A Hymn to Nergal

The god Nergal, in whose praise this hymn was composed, had his residence at Cutha, according to numerous passages in the cuneiform literature. The ancient king of Uruk, Singamil (ca. 2750 B.C.E.), was also a devoted adherent of the Nergal cult, and made various improvements and additions to the temple of this god at Cutha, as well as fostering his worship at Uruk itself. This all-Sumerian hymn, whose translation has not been attempted before, describes Nergal as being ‘lord of the decree of Uruk’ (obv. 9), which means merely ‘the tutelary deity of Uruk.’ In fact, the poem states that Nergal has set a protecting net over his city (obv. 10-11, gloss), which plainly indicates the city of Uruk, and not, in this case, the shrine of Cutha. For this reason, the author thinks that this hymn dates from the period of the Uruk dynasty, perhaps from the time of Singamil himself. This hymn is peculiarly important from a historical point of view, as being a survival of a Nergal cult which was not indigenous.