GI6

Authors: Gennady E. Kurtik, Euin Choung Kim, David Hilder, Susanne M Hoffmann, Jan Safford, Wayne Horowitz, Hermann Hunger, Youla Azkarrula

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^mulGI₆ (𒀯𒈪), 'the Dark or Black-star' is used as a name for both the planets Mercury and Saturn. Both planets are brighter than most of the stars which makes the term unjustified by observation, but reflects cultural associations.

Concordance, Etymology, History

Var. readings:

• ^mulGIG₂,
• ^mulMI;
• = ṣalmu "dark star";
• the name of Saturn and Mercury [Gössmann 1950, 86].

Sources	Identifications
Lexical texts. Series Ḫg. B VI: (1) mulgi6 = ANṣa-al-meDUL3 = MIN(=dSAG.UŠ dUTU) "Dark Asterism = Shade = ditto (Saturn, (star) of the Sun)". [MSL XI, 40:40; for discussion of this entry see LAS 2, 343]. (2) mulgi6 = MUL ṣal-[me...] [SpTU III, 116 Rs. iii 9]. (3) mulgi6 = zi-ba-ni-tu4 = muludu.idim.gu4.ud "Dark Asterism = 'The Scales' = Mercury" [II R, 57, 59 a, b; Gössmann 1950, 86]. (4) [mul]gi6 = dzi-[ba-ni-tu4] [CT 26, 41, K.11283:4; HBA, 22]. (5) mulgi6 [CT 26, 50, K.12619 ii 6].	(1) The equation of Saturn and Sun is given in the previous (not cited) line. In Mesopotamian belief, Saturn is equated with the Sun due to similarly slow/ steady motion. As the Sun casts shadows during the day, Saturn is here equated to also cause any sort of shade - better understandable in a metaphorical way (e.g. Sun as god of justice, analog to Saturn). (2) a dark asterism is ... (3) In ancient Mesopotamian logic, this means that the constellation of The Scales are a constellation in a dark area of the sky (which makes sense visually, as this is a rather empty area next to the brightest clouds of the Milky Way in Sco/Sgr, providing high contrast). This asterism is equated with Mercury, which points to any believe system: e.g. astrology (unusual "secret place", which would be in Virgo for Mercury) or cultural tradition of colour association. (4). The Dark Asterism [is] The Scales (Libra) for the same reasons as given in (3). (5) only a term, no identification possible
EAE. See. [Borger 1973, LB 1321 r. 21′; NSAM 2, 248].
"The Great Star List and Miscellanea". ulgi6 = dpap.sukkal [Mesop.Astrol., App. B:169].

See also:

• MUL.MI: Zi-ba-ni-tu₂ "Dark star = Libra" [NSAM 2, 105, IVb: r. 3], MUL_x.MI: Zi-ba-ni-tu₄ [ibid. 107, IVc:19];
• ^[m]ulMI: ^dUD[U.IDIM.SAG.U]Š: MI: ṣa-la-mu: ^mul₄KASKAL.UTU "Dark (star) = Saturn, MI = 'dark' = (star) Path of the Sun" [SpTU I, 84:16]. See [SpTU II, 42 r.10; SpTU V, 264 r. 2].

 Additional

Identification.

         (1) = Saturn; see above, also III 2.

         (2) = Mercury; ^mulge₆ = zi-ba-ni-tu₄ = min(=^dudu.idim.gu₄.ud) "Dark star = Libra = Mercury" [CT 25, 13, K.4339 rev. col. iv 6], see also [NSAM 2, Text IVb r. 3, IVc:19]. In MUL.APIN II i 59 it says about Mercury: MUL BI BE-ma SA₅ u ba-il₃ BE-ma SIG₇ u GI₆ "This star is either red and bright or yellow-green and dark" [Hunger & Steele 2019, 81]; ^dpap.sukkal which is usually identified with Orion (MUL.APIN I ii 2) seems to be Mercury in the "Great Star List and Miscellanea" [Gössmann 86]. The identification with "Libra" may also imply a connection with Saturn, see (Kurtik s10) SAG.UŠ.

