Ancient Ghost Stories

Introduction

Some months ago, I was walking with friends in rural Perthshire, mountains looming in the distance, on a road said to be Roman. I don’t remember how the subject of ghosts came up, but one of my friends, who was a chef, told us about a colleague of his who had worked at an old manor house turned hotel. A little girl came into the kitchen while he was preparing breakfast and asked if she could help with anything. He said no thank you, and later remarked to the guests how polite and sweet she was. None of the guests had a daughter and he was told by other staff members that the little girl was a ghost who often appeared. This memory came into my head when writing this introduction, as it seemed to have more in common with ancient ghost stories than the spooky ones that get told in modern times. In many of these ancient stories, ghosts are not terrifying, but ever present, an everyday fact of life. Ghosts appear here not just as the disembodied once living, but reanimated corpses, spirits, demons and invisible beings. The stories have been passed down by scribes, on clay tablets and pot shards, sitting silently in museums.

In the ancient world, the ghosts of Trojan soldiers are common enough to be weather forecasters (if the ghostly soldiers are dusty, it means drought, if sweaty, rain) and the Underworld is accessible through doors and holes – the first three tales in the collection, from ancient Sumer, bring us down into the Underworld, a theme later repeated in an excerpt from Homer’s Odyssey. Most interestingly, the dead appearing in dreams or ‘visions’ of any sort are counted as just as real an encounter with ghosts as during lucid, waking hours. By this standard, most contemporary readers have seen ghosts: dead grandparents and friends appearing in our dreams, grief dancing them around in our unconscious.

In one example from ancient Rome (‘Quintilian’s Tenth Declamation’), a bereaved mother’s son comes and cuddles her in her dreams. Her husband isn’t pleased his son has left the Underworld – you can either read him as cruel or as mindful of his wife’s mental peace – and hires a sorcerer to put spells on the boy’s tomb to lock him in. The son, trapped, bashes his soul against his grave, unable to visit his mother or anyone.

It is not just the ghosts of humans who appear in dreams: in another Roman story by Virgil, ‘The Culex’, a shepherd kills a gnat who then appears in his dream. The gnat, who saved the shepherd from a snake he didn’t see, berates the shepherd and describes the horrors of the Underworld. The shepherd, when he wakes, builds a monument to the gnat, with offerings to appease his spirit.

The dead who don’t have proper burials or offerings come to complain, or are called upon for advice. A husband (Periander, see ‘Afterlife Fashion’) has to ‘give’ his dead wife nice new clothes by burning them on a pyre before she will give him some useful counsel. Ghosts annoyingly get in the way of digging canals in Nero’s Rome, and must be ignored. They will eat and drink with people, or they must be fed with offerings. They will save their lives and cut their hair. They cause joy along with fear.

In Peru, spirits are often embodied in fetish objects. Lakes and mountains were places where ancestors crossed over to the next world. In Japan, ghosts appear as balls of fire with faces (they can be benign or vengeful), while in Greece and India, it is required to burn bodies in order for the spirits to find peace and pass on. In China, ghosts are everywhere and ever present and ever influencing though they cannot be seen or heard. In ancient Greece, ghost sightings trigger the same excitement as our era’s celebrity sightings: there goes dead Achilles! Did you see him? Hector too! And the Emperor Nero!

Nowhere does the line between the dead and the living become more transparent than in ancient Egypt. In ‘Setne and the Mummies’, a boy walks into a tomb to steal a magical book from the dead, The Book of Thoth. A family are waiting there, dead but living, and warn him not to take it as it killed all three of them. Setne does by force, but when he suffers nightmares, and under the advice of his father, returns the book. Ancient Ghost Stories also includes a description of Egyptian burial practices, the idea of the afterlife bound up in materiality: the dead are preserved and given food for the afterlife to continue as they were in their tombs.

The stories can also be humorous; in ‘An Account of Reanimation’, the Roman writer Apuleius, the comedic writer of The Golden Ass, has a corpse breathing again, brought back to life, simply to ask the magician why they have done so.

Others are romantic. In ‘The Brahman and His Bride’, a young man whose bride dies after stepping on a snake gives half his life to bring her back from the celestial regions, and they live happily for a shorter period than the average life, but preferable to a longer life alone.

