Myths of Babylonia and Assyria by Donald Mackenzie

This is not exactly a collection of stories and can instead be treated as an introduction to Babylonian and Assyrian history, culture, and religion. Several important subjects are covered which the student or casual reader might find useful in understanding the myths of the people sustained by the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

In summary, the book discussed the following: the peoples and movements in the area collectively called Mesopotamia, these include emphasis on the Assyrians, Babylonians, Hittites, Kassites, Egyptians, and the Hebrews; possible origins and ancestry of the different peoples and their customs and laws with emphasis on Hammurabi's laws; summary of the wars and succession of kings in different regions; evolution of the pantheon from "monsters" to anthropomorphic deities and their parallels in other myths; nature of ghosts, fairies, and other minor creatures; and the development of astrology and astronomy.

There are separate chapters as well for the following: worship of the heroic patriarch and the mother goddess; creation legends; deluge legends; Etana and Gilgamesh; and the god Ashur. These subjects will help the reader understand the myths. The heroic patriarch and mother goddess worship for example will explain why some deities are more prominent in certain periods depending on the dominant group of people. Mackenzie gives comparisons of the creation and deluge legends with their parallels. In the chapter about the Deluge Legend, the author also discusses the burial rites and customs and the idea of the afterlife. Summaries are given for the stories of Etana and Gilgamesh. While a chapter dedicated to Ashur discusses his possible origins through the symbols that represent him and the available data.

Mackenzie's writing is easy to understand although I must warn the reader that the volume of information in this book, especially the chronicles about the wars and succession of rulers, might be too much to handle.

I'm giving this book a 10 out of 10 rating.

The Babylonian Story of the Deluge as Told by Assyrian Tablets from Nineveh by E.A. Wallis Budge

Two versions of the Deluge Legend is given in this book. One is taken from Berosus' account in which the name of the survivor is Xisuthrus. The other version is related to Gilgamesh by Utnapishtim and was included in the tablets of Epic of Gilgamish.

The circumstances do not differ much but the details vary. The Utnapishtim version, for example, gives the number of days it took for the water to recede.

The introduction given by Budge is sufficient for casual readers and students alike. He gives an account of the discovery of the tablets; description of the palaces of Nineveh and the library; physical description of the tablets; and a brief introduction of Ashur-bani-pal, to whom the famed library was credited. Budge's writing is easy to understand.

The Gilgamish epic is also retold here in the last part of the book. He does not give a transliteration of the tablets but divides the story by tablet and informs the reader which parts of the narrative are undecipherable. The glossary is helpful for first-time readers who are not familiar with some of the Babylonian and Sumerian deities and heroes mentioned in the Deluge Legends and the epic.

I recommend this to any reader who is interested in reading about the Deluge Legends and the Epic of Gilgamish. I'm giving this a 10 out of 10 rating.

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Nabari no Ou

Miharu Rokujo's normal and seemingly boring life was messed up when one day a group of ninjas tried to kill him and another tried to protect him from the attack. Apparently, the apathetic Miharu possessed the Shinra Banshou, a powerful ninja art that can grant the possessor's wishes. He doesn't remember or know anything about it at all and he has no choice but to immerse himself in the world of the Nabari trying to understand why it's all happening to him.

Miharu was introduced to Banten, his protectors, and to the other groups: Fuuma, Grey Wolves, and Togakushi. Each group had different reasons for wanting to either protect or kill him.

At first Miharu wanted to get rid of the Shinra Banshou, but when he met Yoite, a Kira user, he decided to grant the latter's wishes so he can save the others. Yoite told Miharu that if he dies because of his constant use of kira, the people he attacked will also disappear and that included Miharu's friends. Yoite asked Miharu to erase his existence. In order to do that they have to collect the secret art of the villages to use them for the Shinra Banshou. As the story progressed the two became close friends and it seemed like Miharu's motives changed.

The pace was very slow and it took a long time to establish the whole point of the series. It was only in the last 5 episodes that everything fell into place. The action scenes nearing the final episode weren't bad and at least the battles weren't made up of mostly bragging and goading from the characters.

Miharu and Yoite, the main characters, are not exactly boisterous boys so I don't recommend this to those who don't like impassive and reserved characters.

Other than the slow development of the story, the series has a great concept but it didn't keep me excited although I did like the unemotional Miharu and Yoite. I'm giving this 26-episode series a 7 out of 10 rating.