Akitu Festival

Calendar / Story of Akitu YR4 / Treatise on the New Year Celebration by Kamber / A Treatise on Akitu by Lishtar / Epic of the Descent of Ishtar

Most important festival of the Nyrundian religion, the Akitu Festival is celebrated on the first eleven days of the year in January, the month of the Vernal Equinox. These festivals take place in every Nyrundic city and a grand festival also takes place in the Theocracy. its during this festival that the East Winds are summoned (which bring spring to Oerth). Also, the Theocracy hears the Grand Acounting of Redressions (enumeration of the cities, their populous, their prosperity, and their representation by bishops, archbishops, and cardinals). The Theocracy accepts tithes from each city and a grand portion of these tithes are taken to the Black Moutain in sacrifice to Tiamat.

See the Holy Days of Nyrundian Religion for a full list of all holidays.

Calendar of Akitu: Every January in the Beginning of Spring

The Story of Akitu in Babylon Year 4 of the Age of Heroes

The days leading up to the Akitu Festival were like none other in Babylon. Never before had you been in a city that was such a hustle and bustle with such an odd assortment of people, street vendors, artisans, and imports. Pilgrims have come from many destinations to see the Holy Lands where the Great Battle was fought and see the wonders of Babylon. From across the ways, trade caravans have come to collect the unique desert goods to bring back to their own city's Akitu Festival. The travel lightening abilities of the Great Bridges of The Ways made it possible to make it back to the cities in 4-14 days time. Of course, it is also the season of thievery so all manner of mercenaries accompany the caravans and travelers. Their trips are made even more interesting to them because Babylon's chief export is specialized weapons.
     The glass district is busy with custom made glassworks, ideal for mages seeking to bottle up magic. Elvish artisans outsell easily the Chendylian, Nyrundian and Hachdeshani glasssmiths making all sorts of unique multicolored glass bottles, vases, and stained glass windows. Even a glass bridge is being crafted for some faraway buyer.
    Another new group that is in town that has stirred great excitement at the Chendylian Fire Eaters. An entertainment troup known over all of Oerth for their flaming swordswallowing performances. The Blacksmiths of Babylon, you have learned, are comprised of 10 clerics of Gibbil who stoke the fires so they are hot enough to make the magical weapons the city creates and are on loan from the city of Chendl. The trade pact between Babylon and Chendl seems to be paying off as many are looking forward to the coming performances at the festival.
    Many of your friends however are out of town. Gideon of Gideon's Pride is questing with the Warriors of Sin in an excoursion to the planes of Hades (rumor has it to win a pride for Una, The High Priestess of Babylon). Rumor has it that Stilleto Jim has gone on a journey to win a gift for Ser Ineluke, and you know for a fact that 3 of your fellow comanders in your Pride are in the desert fighting for a marriage trophy to bring to their upcoming weddings (interesting fact, its three brothers marrying three sisters).

Day 1
The day's festivities begin with the mass wedding ceremony that presages the "Divine Sacrament" (the great orgy). Tanis, a member of your Pride, and many others that you have come to know came to initiate or reaffirm their marriage vows. With the (City Spell) blessings of Ishtar their bonds were renewed and strengthened by that renewal. Stories of Alexia's (with Mandrake the White as stand in) and Anaksanamun's participation in the ceremony also form the memory of that day.
    Deep within the church, through a maze of mirrored hallways and arches, special guests travel to what is known as the most sacred of Ishtar's temples - the Hookhill church. It was there at that sacred place that they were invited to spend Ishtar's Birthday.

Day 2
Sermons and Prayers

Day 3
An army of town criers pace the city calling out: "Join the Celebration of the Twin Fire Gods Girru & Gibbil. Come see the famous flaming sword swallowers and flame dancers of Chendl! Partake of the sacred purification rituals of fire! Test your faith by walking the hot coals of Girru!" **The Chendylian Fire Eaters are an entertainment troup known over all of Oerth for their flaming swordswallowing performances.

"Behold the first day of gladiatorial trials! Be one of the brave ones to test your mettle against famed gladiators from Tyr, Draj, and as far away as Raam. Or face the dreaded Orc Tyroc, the tyrant of truth or his Minotaur compatriot Ekbit the Undefeatable. Test your strength against the wrestlers of Rel Mord or your mind against the Corrum-Likuth sorcerers!

"Top performers will advance to the next rounds. All may enter!!

"Today, one day only, free drinks for gamblers at Stilleto Jim's casino!

"Come to the markets and see merchants and traders from across Oerth come to sell their wares to you!!"

Finally, as dawn began to break. Taran Sooth 'ra, Car'a'cairn to the Hachdeshani took his place beyond the outer gates. The people of the city gathered around the walls to observe. A tall man, half Hachdeshani half high elf, Taran flexed his muscles and disrobed down to but sandles, a loincloth, a belt. A great harness of chains was bound around him and then affixed to bulky chains leading to the huge statue of Ishtar on its small wheeled platform. he grit his teeth, clenched his jaw and began to pull.... and slowly the statue began its movement...

