How To Do Things With Tears : Ritual Lamenting in Ancient Mesopotamia

In contrast to lamenting in many cultures throughout the world, ritual lamenting in Mesopotamia was not performed in response to a tragic event, such as the death of a loved one, or a national catastrophe, but instead as a proactive procedure to prevent future catastrophes from occurring. Mesopotamian lamenting thus provides invaluable insight into the relationship between humanity and the gods in Mesopotamia, and sheds light on an aspect of collective lamenting that is often overlooked in studies of lament in other times and places, including the modern world. Cultic lamenting was performed for most, if not the entirety of Mesopotamia's 3000-year history. In spite of the importance of the ritual lamenting, and the long period of time over which it was performed, however, the topic has received very little attention both within and outside the field of Assyriology. This book is the first to provide a comprehensive overview and study of ritual lamenting in Ancient Mesopotamia in the early 2nd millennium BCE, the period in which Sumerian laments were first put in writing. In addition, this book also includes a new translation and philological edition of one of the most widely performed Mesopotamian laments.