'Form follows function'? Rhetoric and Poetic Language in First Millennium Akkadian Incantations
Akkadian incantation texts of the first millennium are linguistically marked, without being composed in a specific 'sacred' or 'divine language'. At the same time, on an ideological level, incantations, in contrast to prayers, were considered to originate from the divine sphere....
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2014
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| In: |
Die Welt des Orients
Year: 2014, Volume: 44, Issue: 2, Pages: 263-288 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Akkadian incantation texts of the first millennium are linguistically marked, without being composed in a specific 'sacred' or 'divine language'. At the same time, on an ideological level, incantations, in contrast to prayers, were considered to originate from the divine sphere. The article discusses the text forms, basic constituents, compositional components and poetic style of first millennium Akkadian incantations used within anti-witchcraft rituals. The use of rhetorical devices and poetic language can in most cases be explained as motivated by the function of the incantations within their ritual context; there are, however, also clear indications of text revisions guided by aesthetic criteria and of a true literarization of the genre. |
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| ISSN: | 2196-9019 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Die Welt des Orients
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