Day 4: Rise of the Dragon
  As the red sun set in the desert, throngs gathered in the square to observe the Rise of the Dragon. As its last rays cast their gray shadows, stars came light in the sky like diamonds. The third day of the Blood Rain came to an end and with the prayers of the church the hazy purple sky cleared to the west and stars, like small diamonds on dainty strings brought to life a vibrant night sky and a chain of stars. Like microbursts of color, 17 stars twinkled to a unique celestial rythym as old as the cosmos. The outline (at least atthe moment) was very clear - a dragon was rising in the sky. Owning the westernmost horizon, dominating the desert below, the celestial dragon began its slow rise in the sky which would take months to complete. Stand ins for the clerics of Tiamat, Ansharians greated the constelation with prayers celebrating the birth of the existence and suplications such that the terrible forces and chaoses of that first burst of creation quell and relax and spare life in this world...
    The people join in custums of the Babylonians and their Nyrundic religion--the entrail readings of fate known as extispicy and the oil drop readings of spirit known as lacanomancy. 
      Dum...Dum... The din of the battle drums rocked the arena so loud the hearts of the crowd were forced to beat in line. The procession of the gladiators, far fewer from the last day's events, made its way into the arena as the High Priestess of Babylon (Una) and the Commander ofthe Watch looked on. Cheers and howls filled the arena but could not drown out the steady beat of the battle drummers whose timing set the cadence of the future yet to come in this arena. Jeers from the orcs, a hail of hearty cheers from the dwarves, boos and yays from hacheshani and wetlanders alike as they through their fists in the air in support or dislike of one gladiator of the next. Bets and side bets could be seen being taken even now as so many different groups of spectators cheered on their personal favorite or booed their most despised challenger. Many in the crowd were seated with their loved ones but also the iron clad cameraderie of soldier talons could be seen as warriors gave forth their awe towards a different form of combat training: the Arena!!
      Dark death servants summoned, prayers of respect and chivalry to the war goddes, and a hearty well wishing to the crowd gave way to blood and teeth in the sand. bones crushed, legs twisted, bodies smashed, and blades met with reckless force or deadly precission. Two did not make it this day. Their spirits gone to the afterlife (and remaining there out of respect to the war goddess) when the Death Guards through quirk of fate and cuircumstance were inhibited from their duties. Such is the risk of the arena which drives the heart of the gladiators.
      The night almost gone, with trophies for some and wounds for others. The arena's contents slowly filtered out. Pouring into a city already beginning its surge of celebration marking the end of the coldest season - the end of the warm season. Soon things will be heating up in the desert - to the point where war making is no longer feasible and warriors and talons may make the sojoun journey home and find respit in the arms of their lovers.
    Floatillas for the next night's parade  are in their final preparations. Kishar's day is to come with the drums of Agad (thunder god), the sweet incenses of St. Utananishiptim, and the running of the carnival. While the 2nd day was one of purification (through fire) of the spirit for the coming year, and yesterday was the day of the celebration of creation and divination for the new year, Kishar's day (earth day) is a celebration of life at its most basic level. It is the day of the common man, of the earth tender, of the planters and the farmers, of those who work in the dirt. Its the first day of carnival and at the end ofthe day, as custom has it, the "Fool King" is elected. where a non-noble is selected by the commonfolk to be the new "King of the City" as the authentic ruler of the city is absent and is displaced (dragging the statue around the city). This Mardi Gras King, with his Fools Court "rule" the people in their festivities until the rightful rulers ceremonial return and the restoration of divine order comes (day 7 & 8).
      The Silver Centuries however spent the daylight hours where most slept off their celebrator stupor,  somewhere else far from the eyes of the city. Taken to the vault tower officially, then shuttled through a secret passage then through alleyways and buildings till finally the make their way accross the courtyard leading to the grainhouses the Silver Centuries are met by Adelle, Chancellor of the Grain Houses, who gives them the Key to the Grainhouses and leads them into the special place where they will be keeping watch over the sacred tithe to be delivered to the Theocracy in just a few days (9th). This is the special "undisclosed secondary location" that the tithe was moved to after the incident at the vault tower Here the building is packed. As Adelle shows you many of the wardings - protections from Evil and Neutrality, Hallowed Grounds, Symbols of stunning, and wardings of 3 different major gods (Ishtar, Anshar, and Sin) not to mention a few non magical reinforcements (special doors which slide down over existing doors, etc protect the grain houses. They are packed with tithe and food until almost brimming. Barrels of kank nectar, palletes of dried & salted meats, jerked chicken and salted porks, sacks upon sacks upon sacks of newly imported rice (perhaps a couple tons?) as well as a high wall of crates of desert rye grass. And then there is the money.....
     Spot checks, search checks, listen checks, patrol and watch are fair for the day. Gideon started you out on your watch by laying hands on each of you (curing both any wounds from the arena AND any exhaustion from the day). The eyes of the Silver Centuries never leave the tithe and the evening goes well. It should be said that during the watch there were some unaccounted for noises (never could determine what they were or the source) and at one point during the night Trevor and Tasha fell asleep (very uncharacteristic for them). The watch ended with Adelle taking back the key, Gideon removing exhaustion, and you being ferried yet again through a catacomb of passages to appear as if your night was spent in the Vault Tower.

Day Five: Earth Day
     And so shall begin Kishar's day.... Upon your return however a few interesting developments.There are tales that some fights broke out at sunset. Rumors of Alexander's men having slain lions, of his unicorn seeking to kill Mustaffa, Taran's lion, and eyewitness accounts of Alexander impuning Taran's divine judgment ability as yet another example of the folly of the path of swords set several Hachdeshani and humans on both sides fighting each other. Alexander's recent victories in the arena and his service against the sandworms have won him many fans. the fights were broken up and, as the law of challenge rings was not obeyed, some will be spending the night in the clink.
    The winds of the new day swirl around. the possibilities the new day will bring float like paper leaflets blowing in a dust devil. Excitement is in the air but so is a very strong sense of foreboding... The hairs on the back of your neck rise....

          Gideon looked up from his desk at the stone walls and sparse coverings. He was commander of the watch and it fell to him. Report after report was only getting worse. Foul things were at work in the city and there were too many to counter. What was worst though, was the karasoothra. It inflamed passions, and no matter what he did to cool passions, people only became more consumed with it. He remembered back to Taran's orders to Kegumi to bring down the symbols, and the following events. Taran's frustrations now became clearer to him. But what could he, Gideon, do? This was the gods, no?
    He did not have the luxury to debate. Things were going to get worse. Only 3 mages remained that could cast. If we wait till the 9th we will have none. It had to be now. A battle would come, he was sure of it, but better now than when he has fewer resources. What if the Apprentice lost his power too? Why didn't he already? He remembered back to Verad's report - many of the beads were akin to the Carnival King's beads. He would not bring himself to think ill of Kothlun's son. If there be something foul there, that I will leave for Taran to judge. He will see what laws have been broken. If chaos be used by our enemies, I shall use chaos against them. I should just be ready though in case...
     Itum Ishtu Verad wended his way down the streets rolling dice onto a silver plate as he walked. Mark this down Bart, the third snake eye on Mage's Way....
    And so it went, that the tithe processional, under cover in the mage's float, with the Lord of Chaos Carnival King leading them, made its way to the north gate and upon the road....
...and while the ether winds led Babylon's tithe to the Black Mountain, the kingless city swooned in peril. Henchmen of the founders tried to pull up their greatest resources deep within themselves to rise to the challenge and hold the city together. Mobs, spellless mages, shield knight invasions... Fortunately, the city has many great citizens, not the least among them Riddeon Thorn..