As someone who writes weird or peculiar stories, instead of horror, I felt a particular affinity with these sad, touching, funny and mostly unfrightening stories (the one exception to unfrightening being ‘The Drowning of Thorkell’ from the The Laxdaela Saga, in which ‘blue and evil bones’ are found under the floorboards of a house, the cause of an apparition crawling over people in their sleep and dropping a hot mysterious liquid on them). These ancient stories will appeal to readers of Gogol or Kafka. They are intimately human, and make us question our own distant relationship with death and the dead. Going back to my walk in Perthshire: the difference between that ghost story and these was indeed the distance: I did not know if my friend telling the story believed it, it was a classic ‘friend of a friend’ tale, in a world where belief in the afterlife is uncommon. These ancient stories bridge the gap between the living and the dead for the modern reader.

Camilla Grudova

Sumerian Stories of the Netherworld

Ancient Sumerian Scribe

The following three stories have been translated from ancient clay tablets, revealing a circular and almost musical style of expression which the anonymous scribe or scribes used in recording these ancient Sumerian tales of the afterlife and the spirit realm.

Inana’s Descent to the Netherworld

From the great heaven she set her mind on the great below. From the great heaven the goddess set her mind on the great below. From the great heaven Inana set her mind on the great below. My mistress abandoned heaven, abandoned earth, and descended to the Underworld. Inana abandoned heaven, abandoned earth, and descended to the Underworld.

She abandoned the office of en, abandoned the office of lagar, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the E-ana in Unug, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the E-muc-kalama in Bad-tibira, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the Giguna in Zabalam, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the E-cara in Adab, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the Barag-dur-jara in Nibru, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the Hursaj-kalama in Kic, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the E-Ulmac in Agade, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the Ibgal in Umma, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the E-Dilmuna in Urim, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the Amac-e-kug in Kisiga, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the E-ecdam-kug in Jirsu, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the E-sig-mece-du in Isin, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the Anzagar in Akcak, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the Nijin-jar-kug in Curuppag, and descended to the Underworld. She abandoned the E-cag-hula in Kazallu, and descended to the Underworld.

She took the seven divine powers. She collected the divine powers and grasped them in her hand. With the good divine powers, she went on her way. She put a turban, headgear for the open country, on her head. She took a wig for her forehead. She hung small lapis lazuli beads around her neck.

She placed twin egg-shaped beads on her breast. She covered her body with a pala dress, the garment of ladyship. She placed mascara which is called Let a man come, let him come on her eyes. She pulled the pectoral which is called Come, man, come over her breast. She placed a golden ring on her hand. She held the lapis lazuli measuring rod and measuring line in her hand.

Inana travelled towards the Underworld. Her minister Nincubura travelled behind her.

Holy Inana said to Nincubura: "Come, my faithful minister of E-ana, my minister who speaks fair words, my escort who speaks trustworthy words.

"On this day I will descend to the Underworld. When I have arrived in the Underworld, make a lament for me on the ruin mounds. Beat the drum for me in the sanctuary. Make the rounds of the houses of the gods for me.

"Lacerate your eyes for me, lacerate your nose for me. Lacerate your ears for me, in public. In private, lacerate your buttocks for me. Like a pauper, clothe yourself in a single garment and all alone set your foot in the E-kur, the house of Enlil.

"When you have entered the E-kur, the house of Enlil, lament before Enlil: ‘Father Enlil, don’t let anyone kill your daughter in the Underworld. Don’t let your precious metal be alloyed there with the dirt of the Underworld. Don’t let your precious lapis lazuli be split there with the mason’s stone. Don’t let your boxwood be chopped up there with the carpenter’s wood. Don’t let young lady Inana be killed in the Underworld.’

"If Enlil does not help you in this matter, go to Urim. In the E-mud-kura at Urim, when you have entered the E-kic-nu-jal, the house of Nanna, lament before Nanna: ‘Father Nanna, don’t let anyone kill your daughter in the Underworld. Don’t let your precious metal be alloyed there with the dirt of the Underworld. Don’t let your precious lapis lazuli be split there with the mason’s stone. Don’t let your boxwood be chopped up there with the carpenter’s wood. Don’t let young lady Inana be killed in the Underworld.’

