Music and the Public Image of Kings in Ancient Mesopotamia. Reflections on Sulgi B & C and Išmē-Dagān A+V

The kings Sulgi of Ur and Išmē-Dagān of Isin claimed to be excellent musicians in several of their hymns of (self) praise (Sulgi B: 154–174; Sulgi C: B 75–92; Išmē-Dagān A+V: 367–377). Scholarly attention has typically focused on the references to musical instruments and songs in these texts. However, a closer look at the verbs modifying the technical terms in these excerpts may reveal interesting information about which musical contents were relevant for Mesopotamian rulers and how they should have been learned. For example, the expected verbs to describe the action of singing (e.g., ser3 “to sing”) or playing musical instruments (e.g., šu … tag and du12, both “to play”) are never used. On the contrary, the most frequently used verbs are those that allude to theoretical skills perhaps in addition to practical knowledge of these songs and instruments (zu “to know”, in addition to ša3 … dab5 “to understand the essentials,” even šu … gid2 “to accept”). It is argued here that the use of these knowledge verbs could be intentional. By emphasizing musical knowledge over pure practice, Sulgi and Išmē-Dagān would easily stand out from the other musicians of their kingdoms, who, among others, tended to be illiterate. At the same time, the kings would not lose prestige among their subjects for their efforts to master music, perhaps in order to have a privileged perspective on the rituals and ceremonies in which music was used.