35. Λητοῦς, θυμίαμα σμύρναν.
To Leto
Divine connection: myrrh
Λητὼ κυανόπεπλε, θεὰ διδυματόκε, σεμνή,
Leto[1], cyan-robed[2] Goddess of revered twins[3],
Κοιαντίς, μεγάθυμε, πολυλλίστη βασίλεια,
Koios’[4] child, greatly impasssioned, much-entreated Basileia[5],
εὔτεκνον Ζηνὸς γονίμην ὠδῖνα λαχοῦσα,
Fertile Zeus’ fair offspring[6] birth travail her lot
γειναμένη Φοῖβόν τε καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ἰοχέαιραν,
From the generative power of Phoibe[7] to Artemis[8], arrow-shooting,
τὴν μὲν ἐν Ὀρτυγίηι, τὸν δὲ κραναῆι ἐνὶ Δήλωι,
Extending from Ortygia[9] to the rocks of Delos.
κλῦθι, θεὰ δέσποινα, καὶ ἵλαον ἦτορ ἔχουσα
I call, Goddess, ruler[10], and give heartfelt offerings,
βαῖν' ἐπὶ πάνθειον τελετὴν τέλος ἡδὺ φέρουσα.
Dancing upon the pantheon’s initiation complete, sweetly borne.
Note: Leto’s parents are the God of the heavenly pole (Koios) and the Goddess of divine inspiration (Phoibe) and Leto gave birth to twins: the Goddess of independence (Artemis) and the God of inspiration (Apollo), both characterized as skilled archers. It should be noted that both Leto and Artemis are called upon to aid in parturition.
[1] Leto (Λητὼ) is a Goddess most known for her very difficult birth travail when giving birth to twins: the Goddess Artemis and the God Apollo. Leto’s name literally means “loosen (Λ) + center (η) + stretch/extend (τ) + bring-forth (ὼ).”
[2] Cyan, also called lapis lazuli, is dark blue with silver highlights. The lapis lazuli gemstone appears frequently in ancient jewelry and art of Mesopotamia and the Mediterannean. The Sumerian Corpus refers to the holy afterbirth container made of lapis lazuli and the lapis-lazuli measuring tape.
"Aruru . . . the lady of giving birth, is to get the holy birth-bricks as her prerogative. She is to carry off the lancet for umbilical cords, the special sand and leeks. She is to get the sila-ĝara bowl of translucent lapis lazuli (in which to place the afterbirth). She is to carry off the holy consecrated ala vessel. She is to be the midwife of the land! The birthing of kings and lords is to be in her hands."
From: Enki and the world order: c.1.1.3
Note: The “holy birth-bricks” are the bricks squatted upon during birth-giving.
"My illustrious sister, holy Nisaba, is to get the measuring-reed. The lapis-lazuli measuring tape is to hang over her arm. She is to proclaim all the great powers. She is to demarcate boundaries and mark borders. She is to be the scribe of the Land."
From: Enki and the world order: c.1.1.3
(Sumerian is the first language for which we have written evidence and its literature the earliest known. The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), a project of the University of Oxford, comprises a selection of nearly 400 literary compositions recorded on sources which come from ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and date to the late third and early second millennia BCE (2300-1700 BCE.)
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/ )
[3] Leto is the mother of the twins Artemis, Goddess of independence, and Apollo, God of inspiration.
[4] The Titan God Koios, Leto’s father, is also called Polos ("of the northern pole"), and presides over the heavenly pillar of the north.
[5] Basileia means Queen.
[6] Zeus, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life, is the father of Leto’s children.
[7] The Titan Goddess Phoibe, Leto’s mother, presides over the navel of the earth at Delphi and the divine inspiration derived there. The name Phoibe (Φοῖβόν) literally means “divinely-animated entity (Φο) + divine-power (ῖ) + base (β) όν.”
[8] Artemis is a Goddess of the hunt and a virgin Goddess, emblematic of her independence.
[9] Ortygia, “Quail Island,” is an ancient name for the island of Delos and many other islands. Some traditions hold that Artemis was born on Ortygia and Apollo on Delos.
[10] A despot is a ruler who has absolute power.
