Gods, Temples, and Music in Ancient Mesopotamia: An Exploratiomn of their Relationships according to Sumerian Ceremonial Temple Names (for full PDF, write to daniel.sanchez.munoz@uva.es)

Abstract

Mesopotamian cultic structures had Sumerian names that referred to an aspect of the building itself or the god(dess) that inhabited it. Nevertheless, the meaning of a particular Sumerian “temple” name must be determined on a case-by-case basis. At least two of these names include words related to singing techniques and musical instruments. The first, e2-i-lu-zi-u3-li (“house of the calming i-lu and u3-li(-li/la)”), was the name of a temple dedicated to the hypostasis of Inana/Ištar in the Sealand region. The second, a2-la2-gu3-de2 (“thundering drum”), referred to a hallway in the Ešarra temple of Aššur, the seat of the god Šul-šagana. Since scholars specializing in both Mesopotamian “temple onomastics” and music have never studied these names, the aspects they celebrated have remained uncovered. Through philological analysis, this paper argues that i-lu and u3-li(-li/la) refer to Inana/ Ištar as a regular performer of these vocal techniques. The name A2-la2-gu3-de2 would compare the magnificence of Šul-šagana’s seat at the Ešarra temple to the sound (gu3-de2) and perhaps the physical appearance of a giant drum (a2-la2).