January 7th. After the Champions Combat
      With the new champion of Babylon declared, new celebrations erupted. Stories recounting the arena affair passed amongst the people and passions flared higher. Yet there was more: then tensions that had been brewing had now come to full boil. The weather seemed to match pace: The winds blew hot and fast while the sky's weird orangish tone presaged an ominous future to come. There were stories abound of raiding parties barraging through the streets scooping up followers to their cause or beating them down. Karasooth? Soothra? Who were you for? Could you accept a karasooth as champion of Babylon? The issue inflamed the public. While far more were absolutely fanatical about Taran, The Silver Centuries successes in the arena engendered respect and strong feelings and now the topic was front and center. Yet there was more to it.
    The mass craziness and excess of Akitu had boiled over to lawlessness and chaos. Indeed, a Lord of Chaos was their fool king. As the scorpion clad Master of the Logrus paraded through the streets he dolled out chaos and confusion to the crowd as a carnival king hands out beads. A secret word whispered here, a charmed look there, sent people in all directions in quests of mayhem.
  Lord Perigon of the Shield Knights cursed the foul city - lawlessness, consortments with devils, hedonism and chaos. He hated this place-- the cursed heat made it ten times worse. He longed to imbibe a drink of cool spring water but even that was banned in this wretched place. He gathered his men, 100 strong and ready to rip of the arms of those cursed demon elves who would ensorcel his men as slaves!  "Mount up and raise your pikes! We ride!"
   Further down the street Jansonius and Trista worked furiously to determine the cause of their spell failures. It just didn't make sense, it was as if the laws of magic were going haywire. Curiously , it reminded Jansonius of how the Corrum-Likuth sorcerer's spells fizzled when facing the apprentice.
   Crowds watched Taran trudge towards the final goal. They cheered yet their hearts burst at the pain of his ordeal. Scars and burns laced his back and shoulders as the cursed stature exacted it's cruel toll. Then, the crowd gasped as a huge purple bolt descended from the sky! Like a stroke of lightning it nailed the tall statue. The idol creaked and groaned as if it would burst but then instead lashed out that same unholy power upon the man chained to it.
   Deep in the Theocracy, in the chamber of the Grand Council, Rahasia faltered. Ansurbanninipal caught her as her legs gave way. "Are you ok?" Rahasia looked up into Ansurbanninipal's eyes in sudden desperation and then called on God as she pulled on Ansurbanninipal and channeled her strongest outpouring of healing...
   The crowd tried to run to Taran's aid almost without fear for themselves but the Far Daris Mai kept them at bay, with some spear maidens drawing their veils to show their seriousness. The Cair'a'cairn had to endure. This was the Onesh and the Onesh was filled with tests. He would pass this or he would die, such was the way of the desert. As a second bolt, as large as the first hit the statue the spear maiden's resolve was tested too.
     Rahasia flinched. She concentrated, focused herself and began anew an incantation for healing. This one would have to do more. She let loose the healing on Ansurbanninipal knowing Taran would feel it to...
    A third bolt, then a fourth, the crowd cried out. Deep in the city, the shield knights rounded on the Celenean Palace. "brace for charge! Leave none standing!"
      The Cardinal of Tiamat looked askance, "there should be no calling of miracles in these chambers during deposition child Al'vere."...
    Taran could feel each painful bolt as the electricity seemed to corse towards his very soul. This wasn't any electricity- it felt imbued with malice and hate. Putrid, the feelings that burned into his skin sought to enrage every fiber of his being. BUT THERE IS GOD. Taran focused on this, to the very core, nothing else mattered but God. Of course he could FEEL Rahasia's concern. She was with another but her feelings were for him just as well. It sustained him. It healed him. And not just once, but each time. Each bolt nearly killed him. And each subsequent healing never fully brought him all the way back. The amounts were staggering. He feared for Rahasia. She would give all of herself if Ansurbanninipal didn't stop her.
   Of course he prayed for her. Prayed to Anshar that her spiritual well would be replenished. The Cardinal of the dragon did not find the Ansharians actions to her liking and as she moved to order Non-Estantia, the cardinal of Ninurta countered, "She is clearly under attack. Leave her be." Tiamat's creature began to consider if it was possible to keep the archbishop here long enough that her city became in peril and if the council would allow her to use it as justification to send her own Cardinals to "tend to Babylon" while Al'vere was tied here. She licked her lips with a serpent tongue
         Six bolts and six healings plus Phaern's Resolve and Paladin's Scorn to remind him of his paladin's code. Taran was amazed at Rahasia's resource. He trudged on, his faith renewed.

   At dawn, Taran, nearly dead, came upon the gates of Babylon. As if by miracle and on cue, the red-headed Lady Rahasia Al'vere in a Cardinal's hat stepped out upon the desert and addressed Taran, exhausted and trembling kneels. "Remember you are are a servant to the gods and to the people! The Church of Ishtar recognizes you as the true ruler of Babylon." With that she slaps Taran Soothra, Grand Marshal of the Southwest Territories of Furyundy, on the face loud enough for the echo to be heard at the walls and he is atoned. As Rahasia strikes Taran, she roars like a lion, loudly enough for half the city to hear, conferring the effects of a Ray of Hope spell to all in hearing range. Powerful hope wells up in the people, who gain a +2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, and skill checks. She then reaches down and hands Taran the holy sword of Conquest. "Rise, true ruler of Babylon" Shouts rise along the walls "Hail Taran! Hail the Cair'a'cairn! Hail Cardinal Al'vere!" (and somewhere in the background a lone voice yells "All hail Finerio!")
    (much laughter)
    Taran, steadies himself and stands. Taking Rahasia's hand he walks forward while the 18 strongest Far Daris Mai of Babylon encircle him, clothe him, and help him don his armor. Reinvigorated, Lord Taran mounts his Lion Mustaffa, holds aloft Conquest and rides into the city with the Cardinal and the spear maidens. The sight that greets Taran is surprising. Crowds run rough shod in the street, mayhem and disorder everywhere. He surveys the scene and looks with Lawgiver's sight. The crimes of the people become evident before his eyes. He points, "There! you! you have looted! there! you! you have briganded!" With a leap of the lion, Taran charges and whacks a militiaman on her head. "You have failed to uphold the law! Come to your senses woman!"
     Rahasia too is concerned, as she spies the crowd she can sense the people's minds are clouded, enraged, confused. To the church they ride, calling the faithful as they go. Many flock but others do not. Mobs still run to and fro. Taran spots a house UPSIDE DOWN! "What strange things have transpired in my city??" As they ride Taran spots more who are guilty of mayhem and concern rises. Hand-made banners of the unicorn catch his eye as does a large banner of the unicorn planted on the road next to the tarasque! "Hmmm."
      Soon after arriving at the church, Alexia Krestor, Topra, Finerio and Doj bring the limp body of the Apprentice sans crown. Alexia explains the cursed crown of the Carnival King as it is learned the original unmagical crown was replaced with the evil relic. Crown of Chaos, skullcap of insanity, hat of evil, the crown is heavily cursed and maligned but it was only Ser Inneluke who could see it for what it was. Taran sees with his own eyes though, the laws broken upon the Apprentice's own brow.
     The true faithful gather, and with Taran and Rahasia channeling at the Sa' Angreal statue, a Ritual Focus spell is cast to magnify the area of effect of a prayer to calm emotions. Sultan is present and wishes that the prayer's effects are psionic in nature towards the Hachdeshani. As the sun rises above the wall, light shines upon a city suddenly calm. The ruler has returned. Order is restored!

