Platypus of Truth

I was reading Catullus XVII and reminded of the words of Utnapishtim, that wisest of men: As Utnapishtim stood at the crossroads, a man came by driving an ass. Now it chanced that, because of the rains, the ass became stuck in the mud. The man drew out a stick and began beating the ass and it cried after the manner of an ass: "yeah! yeah!" As it was beaten, the ass struggled forward, nor would the man for an instant let the animal back up or himself lead it back, and so it sank deeper and deeper into the mud. Even as the mud rose above its shoulders and filled its nostrils the man continued to beat it and the ass continued his cry of "yeah! yeah!" The sun traveled across the sky, and at last the ass was overcome with exhaustion and died. Utnapishtim spoke to the man and said: "Surely, if you had led the animal back or around or had given it its own head it would have lived!" At these words, the man grew incensed and struck Utnapishtim with his stick sayi...

Utnapishtim sat upon his rock and his disciple stood at his feet and was listening to all the words that Utnapishtim was saying from out of his wisdom.  Now the time of afternoon meal came upon them and Utnapishtim bid his disciple to be seated on the grass.  Then he drew forth a fish and divided it with his disciple and bade him eat saying: "Eat of this fish, oh my disciple, for Utnapishtim would be as this fish and would you not be as Utnapishtim?  Now learn from this fish for it has its beginnings here in the waters of my Lake but when its youthly-vigor and its power come upon it then it follows the Great River to the Sea and becomes a creature of the Sea, but when the time comes it returns from the Sea even to the waters of the Lake where it was born.  Does it not know the Lake because it knows the Sea; does it not know the Sea because it knows the Lake; does it not know the Great River from striving against it?" Then the disciple of Utnapishtim was silent an...

And as the disciple of Utnapishtim stood before the seat of Utnapishtim he asked him to speak more of the sons of Arius and their great prophet and Utnapishtim answered him saying: "Have you heard what is said of that man?  Has the tale come down to you?  While walking in the paradise of the kings of Anshan did he not meet the image of himself?  Did you hear that he turned and bowed to it?  There is in this a kind of truth, for did he not instruct all the sons of Arius, and do they not do the same?  Oh ask yourself my student: is it not the mark of these men that even in paradise all they can bow to is their selves?" Thus Spoke Utnapishtim

Is Utnapishtim an ape?  Does he dance before you in the manner of an ape?  Laugh then.  Laugh at the dancing of Utnapishtim; he will not resent you.  Laugh until your sides crack and your head breaks; for through the gap may come Wisdom! Thus Spoke Utnapishtim

Utnapishtim spoke to his disciple, and his disciple listened to his wisdom; the wisdom of the time before the Flood: "Did you not hear that the gods sent the Flood to ravage all mankind because they were noisy, oh my disciple? Were you told upon your mother's knee that the world bellowed like a bull and the gods called down the Flood to silence it? The storm riders were let loose to drown their noise, and the depths were opened to silence their bellowing. Seven days it rained, and forty days the tempest raged upon the face of the earth. The gods hid in the highest heavens, and all things upon the earth became as clay. Better a lion than the Flood. Better a bull than the Flood. Better a plague than the Flood. Is that what you were told?" "There is a truth in these things. For then men were greater than they are now, and they had ears that were open to the call of Wisdom, and houses that were open to the wind. But men grew tired of Wisdom, and they were c...

A Fragment from Thus Spoke Utnapishtim : Now Utnapishtim sat upon his rock and his disciple sat at his feet, and he begged Utnapishtim to tell him of peoples and places, and of all that he had seen since the coming of the Flood. And Utnapishtim smiled and said: "I can remember the coming of Arius and his sons, for I saw them from my mountain, oh my disciple. Were they not each the image of a god of war; red of hair and skin like new-cast bronze. Each carried a long spear and a well-honed sword at his hip, and they rode on chariots while their men drove the long-horned cattle behind them. Were not these the names of the sons of Arius: Hit, Cadmu, Persis, Ind, and Hy? Do I not know what the sons of Arius did at the great banquet they made on the day that they defeated the people of the two rivers?" "Know then, oh my disciple, that I saw it all. They made a great banquet upon the plain and each drank from the skull of a prince of Ur. There they slaughtered untold numb...

Now on the fortieth day, the great strength of Utnapishtim failed him and his foot stumbled, and Utnapishtim cried out. Then a great wind came from the East and drove a wall of sand between him and his pursuers, and Utnapishtim rose up and ran. A while later, his strength gave way again, and he stumbled in the way, and cried out with a loud voice. Then a great fire came across from the West and burned between him and his pursuers, and Utnapishtim rose up again and ran. When darkness came, his great strength was at its end, and he stumbled to the ground, and let out a great cry. Then a storm came from the North and the springs of the earth were opened and Wheels of Og's chariots, and the hooves of his horses, and the feet of his footmen were snared in the mud. Then Og lost Utnapishtim in the midst of the storm and great was the wrath of Og in that day when he lost Utnapishtim in the heart of the storm. Then Utnapishtim found a tree and laid himself beneath it to die. And Wi...

