39:
1204:, a cosmogonic prologue is contained; by contrast, none of these additional texts have a cosmogonic prologue (2) Unlike the inanimate objects of the six poems, the contenders in these disputations are humans (3) The six poems only have narration in the introduction but these other disputations have narration throughout the text.
1211:(CSL 5.3.7) has been included by some scholars among the Sumerian disputations, but it is a translation of an Akkadian disputation, and so does not belong to the proper corpus of Sumerian literary works. Other works that have been suggested but cannot be properly classified as disputation poems include the
1046:, even though two millennia separate their composition. However, there is a weakness to the literature of the Akkadian disputations: even though they are more recent, they are relatively fragmentary compared to the Sumerian disputations. Examples of this include that only a dozen lines survive of the
1029:
dates to the 18th century BC, and from this period onwards, it was
Akkadian disputation poems that were copied in the 2nd and 1st millennia BC. None of the known Akkadian disputation poems are translations from Sumerian disputations; they use different literary conventions and verse structure, debate
939:
As dialogues, and unlike fables or other narrative texts, very little narration is present in
Sumerian disputations. The contenders are inarticulate objects or creatures, like trees or fish. Unlike dialogues from other cultures or genres which aims to resolve a problem, these disputations aim to
943:
Each exchange typically involves two speeches and rejoinders on the part of each contender. Common arguments pertain to the utility of lack thereof of what is being debated to humans. The disputation section ends when the contenders decide to appeal to a higher authority, perhaps a god (e.g.
1155:
1170:
1160:
871:
Scholars have referred to the genre by various other names as well, such as "precedence poems", "debate poems", and so on. The genre outlived its
Sumerian form and continued to resonate in texts written in
1165:
1175:
1180:
856:. Extant compositions from this genre date to the middle-to-late 3rd millennium BC. There are six primary poems belonging to this genre. The genre of Sumerian disputations also differs from
914:
The structure is sometimes laid out as five parts, though, with two additional parts listed to signal transitions in the text between the aforementioned (1) and (2), and (2) and (3):
1072:
The major work behind the reconstruction of the disputation poems was done by M. Civil during the 1960s. The transliterations and translations subsequently became available on the
940:
establish what is superior. Typically, the winner of the debate is also afforded more speaking time and has higher-quality argument over the course of the dispute.
980:
describing the creation of the cosmos and its creatures (including the two contenders) by the gods. Other
Sumerian texts also contain cosmogonical prologues, like
1186:
Jimenez identifies another three disputation texts, normally labelled as "epics" or "love poems", with the same basic tripartite structure as the six main poems:
1212:
1549:
Mittermayer, Catherine (2020). "The
Sumerian Precedence Debates: The World's Oldest Rhetorical Exercises?". In Jimenez, Enrique; Mittermayer, Catherine (eds.).
1048:
1060:
1220:
1200:
According to
Jimenez, however, these works have features that distinguish them from Sumerian disputations proper: (1) In all six poems except for the
1216:
1101:
1073:
1603:
Dispute Poems and
Dialogues in the Ancient and Mediaeval Near East: Forms and Types of Literary Debates in Semitic and Related Literatures
824:
984:. The function of these prologues is to not to provide a broad cosmological discourse but instead to introduce the forthcoming subject.
1571:
1514:
996:
in the following format, where X and Y are the two contenders, and DN is the adjudicator who decides the winner of the dispute:
981:
1611:
1583:
1560:
1097:
950:
52:
860:
disputations as the former contain only dialogue without narration. In their own language, the texts are described as
1135:
1117:
817:
758:
700:
20:
1641:
Vanstiphout, Herman L.J. (1992). "The
Mesopotamian Debate Poems: A General Presentation. Part II: The Subject".
1036:
has one
Sumerian loanword. Nevertheless, some remarkable phraseological continuity is attested, such as between
1675:
1111:
977:
99:
62:
38:
72:
28:
1129:
1123:
960:
1497:
964:), to elect the winner. There is some evidence that these disputations were used in public performances.
1685:
810:
418:
67:
1628:
Vanstiphout, Herman L.J. (1990). "The
Mesopotamian Debate Poems: A General Presentation (Part I)".
