Gods$oftheNight$ - Anunnaki

16 Pages·2009·0.4 MB·English

by  John Murphy

The
 Anunnaki
 Project

presents

Gods
 of
 the
 Night

A
 theatrical,
 aerial
 exploration

of
 ancient
 Mesopotamian
 mythology

Inanna and Ereshkigal, ca. 3,500 B.C.

July
 25-­‐26,
 2008
I
 want
 to
 extend
 a
 warm
 welcome
 and
 sincere
 thanks
 to
 each
 of
 you
 for

joining
 us
 for
 this
 adventure
 we
 call
 Gods
 of
 the
 Night.

The
 title
 of
 our
 show
 comes
 from
 a
 second
 millennium
 BCE
 prayer
 which

appears
 on
 the
 following
 page.
 The
 prayer
 highlights
 the
 integration
 of

the
 divine
 into
 the
 lives
 of
 those
 in
 the
 ancient
 near
 east.
 In
 our
 present

era
 of
 vast
 technological
 accomplishment,
 it
 is
 impossible
 to
 consider

the
 value
 belief
 systems
 of
 the
 ancient
 world
 without
 wondering
 if

perhaps
 we
 have
 lost
 something
 precious
 and
 irreplaceable.
 Giants
 were

in
 the
 earth
 in
 those
 days…

This
 production
 will
 perhaps
 be
 the
 most
 intimate
 look
 we
 have
 taken
 at

the
 mythology
 of
 the
 Sumerian
 people.
 This
 is
 an
 extremely
 important

phase
 in
 our
 progression
 as
 an
 organization
 as
 it
 was
 the
 Sumerian

cosmogonical
 psyche
 that
 initiated
  many
 of
 The
 Anunnaki
 Project’s

concepts
 of
 performative
 mythology.

The
  first
  half
  our
  production
  explores
  the
  interaction
  between
  the

Sumerian
 people
 and
 the
 planetary
 deities
 who
 ruled
 the
 world
 at
 the

time.
 The
 attributes
 and
 traits
 ascribed
 to
 these
 deities
 by
 the
 ancient

people
 have
 survived
 the
 centuries
 and
 still
 occupy
 our
 minds
 today.

This
 is
 a
 testament
 to
 the
 powerful
 magic
 of
 the
 Sumerian
 imagination.

The
 second
 half
 of
 the
 show
 depicts
 the
 descent
 of
 Inanna
 to
 the

Underworld.
 I
 consider
 Inanna’s
 tale
 to
 be
 the
 sequel
 to
 the
 genesis
 of

Ereshkigal
 (Queen
 of
 the
 Underworld).
 Ereshkigal’s
 story
 is
 included
 in
 a

Sumerian
 creation
 myth
 and
 tells
 how
 Ereshkigal,
 once
 a
 solar
 deity,
 was

lured
 into
 the
 underworld
 by
 Kur,
 a
 dragon
 that
 filled
 minds
 with
 anger,

fear
 and
 insecurity.
 Enki
 descended
 to
 save
 his
 sister
 Ereshkigal
 from

Kur,
 but
 by
 the
 time
 he
 reached
 her,
 she
 had
 transformed
 into
 a
 rotting

goddess
 of
 decay
 and
 death.
 In
 tonight’s
 tale
 of
 the
 descent
 of
 Inanna,

the
 plot
 centers
 around
 Enki
 and
 how
 he
 initiates
 Inanna’s
 journey
 to

encounter
 aspects
 of
 the
 world
 she
 had
 not
 ever
 fathomed.
 In
 a
 sense,

this
 story
 is
 also
 a
 redemption
 tale,
 as
 it
 is
 here
 that
 Ereshkigal
 finally

seems
 to
 rest
 at
 peace
 in
 her
 cosmogonical
 role
 as
 a
 cthonic
 goddess.

I
 ask
 you
 to
 open
 your
 imagination,
 reach
 back
 in
 time
 and
 relate

yourself
 to
 these
 dead
 gods
 as
 we
 might
 imagine
 the
 temple
 priestess

watched
 the
 setting
 sun
 across
 the
 Euphrates
 Valley
 5,000
 years
 ago.

Make
 these
 gods
 live
 again
 in
 your
 hearts
 and
 minds.
 Join
 us
 now,
 as
 we

bring
 back
 the
 gods
 of
 night!
 Audi
 ignis
 vocem!

John
 S.
 Murphy

Artistic
 Director
 and
 Founder,
 The
 Anunnaki
 Project
Introduction
 and
 Welcome:
 Ray
 Irvin

Part
 I:

Prayer
 to
 the
 Gods
 of
 Night

Haruspex
 (Priest):
 Amy
 Worline

They
 are
 lying
 down,
 the
 Great
 Ones

The
 bars
 have
 fallen,
 the
 bolts
 are
 shot,

The
 crowds
 and
 all
 the
 people
 rest,

The
 open
 gates
 are
 locked.

