Mesopotamian · Akkadian · c. 1700 BCE
The Atrahasis Epic
Anonymous; the fullest copy written by the scribe Ku-Aya
Why humanity exists and why it was nearly destroyed, in one text: people are made to carry the work the lesser gods refuse, then multiply until their noise keeps Enlil awake, and he sends the flood. Enki cannot countermand the decree and warns his man through a reed wall instead, which is the loophole rather than a breach of the oath.
Read The Atrahasis Epic in full at the linked edition →What this text attests · 2
| Name here | Rank given | # | Powers described |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | Cannot countermand Enlil's decree of the flood and warns his man through a reed wall instead, addressing the wall rather than the person — which keeps the oath intact on a technicality. The loophole is the characteristic move rather than an exception to it. | |
| — | — | Sends plague, then famine, then the flood, because humanity has multiplied until its noise prevents him sleeping. The reason given for the near-extinction of the species is that it was loud. |