"And if Nanna does not help you in this matter, go to Eridug. In Eridug, when you have entered the house of Enki, lament before Enki: ‘Father Enki, don’t let anyone kill your daughter in the Underworld. Don’t let your precious metal be alloyed there with the dirt of the Underworld. Don’t let your precious lapis lazuli be split there with the mason’s stone. Don’t let your boxwood be chopped up there with the carpenter’s wood. Don’t let young lady Inana be killed in the Underworld.’

Father Enki, the lord of great wisdom, knows about the life-giving plant and the life-giving water. He is the one who will restore me to life.

When Inana travelled on towards the Underworld, her minister Nincubura travelled on behind her. She said to her minister Nincubura: Go now, my Nincubura, and pay attention. Don’t neglect the instructions I gave you.

When Inana arrived at the palace Ganzer, she pushed aggressively on the door of the Underworld. She shouted aggressively at the gate of the Underworld: Open up, doorman, open up. Open up, Neti, open up. I am all alone and I want to come in.

Neti, the chief doorman of the Underworld, answered holy Inana: Who are you?

I am Inana going to the east.

If you are Inana going to the east, why have you travelled to the land of no return? How did you set your heart on the road whose traveller never returns?

Holy Inana answered him: Because lord Gud-gal-ana, the husband of my elder sister holy Erec-ki-gala, has died; in order to have his funeral rites observed, she offers generous libations at his wake – that is the reason.

Neti, the chief doorman of the Underworld, answered holy Inana: Stay here, Inana. I will speak to my mistress. I will speak to my mistress Erec-ki-gala and tell her what you have said.

Neti, the chief doorman of the Underworld, entered the house of his mistress Erec-ki-gala and said: "My mistress, there is a lone girl outside. It is Inana, your sister, and she has arrived at the palace Ganzer. She pushed aggressively on the door of the Underworld. She shouted aggressively at the gate of the Underworld. She has abandoned E-ana and has descended to the Underworld.

"She has taken the seven divine powers. She has collected the divine powers and grasped them in her hand. She has come on her way with all the good divine powers. She has put a turban, headgear for the open country, on her head. She has taken a wig for her forehead. She has hung small lapis lazuli beads around her neck.

"She has placed twin egg-shaped beads on her breast. She has covered her body with the pala dress of ladyship. She has placed mascara which is called Let a man come on her eyes. She has pulled the pectoral which is called Come, man, come over her breast. She has placed a golden ring on her hand. She is holding the lapis lazuli measuring rod and measuring line in her hand."

When she heard this, Erec-ki-gala slapped the side of her thigh. She bit her lip and took the words to heart. She said to Neti, her chief doorman: Come Neti, my chief doorman of the Underworld, don’t neglect the instructions I will give you. Let the seven gates of the Underworld be bolted. Then let each door of the palace Ganzer be opened separately. As for her, after she has entered, and crouched down and had her clothes removed, they will be carried away.

Neti, the chief doorman of the Underworld, paid attention to the instructions of his mistress. He bolted the seven gates of the Underworld. Then he opened each of the doors of the palace Ganzer separately. He said to holy Inana: Come on, Inana, and enter.

And when Inana entered, the lapis lazuli measuring rod and measuring line were removed from her hand; when she entered the first gate, the turban, headgear for the open country, was removed from her head. What is this?

Be satisfied, Inana, a divine power of the Underworld has been fulfilled. Inana, you must not open your mouth against the rites of the Underworld.

When she entered the second gate, the small lapis lazuli beads were removed from her neck. What is this?

Be satisfied, Inana, a divine power of the Underworld has been fulfilled. Inana, you must not open your mouth against the rites of the Underworld.

When she entered the third gate, the twin egg-shaped beads were removed from her breast. What is this?

Be satisfied, Inana, a divine power of the Underworld has been fulfilled. Inana, you must not open your mouth against the rites of the Underworld.

When she entered the fourth gate, the Come, man, come pectoral was removed from her breast. What is this?

Be satisfied, Inana, a divine power of the Underworld has been fulfilled. Inana, you must not open your mouth against the rites of the Underworld.

When she entered the fifth gate, the golden ring was removed from her hand. What is this?

