Female Sage In Mia

The Female “Sage” in Mesopotamian Literature (with an Appendix on Egypt) Group 1 Report

General Outline 1. Fundamental Question 2. Context: Mesopotamia 3. Definition of the term “Sage” 4. Proofs of “Women Sages” 5. Sages in Egypt 7. Conclusion 8. Guide/Key Questions

1. Fundamental Question • Where there women Sages? • What is the relevance of searching the roles of women in the Wisdom movement?

2. Context: Mesopotamia

2. Context: Mesopotamia  Roles: Culture •

As a traditional PATRIARCHAL culture • •

•

Men – assumed leadership in the community Women – muted group yet central and crucial at home, family, and domestic life.

Education: significant avenue to power and status

 Finding: •

Questionable: Women “Sages”? (even a contradiction in Ancient Near East world)

3. Definition of the Term “Sage” • One who has composed a book or piece belonging to the wisdom literature of the ANE (J. Gammie & L. Perdue) • Scribe as bureaucrat, poet, and scholar (R. Harris)

3. Definition of the Term “Sage” • Any person who routinely performs one or more of the following tasks associated with the wisdom tradition: authorship, scribal duties (copying, collecting, editing) counseling, management of economic resources, conflict resolution, teaching, and healing. (C. Fontane) • Therefore, it has something to do with WISDOM.

3. Definition of the Term “Sage” • Sages – used for MEN ONLY since women are hidden and not culture creators. • Yet we find activities of some female “sages” though in varied degrees. • Solution: Exploration of the various meanings of the term WISE / WISDOM might help in unveiling matters about female “Sages”.

3. Definition of the Term “Sage” • WISDOM: – nēmequ – means knowledge, experience, wisdom (referring to the body of experiences, knowledge, skills and traditions which are the basis of a craft or occupation, or form the basis of civilization as a whole), skill, cunning. (CAD - Chicago Assyrian Dictionary)

• emqu (Adj.) – means experienced, skilled, educated, wise, wily. • emiqtu & emuqtu – “housekeeper”; imply that the woman who manages a household is a prudent woman.

3. Definition of the Term “Sage” • WISDOM: – mētis (Gk) – implies a complex but very coherent body of mental attitudes and intellectual behavior which combine flair, wisdom, forethought, subtlety in mind, deception, resourcefulness, vigilance, opportunism, various skills and experiences acquired over the years. (CAD) – hokmâ (Heb) – has incorporated a similar diversity of meanings.

3. Definition of the Term “Sage” • WISDOM: – Hence, though sporadically and meagerly, it can be attested that female “sages” or its counterpart existed. – It is therefore within the parameters of the manifold connotations of the wise/wisdom vocabulary that the activities of the female “sage” are accessible to us in varrying degrees.

4. Various Activities of Female “Sages” 4.1.) 4.2.) 4.3.) 4.4.) 4.5.) 4.6.) 4.7.)

As Bureaucrat As Poetess As Scholar As Performing Artist As Healers As Mantics As Counselors

4.1. As Bureaucrat – The bureaucrat is connected with two great organizations: • Palace • Temple

– These two require mastery of reading and writing. – Evidence: A goddess Nisaba • The patron goddess of scribes and scribal art • A lady with cunning intelligence

4.1. As Bureaucrat – Evidence/ reference to female scribe: • She was a slave girl who belong to the temple force. • The “naditu” women of the cloister (gagu) of Sippar who served as scribes (as recorders and witnesses); daughters of scribes. • Acted as recorder of and witnesses to the transactions of naditu women only (During the Old Babylonian period) • Naditus also served in other official capacities in the cloister administration. • According to the Mari text: – 10 women did serve as scribes (work in the harem, probably as slaves or low status)

4.2. As Poetess – Rarely attested to in the texts. But there are some considered as poetess such as: – Enheduanna: • High priestess of the moon god Nanna, the remarkable daughter of Akkadian ruler Sargon • She wrote and compiled a collection of Sumerian hymns to temples

4.2. As Poetess – Four centuries later, another princess/ priestess/poetess was Ninshatapada • A daughter of Sin-Kashid who was founder of Old Babylonian dynasty of Uruk. • She composed the letter prayer and wrote to Rim- Sin of Larsa • Later this letter became part of the Scribal curriculum.

– The women of Sumer: • A moving lament to Ur- Nammu, composed by his widow.

