Advent Calendar of Science Stories 6: Party in Mesopotamia

Borne of the flowing water (…)
Tenderly cared for by the Ninhursag,
Borne of the flowing water (…)
Tenderly cared for by the Ninhursag,

Having founded your town by the sacred lake,
She finished its great walls for you,
Ninkasi, having founded your town by the sacred lake,
She finished its great walls for you

Your father is Enki, Lord Nidimmud,
Your mother is Ninti, the queen of the sacred lake,
Ninkasi, Your father is Enki, Lord Nidimmud,
Your mother is Ninti, the queen of the sacred lake.

You are the one who handles the dough,
[and] with a big shovel,
Mixing in a pit, the bappir with sweet aromatics,
Ninkasi, You are the one who handles
the dough, [and] with a big shovel,
Mixing in a pit, the bappir with [date]-honey.

You are the one who bakes the bappir
in the big oven,
Puts in order the piles of hulled grains,
Ninkasi, you are the one who bakes
the bappir in the big oven,
Puts in order the piles of hulled grains,

You are the one who waters the malt
set on the ground,
The noble dogs keep away even the potentates,
Ninkasi, you are the one who waters the malt
set on the ground,
The noble dogs keep away even the potentates.

You are the one who soaks the malt in a jar
The waves rise, the waves fall.
Ninkasi, you are the one who soaks
the malt in a jar
The waves rise, the waves fall.

You are the one who spreads the cooked
mash on large reed mats,
Coolness overcomes.
Ninkasi, you are the one who spreads
the cooked mash on large reed mats,
Coolness overcomes.

You are the one who holds with both hands
the great sweet wort,
Brewing [it] with honey and wine
(You the sweet wort to the vessel)
Ninkasi, (…)
(You the sweet wort to the vessel)

The filtering vat, which makes
a pleasant sound,
You place appropriately on [top of]
a large collector vat.
Ninkasi, the filtering vat,
which makes a pleasant sound,
You place appropriately on [top of]
a large collector vat.

When you pour out the filtered beer
of the collector vat,
It is [like] the onrush of
Tigris and Euphrates.
Ninkasi, you are the one who pours out the
filtered beer of the collector vat,
It is [like] the onrush of
Tigris and Euphrates.

— the “Hymn to Ninkasi,” translated from a Sumerian clay tablet

We’re out of town this weekend, taking the kids to Florida, but through the miracle of scheduled posts, you get some Advent calendering all the same. I’m abandoning the fictional scene format in favor of actual ancient words, and also jumping backwards in time a bit from yesterday’s visit to Alexandria.

Given the subject, though, this seems like a good choice for a Saturday post. If you hadn’t picked up on it, that poem is actually a recipe for beer– if you prefer, here’s a more obviously recipe-like modern version. Its discovery is one of the pivotal moments of human history, especially if you play rugby.

It’s also another great example of science. The process described here is something you can easily imagine first happening by accident– basically, you take a coarse barley bread, soak it in water, let it ferment, and mix in some flavorful liquid. You can sort of picture somebody forgetting a chunk of bread in a damp place, coming back starving to find fermenting glop, and adding some dates in an attempt to improve the flavor. And then getting a buzz, and saying “Hey, we should totally figure out what just happened there…”

And a few generations later, you’ve got written recipes in the form of hymns of praise.

So, you know, it’s Saturday. If you’re a beer drinker, raise a pint glass to Ninkasi, and more importantly to prehistoric science.

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(Part of a series promoting Eureka: Discovering Your Inner Scientist, available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound, Powell’s, and anywhere else books are sold.)