Stone Panels of Nimrud

The Stone Panels from the Palace at Nimrud depict numerous supernatural themes of ancient Assyrian legend that not only showcase Ashurnasirpal II’s awesome military conquests, but were also used to spiritually guard and protect the royal household. Ashurnasirpal II ruled over the capital city of Kalhu, modernly referred to as Nimrud, from 883 to 859 B.C. and was known for his huge successes on the battlefield, as well as for being an extremely skilled hunter; he was truly someone to be feared from the opposite side of the Mesopotamian battlefield. Ashurnasirpal II wanted to have his grandeur magnified on a large scale so that he could flaunt his greatness while simultaneously protecting and blessing those who visited his home. Art historians have spent years trying to decipher the Assyrian iconography that exists within the Stone Panels, and unfortunately, to this day, much about them still remains a mystery. However, major advances have been made in translating the Assyrian code that give incredible insight to the ancient ideologies of the Assyrians, as well as Ashurnasirpal II’s might and humility to the gods.

To the ancient Assyrians that visited Ashurnasirpal II’s palace, the identities of the carved figures were most likely fairly obvious, seeing as they were figures that were worshiped by the Assyrians regularly. But to those who visited from outside of the kingdom for an audience with the king that had little to no experience with Assyrian culture, they probably had no idea what they were witnessing. A common theme that is consistent within Assyrian art is the combination of human form and animal form, and specifically in the Stone Panels, the combination of man with bird. The morphing of the two creatures is alluding to strength and power. Because the eagle was such a strong creature that was recognized with power, by combining the muscular man with the mighty head of the eagle, it could be assumed that the eagle was a supernatural guardian that would watch over and protect the royal household. The eagle is holding what looks like some kind of fruit in its right hand. In Assyrian culture, the right hand stood for masculinity and strength. It also appears to be dipping the fruit into a bucket of holy water. By dipping the masculinity of the fruit into the femininity of the water, the eagle is creating fertility, something new and pure, and by doing so, the eagle is purifying anyone who enters the king’s household, thus protecting the king and his family. This panel was located in a room known as Room F, which was the antechamber, or foyer, to the king’s palace, designed to expel the sickness and evilness from the household from all that entered. The antechamber was the first room one would enter when visiting the royal palace, so it only seemed fitting that each visitor is cleansed of all immorality prior to seeing the king. The eagle was ultimately the paranormal guard of the palace; if anything evil wanted to enter the palace walls, it would need to pass the eagle in order to enter.

Ashurnasirpal II was a man famous for his incredible battlefield skills; any battle that involved the Assyrians ended in a blood bath. Ashurnasirpal II had himself fabricated in relief to show his true military strength and hunting skills. In his throne room, he had a relief of himself fighting off several lions as well as shooting his bow and arrow while leading his army through an enemy city. In the panel with two male figures, Ashurnasirpal II is depicted holding a libation bowl in his right hand, and in his other hand, he holds his bow. To the