With all her might she is bitterly enraged.
The eleven associates that Tiâmat has ranged on her side are again enumerated, together with the appointment of Kingu as chief of the terror-inspiring army. Gaga comes to Lakhmu and Lakhamu and delivers the message verbatim, so that altogether this portion of the narrative is repeated no less than four times.[718] The same tendency towards repetition is met with in the Gilgamesh epic and in the best of the literary productions of Babylonia. It may be ascribed to the influence exerted by the religious hymns and incantations where repetition, as we have seen, is also common, though serving a good purpose.
The message concludes:
I sent Anu, he could not endure her[719] presence.
Ea[720] was afraid and took to flight.
Marduk has stepped forward, the chief of the gods, your son,
To proceed against Tiâmat, he has set his mind.
Marduk's declaration is then repeated.
Upon hearing the message Lakhmu and Lakhamu and "all the Igigi"[721] are distressed, but are powerless to avert the coming disaster. The formal declaration of war having been sent, the followers of Anshar assemble at a meal which is realistically described:
They ate bread, they drank wine.