Enuma Elish - The Epic of Creation

The Epic of Creation

Synopsis:

The beginning of the gods is Apsu, who mated with Tiamat to create the race of gods. From them eventually descended Anu and Ea, who learned how Apsu plotted the destruction of the gods because their noise kept him from rest. Ea caught Apsu, killed him, and built his house on top of him (so that the home of the gods was called Apsu). There, Marduk was born.

Marduk was a storm god, and he stirred up such confusion that Tiamat now plotted to destroy the race of the gods. She created an army of monsters and made Qingu the leader of her forces, by giving him the Tablet of Destinies. Both Anu and Ea tried to fight against Tiamat but were unable to win. Then Marduk offered to be the Hero of the gods and defeat Tiamat, in exchange for the kingship of the gods.

Marduk met Tiamat's army and challenged her to single combat. Marduk defeated her and gained the kingship of the gods. He then used the body of Tiamat to create the world, and the body of Qingu to cerate mankind to free the gods from their labors. The end of the tale proclaims the 50 name-titles that Marduk won.

Analysis:

The purpose of this poem is not actually to recount the creation of the world, but rather to explain how Marduk came to be ruler of heaven and earth. It centers the world on Babylon, the heart of Marduk's worship. Incidental to this is the account of Marduk creating the world and mankind. The role of men as slaves to the gods is explained most briefly. The overriding theme of the poem, as in so many Mesopotamian poems, is conflict and strife, or the quest for peace. That is what Marduk's victory over Tiamat brings: peace and order.

The principle of names as the power to bring chaos into order is present throughout. In the beginning, the poem notes, there were no names for things. By the end of the poem, Marduk has been given 50 name-titles which explain and grant his powers over heaven and earth.

Conflict arises early and often in this poem. Apsu cannot quell the noise of the gods he has created, so he plots to destroy them. Tiamat dissuades him, only to later turn on her own offspring and create monsters to attack them. Marduk himself is a storm god, controller of the winds, which are forces of chaos when unleashed. His foes are often described as raging out of control. It is only with Marduk's victory that peace and obedience are fully brought to pass.

The quest for power and kingship is the main source of conflict in the poem. Apsu is overthrown by Ea. Tiamat grants the Anu-power and Tablet of Destinies to Qingu in an attempt at matriarchal power, which fails against Marduk, who uses the war with Tiamat to become king of heaven himself. We should of course be reminded here of the stories of Ouranos, Cronos, and Zeus in Greek accounts of the origins of the gods.