Thus did Bera, Priest of the City, and Birsha, Priest of the Forest, and Bela, Priest of the Plain, all fail to move Utnapishtim from his place at the crossroads, but each led away a part of the people with them until only a few remained to hear the words of Utnapishtim. Then word came to Og, King of Bashan, that Utnapishtim had come down and taken his stand at the crossroads. So he gathered to himself a new army, horsemen, and footmen, and chariots, and took the road that led from the sea. So Og, King of Bashan, and his army, his horsemen, and his footmen, and his chariots, went up to Utnapishtim. Thirty-nine days they traveled, and on the fortieth they came to the crossroads. Now Utnapishtim saw the clouds of dust, and perceived that Og was coming up from the sea. Then the people that remained to hear the words of Utnapishtim were filled with great dread, and they all fled so that Utnapishtim was left alone. So Og, King of Bashan, came to Utnapishtim. And Og boasted before U...

News of how Utnapishtim had received Bera, Priest of the City, and Birsha, Priest of the Forest, spread far and wide and came to the ears of Bela, Priest of the Plains, as he was directing the mowers, and builders, and all the people of the Plain. When Bela heard how Utnapishtim had rejected Bera and Birsha, his wrath was beyond measure, for he said in his heart "will not the fool challenge me too, and take away all that I have worked for, and all that my fathers' fathers have worked for?" So too he girded up his loins and went up to the crossroads. Thirty-nine days he traveled, and on the fortieth he came to Utnapishtim. When Bela came to the crossroads he heard Utnapishtim addressing the people thus: "What shall I say to you, oh men of reed houses?" And the people responded to Utnapishtim: "We do not live in houses of reed but in houses of stone! They are strong and tall, as our forefathers built them!" But Utnapishtim replied: "Would th...

As Utnapishtim stood at the crossroads, a man came by driving an ass. Now it chanced that, because of the rains, the ass became stuck in the mud. The man drew out a stick and began beating the ass and it cried after the manner of an ass: "yeah! yeah!" As it was beaten, the ass struggled forward, nor would the man for an instant let the animal back up or himself lead it back, and so it sank deeper and deeper into the mud. Even as the mud rose above its shoulders and filled its nostrils the man continued to beat it and the ass continued his cry of "yeah! yeah!" The sun traveled across the sky, and at last the ass was overcome with exhaustion and died. Utnapishtim spoke to the man and said: "Surely, if you had led the animal back or around or had given it its own head it would have lived!" At these words, the man grew incensed and struck Utnapishtim with his stick saying: "It cannot go backward! It shall not go backward!" Then the man went of...

News of how Utnapishtim had received Bera, Priest of the City, spread far and wide and came to the ears of Birsha, Priest of the Forest, as he walked among his beloved cedars. When Birsha had heard how Utnapishtim had rejected Bera and his crooked ways, he girded up his loins and went up to the crossroads. Thirty-nine days he traveled, and on the fortieth he came to Utnapishtim. When Birsha saw Utnapishtim with the people gathered about him, he cried out in a loud voice: "Utnapishtim, friend, colleague, wisest of men! Rightly have you spoken out against Bera, Priest of the City. Now show your wisdom and speak out against the City! Well do these people know of its oppressions. They wait only for one who can guide their wrath; one such as Utnapishtim!" Utnapishtim heard these words, and saw what was in the heart of Birsha, Priest of the Forest: that he hated man and would sacrifice all men but himself for the idea of his sacred groves. So he replied: "You viper! Y...

When it became known that Utnapishtim had taken up his place at the crossroads, all the princes of the people were greatly concerned. “He will send our people into a frenzy,” they said. “And then Og will come and destroy us all!” So they sent unto Utnapishtim Bera the priest; for he was cunning in all the ways of the city. “Surely Bera will make him see reason,” they said. “Surely Bera will turn the people's hearts toward us once more!” So Bera took up his robes and his staff, and went up from the city to the crossroads where Utnapishtim stood. There he found the people gathered about Utnapishtim, though they did not understand his words, for he was a new thing to them. Then Bera opened his mouth and spoke: “Hail Utnapishtim, friend, colleague, wisest of men! What is this that you are doing? Why are you throwing these good people into confusion? Let us draw aside and talk a while, you and I!” “You snake!” Utnapishtim cried. “You have walked forty days and forty nigh...

