The story of The Princess Wife, the sequel
by Jerald Jack Starr
In April of 2015, I translated Tablet BE 31,28, the original story
of The Princess Wife (PW1). Tablet MS 3228 is a continuation of the
story, so it is The Princess Wife sequel (PW2).
The opening lines of PW2 are missing due to damage on the tablet,
but these lines are provided by PW1. Both tablets share the middle of the
story, and PW2 has the ending. Therefore, the two tablets merge seamlessly to
form The Princess Wife, the Whole Story (PW3). Added together, they create
a literary masterpiece. This is one of the most important literary works in
human history. It is certainly the most important work in Women’s Literature
because it is the first time in history where a smart strong woman is the hero of a story.
The tale of The Princess Wife is a political satire that is told
from a woman’s point of view. She is married to Prince Mulu, the Great Fatted
Donkey. The princess wife is secretly plotting against him. She is planning a coup
d’état.
This is also her way of getting a divorce.
PW2 adds the “final chapter” to the narrative. It is a very
interesting chapter. There is a shocking development in the plot, which is followed
by a surprising twist at the end.
PW1 and PW2 are essentially the same story, but they differ on one minor detail. This one little detail completely alters the entire course of
events:
In PW1, the princess is the wife of Prince Mulu, who is the son of
Bantu, the Supreme Lord. As merely a wife and a daughter-in-law, the princess
has no real power of her own, but she cleverly manipulates events so that she
comes out on top.
PW2 adds a new dimension to the princess wife. This time she is
the daughter of Bantu, the Supreme Lord. Now she is operating from a position
of strength. She has the power and she knows how to use it.
The princess wife is the same woman in both versions of the story,
but she acts different depending on the circumstances. That’s what makes her so
interesting. In either version, she is the most extraordinary
woman in all of ancient literature. No other ancient story offers two contrasting portraits of the same woman, a woman who is smart and strong and very complex.
This leads me to believe that PW2 was written by a female scribe. Six
years ago, I suspected that PW1 was probably written by a woman. PW2 only
confirms my suspicions. I suggest both tablets were written by female scribes.
I have no proof of it, but that’s what I’m saying. The readers can make up
their own minds about it when they read the story.
This cuneiform tablet is almost 4,000 years old. In all of human
literature, there has never been a woman quite like the princess wife. Not
before, not since.
The translation for the Princess Wife sequel is given on a separate page, but if you read it first, then you will know the end of the story before you know the
beginning.