Day 8: Judgment Day
For those who face Taran's judgment, the sun begins to shine brighter and brighter until it becomes blinding, the judged feel bathed in the light of ultimate truth and KNOW that God's eyes are on them. In their heads they know as if they hear it: Change alignment or be judged. Repent or be judged. God is now looking into your soul. If you lie, you will be damned, if you don’t answer correctly you will be damned. The light is getting brighter, change alignment or be judged. Admit your crimes or be judged. The light is getting hot. You feel warm inside. The judged must answer Taran's questions as if god were asking. They must repent and change alignment or be judged (damned).

A Treatise on the New Year Celebration By Kamber


It was the tradition of our ancestors, the inhabitants of Bet-Nahrain, to celebrate the new year annually on the first day of Nissan, a celebration of revival and renewal of nature. This was one of the most important religious and national celebration held in Bet-Nahrain.

These celebrations originated from two myths, the myth of creation and the myth of Ishtar and Tammuz, which were revered by the inhabitants of Bet-Nahrain. In Babylon the myth of creation assumed central importance owing to the fact that it became associated with the great Babylonian new year or Akitu Festival, and was embodied in liturgical form in the poem or chant known for its opening words Enuma Elish "When on high." In the form of the myth the Babylonian god Marduk plays the principal part.

The first of these two myths is the myth of creation, the work consisting of seven tablets, and these tablets were first discovered by the British excavation of Nineveh and the outline of this myth begins with a descripti on of the primeval condition of the universe when nothing existed except Apsu, the god of the sweet (fresh) water, and Tiamat, the goddess of the salt water. From the union of these two, the gods were brought into existence. The first pair, Lahmu and Lahamu, give birth to the Anshar and Kishar, interpreted by some scholars as the circular horizons of sky and earth. Anshar and Kishar in turn give birth to Anu, the sky god, and Ea, the earth and water god (also known as the god of wisdom and the source of all magic). Ea the begets Ashur, the hero of the Assyrians form of myth.

The second myth which gave rise to the choice of the beginning of the new year for the Assyrians and Babylonians, is the myth of Ishtar and her lover Tammuz. The details of this mythical story began with a discussion between Ishtar and her brother, the god Utu. Initially, she announces her love for the farmer and her desire to marry him, whereas Utu prefers her marriage to the shepherd Tammuz. Eventually, she is persuaded to accept her brother's choice especially after listening to Tammuz claim to be gifted with superior qualities. After this meeting, Ishtar falls in love with the shepherd Tammuz, who in his turn asks for her hand in marriage. Hence, Ishtar the goddess of love, marries the shepherd Tammuz, who is elevated into the god of Fertility. Their marriage endows the earth with fertility and renewal of life is ensured.

From this myth we also learn of the descent of Ishtar to the Netherworld (land of no return), the realm of Ereshkigal (Ishtar's sister). The original version gave no reasons for this journey, but the Assyrian version states that she sets free some of the dead. The version has run as follows:

Ishtar determines to descend to the Nether world. When Ishtar reaches the gate of the land of no return, she says these words to the gatekeeper:

"O gatekeeper, open thy gate,
Open thy gate so that I may enter!
If thou openst not the gate so that I cannot enter,
I will smash the door. For I will shatter the bolt,
I will smash the door post, I will move the doors,
I will raise up the dead, eating the living,
so that the dead will outnumber the living.

Although Ereshkigal is Ishtar's sister, she is filled with joy at the thought of capturing such a prize, and orders her to be admitted. At each of the seven doors of hell, through which she must pass, the keeper of the gate forces Ishtar to remove part of her apparel; first her crown, and then her earrings, her necklaces, her breastband of precious metal, her belt made of charms of "stones of childbirth," her bracelets from her wrists and her ankles, and finally her "garment of modesty." Thus Ishtar appears naked in the presence of the queen of the Netherworld, and overcome with rage, without a moment's thought, she attacks her in revenge, Ereshkigal bids her minister, Namtar, to unleash upon Ishtar a multitude of diseases, like a pack of hounds. During these events in the underworld, everything on earth is withering away. Trees and plants will not turn green, animals and human beings alike are sterile. But Ishtar has already asked her devoted messenger Papsukkal, the vizier of the great gods, to inform Ea, the god of wisdom, of her misfortune if she does not return from the Netherworld within three days. Three days elapse and Ishtar has not appeared.

Consequently, Papsukkal pleads with Ea to rescue Ishtar from the Netherworld. When Ea learns of Ishtar's predicament, a being Asushunamir of extreme beauty (or the eunuch) is created and instructed by the god Ea to undertake the rescue of Asushunamir down to induce Ereshkigal to give him the life-water bag. By this charm, he succeeds in doing this, and Ereshkigal reluctantly orders her vizier Namtar to sprinkle Ishtar with the water of life. Ishtar is released and returns, receiving back those articles of adornment and apparel which had been taken from her as she passes through the seven gates on her return journey. But a reference is made to the ransom which she must pay. Mr. Yousip Nimrud Canoon, in the article, describes in details the mythical story of how Ishtar passes through many cities whose inhabitants are in mourning because of the news of her death.

Ereshkigal says to Namtar, "If she does not give thee her ransom price, bring her back." What this is to be is not specified, but the mention of Tammuz at the end of the myth seems to imply his return from the underworld, although no indication has been given as to how he came there. The gods agree to a partial reprieve only, whereby Tammuz spends six months in the world of living and the following six months in the Nether world. Hence, Tammuz is restored to life on the 1st of Nissan (Akitu), the 1st day of Spring. The event is marked by the renewal of life on earth and the promise of fertility, and Tammuz returns to the Netherworld by the end of June, the onset of Autumn.    

NEW YEAR FESTIVAL
At Ashur (or Babylon) the new year festival lasted for twelve days. The first four days of Nissan were in fact largely given to preliminaries including the necessary purifications, and culminating in the recitation of the epic in the temple, and the Enuma Elish itself was solemnly recited on the fourth day of the festival. On the fifth, the king began to play his leading part. Within the shrine of Ashur (or Marduk), he was confronted by the high priest, who stripped him of his regalia and placed them before the god's image, the priest then struck his face, made him kneel and declare his innocence: "I have not sinned, O lord of the lands ..." The priest addressed him on behalf of the god, announcing that his prayer was heard and that he will increase thy dominion, heighten thy loyalty, then gave back the regalia and struck the king again. If the blow drew tears (fertilizing rain?), it was a good omen, in this curious rite, evidently the ruler was purified and his reign renewed in preparation for the universal renewal in which he was to participate.

