- Decad (Sumerian texts)
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The Decad is a name given to a standard sequence of ten scribal training scripts in ancient Sumer.[1]
Several literary catalogues of tablets have been found, normally used for administration of a library.[2] The Decad was instead found to have been written on a curricular clay tablet from ancient Nippur (P), forming the first of six grouped sections of around ten entries. This totals sixty two in all, fifty five of which have been identified and translated.[1] Another curricular list was found from an unknown origin (L), was credibly identified and compared with the one from Nippur. Another source exists (U) which is slightly adapted from (P) and (L). Whilst the first ten texts were the same in each case, the extended lists differed in areas suggesting that once scribes had completed set core works they continued their studies in a less rigid order.[3] Steve Tinney suggested the sequence of texts includes the Kesh temple hymn and Hymn to Enlil. Steve Tinney commented "the Decad constituted a required program of literary learning, used almost without exception throughout Babylonia. The Decad thus included almost all literary types available in Sumerian."[3][4]
Steve Tinney also identified another group of compositions of an even more basic introductory level, which he called the Tetrad. This consisted of four brief hymns that would have introduced students to various aspects of Sumerian grammar; it was only occasionally used by some teachers. The Tetrad includes a Hymn to king Lipit-Estar of Isin, Iddin Dagan B, Enil Bani A and Nisaba A. Tinney noted that these hymns were often found together as a collection, occasionally on a single tablet or prism.[3] Herman Vanstiphout suggested that these were "easier pieces" or "teaching texts" as they did not feature in the larger catalogues. He noted that the debates did not feature in either as they were more complex in form.[5]
The Decad is shown below.
Number Title Description 1 Hymn to Shulgi (Shulgi A) Royal hymn 2 Lipit-Estar A Royal hymn 3 Song of the hoe Composition around the sign AL = "hoe" 4 Inana B Hymn to Inana or Ninmesara 5 Hymn to Enlil (Enlil A) Hymn to Enlil or Enlilsurase 6 Kesh Temple Hymn Temple hymn 7 Enki's Journey to Nippur Narrative composition 8 Inana and Ebih Narrative composition 9 Nungal A Hymn to 'lady prison' 10 Gilgamesh and Huwawa Narrative composition References
- ^ a b Jeremy A. Black; Jeremy Black; Graham Cunningham; Eleanor Robson (13 April 2006). The Literature of Ancient Sumer. Oxford University Press. pp. 301–. ISBN 9780199296330. http://books.google.com/books?id=a1W2mTtGVV4C&pg=PA301. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ Samuel Noah Kramer (1942). The oldest literary catalogue: a Sumerian list of literary compositions compiled about 2000 B.C.. http://books.google.com/books?id=Wts_HQAACAAJ. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ^ a b c Niek Veldhuis (2004). Religion, literature, and scholarship: the Sumerian composition Nanše and the birds, with a catalogue of Sumerian bird names. BRILL. pp. 63–. ISBN 9789004139503. http://books.google.com/books?id=4kPs3vicwI4C&pg=PA63. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ Tinney, Steve., On the Curricular Setting of Sumerian Literature, Iraq 61: 159-172. Forthcoming Elementary Sumerian Literary Texts. MC.
- ^ G. J. Dorleijn; Herman L. J. Vanstiphout (1 September 2003). Cultural repertoires: structure, function, and dynamics. Peeters Publishers. pp. 15–. ISBN 9789042912991. http://books.google.com/books?id=hpda9JwwAPYC&pg=PA15. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
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