ;;" ;r;;;c ing practical, literal mean- of the rvord. In the case of -{dapa,-}ror.r.e\rer, this pr*t;.ul knowlecrge to ntore esotericmatters. extcnds f.he uisdorrrof the hero of nu..ro.u rvith is closeh.connecti.(l the cultic aspecrsof magic, u ith the nreans"f h";r;";';nd of things s'hich being able to scc other ordinarv mortals cannot grasp. It is in connection rvith this of knorvledge that the kind Neo-Assvrian r.;,.,1 A,r;; is in tt,"ir inscriptions3. It also the source for thc late t.a,lition l.,r.or." *'hich identifies Adapa as sagesr'r'ho served "ad'isors" one of the ser.e.rr as to ancient kingsa. 'fhe is knorvleclgeof hidclen matters also '.'ell clemonstratedin the polemical context of the so-called '.verse of Nabonidus" Account where a horrible siatue of_.Sin,unu.."ptJi.-,o ,t" traditional is describedas one which "...not clergv, 1.u.nj Ea-I,Iummu learned could have formed, not (even) Adapa kno*'s his name"s' in thl'.ru*. tcxr Adapa is ref'erredto as thc author of an astrologicalomen serieso. Cumulativel,r-,it is this traditi u'trichis the sourceof the.famousp;r;" in B er o s s u. -Ldapa as ,.,f,lnt'it".tJill,i,"r:::: the fish-man lvho carne from the sea anrl pror-iclecirnankind ivith cutrements of cultr thc ac- tradition*,hich ,,1:"::ii{i{:,,;;:-;,',?:.:[l::;..i1;., ',.;th illi],i*l*".: ;:.i]':::',ff:,:,:il;'',|;'rtl';,'iiion, otherarcanc ..i.n.....,.h,. *-.gi. f'he basic dornain of '{tlapa, ho*'c'er, is nragic. ailv It is in this sensetlrat he is origin- attestedas a ser'ant of "\\-eidncr bnki,e" in'ir,. chroniclc..e in other magical ancl is rnentionetl contextsro"l'l'rcre seenrs to be goori rcason to belicr,e that the old Babylonianperiod 'p t. magic *as u..p,.r," institutio., cult''riris clistinctfrom the official matter cannot be frill,vdiscrrssecl herc but certain basicfacts mav be pre- o_st c r, "f l. I op. crr. ('.\t) .\til, p. a il2. f'hcrc ii a larg-eliterature on this sub-ject.For trre nrost R' Il o r g c r' Die E^eschuir;;;tt;;;ri,i rcccnt rnaterial sce ,rre.".i und die ti;ntiltyatrt 33, pp.. Henochs,JNES .197+, lg3_196. . l ranslatronbv -{. L. Opp c n lr c inr, .\\El.:, p. il.l. I I" _t R.,K r a u s. n.r'dg,iv,t+. p1., ,)l qj. rransrationbvs. rr.riul"i#ut]thenen IJurnsrcin, rieBar-ryloni.itcao.frJeros.cus, 8 0n certain asnects-of this rate tradition see Cltronlclesand Berolssus, R. I) r e rv s, ,.he lJahyronian Iraq 37, 1975,pp. 37_-i-5. r Cttronic,re.r,r.octrst yauev re75, irti:'" u:'o?;'ii";l;.7:!!;;;";'i'la'jinr,lion'iitn Dec' lor cxample, the ietter from Aclapa tn s'I"f 2, p- incorporatcd into an incantatio' 176 ana trie ..f.;;;;; ;::;;r" a-da-pa NLr\.116 creation of ,\crapa,sage of Ericlu,,(e_pr.r, ,riudfu,,,i]i';" ir.] I_a-.rt t,, incantation pBS 1 12,113:ii rifl. \t) \t)\ .\\i) I-iJt:IU't.L'.\t. I'R()(.tiss 79 setltctl' Iiirst Lambert, rnscribedPazuzu r{eads no.'ir]Irl' frrm Babyron,f;B 12, 1970, 8t) I'l(rf R \l lcil.