On the same day emotion grew in the streets. The god had disappeared, the power of death held him captive in the mountain, nature was lifeless hung in suspense, chaos might be about to return. The crowds began to work themselves up, they ran hither and thither, wailing and lamenting; the people's eyes were turned toward the ziggurat -- there was Ashur's "tomb", there he was imprisoned in the dusty dark of the Nether world and needed the help of their mourning.

The next day, Nissan 6, was full of excitement. The crowds must have surged along the river banks to watch the arrival of the visiting god -- images as they arrived at the quays in their sacred barges. They came from Nippur and Uruk, from Kutha and Kish. Most important of all Marduk's own son, Nabu, who was a resident at Borsippa, came to Babylon as the Saviour of his father. Possibly he led a triumphal procession of all the gods up from the river; the king was there and poured a libation. Not so much was known of the actual "liberation" which may have been enacted on the seventh day. In some manner Nabu led the gods against his father's foes and Marduk was set free from the mountain.

Nissan 8 was a solemn day. All the divine images were assembled in the Ubshuukkinna, which here as elsewhere represented the place of assembly for the gods. They were ranged in order of precedence and stood facing Ashur (or Marduk), on whom they bestow their united power, giving him "a destiny beyond compare." While the king, the priests and the images were occupied in this way within the walls of the Esagila, the populace was to remain hushed and peaceful, a day of calm between the lamentations and the outburst of rejoicing. It was the ninth day that saw the great procession of gods and people from the Esagila to the Festival House (Bit Akitu), set in beautiful gardens outside the city. Eventually, Ishtar went with Ashur (or Marduk) and the king proclaimed the start. The Lord of Ashur (Babylon) goes forth, the lands kneel before him.

Sarpanitum (Ishtar) goes forth, aromatic herbs burn with fragrance. By the side of Ishtar, while her servants play the flute, goes all Ashur exultant. Sennacherib had the drama shown on copper doors of the Bit Akitu at Ashur -- where of course Ashur was the protagonist; the drama of the battle, between Ashur (god) and Kingu, and the subsequent creation of heaven, earth and mankind seems to have been expressed by symbolic acts. With chaos defeated and order triumphant once again, Ashur led the way back to Ashur (city) through crowds roaring out their ritual cries of joy.

This return may have taken place on the tenth of Nissan, after a grand banquet held in the Festival House.If this ordering of the days is correct, then it was that night, either in Esagila or in the chapel with the couch on the ziggurat, that the sacred marriage of Ashur and Ishtar, perhaps enacted by the king with the high priestess, was celebrated and the renewal of all nature secured. On the eleventh day, the gods had a second assembly for the determination of destinies comparable to that of the eighth. This time, however, it was the destiny of mankind that had to be settled. Just as in Genesis, the creation of man in the Enuma Elish followed that of the natural world. This last solemn rite of the new year festival seems in fact to celebrate the moment when Marduke killed Kingu and from his blood, Ea formed mankind.

Ea then imposed toil on man and set the gods free. The twelfth day of Nissan was the day of departures. The quays must have been thronged once more as all the visiting gods, and perhaps visiting royalty as well, set out on the waterway that would take them home. Mr. Canoon in his article, described the 6th day as that, a hooligan is chosen to rule the land (during the daytime) surrounded by madmen and lawless companions who kill, steal, rape and spread chaos. At sunset, the impostor king is dethroned and stripped of his regalia and offered to the legal king who reclaims his throne amidst rejoicing of the populace. The aim of such display is to remind the inhabitants of the benefits of justice and stable rule, and the triumph of order over that of chaos.

Finally, the new year festival has left its mark on the contemporary Assyrian, who to this day, indulge in the game of luck (fortune telling) with the hope of knowing their fortune for the coming year and form this tradition developed the habit of gambling practiced by some Assyrians on new year's eve. Also present day Assyrians living in the northern villages of Bet-Nahrain (Iraq) place a bunch of green grass (or NISSAN'S BEARD) on the thresholds or lintels of their houses on the 1st day of Nissan, an indication of green pastures, fertility and prosperity in the new year.

Another custom inherited from these festivals is: on the 10th of Nissan, the day of the sacred marriage of Ashur and Ishtar, as mentioned earlier, a large number of marriage ceremonies took place at the same day in different Assyrian cities, consequently it was impractical to hold every marriage celebration separately, but instead, the brides paid a visit to every house in their city. To this day, the Assyrians uphold this tradition whereby on ASCENSION DAY (KALO SOLAQA) groups of young brides visit every house in their village (or city) and they receive presents which then they share or distribute among the brides of each group. We can also attribute to the "April Fool" to what took place on the fifth day of the new year festival where the god disappeared and disorder prevailed.

A Treatise on the Akitu Festival by Lishtar

"Through your mercies, Lord, may the months
be for us the source of joys, the years, of delight;
let them bequeath to us in peace, O Lord:
Nisan has its flowers, Iyyar its lilies too,
Haziran its sheaves, Tammuz its heaps of grain;
let Ab and Illul bring along grape-clusters on poles,
let the two Teshris give response to each other in the grape-pressing;
let the two Kanuns bring rest, Shebat and Adar, the Fast.
To you, Lord, be the praise."

In Mesopotamia, the New Year´s Festival appears as the confluence of every current of religious thought to express every shade of religious feeling. Basically, it served:
1.    to establish harmony with nature which was indispensable to a fruitful social life;
2.    to reaffirm the bond between the community and the gods, the community here being represented by the king in temple ritual, for the king was the one responsible for the continual tending of earthly harmony and accountable to the gods. The community participation is visibly marked in the mourning for the disappeared king in the first days, in the joys of the procession and probably at the private level in the Sacred Rite enacted in the holies of holies of everyone´s homes, at the same time that the king joined with the high priestess in the Inner Sanctum of the ziggurat, and
3.    to enact ritually the periodical changes of fortune humanity was subjected to and seek active participation in changing the fates by listening to the gods´ designs and yet searching for mystical ways to attune and even interfere with destiny by acting upon omens and auguries.

Although the main actors in the festivities were the gods, the king´s participation in the celebrations and the community were essential. Indeed, in Babylon, certain rites would not be performed unless the king was present in person. He was the representative of the community in a concourse of forces which sprang from beyond the range of human will or understanding. Remember that the king in Mesopotamia was a trained initiate, not perfect but a model of wholeness the subjects should emulate. Community participation was implicit, as this was Babylon´s main festival.

In Mesopotamia, the rains were important; in Babylon, the Akitu festival was celebrated in Spring, at the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox, in the month of Nisan.

