"An Examination of Kur"
By Rev. Maskim Xul
Contents
Introduction
Slaying of Kur
Prologue To 'Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Nether World'
Excerpt From 'The Feats and Exploits of Ninurta'
'Inanna And Mt. Ebih'
Babyloniana
Tiamat And The 'Enuma Elish'
Necronomiconics
Bibliography
Introduction
The legends of Kur ring through the ages and thrive timeless. The great and mighty serpent! This essay is aimed to examine the most well-known of these serpentine tales concerning the mightiest of the dragons! In here, we will look over and compare the only three tales to survive Sumer: Enki And Kur, Ninurta And Kur, and Inanna And Mt. Ebih. Then, we will examine how Kur became Tiamat, the great Babylonian dragon who grew to infamy in the Simon Necronomicon. Some scholars have corresponded Tiamat with the Hebrew Tehom. All references to Kur, tiamat, and Tehom, signify a primal force associated with either an abyss (Tehom), a sea (Tiamat), a mountain (Kur), and a reptile/serpent (all three). This primeval force has inspired many tales and entire cultures of people. With that said, on to the examination!
Slaying Of Kur
Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Nether World
Mythology
1. Enlil separates heaven and earth (An-Ki, "cosmic mountain").
2. Kur kidnaps Ereshkigal & takes her to the great below ("Ki-Gal").
3. Enki attempts to rescue her.
4. Kur battles Enki (outcome unknown, assumed to have Enki as victor).
Physical Parallels
1. Pangaea begins to split.
2. Mountain (volcano?) and quaking cause distress to the earth.
3. Primeval water (lava?) joins the sea.
4. Sea cools the primeval waters.
Synopsis
Kur is often associated with both mountain and serpent. A volcanic mountain would release serpentine-appearing streams of lava. The violent splitting of Pangaea and resulting rise of lava from below could explain this tale. Enlil separating An-Ki would be the land splitting. This results in lava rising, which would be the primeval waters over taking Ereshkigal ("queen of the great earth"). The lava would then meet the sea and cool, thus producing steam in a violent manner. This would correlate to Enki battling Kur (Enki is the water-god). Enki's assumed victory would be the sea cooling the lava completely.
Excerpt From 'The Feats and Exploits of Ninurta'
Mythology
1. Sharur convinced Ninurta to attack Kur (reason unknown).
2. Ninurta flees in fear.
3. Sharur encourages Ninurta.
4. Ninurta destroys Kur.
5. Primeval waters rise to surface, bringing famine and death.
6. Ninurta blocks the primeval waters with a mountain.
7. Ninurta deems his mother, Ninhursag (aka Ninmah), queen of the mountain.
Physical Parallels
4. Volcano erupts.
5. Lava washes over the land.
6. Lava is blocked by a large rock formation.
7. Rock formation/mountain is praised.
Synopsis
This later adaption of the Slaying of Kur was most likely intended merelyas praise for Ninurta, who would later go on to be the main Babylonian deity Marduk. The parallels of primeval waters rising and the antagonist bieng Kur, are the only apparent similarities. The story does, though, add to the details of the volcanic activity that seemingly occurred, namely the conclusion. This leaves open the possibility of the story not telling the split of Pangaea, but rather a volcanic eruption that may have occurred in early-Sumer.
Inanna And Mt. Ebih
Preface
Here, I will give you just a passage which I feel justifies the volcanic association. It could read either the Pangaea split or a volcanic eruption. Interpretation is up to the reader.
Mythology
"Against the standing place of the gods it has directed its terror,
In the sitting place of the Anunnaki it has led forth fearfulness,
Its dreadful fear it has hurled upon the land,
The 'mountain', its dreadful rays of fire it has directed against all the lands."
Synopsis
The metaphors are quite clear in this example. A mountain which lets loose fire would be nothing other than a volcano. In the closing of this tale, after slaying Kur, Inanna stands atop of it. Blocking the lava? Signifying an end to the volcanic eruption of lava and ash? More than likely!
Babyloniana
Tiamat and the 'Enuma Elish'
Tiamat Correspondences in Sumerian
Sumerian deity (description) - "relation"
1. Nammu (primeval sea, mother of the gods) - "bitter waters"
2. An-Ki (cosmic mountain, heaven and earth joined) - "head & body"
3. Kur (cosmic mountain, great serpent) - "mighty dragon"
1. Nammu, also named Ama-Tu-An-Ki ("the mother who gave birth to heaven and earth") & Ama-Palil-U-Tu-Dingir-Sar-Sar-Ra-Ke-Ne ("the mother, the ancestress, who gave birth to all the gods"), Nammu was the first being to exist in Sumerian mythology. She was the primal waters that bore the cosmic mountain (An-Ki). She also assisted Enki and Ki in the creation of man. In Babylonian mythology, Tiamat was the first one, the mother to the gods, the primal ocean.
2. An-Ki, the cosmic mountain of heaven and earth. An-Ki was born of Nammu. The mountain rose from the waters and it was the sky and the ground combined. Tiamat was considered both the waters and this mountain. She was the mountain in her serpent-sense though, as the heaven was her head and the earth was her body, separated by Marduk (in Sumer, the sky and ground were separated by Enlil).
3. Kur is probably the most popular reference to Tiamat. Kur was the mighty serpent who kidnapped Ereshkigal (a story scholars correspond to the Greek rape of Persephone), who battled Ninurta, who defied Inanna. Kur was the violent mountain. Kur was the underworld. Tiamat has been called Kur in Babylonian mythology more than once.
The 'Enuma Elish'
In the Enuma Elish, Tiamat is the first. The mother of all. She and her mate, Apsu, give birth to Mummu, the mist between the two seas.She then gave birth to Lahmu and Lahamu. They gave birth to Anshar and Kishar, and the chain of generations went unto the sky-gods. The sky-gods rebelled against the older gods. Ea then rose to slay Apsu and succeeded. This began the conflict of the story. Tiamat breeds many monsters to attack and avenge Apsu. The sky-gods then created Marduk. Marduk went on to slay the monsters and Tiamat, making heaven and earth with her head and body. He also made man with the blood of Tiamat's second mate, Kingu, and his own breath.
Necronomiconics
The popular book which inspired many a would-be occultnic, Simon's Necronomicon involved this Enuma Elish, an altered version thereof. It hold many references to Tiamat as Kur and shows absolutely no sign of difference between the two. The book itself has many mysteries behind it. Numerous essays and documents have sprung up on the internet showing its inconsistencies and faults, proving it to be a fake. In one of my many conversations with Mr. Peter Levenda, he stated he was unaware of the source for much of the material. All anyone other than Simon himself had to go on was what Simon said. A suspicious situation indeed. Nevertheless, its references to Tiamat earned her much notoriety as Kur and as Tiamat.
Bibliography
Sumerian Mythology
Kramer, Samuel Noah - University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1972
The Babylonian Genesis
Heidel, Alexander - University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 1951
Necronomicon
Simon - Avon Books, NYC, NY, 1980
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