2.9. 2018, Festival of Naked Forms, Karlin Studios, Prague
Intimate version of second Maqlú tablet.
Photo Marie Zandálková and Fnaf festival
www.rosscaldwell.com/babylonian/MAQLURIT.pdf

Burn the evidence. Burn yourself. Performance art series based on the Old Babylonian text „Maqlú“ (Burning), a protective ritual consisting of nine tablets. Each performance deals with one of them, referring to a different spiritual tradition. At the end of the performance, the audience can burn up some small object that symbolizes what they want to eliminate in their life. It is always a site-specific action dedicated to a particular space.

„Girra, the perfect master: You are powerfull is meaning of your name.
Nanna, you see everything. You lighten the dark house,
Ethernal New Light of the countries.
You light up everything: I stand in front of you, because you restore justice.
Like Sin and Šamaš you make right, so restore my right, make my decision!

She has packed my heart, the head, the neck and the face,
she packed my looking eyes, packed my going feet, packet my walking knees, packed my guiding arms.

Now, in front of your Great Divinity, here are images
of my warlock and my witch, my sorcerer and my sorceress, my stupifier and my stupifyeress, my lord opponent and my lady opponent, my lord enemy and my lady enemy, my lord persecutor and my lady persecutor, my lord accuser and my lady accuser, my lord slanderer and my lady slanderer, my lord detractor and my lady detractor, my lord nemesis and my lady nemesis,they gave me over to a corpse, they subjected me to ridicule, to the evil Utukku or the evil Alu or the evil Alu or the evil Etimnu, Lamaštu, or Labasu or Ahhazu, Lilu or Lilitu or Ardat Lili
or Hand of God, or Hand of Goddess, or Hand of the Spirit of the Dead, or Hand of Utukki
or Cooking of the Flesh, Paralysis, Consumption, or everything bad that doesn´t have a name or everything that does bad things among human beings, which holds me prisoner during the night, which chases me during the day, which doesn´t let me free for a moment!

Now, in front of your Divine Greatness, I burn them.
Look at me, Girra, ter them out of my body, dissolve their spell!
Now, in front of your Great Divinity, i made two images of the warlock and the witch.
They may detour, but may I go straight! They may reach their limit; but may I grow! They may become weak, but I strong!

Burning Girra, First born son of Anu! Give me justice, make my decision!
Burn the warlock and the witch!
They who inflict the evil witchcraft and malevolent spell!
They tried to roll me like a ball of wool! They tried to calp me to the ground like a bird clapper! They tried to destroy me like a chip of rock! They tried to cover me like a net! They tried to climb me like a wall of clay! They tried to fill me with dirty water! They tried to sweep me out the door like household trash!

But I, by order of Marduk, the Master of Holy Evening, and Asariludu, the Master of Magic, the sorcerer and sorceress like a ball of wool I roll them! Like a bird clapper I throw them to the ground! Like a chip of rock i destroy them! Like a net I cover them! Like a wick I roll them! Like a wall of clay I climb them! Like dirty water I fill them! Like a household refuse I sweep them out of the door! May the image of the warlock and the witch become ashes!