The people gathered around Utnapishtim as he stood by the crossroads and they called out to him: "Teach us a new thing!" But Utnapishtim replied: "What new thing shall I teach you? Already, you know all that Utnapishtim has to say: do not lie, do not steal, do not murder! That which you do not wish to be done unto you, do not do to another! But these teachings you do not keep. How then shall Utnapishtim teach you a new thing? Behold, even if Wisdom should become a man and speak with you in the flesh you would not marvel." When the crowds heard these words, they scoffed at him. "Og shows us new things," they said. "Each day he brings forth new marvels." But Utnapishtim replied: "Yet you still crave more. Seven marvels cannot not satisfy you, and seventy times seven marvels lose their splendor like the grass. Paltry indeed must be the marvels of Og, King of Bashan, if he must bring new ones forth each day to please you. If you seek m...

One morning, the disciple of Utnipishtim came to him and said: "Oh my master, last night I had a dream; while I was on my bed, a vision came to me! I saw your animals, the raven and the dove, descend from heaven and lift you up and they bore you away. Then a voice came from the clouds and proclaimed: 'My words shall not be hidden! Speak Utnipishtim! Speak from the wisdom that I have given you!'" When Utnipishtim heard this he raised his face toward heaven and cried out: "It is Time! It is Time! It is indeed Time!" Then Utnipishtim turned to his disciple and spoke, saying: "Oh my faithful follower, I must leave you. Who knows whether you will see Utnipishtim again? But fear not! My animals will care for you. They will bring you food from afar. For drink, there is the stream that runs from the mountain to my lake." When he had said these words, Utnipishtim departed. After many days and nights, he came to a great crossroads, where the road...

Now this is the song of Utnapishtim that he sang at the rising of the sun between the mountain and the lake: Out of the past does Wisdom speak, and out of the wasteland does it sing! Seek ye the ancient way, for daylight is coming and will show the path. O leave man's city and go out with anxious feet, for Wisdom comes with the dayspring . The font of all our yesterdays, the font of our tomorrows: out of the same ocean do they spring! Now Utnapishtim will take a wife and father children, For the Hope of men will come! O that Wisdom would become a Man and speak with me! For I love you, O Wisdom. For I love you, O Wisdom. Utnapishtim does not crown himself. Nay! He will fling his crown away! For what can compare with Wisdom, who possesses us, and not we Wisdom? Utnapishtim makes his crown an offering though it is but a paltry thing. A coronet made all of thistles and water rushes, with faded water lilies ! Now Utnapishtim will take a wife and father children, For the Hope of me...

Utnipishtim sat by the waters of his lake, and many heard of his great wisdom, and they came to him seeking the knowledge of the time before the flood. He taught them day and night, and there was great joy in the heart of Utnipishtim. Now Og, King of Bashan, heard that many even of his own people were going up to hear the words of Utnipishtim; and his heart was full of wrath. And Og said to his heart: "I will go with my armies and destroy Utnipishtim and all his followers. I will blot out the wisdom of the time before the flood." And Og took his army and went up. Utnipishtim arose one morning with his followers, and they saw that all the valley was filled with the armies of Og, King of Bashan. And Utnipishtim called out in a loud voice: "Turn back, O armies of Og. Turn back, that you may live and not go down to death." But the hearts of the followers of Utnipishtim quaked, for none had ever turned aside the armies of Og. When Og saw that Utnipishtim was come f...

Utnipishtim returned to his home in the north, under the shadow of the great mountain, and sat beside the waters of his lake. And the wisdom within him cried out to be spoken; the wisdom of the time before the flood. When they saw that he was returned, the animals of Utnipishtim came to him; the Raven and the Dove. The Raven spoke to Utnipishtim: "Utnipishtim! Wisest of men! Are you troubled because a dog has mocked you? Are you troubled because you saw a dead dog by the side of the road? Be glad, then, that you may be alone with your wisdom. For what need have you, O wisest of men, to teach?" Utnipishtim smiled, and he replied: "There speaks my raven, there speaks my contemplative one, whose delight is in the journey, not the return. I did not meet a dog, nor did I see a dead dog. I went to pass on my wisdom to men, for it burns within me, and must be released. And I found no one to listen. Therefore I am grieved." Then the Dove, the active one, whose d...

In those days, Utnapishtim went forth into the world and sought to make disciples; and to pass on to men the wisdom of the time before the flood. But the people refused to listen, and caught up in their own cares they said: "Who made Utnapishtim, the old gray-beard, lord over us? What use can his wisdom be? His sermons are too long! Lo, the flower passes from bud to fruit! Lo, the butterfly is in the meadow! These things call to us. We will pick the fruit while it is ripe. We will chase the butterfly in the meadow." Then Utnapishtim was angry. He looked down at the Unnim which was in his right hand; the world-destroying power. He looked down at the Annim in his left hand; the soul destroying power. But neither of these things could proclaim wisdom. So Untapishtim was silent, and the heart within him was angry. Then came Og, King of Bashan, and laughed at him, saying, "Old gray-beard, why do you think that the people will listen to you out of respect for your ...