4.2. As Poetess – The wife of king Shulgi of Ur: • Possible author of a lullaby to her son, the future king.

– Lullabies and love songs, domain of women. The question remains whether women would have been able to write down all these?

4.3. As Scholar – A fragment of the vocabulary text Proto á= A is known from its colophon to have been written by a female scribe named Belti-remenni. • She was a nadītu of the Sippar cloister. • Probably she wrote an extant literary tablet. • The naditu scribes did not only serve the needs of their cloister nadītus but also other celibates such as the entu priestesses Enheduanna and Nidhatapada who lived outside of the embroilment of wifely and motherly demand. They devoted to learning and scholarship as did many medieval nuns.

4.4. As Performing Artist – In dance and music – The playing of complex musical instrument and the composing of songs as part of learning. – The royal and upper class women received instruction in singing and playing musical instruments as part of their education.

4.5. As Healers – Female healer here considered as informal practitioners to operate within the home and not fit to our modern medical knowledge. – Mesopotamian medicine was a type of folk medicine which composed of native herbs of many kinds. – There were two kinds: • Scientific (more for male) • Practical (more for female)

4.5. As Healers – Very rare reference to female physician (asātu), only found in: • In the palace at Larsa (Old Babylonian period) • In a Mari letter

– The status and training of midwife was undoubtedly important throughout Mesopotamian history but not known. In Babylon, they are known as “wise women” – Late Babylonian poem mentioned the naditu women who with skill saved the foetus, but it is unknown if the naditu is a midwife or not. – Could be equivalent to modern gynecologist/ obstetrician/ Pediatrician… – Taught by mothers to daughters/ relatives.

4.6. As Mantics – The rubric of female “sage’ is the mantic. – Men: divination and profession of diviner (baru) are central. – Diviner’s lore, the wisdom (nemēqu) of the gods Shamash and Adad, was closed to women • Goddess Gula: wise woman, diviner, an exorcist

4.6. As Mantics – One old Assyrian reference to a group of female diviner (bariatu). • Ninsun, divine mother of Gilgamesh, dream interpreter • however, this was “more interpretive than technical,” hence did not require scribal training. • Goddess Nanshe: patroness of dream interpretation.

– Later Assyrian period: women might have a far greater propensity for sorcery than do men. A rich vocabulary exists for witches and sorceresses who were thought to possess great powers and esoteric knowledge.

4.7. As Counselors – Role of women of intelligence and cunning; advising and assisting men in their activities and enterprise. – Women of Mari – Kiru: the princess giving advice to her father on political matters.

5. Female “Sage” in Egypt • R. J. Williams: – Girls in Egypt received training in specialized arts like singing, dancing, and playing of musical instruments. – Received the same type of education as boys yet no evidence that they attended schools alongside the boys. Maybe Private tutoring.

• J. Baines – Not more than 1 percent of the population was literate. Women were not included because it was presumed.

• C. J. Eyre – No normal iconographic or textual context in which women would be presented as writing.

• Betsy M. Bryan – Some women played typical public roles: • Hatshepsut – Queen of Egypt (1486-1468 BCE) • Tiy – Queen and Wife of Amenhotep III • Nefertiti – 14th Century BCE, Queen of Egypt and Wife of Akhenaton

5. Female “Sage” in Egypt • As Bureaucrat ( Baines, Eyre, & Bryan) : – Are prepared to allow for literate women’s contribution to “high culture” and accept the possibility that women wrote letters and composed poetry.

• As Scribe: – Goddess Seshat: patroness of scribes and writing.

• As Performing Artist: – Songstresses of Hathor, goddess of love.

5. Female “Sage” in Egypt • As Healers: – meager evidence exists. There was a naming of an overseer female physician – Peseshet.

• As Mantics (and healing): – Goddess Isis: healed her injured son Horus. • Refers to herself as the knowing one who was taught by her father how to dispel the poisonous snake by her oral powers. • Diviner and healer in Egyptian society.

6. Conclusions

7. Guide/Key Questions • • •

Why is it difficult to ascertain definitively that there were women “sages”?. How would you describe the status of women in Ancient Mesopotamia? What were the different Roles of Women that we can ascribe as activities of “Sages”?

•

Can you find common characteristics among these roles? Which role could be closest to the truth?

5.

Did women “sages” play the same roles as those in Mesopotamia?

6. What is the relevance of ascribing women as sages (wisdom figure)?

Maraming Salamat! Thank you very much! Daghang Salamat!