\t,olfstii n'ith tliseasesand the means to cornbat thern -- 'l'hc incantationsrr. disease is liert a function of thc fact that bv hurting the south s'ind ,,\clapahas brorrg;t on famin., antl thus discase.Ilut $'hat is of inrportance to us hcre is the thct that anotlrer transitiorr- al state has bcen signalled h-r.a clrangc of clothing. lt is uorth noting "Epic here that in thc so-callccl of (iilgarncslr" each antl everv turn in the narrati'e sit.atiorr, u'hiclr also inclicates a change of status for both C;ilgarncsh ancl Enkiclrr, is like*isc rnarked bv a differcncr in outuarcl appearence,rnost notablr.rn thc garb anrl heir_ rlrcss of the prot:rgonistsr... Lct us no\\ attcnlpt to tlescribc tlris sttrr,i irr rriorc structrrral ternrs. -\tlaire erists itr a statc of prrritr" IJc is then tilkert OLrt0f that stitrc an(l, in thc rrtost cttrarirdinarr ;tcl|cnture uhich corrltl bc cxpericncetl hl a lrunran bt'irrql,is trrr.rlglrt to hca'cn ilr a lirrrn ncgating his preri.Lrs.ristt.rtc lil trirtr':intr in rrr.rrr.ir.rg.rJr the decrer of thc g,ds hc is thcn retttrlterl t, crrrtlrir rr* tlrrth.s, rrnrrrrintcrl.,,i..1*itl, n.r, knou leclgr.I Ic nou hrrstlrt. (,1- |i)\\ ri1-rnirqicrrl s1.f lls. I{r lrutlstrrnrtrlt.rl rrpon this po\\.er itr cil;lrtcer|lren hc cursecl tlrc south lintl. \o*,lroutv.r, this rlrscrivrrr-hesbccorn, instittltionalizetl antl licr Posscsscsit ri itlr the :rppror.ll of tlrc g,rcls. l'lrc statcs anrl l)roct'ssCsskctclre'tl abor-e tliirror tlrost'Lrnitcrsalll p,r f'orrn.lirr ritgs 6i l)ilssr,rgc. tlrt, structlrr(' of the stor\.. as oirilinetl lbole, cltlr be rlisr.ribe,l in ihc tcrnrs tler-elo[retl lrr -\. \'iln (icnncirt* ,l,rr rrniltitr:n t,laltonttt.ti orr lrr.\-. rn1y.r.; 1|tgstatt,s o1 '['ir..-t. ltlargin lttttl reirggrt,g:rtiorr. "'l'ht'first._suplratiott, ],,,r.. 1.,l'..rr tlcst.rilr,:,-lrrs iirllo$.s. phase(of stprlr.rti.rt)L(,lrrl)nses svnrbolic lrcir.llior siqnitring tlrt'rictach- Itlent of thc inclir-itirritl grr,ttp or citlrci'l'rorrrlrr t,rrrlicrf ireil p.int in ilrc social strrrr.- tLlr(' {rolll I Set of "st:rtc"), cttlttrrtticonciitions (rr {)r fr()lt} ir0tlt. l)rtring tlre inter- r cnirtq "lilrrinal" pcrir,tl' tlte char:tcteristrcs .l rhe ritrrril srrb.jcr.t(thr. "l)rrsscngcr") :tl'c lttttbigtt0tts; hc pilsscs throirqlr lr c'Lrltrrralrcrrlrrr tlrrrt has t'cu ()r lrr)nt of tlrc at- trihrttc' rrl titc prst or i.lrrirrtlst.rit. lrr llr, ririr',1l)lrlr..t {r(.;lq{r(.!.rtr{rr) .r r(.iar.,}rPr)rrr- ..r.,. tion), the passagc is consrrmatecl 'I'hus thc part of ..prrssengtr thc.-\clapastorv lcrrtlingup to thc s..:rrrir.alin lrerrvcn i:an bc clcscribctlstructLrraliv as thc pliasc of sep,rlation.'l'lrt'inci.lclrt in lrcnr-cn tltrr be clepicteclas the ultirnate lirninal st:rtc. Iior ^.\clapahas stcpllc(l fron-rthc rculrl of the profane into 'lb the u'orlcl of tlre sacretl. bc slrre, as :i scr\-ant of Ea rrt lrriclu he rias alreaclYin an anlbiguous state on thc rnargin of tlrcsc tu.o n.orlrls. I]ut his passage tcl heaven is the s1'rtrbolof the ultirnatt. snitclr trl'unir.crscs. h' t: 'l'Jre cncl of the tale is badlv brokerr. On thc rcstoration .f thesc lirrcs sec, *":: t:-..:.":11',.