[RadcliffXX]

The person seeking the initiation is called an 'initiate'. In some traditions, he is also called an 'adept'.

So as we're on the subject of initiations, I thought it might help to deepen our understanding about their nature and purpose if we had a discussion on this old chestnut - the Sumerian story of Adapa, or Adapa the Adept.

The meaning of this story is argued about by scholars, and they come up with some quite wild speculations, so don't be afraid to express any of your own ... you would be in good company!

First of all, I will give a summary of the story. Then we can look at the exact transcription as it appears on the Sumerian tablets. After that, I will invite your ideas of what this story is about in the context of what we know so far about initiations. I won't give my opinion until others have had their say.

Adapa the Adept

Once upon a time, in the land of Sumeria, there lived the wise priest Adapa.


Adapa



Adapa (also known as Adamu) was the son of Ea, the wise serpent.


Ea, the wise serpent


Because of his illustrious birth, Adapa was already proficient in the wisdom that his father taught him. He was, in fact, a semi-divine being and a priest at the temple of Ea.

But Adapa had not received the ultimate initiation, that of becoming an immortal or being granted eternal life as a god.

However, one day, Adapa was fishing out at sea, when the south wind suddenly blew up a squall and the upshot was that Adapa's boat overturned and the poor man was given a good drenching.

He managed to save himself and get his boat upright again. But by now, he was so angry, he struck out at the south wind and broke its wings.

Thus the south wind was so injured that it couldn't blow its coolness over the land for seven days, and this caused a terrible drought.

Anu, the main godhead, was furious at Adapa and summoned him up to heaven for a good dressing down. But before he went, his father Ea gave him advice about how to conduct himself there - if he wanted to get out alive!



Anu



So Ea teaches his son Adapa how to trick Tammuz and Gishzida, the gatekeepers of heaven, so that they will let him in.




Tammuz and Gishzida, gatekeepers of heaven




Ea also warns Adapa not to eat or drink anything in heaven, as this could be fatal to a mortal.

So with his father's advice still ringing in his ears, Adapa sets off for heaven. And when he gets there, Ea's advice instantly proved its worth as he was able to trick the gatekeepers into letting him in.

When he meets Anu, Anu welcomes him and sets before him a veritable banquet of wonderfully delicious food and drink. However, Adapa, remembering his father's words, declines this hospitality.

But what Adapa didn't realise was that the food was no ordinary food. It was, in fact, the food of immortality and if he had eaten it, he would have become an immortal, a god.

So in refusing this food, Adapa in effect, lost out on the chance to become a god, and he has to return to Earth and continue his days as an ordinary mortal.

Exact transcription

Here is actual transcription of the story from the Sumerian tablet. Where there are dots like this: ........ it means that there is a lacuna in the tablet, and so that writing is missing:

TABLET NO.1

He possessed intelligence . . . ,
His command like the command of Anu ...
He (Ea) granted him a wide ear to reveal the destiny of the land,
He granted him wisdom, but he did not grant him eternal life.
In those davs, in those years the wise man of Eridu,
Ea had created him as chief among men,
A wise man whose command none should oppose,
The prudent, the most wise among the Anunnaki was he,
Blameless, of clean hands, anointed, observer of the divine statutes,
With the bakers he made bread
With the bakers of Eridu, he made bread,
The food and the water for Eridu he made daily,
With his clean hands he prepared the table,
And without him the table was not cleared.
The ship he steered, fishing and hunting for Eridu he did.
Then Adapa of Eridu
While Ea, ... in the chamber, upon the bed.
Daily the closing of Eridu he attended to.
Upon the pure dam, the new moon dam) he embarked upon the ship,
The wind blew and his ship departed, With the oar, be steered his ship Upon the broad sea . . .