         (3) = Libra; see above.

Astrology.

         (1) The Moon and the Dark Starː DIŠ 30 ina IGI.LA₂-šu₂ MUL.MI [...] "If the Moon, at its appearance, (meets) the Dark Star [...]" [NSAM 2, 132, Ve r. 6′]; [...M]UL MI ina SI ZAG-šu₂ GUB u MU[L...] "The dark [star] stands on its (the Moon's) right horn [...]" [NSAM 2, 159, Vt:4′].

         (2) The Chariot (= Venus) and the Dark Star (= Saturn); see (Kurtik m08) ^{mul (giš)}MAR.GID₂.DA, eriqqu, VI 7.

Historical Dictionaries

Kurtik (2022, g12)

Gössmann (1950)

вар. чтения: mulGIG2, mulMI; = ṣalmu «Темная звезда»; название Сатурна и Меркурия [G. 86]. I. Источники. Лексич. тексты. (1) Серия Ḫg. B VI: mulgi6 = ANṣa-al-meDUL3 = MIN(=dSAG.UŠ dUTU) «Темная звезда = Статуя = Сатурн, (звезда) Солнца» [MSL XI, 40:40; LAS 2, 343]. (2) mulgi6 = MUL ṣal-[me…] [SpTU III, 116 Rs. iii 9]. (3) mulgi6 = zi-ba-ni-tu4 = muludu.idim.gu4.ud «Темная звезда = Весы = Меркурий» [II R, 57, 59 a, b; G. 86]. (4) [mul]gi6 = dzi-[ba-ni-tu4] [CT 26, 41, K.11283:4; HBA, 22]. (5) mulgi6 [CT 26, 50, K.12619 ii 6]. EAE. См. [Borger 1973, LB 1321 r. 21′; NSAM 2, 248]. «Большой список звезд». ulgi6 = dpap.sukkal [Mesop.Astrol., App. B:169]. См. также: MUL.MI : Zi-ba-ni-tu2 «Темная звезда = Весы» [NSAM 2, 105, IVb: r. 3], MULx.MI : Zi-ba-ni-tu4 [ibid. 107, IVc:19], [m]ulMI : dUD[U.IDIM.SAG.U]Š : MI : ṣa-la-mu : mul4KASKAL.UTU «Темная (звезда) = Сатурн, MI = «темный» = (звезда) Путь Солнца» [SpTU I, 84:16]. См. [SpTU II, 42 r.10; SpTU V, 264 r. 2]. II. Отождествление. (1) = Сатурн; см. выше, а также III 2. (2) = Меркурий; mulge6 = zi-ba-ni-tu4 = min(=dudu.idim.gu4.ud) «Темная звезда = Весы = Меркурий» [CT 25, 13, K.4339 rev. col. iv 6], см также [NSAM 2, Text IVb r. 3, IVc:19]. B MUL.APIN II i 59 о Меркурии сказано: MUL BI BE-ma SA5 u ba-il3 BE-ma SIG7 u GI6 «Эта звезда либо красная и блестящая, либо желто-зеленая и темная» [MA, 84]; dpap.sukkal, который обычно отождествляется с Орионом (MUL.APIN I ii 2), в «Большом списке звезд» обозначает, по-видимому, Меркурий [G. 86]. Отождествление с «Весами» может подразумевать также связь с Сатурном, см. s10SAG.UŠ. (3) = Весы; см. выше. III. Астрология. (1) Луна и Темная звезда; DIŠ 30 ina IGI.LA2-šu2 MUL.MI […] «Если Луна при своем появлении (встретила) Темную звезду […]» [NSAM 2, 132, Ve r. 6′]; […M]UL MI ina SI ZAG-šu2 GUB u MU[L…] «Темная [зв]езда на ее (Луны) правом роге стоит […]» [NSAM 2, 159, Vt:4′]. (2) Колесница (=Венера) и Темная звезда (=Сатурн); см. m08MAR.GID2.DA, VI 7. (3) Красная планета (= Марс) и Темная звезда (= Сатурн);  см. s04SA5, II 9.

Example

References

• Kurtik's references