Hymns of the beer goddess Ningkas

"Ode to Ningkas" is not only a song to praise Ningkas, the Sumerian goddess of beer, but also an ancient brewing formula. This hymn was written around 1800 BC, which is undoubtedly much older, which can be proved by its detailed description of technology. Scholars have determined that these techniques were actually used long before this hymn was written.

Paul Kriwaczek, a scholar, said that this hymn reflected "technology a thousand years ago" and pointed out that there were many different kinds of beer and new brewing methods in Mesopotamia at the time of writing this work (83).

Most likely, Ninkasi's hymn was preserved orally, because it has become a popular song and was eventually devoted to writing. The light tone of this poem, as well as the praise of drinks and goddesses, undoubtedly contribute to its preservation.

The Origin of Mesopotamian Beer

The evidence of beer brewing in Mesopotamia can be traced back to 3500-3 BC100 BC, which is located in the settlement of Godint Pessumer in modern Iran. In A.D. 1992, archaeologists discovered chemical traces of beer there, which can be traced back to the middle of 4th century BC. The same place also provides evidence of early brewing, and people think that the idea of brewing beer originated from baking. The obvious fermentation process in grain may be neglected, but it may stimulate the production of wine and beer.

Although this theory has been accepted for a long time, the scholar Stephen Boatman pointed out that grains may actually be specially planted for brewing beer. He wrote:

Although bread is the basis of Mesopotamia's diet, botanist Jonathan D. Sauer said that making bread may not be the initial motivation for growing barley. On the contrary, he believes that the real inducement is beer, which was first discovered when barley grains germinated and stored for fermentation. (292)

However, as Beltermann pointed out, it was first discovered that "beer soon became the favorite drink of ancient Mesopotamia" (292). Although the brewing process will eventually be implemented in the whole region, it started in the small village of Godinetepe and was almost certainly initiated and nurtured by women.

Godin Tepe is the outpost of Sumerians, who first lived in 5000 BC and became an important town and fortress on the famous Silk Road trade route. It is not surprising to find evidence of beer brewing there, because beer was the first choice drink of ancient Sumerians; One of the most common hieroglyphs in Sumerian cuneiform is beer.

Ebla tablet in 2500 BC (discovered in Syria in A.D. 1974) provides evidence that another Sumerian outpost, EBLA, is brewing a lot of beer with many different recipes. Because beer only uses fresh water and must be boiled, it tastes healthier than canal water that may be polluted by animal feces. Scholar Jeremy Black wrote:

Beer has been the staple food in Mesopotamia and its surrounding areas since prehistoric times, because fermentation is an effective way to kill bacteria and water-borne diseases. Even in the earliest written records, since the late 4000 BC, its manufacture has been recorded and controlled by scribes. People from all walks of life drink beer and worship gods and the dead in sacrificial ceremonies. (297)

Beer also contains nutrients that other drinks do not have. As Blake said, it was the staple food in the daily diet of the whole Mesopotamian people. Beer is provided to workers as part of their daily rations (also in Egypt). According to works of art and works, it is a drink enjoyed by the lowest-level workers to the highest-level aristocrats, and it is drunk through straws. Krivacek pointed out:

It seems that there are many kinds of Mesopotamian beer, brewed with different concentrations, flavored with different ingredients and without hops. Generally, it is a negative report in academic literature. The fact that it is often drunk through straws in large containers shows many scholars (as a class, they may have special expertise in beer) that it is full of particles and gravel excluded by straws ... which is absolutely unfair. Sumer beer is carefully filtered. (83)

The straw developed by Babylonians was originally invented by Sumerians, and it was specially used for drinking beer. No matter how carefully the beer is filtered, the straw really seems to free the drinker from the unpleasant experience of drinking beer. Sediment in beer. From the evidence of works of art found all over Mesopotamia, people consume a lot of beer every day with or without sediment, and it has developed from a cottage industry to a profitable commercial enterprise. The Alulu stone tablet from Ur proves the commercialization of beer, which is an ancient receipt for the delivery of beer by the brewer Alulu, dating back to 2050 BC.

The drink of god

Beer is also a drink of God. Ningkasi is both a brewer and the beer itself.

Beer is also God's drink. This can be seen from many myths. For example, in The Poem of Inanna and the God of Wisdom, Inanna, the goddess, was drunk with Ikey, the god of wisdom, and Inanna could deceive him into providing her city with the powerful elements she needed.

In this poem, Jean was drunk and humiliated, while in the poem Jean and Ma Ning, the goddess Ninghelsag was beaten in a drinking game with Jean and lost her prestige. Not being able to "hold your liquor" is often described as a weakness, but beer itself has never been criticized; If the drinker can't keep self-control when drinking, it's the drinker's fault. Beer is created to make people feel relaxed, and the goddess in charge of this promotion is Ningkasi.

Like the goddess Nisaba (the patron saint of grains, accounts, writing and learning), Ningkasi is both a brewer and the beer itself. Nisaba is not only the goddess of grain, but also the real grain. Once she becomes the goddess of words, she is not only the just supervisor of this craft, but also the supervisor of this craft itself. So is Ningkasi. Her spirit and essence are injected into the beer produced under her guidance.

Ningkasi, that is, beer, is related to healing, because she was born with the help of the mother god Ninghelsag, when she was healing Ikey who was sick and dying. When Ninghelsag got rid of Enqi's pain, a new god was born, including Ningkas. Every supernatural creature born in this way continues to bring great benefits to mankind, such as Nanshe, the goddess of social justice and divination, and according to the tradition of Mesopotamia, the clergy who serve God are of the same sex, and the clergy in Nisaba, Nanshe and Ningkasi are all women.

It is not surprising that the priestess of Ningkasi was the earliest brewer, because generally speaking, women brewed beer at home, and men did not take over until the commercial production of this beverage began. In Mesopotamia and Egypt, most ancient descriptions of winemakers were clearly described as women, although once winemaking became a commercial enterprise, men would supervise female winemakers.

Who supervises or brews beer is not important to the goddess herself; Her duty is to provide the best drink possible. It is said that Ningkasi brews fresh beer with the best raw materials every day, and her priestess will follow suit, because this hymn is not only a hymn, but also an explanation of how to brew beer.

Ninkasi's hymn

In an era when few people can read, Ningkasi's hymns, with their steady rhythm, provide a simple way to remember the recipe for brewing beer. One is to start with running water, and then make BAPP PIR (twice baked barley bread) and mix it with honey and dates. After the bread is cooled on the reed mat, it is mixed with water and wine before being put into the fermenter. After the fermentation process is completed, put it into a filtering bucket that makes a pleasant sound, then put it on a collecting bucket properly, and then pour the filtered beer into the tank. According to this hymn, pouring beer is like "the running of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers", which means that like those two rivers,

The following is Miguel Civil's translation of Ninkasi's hymn:

Praise ninkasi

Flowing water

Bearing, gentle care of Leningrad,

Flowing water

Keywords bearing, nursing Ninggur sage,

Built your town by the sacred lake,

She finished it for you.

The Great Wall, Ningkasi, built your town by the sacred lake.

She finished the wall for you,

Your father is Ikey, Lord Nai Dimond,

Your mother is Niti, the queen of the holy lake.

Ninkasi, your father is Ikey, Lord Nedimod,

Your mother is Nintendo, the queen of the holy lake.

You are the one who handles the dough with a big shovel.

Mixed in the pit, with sweet and fragrant Papier,

Ningkasi, you are the one who handles the dough with a big shovel.

Mixed in the pit, BAPP· Pierre's [date]-honey,

You're the one who bakes pies in the big oven,

Finishing piles of grain with shells,

Ningkasi, you are the one who bakes pancakes in the big oven.

Put piles of hulled grain,

You watered the malt on the ground,

Ghost dog love

The king was shut out, Ningkasi, you are the one who watered the malt on the ground.

Your dog even shut the king out,

You soaked the malt in the jar,

The waves rise and fall.

Ningkasi, you soaked the malt in the jar.

The waves are undulating.

You spread the boiled mashed potatoes on the big reed mat,

The cold overcame,

Ningkasi, are you putting the boiled mashed potatoes?

Paste is spread on the big reed mat to overcome the cold.

You have delicious wort in your hand,

Brew with honey and wine

You can sweet wort.

In the container) Ningkas, (...) (You put the sweet wort in the container)

The filter barrel makes a pleasant sound,

You put it in a big collection bucket.

Ninkasi, filter bucket, makes a pleasant sound,

You put it in a big collection bucket.

When you pour the filtered beer out of the collection tank,

For example, the waters of the Tigris River and the Euphrates River.

Ningkasi, the filtered beer you poured out of the collection tank,

This is the current of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

conclusion

This hymn was probably sung by ancient Sumerians while brewing beer, and then passed on to their apprentices by the master brewer. In ancient Mesopotamia, beer was highly valued. Once this beer is produced commercially, a professional brewer will feel very comfortable. However, even before that, even home brewers could live a comfortable life by exchanging high-quality beer for other items. Bertman quoted a Sumerian proverb to emphasize this point, which holds that "people who don't know beer don't know what good wine is". There are more than 70 kinds of beer in Babylon alone (292).

As mentioned above, beer is consumed every day, but it is consumed in large quantities in religious festivals and celebrations. Samuel Noah Kramer, an orientalist, pointed out that "beer has sacred and lofty qualities for Sumerian poets and saints", and as pointed out, it is the drink of the gods (11). Ninkasi's name literally translates as "Lady with a Mouth". Beer is considered to have healing and upgrading qualities, which can only improve one's life.

Kramer wrote, "Although she was a goddess born in sparkling fresh water, her first love was beer" (11). Ningkasi's love for beer and her concern for her craft provided the mortal with a divine drink, which is still the case today. In 2006, Jaimie Floyd and Nikos Ridge established Ningkasi Brewing Company in Eugene, Oregon, USA, to produce highly respected high-quality beer. It proves that Ningkasi's name and her products are still as important and popular today as in ancient Mesopotamia.