TABLET NO. 2
.................
The south wind .... when
He had driven me to the house of my lord, I said,
O South wind, on the way I shall to thee ... everything that,
Thy wing, will I break." As be spoke with his mouth,
The wing of the South wind was broken, seven davs
The South wind blew not upon the land. Anu
Called to his messenger Ilabrat:
Why has the South wind not blown upon the land for seven davs?
His messenger Ilabrat answered him: "My lord,
Adapa, the son of Ea, the wing of the South wind
Has broken."
When Anu heard these words
He cried, Help!" He ascended his throne,
"Let some one bring him,"
Likewise Ea, who knows the heaven. He roused him
... he caused him to wear. With a mourning garment
He garbed him, and gave him counsel
Saying: " Adapa, before the face of Anu the King thou art to go
... to heaven
When thou comest up, and when thou approachest the door of Anu,
At the door of Anu, Tammuz and Gishzida are standing,
"they will see thee, they will ask thee; 'Sir,'
For whose sake dost thou so appear, Adapa? For whom
Art thou clad in a mourning garment?' 'In our country two gods have vanished, therefore
Am I so.' 'Who are the two gods, who in the land
Have vanished?' 'Tammuz and Gishzida.' They will look at one another and
Be astonished. Good words
They will speak to Anu. A good countenance of Anu
They will show thee. When thou standest before Anu
Food of death they will set before thee,
Eat not. Water of death they will set before thee,
Drink not. Garments they will set before thee,
Put them on. Oil they will set before thee, anoint thyself.
The counsel that I have given thee, forget not. The words
Which I have spoken, hold fast." The messenger
Of Anu came: "Adapa has broken
The wing of the South wind. Bring him before me."
The road to Heaven he made him take, and to Heaven he ascended.
When he came to Heaven, when he approached the door of Anu,
At the door of Ann, Tammuz and Gisbzida are standing.
When they saw him, Adapa, they cried: " Help,
Sir, for whom dost thou so appear? Adapa,
For whom art thou clad in a mourning garment?"
In the country two gods have vanished; therefore am I clad
In mourning garments." "Who are the two gods, who
have vanished from the land?"
"Tammuz and Gishzida." They looked at one another and
Were astonished. When Adapa before Anu, the King,
Drew near, and Anu saw him, he cried:
" Come hither, Adapa. Why hast thou broken the wings
Of the South wind? " Adapa answered Ann: " My lord,
For the house of my lord in the midst of the sea,
I was catching fish. The sea was like a mirror,
The South wind blew, and capsized me.
To the house of my lord was I driven. In the anger of my heart,
I took heed." Tammuz and Gishzida
Answered ... "art thou." To Anu
They speak. He calmed himself, his heart was . . .
"Why has Ea revealed to impure mankind
The heart of heaven and earth? A heart
... has created within him, has made him a name?
What can we do with him? Food of life
Bring him, that be man, eat."Food of life
They brought him, but he ate not. Water of life
They brought him, but he drank not. Garments
They brought him. He clothed himself. Oil
They brought him. He anointed himself.
Anu looked at him; he wondered at him.
" Come, Adapa, why hast thou not eaten, not drunken?
Now thou shalt not live." ... men ...Ea, my lord
Said: "Eat not, drink not."
Take him and bring him back to his earth.
... looked upon him.

TABLET NO. 3
"When heard that
In the anger of his heart
His messenger he sent.
He who knows the heart of the great gods
............
To King Ea to come,
To him, he caused words to be borne.
... to him, to King Ea.
He sent a messenger
With a wide ear, knowing the heart of the great gods,
... of the heavens be fixed.
A soiled garment he made him wear,
With a mourning garment he clad him,
A word he spoke to him.
"Adapa, before the King Anu thou shalt go
Fail not the order, keep my word
When thou comest up to heaven, and approachest the door of Anu,
Tammuz and Gishzida at the door of Anu are standing.

From Sacred Texts
So discuss!

You might find it helpful to think about the following questions:

1. What has this story got to do with initiations?
2. What does it tell us about the nature and purpose of initiations?
3. Did Adapa pass or fail the initiation?