The inner logic of these celebrations comes from ancient myths, i.e. the Myth of Creation, or the Enuma Elish, the Descent of Inanna/Ishtar and the Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi in the highlights of the festival celebrations, or the Sacred Marriage Rite. The Descent of Inanna/Ishtar is hardly mentioned by most scholars, but it is there in full symbolism, in the king´s descent, the high priestess´ and the city´s wailing for the vanished/captive king. The beauty of the Courtship and the Sacred Rite is not overlooked, but it is seldom ignored that it was the most hallowed of all rites, the culmination of events that led to the following day Second Determination of Destiny. May I kindly remind you that in the Courtship of Ishtar and Dumuzi, the Consecration of the King happens only after the Sacred Rite. Thus, the sequence of festival events is reconstructed below. I will also include personal notes on the unfolding events, and, whenever appropriate, will establish the links with myths and the feminine presence during the rites, a fact that is overlooked by scholarship, but whose symbols are there, explicit or implicit. It is remarkable that Frankfort, the main source for this article, and Kramer in his introduction to Frankfort´s work, did not overlook the goddess´ presence, as it is the case of all first-rate scholarship that takes Mesopotamia in context. Here is the sequence of festival days:

1) Nisan 1-4: Preparations and Purifications
During the first five days, the rites within Esagila (Marduk´s temple in Babylon) reflected a somber mood, where priests and priestesses attuned to desolation, utter bereavement and grief for the uncertainties of the coming future. It is known that the people of the city also gave expression to misery and anxiety by ritual wailings, which, nevertheless, seem not to have been part of any temple service, though many temple hymns reflect this mood.

Each morning, before sunrise, the high priest, after a ritual washing, entered the temple alone and prayed to Marduk and to other gods. Afterward the other priests commenced their daily tasks. Typical of the mood of those days is the Kyrie Eleison sung before dawn on the second day and called The Secret of Esagila:

Lord without peer in thy wrath,
Lord, gracious king, lord of the lands,
Who made salvation for the great gods,
Lord, who throwest down the strong by his glance,
Lord of kings, light of men, who dost apportion destinies,
O Lord, Babylon is thy seat, Borsippa thy crown
The wide heavens are they body....
Within thine arms thou takest the strong....
Within thy glance thou grantest them grace,
Makest them see light so that they proclaim thy power.
Lord of the lands, light of the Igigi, who pronnouncest blessings;
Who would not proclaim thy, yea, thy power?
Would not speak of thy majesty, praise thy dominion?
Lord of the lands, who livest in Eudul, who takest the fallen by the hand;
Have pity upon thy city, Babylon
Turn thy face towards Esagila, thy temple
Give freedom to them that dwell in Babylon, thy wards!

On the evening of the fourth day, the Enuma Elish, or the Epic of Creation, was recited in its entirety, for each New Year shared something with the beginning of times, when the world was created and the cycle of seasons started. In later stages of the festival, Marduk´s battle with Chaos was actually represented in the ritual, but on the evening of the fourth day the recital of the Epic was only an interlude in the general preparations for the atonement.

2) Nisan 5: Day of Atonement for the king - the people descends to the suffering god. Increasing commotion of the city during the search for Marduk

In the fifth day, the king is the main participant in the ritual. In the morning, the high priest again offered prayers of appeasement, this time to Marduk as manifest in the heavenly bodies:

The white star (Jupiter) which brings omens to the world is my lord,
My lord be at peace!
The star Gud (Mercury) which causes rain is my lord;
My lord be at peace!
The star Gena (Saturn), star of law and order, is my lord;
My lord be at peace!

Then the temple was purified. Offerings and incantations continued. Craftspeople equipped the chapel of Nabu (Marduk´s son who was to arrive on the morrow) with an offering-table and a gold canopy from the treasury of his father. While these preparations were going on, the king entered Marduk´s shrine. He was escorted into the chapel by priests, who left him alone. The high priest emerged from the Holy of Holies where the statue of Marduk stood. He took the king´s scepter, ring, scimitar and crown and put them upon a "seat" before the statue of the god. Again, he approached the ruler, who was standing deprived of signs of royalty, and struck his face; then, the high priest made him kneel down to pronounce a declaration of innocence:

I have not sinned, O Lord of the Lands,
I have not been negligent regarding thy divinity,
I have not destroyed Babylon...
The High Priest replied in Marduk´s name:
Do not fear... what Marduk has spoken...
He will hear thy prayer. He will increase thy dominion
Heighten thy royalty...

The High Priest then took up the insignia and gave them back to the king, striking his face once more in the hope of drawing tears - which were counted a favorable omen and proof of the god´s will. (Lishtar´s Note 1: tears mean emotion, i.e. the king had to display true emotion and humility of the heart during the proceedings. Not difficult to happen if he really became the part). It is clear that by his penance and confession, the king cleansed himself of the taint of past sins, thus cleansing also the community, becoming fit to officiate in the succeeding rites. It is also clear that his renewed investiture with the insignia of royalty signified a renewal of kingship and the bond with the gods and the community he embodied. At the coronation, too, the insignia had been placed upon seats in front of the god.

I would like to point out that the seat is also a sign for the Earth Mother or Kishar, as well as a symbol of Anu, the Skyfather, or in the words of the myths "the horned crown upon a shrine." The meaning is thus is very clear. It tells of the link the king has with Anu as the ruler of the land and shows the bond between the heavenly and earthly powers the king should protect and ensure through wise leadership in all levels and spheres.

Likewise, the ritual humiliation of the king brought him into harmony with the conditions under which the great ceremony of renewal started. Though communication with Marduk was still possible in the Esagila, in the outer world the god had "disappeared", as does Ishtar during Her annual descent to the Underworld.

In the city, people were disturbed. The king, the shepherd of the land, had been robbed of his splendor, of the protection of the royal insignia and reduced to a minimum of power which corresponded to the low ebb in the life of nature, to the "captivity" of the god and also to the state of chaos preceding creation. Five days of sacrifice, atonement and purification culminated in the king´s degradation and reinstatement.

While the measured rites occupied priests and priestesses at the great temple of Marduk, city dwellers entered a different state of mind. We learn about these popular activities from commentaries, explaining the ritual acts of the people in terms of mythology, for the benefit of a priestly school.

The commentary says that "Marduk was confined in the mountain", and it is a Mesopotamian formula for the death of a god, characterizing the point from which the festival took its start. Death here means the suffering of the god, and here we have a clear allusion to the Descents of Inanna/Ishtar, who descended, were wounded, died and were reborn. Similarly, it is said of Marduk at the New Year´s festival that "Into the house of bondage, from the sun and light, they caused him to descend."

And more: "people hasten in the streets, they seek Marduk saying, ' Where is he held captive?'" We assume then that much of the commotion centered around the temple tower, the ziggurat, the man-made mountain that links the Underworld to the Realms Above.

