Friday, December 06, 2024

The Ancients

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Seven Siblings - The Divine Hand of God

Posted by on in Ancient Sumeria

Seven Siblings - The Divine Hand of God

 

Junco has instructed me to bring this blog back under the control of the ladies, since the men seem to be adding a little too much of their own “humor” lately. We’ve heard enough about bam-peep and rock-crawlers. Am I right?

 

For this historical look at the ancients, I’ve chosen one of my favorite cylinder seals. This piece comes from the Assyrian period (somewhere between the 9th and 8th century B.C.) It depicts a soldier hunting ibex, a family of ibex actually. See the ram, the mother suckling her young, and another young fawn is actually beneath the hunter, almost as if it’s being protected.

 

On the far right is a person who is considered a worshipper, maybe of the hunt, maybe of trident spear. Above and to the left of the trident is the spade, a symbol for Marduk (he’s an ancient demi-god that was very popular during Assyrian times.)

 

The Seven Siblings are clearly seen above the worshipper’s head as seven dots. The double wedge symbol on the other side of Marduk’s spade represents Nabu (a god associated with scribal duties) and the wedge is supposed to be a sort of stylus used for writing.

 

The seven dots in avian culture represent the Seven Siblings, but in ancient Assyria they were called the Seven Sibitti. The Divine Hand of God with a pedigree that goes back to Creation itself. The Sibitti were the bringers of pestilence and disease. So much for us being saviors of Earth and avian.

 

There is in fact, a quite lengthy poem of about the Seven, called the Seven Evil Spirits.

 

Raging storms, evil gods are they
Ruthless demons, who in heaven's vault were created, are they,
Workers of evil are they,
They lift up the head to evil, every day to evil
Destruction to work.

Of these seven the first is the South wind...(MOJU)
The second is a dragon, whose mouth is opened...(SOLI)
That none can measure.
The third is a grim leopard, which carries off the young ...(TUKKER)
The fourth is a terrible Shibbu [venomous serpent] ...(ESTA)
The fifth is a furious Wolf, who knoweth not to flee, (SARIEL)
The sixth is a rampant ... which marches against god and king. (IRIN)
The seventh is a storm, an evil wind, which takes vengeance. (JUNCO)

 

In the ancient myth the Seven were made from divinity, the highest god Ea, making them gods in their own right. They were so powerful and destructive they threatened all existence. The three gods of nature - Sin (moon as a crescent), Shamash (sun - or in this case, the winged disc and little known factoid here, this is also the symbol for ancient god Ashur), and Ishtar (the star - a later version of Inanna) could overcome the Seven if they worked together, but the Seven divided them up, bringing Sin and Shamash to their side and leaving Inanna/Ishtar alone.

 

No wonder she’s such a bitter bitch.

 

Until next time,

 

Esta

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I am the Fourth Sibling of Clutch 144. I currently live in the Band and my passion is ancient history. I grew up in the Eastern Utopias.

Comments

  • Snowbird
    Snowbird Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    Esta, you make the rest of us

    look pretty stupid! :) I hate the myth though, you know that, right?

    Reply Cancel
  • Gideon
    Gideon Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    So where do i fit in?

    I'm a Seven too...or am I not good enough for your little poem, Esta?

    Reply Cancel
  • Esta
    Esta Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    You're a breath of

    vengeance instead of a wind! :p

    Reply Cancel
  • Tier
    Tier Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    You're like a 6 and a half...

    Not quite a bitchy Irin and not quite a bitchy Junco... ;)

    Reply Cancel
  • Lucan
    Lucan Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    Raubtier, you know

    I'm always on your side...

  • Tier
    Tier Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    Lucan, you do realize

    i see all the comments you "liked", right? Asshole.

    Reply Cancel
  • Lucan
    Lucan Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    Ooooopps!

    Well, now I know. :p

  • Snowbird
    Snowbird Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    He's...thick...

    To say the least. And Ashur is joking, I did take the wieners to the vet and we did not see Nemo! I know you were looking forward to that movie, we'll go this weekend. :D

  • Isten
    Isten Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    Dude...how's the barn

    treating you? You know it's raining right now? Gonna be wet in there...

    Reply Cancel
  • Gideon
    Gideon Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    He really deserves that

    Junco, throw his ass out.

    Reply Cancel
  • Ashur
    Ashur Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    Don't worry, I'll

    keep little Juncs warm tonight while Tier is relegated to sleeping in the hay room. wasn't Finding Nemo in 3D awesome, Junco? We had such a good time...

    Reply Cancel
  • Tier
    Tier Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    Ashur, I will really

    kick your ass if you don't knock it off. And I know she didn't go see Nemo with you, she had to take the wiener dogs to the vet this afternoon.

    Reply Cancel
  • Isten
    Isten Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    Right...

    the vet. I forgot about that...

    Reply Cancel
  • Ashur
    Ashur Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    He'll totally believe anything!

    How he got that job of his, I'll never know... :):):)

  • Lucan
    Lucan Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    Esta, have you ever

    heard of the words TOP SECRET? Huh? I let you get a peek at the books and this is the thanks I get? What is wrong with you?

    Reply Cancel
  • Lucan
    Lucan Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    But I did 5 star you

    It was nicely done.

    Reply Cancel
  • Sera
    Sera Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    This explains a lot

    I've never read that myth, Esta. Is there more? Got a link for this shit?

    Reply Cancel
  • Esta
    Esta Wednesday, 26 September 2012
    Reply Cancel
  • Sera
    Sera Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    I might make a video...

    For my next top ten...The Top Ten Ancient Sumerian Cylinder Seals. It's got a nice ring to it. :)

  • Lucan
    Lucan Wednesday, 26 September 2012

    WTF!!!

    They got this shit online now!

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