The Anzû Epic (Theft of the Tablet of Destinies)
A storm-bird steals the tablet on which all fates are written — and the cosmos unravels until a hero wins it back.
Anzu is a great bird-monster — a lion-headed eagle associated with the thunderstorm. In the epic that bears his name, Anzu is entrusted near Enlil's chamber and seizes his chance to steal the Tablet of Destinies, the object whose possession confers supreme power over the cosmos. With it gone, the gods' decrees lose their force and order collapses. The gods look for a champion; several hesitate before the warrior Ninurta takes up the challenge. After a fierce battle in the mountains — Anzu at first using the Tablet's power to undo Ninurta's arrows — Ninurta prevails, slays the bird, recovers the Tablet, and is honored among the gods. The myth is a classic 'combat myth': a chaos-monster threatens the order of the world, and a young warrior-god restores it and rises in status.
Key passages(8)
(Anzu saying to Ninurta:)' [... ] all the gods [... ]. ' [... ] you [.. ] have come [... ] battle with me? [... ] your reason!' [... ] the utterance of his mouth came forth, [... ] answered Anzu (Ninu
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(Belet-ili saying to Ninurta:)' Flash [... ], fix the appointed time, ' send out light for the gods whom I created! ' Raise your entire battle, ' make lightning strike, let your destructive winds go a
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[... ]... [... ] [... ] he (Ninurta) harnessed great [... ], [... ] he went, he held a levy. [... ] the middle of the conflict he went, [... ] he commanded the troops. [... ] devastation of the fierce
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[... ] front of the mountain [... ]. [... ] the south wind [... ], with the north wind... [... ]. With the east wind [... ], with the west wind flaming fire [... ]. They keep kindling fire of a fiery
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(Belet-ili saying to Ninurta:)' Make yourself splendid before the gods, [... ].' [... ] he heard his mother's utterance, he quivered, he became furious, [... ] to his mountain. The hero hitched up the
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