94:
89:
1539:
1003:
English: Because in the disputation that X held with Y, X prevailed over Y, may DN be praised!C
738:
1026:
1019:
1013:
675:
1093:
Since the 1950s, every list of Sumerian disputations have included the six following texts:
1620:
Mittermayer, Catherine. "Animals in the Sumerian Disputation Poems" in (eds Mattila et al)
1054:
685:
1660:
8:
849:
77:
1535:
900:
Disputations are poetic and are written in verse. They follows a tripartite structure:
104:
1680:
1607:
1579:
1574:. In Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures of the University of Chicago (ed.).
1556:
1480:
1208:
1032:
1023:
772:
665:
82:
1196:
Dumuzi and Enkimdu (CSL 4.8.31) (or: "Disputation between a shepherd and a farmer")
710:
660:
1139:
1105:
1601:
1550:
765:
650:
333:
205:
408:
403:
1669:
1042:
927:
Transition 2 (where at least one party seeks a judge to settle the dispute)
518:
255:
1622:
Animals and their Relation to Gods, Humans and Things in the Ancient World
680:
873:
868:
at the end of the poem, which literally means "contests (between) two".
853:
388:
338:
270:
265:
1525:
1541:
The Sumerians: Their History, Culture and Character, Samuel Noah Kramer
1516:
Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld and the Sumerian Gilgamesh Cycle
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586:
528:
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363:
348:
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245:
581:
503:
498:
468:
463:
318:
188:
1064:, which, originally, would have been hundreds of versees in length.
538:
533:
493:
290:
993:
887:, with over 60 and 70 manuscripts available for each respectively.
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705:
606:
576:
523:
478:
383:
343:
313:
670:
690:
635:
611:
591:
543:
473:
438:
393:
353:
308:
285:
240:
235:
655:
955:
796:
791:
720:
715:
645:
596:
571:
508:
488:
483:
458:
453:
448:
433:
428:
413:
373:
323:
280:
275:
200:
145:
141:
132:
123:
945:
857:
695:
566:
513:
398:
378:
368:
358:
328:
260:
230:
178:
150:
136:
1429:
1427:
1076:(ETCSL) in the early 2000s: as of 2017, only the content of
1325:
1301:
1255:
1253:
1000:
Sumerian: X Y a-da-mìn dugâ‚„-ga | X Y diri-ga-ba | DN zĂ -mĂ
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630:
548:
423:
183:
127:
1342:
1340:
1424:
1238:
210:
173:
1456:
1446:
1444:
1442:
1376:
1352:
1250:
1007:
1661:
Disputations or Literary Debates, at Gateway to Babylon
1337:
1313:
1289:
921:
Transition 1 (where the cause for dispute is described)
1439:
1412:
1388:
1400:
1364:
1018:
Sumerian disputations ceased to be copied after the
1538:(1963). "Literature: The Sumerian Belles-Lettres".
1030:different topics, and so on, although the Akkadian
1599:
1552:Disputation Literature in the Near East and Beyond
1502:Journal of the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies
1578:. University of Chicago Press. pp. 181–190.
1572:"Learning Rhetoric through Sumerian Disputations"
1156:Debate between the millstone and the gulgul-stone
930:Adjudication scene (where the winner is declared)
910:Adjudication scene (where the winner is declared)
1667:
1600:Reinink, G.J.; Vanstiphout, Herman L.J. (1991).
1544:. University of Chicago Press. pp. 165–228.
1277:
1265:
1146:
1083:
1052:and that less than a tenth is now known of the
1481:"The Dispute Between the Cherub and the Thief"
1171:The Disputation between Enkitalu and Enkihegal
1161:The Disputation between Enkmansi and Girnishag
879:The most well-attested of these poems are the
1190:Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta (CSL 1.8.2.3)
1074:Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
818:
1640:
1627:
1569:
1548:
1331:
1307:
1259:
1244:
1166:The Colloquy between an ungula and a Scribe
825:
811:
1151:Kramer notes several other disputations:
1088:
1080:is not publicly available in a database.
1498:"The Dispute Poem: From Sumer to Syriac"
1176:Disputation between Two School Graduates
1523:
1512:
1462:
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1418:
1406:
1394:
1382:
1370:
1358:
1346:
1319:
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1193:Enmerkar and Ensuḫkešdana (CSL 1.8.2.4)
1668:
1534:
1433:
1181:Disputation between two unnamed ladies
982:Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld
1495:
1478:
1283:
1271:
1098:Debate between the hoe and the plough
1008:Comparison with Akkadian disputations
13:
1593:
924:Disputation between two contenders
907:Disputation between two contenders
53:Religions of the ancient Near East
37:
14:
1697:
1654:
1485:Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies
976:, all these poems also contain a
1527:The Babylonian Disputation Poems
1136:Debate between silver and copper
1118:Debate between Winter and Summer
1570:Mittermayer, Catherine (2023).
759:Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta
1624:, Springer, 2019, pp. 175–186.
1555:. De Gruyter. pp. 11–32.
1112:Debate between sheep and grain
1067:
890:
837:Sumerian genre of debate poems
1:
1226:
1147:Controversial classifications
1084:List of Sumerian disputations
1231:
1130:Debate between bird and fish
1124:Debate between tree and reed
992:All disputations end with a
895:
7:
1576:Back to School in Babylonia
967:
934:
10:
1702:
1472:
1011:
972:With the exception of the
1524:Jimenez, Enrique (2017).
1496:Brock, Sebastian (2009).
1479:Brock, Sebastian (2002).
987:
876:languages for millennia.
842:Sumerian disputation poem
42:Chaos Monster and Sun God
1513:Gadotti, Alhena (2014).
1606:. Peeters Publishers.
1089:Six major disputations
1005:
43:
1676:Sumerian disputations
1213:Song of the Millstone
1020:Old Babylonian Period
1014:Akkadian disputations
998:
163:Seven gods who decree
41:
31:Mesopotamian religion
1055:Series of the Poplar
686:Seven-headed serpent
625:Spirits and monsters
1536:Kramer, Samuel Noah
850:Sumerian literature
561:Demigods and heroes
225:Other major deities
1436:, p. 217–228.
1219:(CSL 6.2.10), and
1049:Donkey Disputation
1040:with the Akkadian
978:Sumerian cosmogony
974:Hoe and the Plough
44:
1686:Sumerian language
1643:Acta Sumerologica
1630:Acta Sumerologica
1613:978-90-6831-341-3
1585:978-1-61491-099-2
1562:978-1-5015-1021-2
1209:Tamarisk and Palm
1061:Series of the Fox
1033:Tamarisk and Palm
852:in the form of a
835:
834:
773:Epic of Gilgamesh
118:Primordial beings
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1637:
1617:
1589:
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1520:
1509:
1492:
1466:
1465:, p. 23–24.
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1422:
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1386:
1385:, p. 24–26.
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1361:, p. 21–22.
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1349:, p. 14–16.
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1335:
1334:, p. 14–15.
1332:Mittermayer 2020
1329:
1323:
1322:, p. 11–12.
1317:
1311:
1310:, p. 13–14.
1308:Mittermayer 2020
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1299:
1298:, p. 17–18.
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1260:Mittermayer 2020
1257:
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1245:Mittermayer 2023
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1221:Heron and Turtle
1027:disputation poem
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666:Kuli-ana/Mermaid
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1594:Further reading
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1519:. De Gruyter.
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1464:
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1453:, p. 13.
1452:
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1224:
1223:(CSL 6.2.3).
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1215:(CSL 6.2.9),
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1138:(CSL 5.3.6) (
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1078:Tree and Reed
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1043:Palm and Vine
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1022:. The oldest
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317:
315:
312:
310:
307:
306:
303:Minor deities
300:
299:
292:
289:
287:
284:
282:
279:
277:
274:
272:
269:
267:
264:
262:
259:
257:
254:
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249:
247:
244:
242:
239:
237:
234:
232:
229:
228:
222:
221:
212:
209:
207:
204:
202:
201:Inanna/Ishtar
199:
198:
197:
194:
190:
187:
185:
182:
180:
177:
175:
172:
171:
170:
167:
166:
160:
159:
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121:
115:
114:
106:
103:
101:
98:
97:
96:
93:
91:
88:
84:
81:
79:
76:
75:
74:
71:
69:
68:Ancient Egypt
66:
64:
61:
60:
54:
50:
49:
48:
47:
40:
36:
35:
32:
27:
26:
22:
18:
17:
1646:
1642:
1633:
1629:
1621:
1602:
1575:
1551:
1540:
1526:
1515:
1505:
1501:
1488:
1484:
1463:Jimenez 2017
1458:
1451:Jimenez 2017
1419:Jimenez 2017
1414:
1409:, p. 4.
1407:Jimenez 2017
1402:
1395:Jimenez 2017
1390:
1383:Jimenez 2017
1378:
1373:, p. 9.