Now, thanks to the Dumuzi/Tammuz hymns, we recognize the goddess who in her sorrow seeks the god and, when she has found him, stays at his side. Her acts clearly represent, on the mythological level, the acts and feelings of the people! Indeed, there is a line in a commentary that says "the dazed goddess who from the city goes, wailing"...

There is an obscure text called Marduk´s Ordeal, which tells of the abduction of Marduk by the enemy and who wails for him is not Sarpanitum, Marduk´s wife, but Ishtar. This is another arcane reference of the relationship of Marduk and Ishtar.

Finally, community participation may also have involved the representation of fights, because commentaries state that "after Marduk went into the mountain, the city fell into a tumult because of him, and they made fighting within it." We do not know whether the fights took place in the night of the fifth of Nissan or whether they accompanied Nabu´s triumphal entry into Babylon and his battle with the enemies of Marduk on the sixth or seventh days. The preparatory rites were completed; the scene was set for the arrival of the avenging son, Nabu, who would defeat the powers of death.

3) Nisan 6
The gods arrive by barge at Babylon, among them Nabu, the son and avenger, who takes up residence in Ezida, his chapel in the temple of Marduk; Nabu, the god of the scribes, goes first to Borsippa to arrive in Babylon on the same day. Meanwhile barges carrying statues of the gods from Nippur, Uruk, Cutha and Kish converge to Babylon. The commentary is quite explicit: "That is he who comes to seek after the welfare of this father who is held captive". Possibly there was a great procession from the quays to the temple led by the king, who is mentioned as being present and pouring out a libation before the gods. In Assur, the role of the king was more impressive than it was in Babylon. There the protagonist of the gods was not Nabu but Ninurta, and the king himself represented the Divine Hero, standing in the royal chariot in the procession or being carried out of the Assur temple with a golden tiara as "Ninurta, who has avenged his father." We can assume that Nabu´s/Ninurta´s arrival brought back renewal and was celebrated accordingly by the people.

4) Nisan 7
Nabu, assisted by other gods, liberates Marduk by force from the mountain of the Netherworld. We do not have accounts of the actual Marduk´s liberation from captivity by Nabu. We do know however that Nabu led the army of visiting gods to accomplish this task. The commentary that refers to events is the following: "The door with aperture as they call it, that means that the gods confined him; he entered into the house and before him one locked the door. They bore holes into the door and there they waged battle."

Iconography shows that on cylinder seals of the middle and third millennium the liberation of the god is from a mountain. The liberator goddes is Ninurta with a bow, and a goddess i attendance. Again, a reference to the presence of the Divine Feminine, and I would risk an educated guess that the goddess in the seal is Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Underworld and Stern Judge of Souls, who is by then appeased and ready to set Marduk free.

Iconography also shows the goddess kneeling with the captive god, while another god destroys the vegetation above the ground. This is a clear reference to Inanna/Ishtar and the Underworld events, or the Mysteries that took place in the Underworld, which were known, but not explicitly mentioned, especially to the non initiates. These seals prove the antiquity, if not of the usages, then of the myths which are reflected in the ritual, but are not included in the Epic of Creation.

5) Nisan 8
First Determination of Destiny. The gods assemble and bestow their combined powers on Marduk who thus obtains "a destiny beyond compare." After Marduk´s liberation, the statues of the gods were brought together in the Chamber of Destinies "to determine destiny." This was on the 8th day, and another determination of destiny followed on the 11th day. The two gatherings differed in significance, but both took place in a temple called Ubshu-ukkina, a name designating the place of assembly of the gods in the Epic of Creation and elsewhere. There, the gods proceed to the first Determination of Destiny, when Marduk is chosen king of all gods, according to the Enuma Elish. A text from Uruk describes how the statues of the gods were arranged in order of precedence for the assembly (a parallel to the Redression Account in the Theocracy). The king acted as master of ceremonies. Carrying a shining wand or staff, he summoned each god in succession to leave his chapel and, taking his hand, guided the deity to the appropriate position in the great hall where the gods faced the leader. The corresponding scene in the Epic gives the meaning of this ceremony:

'They made a princely dais for him.
And he sat down, facing his fathers, as a councilors.
Thou art of consequence among the elder gods,
"Thy rank is unsurpassed and thy command is Anu´s.
Marduk, thou art of consequence among the elder gods,
Thy rank is unequaled and thy command is Anu

With these words, the gods put all the power of which they dispose in the hands of Marduk. Marduk´s destiny is now declared to be unequaled, for he actually commands the consolidated power of all the gods. It is in the Epic that this power is given so that Marduk can command all threats of annihilation to existence, and this is also the meaning of the ceremony of First Determination of Destiny. All gods´ powers are conferred to the liberated god, who then is ready to lead the battle against all powers of darkness, death and chaos that could affect Babylon in the coming year.

We know that a hush of reverence dominated the city while the gods assembled, in order that evil influences could be avoided. In connection with the New Year´s festival of later times, there is an entry for the eighth of Nisan in a calendar of lucky and unlucky days that says "Show no enmity at all". Thus, there was a sort of Pax Babylonium, tacit agreement to be followed and pursued at least in attunement to the days.

6) Nisan 9
Triumphal procession to the Bit Akitu under the king´s guidance. This represents the participation of the community in the victory which is taking place in Nature and renews Marduk´s destruction of Chaos. When the late Assyrian kings recorded their annual visits to Babylon, they gave as the purpose of their coming participation in the ceremony which we are now to describe. Sargon II, for example, wrote: "Into Babylon, the city of the lord of the gods, joyfully I entered, in gladness of heart and with a radiant countenance. I grasped the hand(s) of the great lord Marduk, and made pilgrimage to the House of New Year´s feast, the Bit Akitu. The gods, too, came to Babylon "to take the hands of Bel" - to lead him in the procession to Bit Akitu. The king was privileged to give the sign for departure, "Come, go forth, Lord, the king awaits thee!... By the side of Ishtar of Babylon, while her servants play the flute, Goes all Babylon exultant!"

The procession was considered so important that every detail of its start and completion was watched carefully and possessed the significance on an omen for the year which was beginning. It seems, therefore, that the procession itself, and not a mock battle, represented Marduk´s victory in the cult.

Basically, two conclusions can be drawn. Firstly, Marduk´s victory over chaos was celebrated, or realized once more during the New Year´s festival. Secondly, this was most probably a time for peace in the region, once high dignitaries and the gods came to Babylon for celebrations, a peace that should at least be a concerted effort to be maintained in the coming year. The gods' assembly of the Enuma Elish was re-enacted to show union and stability in the region as well.

