#rai_69 — Public Fediverse posts

The current paper is arguing that the ša rēši (eunuchs, probably) had a particular role in Assyrian funerary rites. #RAI_69

Today at #RAI_69 I’ll be learning about how government works in Mesopotamian societies, and I’ve already discovered a very interesting potential source of political conflict between kings and temples.

Finishing up today at #RAI_69 with a paper on the religious significance of the Išhtar Gate

A sudden rush of people into the mythology room. Ah, of course, a paper about Lamaštu. #RAI_69

The paper was actually about the creation of celestial bodies, of which Ištar is the planet Venus. This led us to the fact that the morning star and evening star being the same planet was known at least as far back as the 4th millennium BCE #RAI_69

Next up at #RAI_69 a paper on the creation of Venus. Bettany Hughes isn’t here, or on Mastodon, but I think she’d like this one.

Uh oh, here comes Marduk, and the speaker starts with the term ‘theological imperialism’. #RAI_69

This, of course, will be familiar to anyone who has read Maya Deane’s Wrath Goddess Sing #RAI_69

The current paper is outlining correspondences between Hittite and Greek mythology. This is of interest because, although the Trojans were Hittites and the Greeks (obviously) Greek, Homer’s assumption that they worshipped the same gods is not as odd as it first seems. #RAI_69

Good morning from #RAI_69 where we are beginning a series of papers on mythology and I have discovered that I am a practitioner of Hylistics.

Another wonderful paper, this time about non-traditional parenting practices exhibited by Ruth & Naomi in the Hebrew Bible. #RAI_69

Wonderful paper by Katrien De Graef demonstrating the reality of avuncular succession (i.e. the king is succeeded by his sister’s son) amongst the Elamites. #RAI_69

OK, so the goats were not quite the last paper. We had one more. It was about a late Babylonian lament for the moon god, Sîn, as he suffered an eclipse. Nothing remarkable in that. Except that the text was composed as a cut-up. It consisted entirely of phrases and lines from old Sumerian religious works. An astonishing piece of Burroughs-like work. #RAI_69

And we finish the literary track with a humorous text about goats 🐐 #RAI_69

Good to see that Genette is popular in Assyriology these days, but I keep getting startled by the term, ‘transtextuality’ (and AutoCarrot makes the same mistaken correction as my brain). #RAI_69

Current paper is explaining how incredibly sophisticated the structure of Sumerian poetry can be. #RAI_69

Great paper this morning on how much we can infer from ancient texts, given that we can’t rely on understanding authorial intent. Much overlap with discussions at #finncon2024 #RAI_69

Some great presentations about Sumerian literature this afternoon. Sadly nothing I can make a pithy toot from, but much food for thought. #RAI_69

Interesting to discover that issues of multiculturalism and nation building were just as topical in Assyria, Babylon and Persia as they are today. #RAI_69

This week I am attending #RAI_69 in Helsinki. Expect discussion of Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians, etc.