The
 gods
 of
 the
 land,
 the
 goddesses,

Šamaš,
 Sin,
 Adad,
 Ištar,

Sun,
 Moon,
 turmoil,
 love

Lie
 down
 to
 sleep
 in
 heaven.

The
 judgment
 seat
 is
 empty
 now,

For
 no
 god
 now
 is
 still
 at
 work.

Night
 has
 drawn
 down
 the
 curtain,

The
 temples
 and
 sanctuaries
 are
 silent,
 dark.

Now
 the
 traveler
 calls
 to
 his
 god,

Defendant
 and
 plaintiff
 sleep
 in
 peace,

For
 the
 judge
 of
 truth,
 the
 father
 of
 the
 fatherless,

Šamaš,
 has
 gone
 to
 his
 chamber.

‘O
 Great
 Ones,
 Princes
 of
 the
 Night,

Bright
 Ones,
 Gibil
 the
 furnace,

Irra
 war-­‐lord
 of
 the
 Underworld,

Bow-­‐star
 and
 Yoke,
 Orion,
 Pleiades,
 Dragon,

The
 Wild
 Bull,
 the
 Goat,
 and
 the
 Great
 Bear,

Stand
 by
 me
 in
 my
 divination.

By
 this
 lamb
 that
 I
 am
 offering,

May
 truth
 appear!

-­‐Mesopotamian
 Prayer,
 ca.
 3,000
 B.C.E.
Part
 II:

Planets

In
 the
 temple
 of
 Anu
 at
 Uruk
 in
 a
 nocturnal
 ceremony
 offerings

are
 made
 on
 the
 16th
 to
 the
 heavenly
 manifestations
 of
 the

temple’s
 main
 deities:
 to
 “Anu
 of
 the
 sky”
 and
 “Antu
 of
 the
 sky”

as
 well
 as
 to
 the
 seven
 planets,
 now
 named
 in
 the
 sequence
 of

Jupiter,
 Venus,
 Mercury,
 Saturn,
 Mars,
 the
 rising
 of
 the
 Sun,
 and

the
 sighting
 of
 the
 Moon.

-­‐Astral
 Magic
 in
 Babylonia,
 Erica
 Reiner

Marduk
 (Jupiter)

John
 Murphy

The
 Heroic,
 holy
 god,
 foremost
 of
 the
 gods,

more
 majestic
 than
 the
 stars
 in
 the
 sky.

Accompaniment

It
 Is
 Accomplished

Peter
 Gabriel

Choreography

John
 Murphy

Choreographer’s
 Statement

An
 homage
 to
 one
 of
 my
 mentors,
 Robert
 Davidson,
 in
 this
 piece
 I

depict
 the
 hero
 archetype
 in
 a
 different
  light;
 not
 as
 a
 great

warrior
 conquering,
 but
 as
 the
 soul
 who
 is
 confronted
 with
 a

force
 that
 inspires
 fear,
 horror,
 and
 anguish
 within
 him.

 Despite

the
 urge
 to
 turn
 away,
 the
 hero
 chooses
 to
 walk
 straight
 into
 the

gaping
 maw
 that
 confronts
 him.
Ištar
 (Venus)

Tanya
 Brno
 and
 Charly
 McCreary

Resplendent
 Ištar,
 morning
 star,

evening
 star,
 luminary
 of
 heaven,

goddess
 of
 love,
 goddess
 of
 war.

Accompaniment

Sailing
 to
 Byzantium,

Lisa
 Gerrard
 and
 Patrick
 Cassidy

Choreography

Charly
 McCreary
 with

Elsie
 Smith,
 New
 England
 Center
 for
 Circus
 Arts

Choreographer’s
 Statement

The
 stark
 simplicity
 of
 the
 double
 lyra
 apparatus,
 invented
 specifically

for
 this
 piece,
 and
 the
 powerful,
 elegant
 movements
 of
 the
 dancers

depict
 this
 beloved
 Goddess
 in
 Her
 dualistic
 nature.

Gudud
 (Mercury)

Bridget
 Gunning
 and
 Nicole
 Sasala
 with

Katrina
 Alston,
 Leah
 Leslie,

Rachel
 Severson,
 and
 Amy
 Shuster

The
 Leaping
 One,
 star
 of
 sunrise
 and
 sunset.

