The Epic of Anzu
Mr. Henderson
Mythology
The Bird-man Anzu
• Anzu, the half-bird, half-man son of Anu, is
made servant to the god Enlil.
• While in Enlil’s service Anzu steals the Tablet
of Destinies, a magical document that both
tells the future and served as proof of godly
rights.
• The gods are unable to bring Anzu to justice,
fearing his wrath.
Anzu
• The Tablet of Destinies apparently has the
power to “uncreate” and the gods fear he will
use it to turn them back into clay.
• Furthermore it seems that a portion of Enlil’s
power resides in the tablets as the epic refers to
Anzu’s theft of the “Enlil-power”.
• Three young gods (Adad, Gerra, and Shara) are
all asked in turn if they will fight Anzu, but all
three refuse.
Ninurta
• The gods create a champion, named Ninurta,
to retrieve the stolen tablet.
• After a heated battle Ninurta slays Anzu, and
returns the Tablet of Destinies to its rightful
place.
• The gods shower Ninurta with praise and
titles, and he joins the pantheon as the god of
hunting.
Themes
• The hero-quest that Ninurta undertakes to
defeat Anzu signifies his superior abilities and
honor.
• The restoration of the Tablet to its rightful
place is a reaffirmation of cosmic order and
stability.
• Anzu’s defiance of the gods and this order that
they represent necessitates his downfall.
Images of Anzu
Difference in Surviving Versions
• In a Babylonian version of the myth, it is Marduk
who slays the bird rather than Ninurta.
• Additionally in this version, Anzu is called “Zu”.
• Anzu’s name means “heavenly knowledge”, the
part meaning “heaven” is also the root of the
god Anu’s name.