Anāku ul ēpuš, Io non ho fatto: il misconoscimento dell'operato umano nella manifattura della statua di culto
The mouth-washing ritual (mīs pî) consisted of two days of intense ceremonial practices aimed at activating the cult statue. Once the mīs pî was completed, the statue was seen as a flesh-and-blood god possessing all five senses. To bring the wooden shell to life, it was crucial to establish that the...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | Italian |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2023
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| In: |
Henoch
Year: 2023, Volume: 45, Issue: 2, Pages: 205-230 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Statue
/ Ritual
/ Washing
/ Mouth
/ Senses
/ Wood
/ Craftsman
/ Confession
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament KBL Near East and North Africa |
| Further subjects: | B
Lilissu
B Historiola B Mīs Pî B Ritual Misrecognition B Speech Act Theory |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The mouth-washing ritual (mīs pî) consisted of two days of intense ceremonial practices aimed at activating the cult statue. Once the mīs pî was completed, the statue was seen as a flesh-and-blood god possessing all five senses. To bring the wooden shell to life, it was crucial to establish that the effigy was of divine origin and not just a man-made object. Therefore, this paper discusses the misrecognition processes of human activity that allowed the statue to be considered a divine being. The study specifically examines the ritual use of the phrase «I did not make» (anāku ul ēpus) by artisans to deny their role in creating the effigy. The “negative confession” of the craftsmen is compared to other Mesopotamian rituals – for instance, the activation of the kettledrum (lilissu) – and discussed on the basis of speech act theory. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Henoch
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