\\-. \-o '- n S o d e.n, op. cit., pp. 432_433. ;rec 'l ' s a s s o. ".Studies n, Sone -"^I'iterail' Jloiljiin the Clonprtsiti,trt o_f tlrc Gilgamesh Epir,. in philoif*;;: ',i ;' 7:a,"'r'.ZiZ. o1 t'ut1"sl,Lonrlonio'oir {!,:I !:tr: i,,.igtnallr.published in 1908). u r n e r has, dcalt nith thcse probl.lir. notablr i., a nunrbcr of strirlies, rlost _in The Ritual process,i:fri.^.g,, igaq t6 \-. 'I'u r n e r, op. clt., pp. 94 9_5. \1)\t,.\ \\l) till til rJl irorrgr oi nl:tgrc. .\ntl rrithorighthc llst oi tlrt.turt l)rlr.t is rrot ri_ullPrcserr-crl thcre cltt hrclittir' rioribt tlrat thc rrnin topir. ot tlrr iiqrrl s,,.i.ti,r'il. rtrrqicrl. .-\t this p'int ri Ittrtstllc strcssctl tltlt I ant ltr.no rrrc:rnsir11.11.j11. rlr.rr tlic.\tlirpa stor,r.s,,,trc|,ir, i'!,Dl'r'sLllt\:tn irritietiorrritLr:rl lrut retlrt.r tlrrtt ir crrPi1y1,5,,pLrrPosefrrllr., ii strrlctLlre tirttisisorrilrIltjq to tlrcforlnoirr rite ,i" i.,..*,,g". Itisinthis iluulr)|r thrrt tlrr stritctrir.col' tirc tert clircirlrrir.sthr. tlornirurnt rrrcaning,rf tlr. r,rrrrl'r,srtirin:tlre problerrr ol ilrr irrstitrrtrrlizrrti,rn 'I'llt' oi rr:.rgic. ritLrlrl ot' l):lssil{I(' -\claP:r ntlrr. in rr ir111-1i!'y1l1,-t,-'rnrilrr)1oq.,., lrt consitlcrrtl lusi:trologrcltl. Iior it ,lrntonstrlltcs :t coltcern u itlt t]t, r t,l.i n.ilurt' :rlrrl lragntcrrta- tiort oi ln:llt's nt()st I)()teltt\\(,iri)olt Iltngtr:rq.,.l.lre .ji-.,.,\ ii\ lij:tt .,rorrlsr.lrlt rrrainr, iirrlt,in lllc lltrlotts ilictLrrrrot lt irrr h rrrr ,i, .r rr,Lr.rr ,'. ,. ,,,,,. ellrngc rlrt *'rltl , lcccssitltcs lr solrrtion. Liltits rnLrstht. sct to t]rrs t)o\\(:., :llt!i 1{)tlris cffcct it rrrust bc t liirrrtltllctl irlto a spccific, 'i'6c circrrnrscritrcrlroptext, r5r, .rr.t{,1 ,rrrrlic. rrt lrrust irc lirtritutl to ;r srr:rll nulrrbcr of initiltttl -.r,o l)r.rs()ltsit tjris l,r)\.(.r, tlcstru<:,"it_rtri rcnr,tirrirr the hltrrtlsol .ltt, .1.h,: t,rrr..lrarrtl cr crr. hurnan ht,ing, is t,r ltrrr:rcsserl. rtsrrlt is:t yl:tt':trl,,r,thrrt thc t)r,r:tllun)iln ,,f ,rllot'rruirr's ca|:rt,itirs. :lte lrbilitvttl rrraltiltrrlltr l.urgrr;rgr',irt.crlrrrcs irrtgrr ,)nc t,ntt.ti, lnrl :tsl)((.t ,,1'lirc i-,r,jrositionltlfrrnction oi slrt'ctlr t:rrr onlr ltc trtilizctl hr rr Io11.11-frrlntirrr,ritr.. \n,l it is .tt tlris rrtorncntthat illt flrrrction ot l'.rrirl tlrt' tcrt bccorrrest ltrrr. llv in.trLrt.rirru.\tlrrprr n()t to rlcc.'pt titt hrtrrri :r.rl rrrrtr'r,t iilc 'lrcretl br -\rrrr lr. ilr*irrts iri ire1.,t,1t1c11lrrt br-tlrr hcarl "i tlrc jrllntlrront,, ltitlt' \tllrrrrt'r.iitc,,,crr'.I:or.\rtrr's:o1111j1;1.1. trl ntakc tjrc herr.r ittlr' ;l go1l, trolllil l1x.'" bcen rro sr,lrrti,rnlrt lrll. sincr tlru sanrr.sitrruti'rr *,alcl 6a'c rt^|t''x1t't1ittt'ii tlrroLrqhrrtttlrtrttr:rn historr'. llr trieiiinq-.\.lirp.r irrto rrot.rcct.l-rtisg inrlrr,rt.tlitr I._lrfor.t.r.. \rrrr [,, r(.c,,qr]izutht rrritgir.:rl ll1)\\ri..f $'rtls rtntl t0 Provitlc ;irt itrstittrtrotlalizetlfrlrtti for thc rrtilization ol'tliut i)o\\r'i. ttiil>t7trt..Ip aclrlitior.r, of colrrst, ],,rr'stricli is sclt.scrr.ing,f'(,r. it hirr P1;rct,s in ,r l.rir.ilcqerlPosition es the tliiinitr in clrrirgcot' rnagic. 'I'irr'1-,r-oi.ess tlcitictctl iir tlre -\tl:r1.;rstorr .iqrrilir...r tr..lltsttloltinto tltc i.r.tits rrt tlte qorl I'-:r,rr rrurrqinll u orlrl inlrabiteti br rrragiciuns.(lultl()ns :rnrl, pcrhalts, silg{js. '\11of tlrcst' h.'ings .tl-t tttltriictias br'ing sonlr^h()\\se r :ir).lr-iirr)lr) t lrl regliur 'l cl;issiii- ,,li,rl.\. \ lr,1' 1 ,'l t],ing.. lrt,,it.,l,,tt. rr ll,r rlrrtr,.. ,it<,.r-. -. .1,,1:1... rr, tgtr i:rrt r, ]1,, 1..111 crtrc tlltnt, l.rr':r f tiialectical roit, ri itlr ,rnt. l-ootin t jtt. sirlrr,l.r,,,f. ilte saci,(.(lantl rlrr til ilrt ,rroiuneu,rrlti. lJrrthol'tJrcrrr ltrrvc t() (.ti)s:tltt.tll.r:lt,iil ltct.,rceltthcsL,t\\.() 1''iii-ts()i tht' ltttiitrsc, tlte tit'nt,rntr, 'l :rfflict. tlre nr:rgili.iriirr r,r-rlcrt, .l'l,ectll c.j-r. irLrsrtttlr .\tleilL irnri jt(. t rirrrr,rnl)ilruilu brelk litr, r.,irrg. o1 ,,ritrris. rl lt:trrilti\e .ie.r.ict $hiclr rrl'lr llcrh:rPsscr\'( to sigttal tirc (orncr-tirrrs lrt.iirt,t.rrtlrrst'tr'1.rcs rt nr:rrginal I tgrrrcs. Since r''r. ;rre irr tlrc rcalrrroi s|ccLrlrrtivtintt,r|rit.rtioir I ..iroriltllikc to l.,roccctl onc stcJrirrrtlter. llost evolirtionarr nrinrlctl cr,11q,r-.p15oi ilt,-,rler-elollltcnt oi-r,,cstrrn tlt.trgltt ltavc scen tht hrrtlr,t11.11i1,,5'11Phr irr tl're rrPi11i1y115.t tlre pre-socratrcs11-h. tttrc riirle to collccptlrrtlize trnitr u ithin tlrr, Lrrrivcr:c.\r.rr I..astcr1th,rrqlrt has Sec note 1l aborc untl I Iltrrr-orrs \,,1, r,;t .'!tlttftt.Or 3{}, 1921i,p. 2*. ,j liu .:.,.. ,)ri.| .,1:stvr,/:)\ 82 PI()'i'I1 f IICII,\},O\\'SKI alu''aysbeen considerecl as fragnrentecl,clepicting t'1re uni'erse as a series .f dis- connected facts *'hich cor-rltlonlv be clescribeclthrough o., "rabnrnt" sr.stellr plification' Thtrs 'f.c\enr- the r-ariouslexical lisis of the \Iasopotamian literati arc oftcn exemplified as inclexesof this failure,f i'agination. l'hc stands analr.sispresentecl abo'r in oppositionto this vie*'. [o. it is rootcciin a firm belief that Iiterarv texts \Iesopotarnian are more than'just so" stories concernedr.r.ith the basic, clcnrental, Physical facts of existence' \'Ics'potamian th.ugl'rt cliclincleecl *restle intellectual problems *.it5 prirna^. such as the illusions historiographr- personal _.f and the question ,i self-integration,as in thc so-cailcd Epic of Gilganreshrs,or thc fregrncnta- "t di,s11urs.c'a problerrr ccntral.in Irter tirrrcs,r, rhctorical It:j.,: rs our speculari,rrr,.'l,hrrs obligationto searcl'rout the stnrctural anclsr-nrbolic patterns throueh ,1"1.,*.;..; \\.lrich :ff,lt;i,:#:]l:::.*.ill :]li.::.u ibr n,eaningin their .n,\.ersc. onrr. then philolog'lit'e r.rp to thechallcngc ..hl;;^i,,.l;:tJ,'lliii.'Jll** r8 See rnr' lortl.rcort-tingGirgarttesrt -- Jlistrtr-t,and the strtrture af r)esire.