How to Do Things with Tears: Ritual Lamenting in Ancient Mesopotamia

By Paul Delnero

In contrast to other traditions, cultic laments in Mesopotamia were not performed in response to a tragic event, such as a death or a disaster, but instead as a preemptive ritual to avert possible catastrophes. Mesopotamian laments provide a unique insight into the relationship between humankind and the gods, and their study sheds light on the nature of collective rituals within a crosscultural context.

Cultic laments were performed in Mesopotamia for nearly 3000 years. This book provides a comprehensive overview of this important ritual practice in the early 2nd millennium BCE, the period during which Sumerian laments were first put in writing. It also includes a new translation and critical edition of Uruamairabi ('That city, which has been plundered'), one of the most widely performed compositions of its genre.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1501519468
• ISBN13: 9781501519468
• Release Date: August 2020
• Publisher: de Gruyter
• Length: 676 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.7" x 9.6"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary