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Summary:
For our annual appearance at Vancouver, B.C.'s summer event Illuminares, we presented a Sumerian creation myth involving the cthonic goddess Ereshkigal.
Principle:
This production was based on a portion of the Sumerian Enuma Elish texts, which date back to 2000 B.C.
The portion of the translations we based our production on are as follows:
After
heaven had been moved away from earth,
After earth had been separated from heaven,
After the name of man had been fixed;
After An had carried off heaven,
After Enlil had carried off earth,
After Ereshkigal had been carried off into Kur as its prize;
After he had set sail, after he had set sail,
After the father for Kur had set sail,
After Enki for Kur had set sail;
Against the king the small ones Kur hurled,
Against Enki the large ones it hurled,
Its small ones, stones of the hand,
Its large ones, stones of…. reeds,
The keel of the boat of Enki,
In battle, like the attacking storm, overwhelm;
Against the king, the waters at the head of the boat,
Like a wolf devours,
Against Enki, the water at the rear of the boat,
Like a lion strikes down.
Musical accompaniment was provided by hammered dulcimer player Suzanne Taylor, who incorporated portions of ancient Sumerian sheet music into the piece.
Technical:
This production involved the creation of many large-scale props and set pieces. Kur, the underworld deity, was represented by an 8' long fire-breathing dragon puppet. The tablets of destiny were represented by a hand-held flame projection device, which ignited a fiery sun, moon, and mountain range. Flaming hats, stilts, and body-mounted puppets completed our tale of Ereshkigal and her brother Enki.
Aesthetic:
Costume design was based on ancient Sumerian bas-reliefs, which depicted the gods and their attire. The curved, multi-layered skirts and coats, handmade tassels, and tall headpieces were included in this production.
Maskmaker Roger Wheeler contributed Ereshkigal's horrifying visage, and electrician Terry Robb made Kur's fiery breath possible. Puppeteer Don James provided Kur's battle movements, and Wally Glenn added his large-scale flame projectors as a backdrop for the underworld.
Retrospective:
One of our largest productions to date, the Genesis of Ereshkigal was a very
challenging yet rewarding production.