7) Nisan 10
Marduk celebrates his victory with the gods of the Upper and Underworld at a banquet in the Bit Akitu and returns to Babylon for the Sacred Marriage Rite in the same night. If the victory over Kingu was achieved on the ninth of Nisan (on the eighth the gods met in the Chamber of Destinies), the great banquet may have fallen on the tenth. This is also suggested in the stela of Naboridus: " In the month of Nisan, on the tenth day, when the king of the gods, Marduk, and the gods of the Upper and Netherworld take up their abode in the House of Prayer (Bit Akribi), the House of the New Year´s Festival (Bit Akitu) of the Lord of Justice."

In Babylon, the Bit Akitu was always located outside the city. It was build about two hundred meters outside the city walls, and its outstanding characteristic was the richness of the gardens which surrounded it. The courtyard was filled with regularly spaced trees and shrubs. On either side there were porticoes, an unusual feature in Mesopotamian temples. The enormous "cella," 25x100 feet, extends over the whole width at the back and may well have served as a banqueting hall. All around the building were elaborate gardens, carefully watered. They remind us of the fact that the god was not merely a conqueror of Chaos, but also the personification of the life in nature. It is this aspect of the complex figure of Marduk or Assur that is especially stressed by the Sacred Marriage Rite, or the following phase of celebration. Of Marduk, it is said that "he hastened to the wedding."

Indeed, the renewal of nature in Spring, at the New Year´s festival, was conceived as the marriage of the Goddess with the liberated god. Their union took place in the temples, and the change in nature and the temple ritual constituted the Divine Union, being the two events inseparable and equivalent. The king was then made the Divine Bridegroom, and the High Priestess as his Divine Consort, the Goddess incarnate. For your delight, below follows a poem called The Joy of Sumer - The Sacred Marriage Rite found in Kramer´s and Wolkstein´s Ishtar, Queen of Heaven and Earth: her hymns and stories from Sumer (1983):

The people of Sumer assemble in the palace,
The house which guides the land.
The king builds a throne for the queen of the palace.
He sits beside her on the throne.
In order to care for the life of all the lands,
The exact first day of the month is closely examined,
And on the day of the disappearance of the moon,
On the day of the sleeping of the moon,
The Sacred Measures, the Me, are perfectly carried out,
So that the New Year´s Day, the day of rites,
May be properly determined,
And a sleeping place be set up for Inanna/Ishtar.
The people cleanse the rushes with sweet-smelling cedar oil
They arange the rushes for the bed.
They spread a bridal sheet over the bed.
A bridal sheet to rejoice the heart,
A bridal sheet to sweeten the loins,
A bridal sheet for Inanna/Ishtar and Dumuzi.
The queen bathes her holy loins,
Inanna/Ishtar bathes for the holy loins of Dumuzi,
She washes herself with soap,
She sprinkles sweet-smelling cedar oil on the ground.
The king goes with lifted head to the holy loins,
Dumuzi goes with lifted head t the holy loins of Inanna.
He lies down besie her on the bed.
Tenderly he caresses her, murmuring words of love:
"O my holy jewel! O my wondrous Inanna!"
After he enters the holy vulva, causing the queen to rejoice,
After he enters the holy vulva, causing Inanna to rejoice,
Inanna holds him to her and murmurs:
"O Dumuzi, you are truly my love!"
The king bids the people to enter the great hall,
The people bring food offerings and bowls,
They burn juniper resin, perform laving rites,
And pile up sweet-smelling incense.
The king embraces his beloved bride,
Dumuzi embraces Inanna.
Inanna, seated on the royal throne, shines like daylight.
The king, like the sun, shines radiantly by her side.
He arranges abundance, lushness and plenty before her.
He assembles the people of Sumer.
The musicians play for the queen,
They play the loud instruments which drowns out the Southern storm,
They play the sweet algar-instruments, the ornament of the palace,
They play the stringed instrument that brings joy to all people,
They play songs for Inanna to rejoice the heart.
The king reaches out his hand for food and drink,
Dumuzi reaches out his hand for food and drink,
The palace is festive, the king is joyous
In the pure clean place they celebrate Inanna in song.
She is the ornament of the assembly, the joy of Sumer!
The people spend the day in plenty.
The king stands before the assembly in great joy.
He hails Inanna/Ishtar with the praises of the gods and the assembly:
"Holy Priestess! Created with the heavens and earth,
Inanna, first daughter of the Moon, Lady of the Evening!
I sing you praises!"

It is likely that during the Akitu the Sacred Marriage took place in the Esagila, Marduk´s temple in Babylon, and not in the Bit Akitu. We know that Nabu, Ningirsu and Inanna/Ishtar of Isin celebrated their weddings in the temple. The poem above shows full participation of the community in the preparation to the events, before and after the joining of the king with the high priestess. Also, according to our knowledge of Mesopotamian religion, it makes sense to place the Sacred Marriage on the tenth day, because only when harmony and order is restored love and fertility can return to the land in all levels and spheres. Remember that kingship should be acknowledged by the Goddess, from Ninhursag-Ki to Inanna/Ishtar in Mesopotamia.

8) Nisan 11
The Second Determination of Destiny. The gods assemble once more in the Chamber of Destinies to determine the destiny of society in the ensuing year. This was the last act of deities, bringing auguries and omens for the prosperity of the land. It is extremely meaningful that the Second determination of Destiny is now concerned with the microcosmic scale, and so the gods meet again on the 12th of Nisan in the Chamber of Destinies, Also, remember that in Mesopotamia, by the bond of Heaven and Earth, or Duranki, humankind had been created as a result of the gods' wish to humanity to continue the workings of existence for Them. Thus, humankind´s destiny and happiness was possible only if man and women lived out their destinies carrying out the deeds of existence for the gods. Basically, the auguries for the coming year were aimed at attuning to the future and once again reaffirm that the gods´ designs were of relevance to humankind who lived to celebrate the gods and Their creation in everyday life.

9) Nisan 12
The visiting gods return to their temples, and life returned to its everyday normalcy, and the business of plowing and sowing and trading for the new crops was taken at hand. Finally, it is constantly said in the literature that Mesopotamians view life as a burden to be carried by humankind. The picture that emerges when we look at their rituals and meditate on the signficance of their values by listening to the words ancient Mesopotamians left inscribed in clay differs from the bleak scenario of more recent times. Think of the cycle of events we have just seen together: there was chaos, there was wailing, but there was also joy, justice and reasons to be happy about, ensured by the right divination procedures, which would aid the king and the land to choose the best courses of actions and guide the requests of help and assistance to the Powers Above and Below when there was a need.

As for myself, the Akitu festival reaffirmed my personal view of Mesopotamian religion and worldview as faith in life, faith in the world, faith in what will be and become, because most of it will be the fruit of our deeds in the world, and guided by the Light of the Tradition, we will try to make it better... again and again, for as many times as it takes, this lifetime, another time.