“They are the destructive reptiles, even the winds that create evil!
as an evil reptile, as an evil wind, do they appear!
as an evil reptile, as an evil wind, who marches in front are they !
Children monstrous (gitmalutu), monstrous sons are they!
Messengers of the pest-demon are they!
Throne-bearers of the goddess of Hades are they!
The whirlwind (mátu) which is poured upon the land are they!
The seven are gods of the wide-spread heaven.
The seven are gods of the wide-spread earth.
The seven are gods of the (four) zones.
The seven are gods seven in number.
Seven evil gods are they!
Seven evil demons are they!
Seven evil consuming spirits are they!
In heaven are they seven, in earth are they seven!”
Seven are they, seven are they!
In the hollow of the deep, seven are they!
(In) the glory of heaven, seven are they!
In the hollow of the deep in a palace grew they up! (In the original, “from the hollow …. came they forth”).
Male they are not, female they are not!
They are the dust-storm, the travelled ones are they!
Wife they possess not, child is unborn to them.
Order and kindliness know they not.
They hearken not to prayer and supplication.
From the horse of the mountain came they forth.
Of Ea are they the foes.
The throne-bearers of the gods are they.
To trouble the canal in the street are they set.
Evil are they, evil are they!
Seven are they, seven are they, seven doubly said are they!”O god of Fire,” he asks, “how were those seven begotten, how grew they up?
Those seven in the mountain of the sunset were born;
those seven in the mountain of the sunrise grew up.”
Throughout they are regarded as elemental powers, and their true character as destructive winds and tempests is but thinly veiled by a cloak of poetic imagery.
An Accadian hymn about the Seven Harmful Spirits:
“They are the destructive reptiles, even the winds that create evil! as an evil reptile, as an evil wind, do they appear! as an evil reptile, as an evil wind, who marches in front are they ! Children monstrous (gitmalutu), monstrous sons are they! Messengers of the pest-demon are they! Throne-bearers of the goddess of Hades are they! The whirlwind (mátu) which is poured upon the land are they! The seven are gods of the wide-spread heaven. The seven are gods of the wide-spread earth. The seven are gods of the (four) zones. The seven are gods seven in number. Seven evil gods are they! Seven evil demons are they! Seven evil consuming spirits are they! In heaven are they seven, in earth are they seven!” Seven are they, seven are they! In the hollow of the deep, seven are they! (In) the glory of heaven, seven are they! In the hollow of the deep in a palace grew they up! (In the original, “from the hollow …. came they forth”). Male they are not, female they are not! They are the dust-storm, the travelled ones are they! Wife they possess not, child is unborn to them. Order and kindliness know they not. They hearken not to prayer and supplication. From the horse of the mountain came they forth. Of Ea are they the foes. The throne-bearers of the gods are they. To trouble the canal in the street are they set. Evil are they, evil are they! Seven are they, seven are they, seven doubly said are they!”O god of Fire,” he asks, “how were those seven begotten, how grew they up? Those seven in the mountain of the sunset were born; those seven in the mountain of the sunrise grew up.” Throughout they are regarded as elemental powers, and their true character as destructive winds and tempests is but thinly veiled by a cloak of poetic imagery.