Be satisfied, Inana, a divine power of the Underworld has been fulfilled. Inana, you must not open your mouth against the rites of the Underworld.

When she entered the sixth gate, the lapis lazuli measuring rod and measuring line were removed from her hand. What is this?

Be satisfied, Inana, a divine power of the Underworld has been fulfilled. Inana, you must not open your mouth against the rites of the Underworld.

When she entered the seventh gate, the pala dress, the garment of ladyship, was removed from her body. What is this?

Be satisfied, Inana, a divine power of the Underworld has been fulfilled. Inana, you must not open your mouth against the rites of the Underworld.

After she had crouched down and had her clothes removed, they were carried away. Then she made her sister Erec-ki-gala rise from her throne, and instead she sat on her throne. The Anuna, the seven judges, rendered their decision against her. They looked at her – it was the look of death. They spoke to her – it was the speech of anger. They shouted at her – it was the shout of heavy guilt. The afflicted woman was turned into a corpse. And the corpse was hung on a hook.

After three days and three nights had passed, her minister Nincubura, her minister who speaks fair words, her escort who speaks trustworthy words, carried out the instructions of her mistress.

She made a lament for her in her ruined (houses). She beat the drum for her in the sanctuaries. She made the rounds of the houses of the gods for her. She lacerated her eyes for her; she lacerated her nose. In private she lacerated her buttocks for her. Like a pauper, she clothed herself in a single garment, and all alone she set her foot in the E-kur, the house of Enlil.

When she had entered the E-kur, the house of Enlil, she lamented before Enlil: Father Enlil, don’t let anyone kill your daughter in the Underworld. Don’t let your precious metal be alloyed there with the dirt of the Underworld. Don’t let your precious lapis lazuli be split there with the mason’s stone. Don’t let your boxwood be chopped up there with the carpenter’s wood. Don’t let young lady Inana be killed in the Underworld.

In his rage father Enlil answered Nincubura: My daughter craved the great heaven and she craved the great below as well. Inana craved the great heaven and she craved the great below as well. The divine powers of the Underworld are divine powers which should not be craved, for whoever gets them must remain in the Underworld. Who, having got to that place, could then expect to come up again?

Thus father Enlil did not help in this matter, so she went to Urim. In the E-mud-kura at Urim, when she had entered the E-kic-nu-jal, the house of Nanna, she lamented before Nanna: Father Nanna, don’t let your daughter be killed in the Underworld. Don’t let your precious metal be alloyed there with the dirt of the Underworld. Don’t let your precious lapis lazuli be split there with the mason’s stone. Don’t let your boxwood be chopped up there with the carpenter’s wood. Don’t let young lady Inana be killed in the Underworld.

In his rage father Nanna answered Nincubura: My daughter craved the great heaven and she craved the great below as well. Inana craved the great heaven and she craved the great below as well. The divine powers of the Underworld are divine powers which should not be craved, for whoever gets them must remain in the Underworld. Who, having got to that place, could then expect to come up again?

Thus father Nanna did not help her in this matter, so she went to Eridug. In Eridug, when she had entered the house of Enki, she lamented before Enki: Father Enki, don’t let anyone kill your daughter in the Underworld. Don’t let your precious metal be alloyed there with the dirt of the Underworld. Don’t let your precious lapis lazuli be split there with the mason’s stone. Don’t let your boxwood be chopped up there with the carpenter’s wood. Don’t let young lady Inana be killed in the Underworld.

Father Enki answered Nincubura: What has my daughter done? She has me worried. What has Inana done? She has me worried. What has the mistress of all the lands done? She has me worried. What has the hierodule of An done? She has me worried. Thus father Enki helped her in this matter. He removed some dirt from the tip of his fingernail and created the kur-jara. He removed some dirt from the tip of his other fingernail and created the gala-tura. To the kur-jara he gave the life-giving plant. To the gala-tura he gave the life-giving water.

Then father Enki spoke out to the gala-tura and the kur-jara: "Go and direct your steps to the Underworld. Flit past the door like flies. Slip through the door pivots like phantoms. The mother who gave birth, Erec-ki-gala, on account of her children, is lying there. Her holy shoulders are not covered by a linen cloth. Her breasts are not full like a cagan vessel. Her nails are like a pickaxe