KA-LUḪ.Ù.DA
[2022]
for piano
duration: 12 min
written for: Moritz Ernst
first performance: 21 April, 2023; Moritz Ernst; Göteborg, Sweden
score published by BabelScores
for solo piano with pedal bass drum
KA-LUḪ.Ù.DA (Akkadian: Mîs-pî) meaning "washing of the mouth", is an ancient Mesopotamian ritual and series of incantations for cultic life-giving of a newly-made deity. The rituals facilitated the image of the deity to take on the persona of the deity, awakening the supernatural power within it and enabling it to see, act, eat and drink; a shift has thus taken place. KA-LUḪ.Ù.DA as a ritual element was used in various contexts and was applied to a variety of ritual objects including people, animals and even inanimate objects e.g. in the completion of a kettledrum which could then be used to accompany the worship of gods.