The Adapa myth, in which the sage breaks the wing of the South Wind, clearly follows a seasonal pattern. The myth of universal deluge in ancient Mesopotamia was modelled on the yearly flood of two rivers, which occurred either in the end of the first calendar month Nisannu, or in the beginning of the second month Ayaru, which both correspond to April. The south-eastern wind (š tu) ceases to blow in
the beginning of the hot and arid season around the season of flood. In May or late Ayaru it is replaced by the north-western wind (ilt nu), which blows for the most
of the summer (Neumann 1977: 1052).16 The south-eastern wind is the bringer of rains, which starts to blow in December, and the flood marks the termination of the rainy season. This wind predominates in Iraq at the end of the growing season and the barley harvest. This is why the south-eastern wind bears the epithet mušappikat ug ri “that piles up (grain in) the arable land” in exorcistic incantations.17 Both the
south-eastern wind and the flood serve as metaphors for the military power of deities and kings (Ambos 2013: 123).