Accompaniment

Of
 These,
 Hope,
 Peter
 Gabriel

Choreography

Nicole
 Sasala

Choreographer’s
 Statement

The
 dualistic
 energy
 of
 Mercury
 spins
 and
 swirls
 through
 the
 night
 sky
 as

the
 fastest
 of
 all
 planets,
 influencing
 those
 on
 the
 earth
 and
 sometimes

bringing
 them
 along
 for
 the
 ride.
Saguš
 (Saturn)

 Mary
 Cutrera

The
 Steady
 One.

Accompaniment

Salem’s
 Lot,
 Dead
 Can
 Dance

Choreography

Mary
 Cutrera

Choreographer’s
 Statement

"Within
 the
 crowded
 rings,
 particles
 constantly
 jostle
 their
 neighbors,

bumping

 each
 other
 into
 wider
 or
 narrower
 orbits
 by
 the
 exchange
 of

energy
 and
 momentum."
 Dava
 Sobel

Nergal
 (Mars)

John
 S.
 Murphy
 with

Katrina
 Alston,
 Mary
 Cutrera,
 Amanda
 Frank,

Bridget
 Gunning,
 Leah
 Leslie,
 Jon
 McClintock,

Charly
 McCreary,
 Nicole
 Sasala,
 Rachel
 Severson,

Amy
 Shuster,
 and
 Amy
 Worline

The
 Enemy,
 red
 planet,

presides
 over
 destruction,
 pestilence,
 and
 plague.

Nergal’s
 presence
 portends
 the
 death
 of
 the
 herds.

Accompaniment

Total
 Decay,
 In
 Slaughter
 Natives

Choreography

Nicole
 Sasala

Choreographer’s
 Statement

Mars
 was
 believed
 to
 cast
 powerful
 energies
 upon
 living
 things,
 resulting

in
 plagues,
 drought,
 and
 death.
 Thus
 in
 this
 piece
 Nergal
 reaps
 his
 chaos

upon
 the
 earth.
Šamaš
 (Sun)

Tanya
 Brno

Omnipresent
 and
 omniscient,
 patron
 deity
 of
 the
 haruspex,

Šamaš
 may
 be
 invoked
 to
 ward
 off
 ghosts
 and
 evil.

Accompaniment

Vedes
 Amigo,
 Qntal

Choreography

Tanya
 Brno

with
 Kari
 Podgorski

Choreographer’s
 Statement

The
 Sun
 both
 gives
 and
 takes
 life,
 controls
 the
 tides,
 violently
 erupts
 yet

stays
 constant
 in
 its
 galactic
 orbit,
 graceful
 and
 assured
 as
 the
 planets

revolve
 around
 it.
 I
 translated
 this
 energy
 into
 strong
 and
 controlled
 yet

sometimes
 rapidly
 changing
 movements
 that
 begin,
 end,
 and
 emanate

from
 the
 center
 of
 the
 body.
 The
 body's
 curved
 lines
 become
 elongated

as
 rays
 emanating
 from
 this
 center.

Sin
 (Moon)

 John
 S.
 Murphy
 with

Mary
 Cutrera,
 Amanda
 Frank,
 Bridget
 Gunning,

Charly
 McCreary
 and
 Nicole
 Sasala

Crescent
 of
 the
 great
 heavens,
 father
 of
 Šamaš
 and
 Ištar,

Sin
 has
 an
 affinity
 with
 sorceresses

who
 are
 able
 to
 draw
 down
 the
 moon.

Accompaniment

Requiem
 de
 Sol,
 Vishnu’s
 Secret

Choreography

John
 Murphy
 (lyra
 solo),

Charly
 McCreary,
 and
 Nicole
 Sasala

Choreographer
 Statement

By
  the
  light
  of
  the
  full
  moon,
  female
  sorceresses
  draw
  down
  the

moonlight
 into
 themselves.
 It
 is
 an
 entrancing
 combination
 of
 ecstasy

and
 chaos.

-­‐-­‐
 Intermission
 (20
 minutes)
 -­‐-­‐
Part
 III:

The
 Descent
 of
 Inanna

Cast

(In
 Order
 of
 Appearance)

Inanna:
 Charly
 McCreary

Dumuzi
 (husband
 of
 Inanna):
 John
 Murphy

Enki
 (brother
 of
 Ereshkigal):
 Andy
 Demetre

Ninshubur
 (royal
 attendant):
 Tanya
 Brno

Neti
 (Gatekeeper):
 John
 Murphy

Gate
 Demons:
 Amanda
 Frank
 and
 Nicole
 Sasala

Gate
 Bodies:

  Tanya
 Brno,
 Bridget
 Gunning,

  Jon
 McClintock

7
 Anunnaki:

  Katrina
 Alston,
 Monica
 Cavagnaro,

Heidi
 Leisholmn,
 Leah
 Leslie,
 Rachel

Severson,
 Amy
 Shuster,
 Amy
 Worline

Lost
 Souls:

  Ashley
 Bates,
 Carolyn
 Shaw
 Busby,

Dona
 Cutsogeorge,
 Christine
 Denker,
 Steena
 Fullmer-­‐
Anderson,
 Joanna
 Guyette,
 Jane
 Hemmen,
 Adrienne

Kreiger,
 Angela
 Langmann,
 Lisa
 Larson,
 Vicki
 Lomnicky,

Rachel
 Su,
 Nicole
 Vela,
 Katerina
 Wen,
 Kairo
 Yates

Ereshkigal
 (Queen
 of
 the
 Underworld):
 Mary
 Cutrera

Enlil:
 Jon
 McClintock

Nanna:
 Ray
 Irvin

Galatur:
 Nicole
 Sasala

Kurgarru:
 Bridget
 Gunning

Galla
 Demons:
 Amanda
 Frank
 and
 Rachel
 Severson
Scene
 I:
 Inanna
 and
 the
 Huluppu
 Tree

In
 the
 royal
 palace,
 Inanna’s
 beloved
 Huluppu
 tree
 dies.

Indignant
 and
 distraught,
 she
 turns
 her
 ear
 to
 the
 Great

Below
 and,
 despite
 faithful
 Ninshubur’s
 pleas,
 decides

to
  confront
  Death.
  Enki
  bestows
  the
  7
  me
  (magical

attributes)
  upon
  her
  in
  preparation
  for
  her
  journey.

Inanna
 instructs
 Ninshubur
 on
 what
 to
 do
 should
 she

not
 return
 from
 the
 Underworld.

Accompaniment

The
 Moribund
 Tree
 and
 The
 Toad
 and

The
 Fairy
 and
 The
 Labyrinth,
 Javier
 Navarrete

Scene
 II:
 Descent
 of
 Inanna

Inanna
 arrives
 at
 the
 Gate
 to
 the
 Underworld
 and
 is

examined
 by
 Neti,
 the
  Gatekeeper.
 Ereshkigal
 orders

the
 Anunnaki
 to
 strip
 Inanna
 of
 the
 7
 me
 and
 bring
 her

forth,
 naked
 and
 vulnerable.
 Ereshkigal
 initiates
 Inanna

into
 the
 mystery
 of
 Death
 and
 leaves
 her
 to
 hang
 on
 a

hook
 to
 rot
 for
 three
 days
 and
 three
 nights.

Accompaniment

The
 Narrow
 Gate,
 Raison
 d’Être
Scene
 III:
 Ninshubur’s
 Plea

Three
  days
  and
  three
  nights
  have
  passed,
  and

Ninshubur
 is
 desperate
 for
 Inanna’s
 return.
 Ninshubur

begs
 Enlil
 and
 Nanna,
 father
 Gods,
 for
 help
 but
 they

deny
 her.

At
  last
  Enki,
  brother
  of
  Ereshkigal,
  agrees
  to
  help

Ninshubur
  rescue
  Inanna.
  From
  the
  dirt
  under
  his

fingernails,
  Enki
  creates
  the
  galatur
  and
  kurgarru,

elemental
  beings
  who
  will
  enter
  the
  Underworld

bearing
  the
  grass
  and
  water
  of
  life
  in
  hopes
  of

resurrecting
 Inanna
 and
 bringing
 her
 home.

Accompaniment

Vivo,
 Anchorage

Scene
 IV:
 The
 Rise
 of
 Inanna

The
 galatur
 and
 kurgarru
 surreptitiously
 weave
 their

way
 through
 the
 Great
 Below
 and
 arrive
 at
 the
 foot
 of

Ereshkigal’s
  throne.
  Ereshkigal
  lays
  upon
  her
  throne

suffering
  the
  pains
  of
  death
  and
  childbirth
  as
  her

shadow
 self
 (Inanna)
 rots
 and
 prepares
 to
 be
 reborn.
 At

the
 offering
 of
 sympathy,
 Ereshkigal
 agrees
 to
 release

Inanna’s
 corpse
 to
 the
 galatur
 and
 the
 kurgarru
 and

Inanna
 is
 revivified.

Inanna
 attempts
 to
 depart
 from
 the
 Underworld,
 and
 is

stopped
 by
 Ereshkigal,
 who
 says
 she
 may
 only
 leave
 if

she
 finds
 a
 replacement
 for
 herself.
 To
 ensure
 that
 her

charge
  is
  carried
  out,
  Ereshkigal
  attaches
  two
  galla

demons
 to
 Inanna.

Accompaniment

24th
 Moment,
 The
 Nefilim

Towards
 the
 Tower,
 Lisa
 Gerrard