To Leto
Divine connection: myrrh
Λητὼ κυανόπεπλε, θεὰ διδυματόκε, σεμνή,
Leto[1], cyan-robed[2] Goddess of revered twins[3],
Κοιαντίς, μεγάθυμε, πολυλλίστη βασίλεια,
Koios’[4] child, greatly impasssioned, much-entreated Basileia[5],
εὔτεκνον Ζηνὸς γονίμην ὠδῖνα λαχοῦσα,
Fertile Zeus’ fair offspring[6] birth travail her lot
γειναμένη Φοῖβόν τε καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ἰοχέαιραν,
From the generative power of Phoibe[7] to Artemis[8], arrow-shooting,
τὴν μὲν ἐν Ὀρτυγίηι, τὸν δὲ κραναῆι ἐνὶ Δήλωι,
Extending from Ortygia[9] to the rocks of Delos.
κλῦθι, θεὰ δέσποινα, καὶ ἵλαον ἦτορ ἔχουσα
I call, Goddess, ruler[10], and give heartfelt offerings,
βαῖν' ἐπὶ πάνθειον τελετὴν τέλος ἡδὺ φέρουσα.
Dancing upon the pantheon’s initiation complete, sweetly borne.
Note: Leto’s parents are the God of the heavenly pole (Koios) and the Goddess of divine inspiration (Phoibe) and Leto gave birth to twins: the Goddess of independence (Artemis) and the God of inspiration (Apollo), both characterized as skilled archers. It should be noted that both Leto and Artemis are called upon to aid in parturition.
[1] Leto (Λητὼ) is a Goddess most known for her very difficult birth travail when giving birth to twins: the Goddess Artemis and the God Apollo. Leto’s name literally means “loosen (Λ) + center (η) + stretch/extend (τ) + bring-forth (ὼ).”
[2] Cyan, also called lapis lazuli, is dark blue with silver highlights. The lapis lazuli gemstone appears frequently in ancient jewelry and art of Mesopotamia and the Mediterannean. The Sumerian Corpus refers to the holy afterbirth container made of lapis lazuli and the lapis-lazuli measuring tape.
"Aruru . . . the lady of giving birth, is to get the holy birth-bricks as her prerogative. She is to carry off the lancet for umbilical cords, the special sand and leeks. She is to get the sila-ĝara bowl of translucent lapis lazuli (in which to place the afterbirth). She is to carry off the holy consecrated ala vessel. She is to be the midwife of the land! The birthing of kings and lords is to be in her hands."
From: Enki and the world order: c.1.1.3
Note: The “holy birth-bricks” are the bricks squatted upon during birth-giving.
"My illustrious sister, holy Nisaba, is to get the measuring-reed. The lapis-lazuli measuring tape is to hang over her arm. She is to proclaim all the great powers. She is to demarcate boundaries and mark borders. She is to be the scribe of the Land."
From: Enki and the world order: c.1.1.3
(Sumerian is the first language for which we have written evidence and its literature the earliest known. The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), a project of the University of Oxford, comprises a selection of nearly 400 literary compositions recorded on sources which come from ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and date to the late third and early second millennia BCE (2300-1700 BCE.)
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature
http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/ )
[3] Leto is the mother of the twins Artemis, Goddess of independence, and Apollo, God of inspiration.
[4] The Titan God Koios, Leto’s father, is also called Polos ("of the northern pole"), and presides over the heavenly pillar of the north.
[5] Basileia means Queen.
[6] Zeus, the immortal God of lightning storms and the spark of fire/spark of life, is the father of Leto’s children.
[7] The Titan Goddess Phoibe, Leto’s mother, presides over the navel of the earth at Delphi and the divine inspiration derived there. The name Phoibe (Φοῖβόν) literally means “divinely-animated entity (Φο) + divine-power (ῖ) + base (β) όν.”
[8] Artemis is a Goddess of the hunt and a virgin Goddess, emblematic of her independence.
[9] Ortygia, “Quail Island,” is an ancient name for the island of Delos and many other islands. Some traditions hold that Artemis was born on Ortygia and Apollo on Delos.
[10] A despot is a ruler who has absolute power.
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