The Seven Tablets - Second Tablet : Tiamat’s Vengeance and the Rise of Kingu
In the ancient Babylonian mythos of the Enuma Elish, the Second Tablet unveils a dark and turbulent chapter—a time when primordial fury and divine betrayal set the stage for a cosmic showdown.
Tiamat’s Wrath Unleashed
Following the events that shattered the old order, Tiamat, the great saltwater goddess, finds her heart consumed by vengeance. Mourning the loss of Apsû, her consort of fresh waters, she resolves to exact retribution upon the younger gods—her very own children. No longer content with the quiet of primordial chaos, Tiamat meticulously prepares for war. With a mind determined to overturn the divine order, she gathers an unholy army, channeling her grief into a plan that would plunge the cosmos back into the abyss of disorder.
The Dark Legions of Monsters
In her relentless fury, Tiamat conjures a host of nightmarish creatures. With divine craftsmanship, she forms monstrous beings armed with invincible weapons:
- Serpents and Dragons: Vicious, venomous, and awe-inspiring, these creatures strike fear into all who gaze upon them.
- Scorpion-Men and Fish-Men: Hybrid horrors that blur the boundaries between land and water.
- Hurricanes and Tempests: Natural forces of destruction, given form to wreak havoc.
None can withstand the terror these abominations inspire. As her power swells, Tiamat elevates one among her progeny—Kingu. Endowed with the sacred Tablets of Destiny, Kingu is bestowed with supreme authority, becoming the appointed leader of her monstrous legions and the symbol of her defiant rebellion.
A Divine Council in Turmoil
The treacherous designs of Tiamat could not remain concealed. Ea, the wise and sorrowful deity, learns of her plot and is deeply pained by the impending divine strife. Troubled by the news, he seeks the counsel of Anshar, his celestial father and a progenitor of the gods. In a somber recounting, Ea relays how Tiamat’s hatred has united those gods who once stood as her children. Now, these very beings—whom she had created—march in unison with her, fueling the fires of rebellion with their unyielding rage.
The divine realm trembles under the weight of this insurrection. Anshar, witnessing the growing revolt and the catastrophic shift in balance, is filled with both sorrow and determination. The heavens echo with the lamentations of a universe on the brink of chaos.
The Call to Battle
In the midst of this divine crisis, Anshar turns to his own son—a mighty hero destined to challenge the overwhelming force of Tiamat’s rebellion. With paternal urgency, he charges his son to confront the wrathful goddess:
“Stand before Tiamat, that her spirit may be appeased; if she will not hearken, let your word pacify her.”
The hero is urged to harness his strength, to become the avenger of the gods, and to ensure that the fates decreed upon them remain unaltered. His charge is clear: vanquish Tiamat and restore cosmic order, trampling the very neck of chaos beneath his feet.
A Universe Poised on the Edge
With Tiamat’s monstrous legions arrayed and Kingu exalted as the leader of her forces, the celestial battlefield is set. The cosmos, still tender from its recent creation, now faces an existential threat—a war between the old chaos and the nascent order. The Second Tablet of the Enuma Elish captures this moment of profound tension, where the divine order is challenged by a mother's wrath and the destiny of the gods hangs in a delicate balance.
As the heavens await the inevitable clash, the ancient myth beckons us to ponder the timeless struggle between order and chaos—a battle that, in its fury and ferocity, shaped the very foundations of the universe.