Dumuzid the Fisherman

Dumuzid the Fisherman
𒌉𒍣𒋗𒄩
Dumuzid the Fisherman ; 𒌉𒍣𒋗𒄩
King of Uruk; Ruler of Sumer;
	Figure of a priest king from the Uruk period (c. 3300 BC)
King of Uruk
Reign	legendary
Predecessor	Lugalbanda
Successor	Gilgamesh

Dumuzid,^[a] titled the Fisherman,^[b] was a legendary Sumerian king of Uruk listed originating from Kuara. According to legend, in the one-hundredth year of his reign, he was captured by Enmebaragesi.

Sumerian King List

The primary source of information comes from the Sumerian King List:

Dumuzid, the fisherman, whose city was Kuara, ruled for 100 years.^[c]
He (Dumuzid) was taken captive by the (single hand of Enmebaragesi).^[d]

According to scholars, the sequence of the first Uruk dynasty was fabricated during the Ur III period, which didn't include comments about some rulers. The fabrication of king Dumuzid could have been derived from an ideological representation of the positional relationship, thought to have been practiced by the Ur III kings and their predecessors to Dumuzid in the myth of the holy wedding, and was added as a symbol of this act.^[3]

To be able to distinguish him from the god Dumuzid, the profession of fisherman and the origin from Kuara were assigned to him, probably from a cult in Kuara, where there is evidence of a temple of Dumuzid.^[3] The C version of the Sumerian King List contains the ending of his reign in hands of Enmebaragesi, this addition has been interpreted as a subsequent addition, which would give historical weight and justify the lack of expansion in the literary texts.^[3]

Possible role in the Tale of Gudam

The Tale of Gudam^[4] is known from a single, one column tablet inscribed with 37 lines. The composition starts with the preparation of a festival for Inanna, in which Gudam participates, although his role remains doubtful. Gudam decides to ravage the city of Uruk, but is defeated by the little fisherman of Inanna.^[5]

It has been suggested that the "little fisherman of Inanna" was a corruption from the original reading of "the fisherman Dumuzi(d), the fisherman of Inanna(k)".^[6] However, this possibility cannot be conclusively proposed, and the identity of the fisherman ultimately remains unknown.^[7]

Notes

^ Derived from the Sumerian words meaning "faithful son".^[1]
^ Sumerian: 𒌉𒍣𒋗𒄩, romanized: Dumuzid šukud^[2]
^ Some versions mention 110 years.
^ Addition only found in the C version of the SKL.

References

Citations

^ Mitchell 2004, p. 169.
^ "The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature". etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
^ ^a ^b ^c Mittermayer, Catherine (2009). Enmerkara und der Herr von Arata: Ein ungleicher Wettstreit. p. 93.
^ The Tale of Gudam
^ Bendt, Alster; Feldt, Laura (2004). "Gudam and the Bull of Heaven". Nederlands Instituut voor Het Nabije Oosten. Assyria and Beyond. Studies Presented to Mogens Trolle Larsen: 38.
^ Marchesi, Gianni (2004). "Who Was Buried in the Royal Tombs of Ur? The Epigraphic and Textual Data". Orientalia NOVA SERIES. 73 (2): 166. JSTOR 43076896.
^ Gadotti, Alhena (2006). "Gilgameš, Gudam, and the Singer in Sumerian Literature". In Michalowski, Piotr; Veldhuis, Niek (eds.). Approaches to Sumerian literature: studies in honor of Stip (H.L.J. Vanstiphout). Leiden: Brill. p. 73. doi:10.1163/9789047410683_007. ISBN 90-474-1068-8. OCLC 568279426.

Bibliography

Mitchell, Stephen (2004), Gilgamesh: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell, London, England: Profile Books, Ltd., ISBN 978-0743261692
Mittermayer, C. (2009) Enmerkara und der Herr von Arata: Ein ungleicher Wettstreit. OBO 239. Fribourg: Academic Press / Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
Bendt, Alster; Feldt, Laura (2004). "Gudam and the Bull of Heaven". Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten. Assyria and Beyond. Studies Presented to Mogens Trolle Larsen.
Marchesi, Gianni (2004). "Who Was Buried in the Royal Tombs of Ur? The Epigraphic and Textual Data". Orientalia NOVA SERIES.