File:Myths and legends of Babylonia and Assyria (1916) (14595616367).jpg

Identifier: mythslegendsofba00spenuoft (find matches)
Title: Myths and legends of Babylonia & Assyria
Year: 1916 (1910s)
Authors: Spence, Lewis, 1874-1955
Subjects: Assyro-Babylonian religion Mythology, Assyro-Babylonian Legends Cults
Publisher: London : Harrap
Contributing Library: Kelly - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ke courage from his example. He inscribed a tablet with his advice, which heplaced in the shrine of Nergal in the city of Cuthah. Strengthen thy wall, he said, fill thy cisternswith water, bring in thy treasure-chests and thycorn and thy silver and all thy possessions. Healso advises those of his descendants who are facedby similar conditions not to expose themselves need-lessly to the enemy. It was thought at one time that this legend appliedto the circumstances of the creation, and that thespeaker was the god Nergal, who was waging waragainst the brood of Tiawath. It was believed that,according to local conditions at Cuthah, Nergalwould have taken the place of Merodach, but it hasnow been made clear that although the tablet wasintended to be placed in the shrine of Nergal, thespeaker was in reality an early Babylonian king. The Eagle As we have seen, the eagle was perhaps regarded as a symbol of the sun-god. A Babylonian fable tells how he quarrelled with the serpent and incurred296
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Eagle-headed Mythological Being In the LouvrePJiolo IV. A. Mansell and Cc. 296 THE EAGLE the reptiles hatred. Feeling hungry he resolved toeat the serpents young, and communicated hisintention to his own family. One of his childrenadvised him not to devour the serpents brood,because if he did so he would incur the enmity ofthe god Shamash. But the eagle did not hearkento his offspring, and swooping down from heavensought out the serpents nest and devoured his young.On his arrival at home the serpent discovered hisloss, and at once repaired in great indignation toShamash, to whom he appealed for justice. Hisnest, he told the god, was set in a tree, and the eaglehad swooped upon it, destroying it with his mightywings and devouring the little serpents as they fellfrom it. Help, 0 Shamash ! cried the serpent. Thynet is like unto the broad earth, thy snare is likeunto the distant heaven in wideness. Who canescape thee ? Shamash hearkening to his appeal, described tohim how he might succeed

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