The Epic of Erra
Mr. Henderson
Mythology
The Epic of Erra
• Erra (also known by the name Nergal) is the
Mesopotamian God of war, plague, and the
underworld.
• As the epic opens Erra is overcome by lethargy
and cannot bring himself to make war.
• His own weapons (personified here enough to
talk) complain to him that they will soon be
unfit for war if left unused.
The Epic of Erra
• Convinced by his talking weapons, Erra leaves the
underworld and comes to Babylon to meet with
Marduk, patron god of the city.
• Upon seeing Marduk, Erra tells him that his
crown and finery appear tarnished , Erra’s words
convince Marduk to leave the city to have his
regalia restored.
• While Marduk is away, Erra brings war and ruin to
Babylon.
The Epic of Erra
• Marduk, outside of Babylon, is helpless to stop
Erra’s destruction.
• Erra’s vizier, Ishum, points out the
randomness of the death Erra causes, but this
fails to persuade Erra to stop.
• Ishum then points out that everyone fears
Erra and has cause to respect his power.
• This is what Erra wanted to hear, and he is
convinced to leave Babylon.
Themes of the Epic
• The epic ends with a hymn of praise to Erra
and his power, and this also the theme of the
epic.
• Erra’s power over war, plague, and the
underworld (all representing death) is
insurmountablel; death is inevitable and
therefore Erra’s power is supreme.
• Even Marduk, patron god of Babylon, has no
power in his own city over Erra.
Views on the Afterlife
• The epic provides a somewhat glum
perspective into the Mesopotamian view of
the afterlife.
• The various Mesopotamian cultures believed
that all souls traveled down into Kornugi (the
underworld) after death.
• Though not a place of eternal torment,
Kurnugi was not a place of reward either;
death was random and the fate of the sould
was uncertain.
Images of Erra and Marduk