1371:Jimenez 2017
1366:
1359:Gadotti 2014
1354:
1347:Jimenez 2017
1327:
1320:Jimenez 2017
1315:
1303:
1296:Jimenez 2017
1291:
1279:
1267:
1240:
1206:
1201:
1199:
1185:
1150:
1092:
1077:
1071:
1059:
1053:
1047:
1041:
1037:
1031:
1017:
1002:
999:
991:
973:
971:
959:
949:
942:
938:
913:
899:
884:
881:Hoe and Plow
880:
878:
870:
861:
845:
841:
839:
771:
764:
757:
750:
743:
519:PaniÄťinÄťarra
195:
169:Four primary
168:
1434:Kramer 1963
1140:translation
1132:(CSL 5.3.5)
1126:(CSL 5.3.4)
1120:(CSL 5.3.3)
1114:(CSL 5.3.2)
1106:translation
1068:Scholarship
891:Description
854:disputation
661:Ušum/Dragon
404:Lugala'abba
339:Dumuzi-abzu
266:Geshtinanna
211:Utu/Shamash
73:Mesopotamia
1670:Categories
1649:: 339–367.
1636:: 271–318.
1508:(1): 3–10.
1491:(2): 1–13.
1284:Brock 2009
1272:Brock 2002
1227:References
866:doxologies
766:Enūma Eliš
752:Atra-Hasis
602:Atra-Hasis
587:Lugalbanda
529:Shul-utula
409:Mami/Nintu
364:Hendursaga
251:Ereshkigal
246:Enmesharra
1232:Citations
1207:Finally,
896:Structure
745:An = Anum
739:Mythology
681:Ušumgallu
582:Gilgamesh
499:Ninsikila
469:Ningirima
464:Ningirida
319:Asaruludu
206:Nanna/Sin
189:Ninhursag
78:Babylonia
1681:Rhetoric
1530:. Brill.
1104:5.3.1) (
1058:and the
1024:Akkadian
994:doxology
968:Prologue
935:Features
918:Prologue
904:Prologue
883:and the
706:Lamashtu
676:Mušmaḫḫū
607:Ziusudra
577:Enmerkar
524:Sarpanit
504:Ninšubur
479:Ninkilim
444:Ninmarki
419:Maštabba
384:Kajamanu
344:Enbilulu
314:Anunnaki
63:Anatolia
21:a series
19:Part of
1473:Sources
864:in the
858:Aesopic
691:Humbaba
612:Apkallu
592:Shamhat
474:Ninkasi
439:Nindara
354:Erragal
309:Agasaya
286:Ninurta
241:Enkimdu
236:Dumuzid
95:Semitic
90:Iranian
29:Ancient
1610:
1582:
1559:
988:Ending
956:Shulgi
862:adamin
797:Sukkal
792:Dingir
721:Rabisu
716:Pazuzu
646:Edimmu
597:Siduri
572:Enkidu
544:Tišpak
539:Ĺ ulpae
534:Ĺ ubula
509:Ninsun
494:Ninšar
489:Ninmug
484:Ninlil
459:Ningal
454:Ninazu
449:Nisaba
434:Nanshe
429:Namtar
414:Mamitu
374:Isimud
324:Ashnan
291:Ĺ ulpae
281:Nergal
276:Marduk
146:Anshar
142:Kishar
133:Lahamu
124:Tiamat
105:Canaan
100:Arabia
946:Enlil
786:Terms
733:Tales
696:Hanbi
671:Bašmu
651:Siris
567:Adapa
514:Nuska
399:Lisin
389:Lahar
369:Igigi
359:Gibil
329:Ashgi
271:Lahar
261:Kingu
179:Enlil
151:Mummu
137:Lahmu
83:Sumer
1608:ISBN
1580:ISBN
1557:ISBN
840:The
711:Lilu
656:AnzĂ»
641:Asag
631:Udug
549:Uttu
424:Nabu
379:Išum
349:Erra
231:Adad
184:Enki
144:and
135:and
128:Abzu
126:and
1102:CSL
958:in
948:in
844:or
701:Kur
394:Laṣ
334:Bel
174:Anu
1672::
1647:14
1645:.
1634:12
1632:.
1504:.
1500:.
1487:.
1483:.
1441:^
1426:^
1339:^
1252:^
256:Ki
23:on
1616:.
1588:.
1565:.
1506:1
1489:5
1286:.
1274:.
1142:)
1108:)
1100:(
826:e
819:t
812:v
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