HISTORY OF HIRAM THE PHOENICIAN A short Legend found in the Ancient Mesopotamia By Andrej Koymasky © 2011 Written on August 9, 2002 Translated by the Author English text kindly revised by Richard
USUAL DISCLAIMER
"HISTORY OF HIRAM THE PHOENICIAN" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest.
9 - HIRAM FREED FROM HIS EXILE ON THE BLACK SHIP
On the order of the god Melqart, Hiram remained prisoner for three hundred and thirty-three days inside the huge and monstrous black ship. This took almost one full year to satisfy and give pleasure to all the three hundred and thirty-three powerful sailors with his body. When these days had passed, the sailors freed him and took him ashore with a boat.
But this was a desert land, without water and a persistent heat and Hiram, the blessing of Melqart be on him, was lying totally naked under the burning sun. As the black sailors used to stay on their ship almost always totally naked, had already on the first days thrown his clothing overboard, considering them totally useles.
Moreover his skin became totally white and delicate due to his long seclusion in the full obscurity of the cell where his bed had been prepared on which he had to give pleasure to all the crew of the black ship. Because of that he was suffering greatly from the burning heat of the desert land.
Melqart had pity on his servant and during the night he made grow a great plant with wide leaves, of a kind never seen in any part of the earth. Hiram managed to cover himself with the plants leaves and in its shadow he found some rest. He was still too weak to stand up and to walk, thus Melqart made that plant give firm pinkish fruits in the shape of a virile member, including its testicles. When picked from their stems, the fruit could be sucked giving a kind of sugary and highly nourishing milk.
Hiram could pick and suck the fruit four times each day, so the beautiful man started to recover his strength. Hiram, the hand of god be always on him, let the empty shells grow firm like gourd hulls, that once used became of a colour whiter than snow.
It happened one day that along that area came a young and wonderful shepherd, who knew every stone and every bush of that area. The young man saw from far off the plant that had just grown. He knew perfectly well that nothing had grown in that place before. It was unexplainable to him how a bush could have grown there, as he knew that there was absolutely no water there.
He therefore drew nearer that amazing plant to examine it. He saw that it didn't have roots piercing the ground like any plant he knew. It had a ray of roots that ran on the surface, all around, drawing a perfect pattern of hexagons. The young shepherd was highly astounded by that. The shepherd got even more astounded when he saw the almost naked and wonderful looking man who was resting in the shadow of its branches.
That man was wearing only leaves of that plant and he was very pale and had the features of a foreigner.
The shepherd was extremely surprised and also curious. Therefore he engaged the stranger in conversation and questioned him about who he was.
He answered, "My name is Hiram the Phoenician and I am a soothsayer of the god Melqart, the god of love between men, be he praised forever and in all lands, and with all peoples. He is the god who sent me to the people of Uruk.
"But I left them in a great haste in the time of their greatest need, and without the leave of my Lord and god. For this reason the god Melqart punished me and let me languish for three hundred and thirty-three days inside a huge black ship governed by men black as pitch. My God required me to give them pleasure with all my body, every night. But in his infinite mercy, my god freed me and made them leave me on this bare land."
The young and wonderful shepherd listened to Hiram's tale, but he could not believe his words. He had never seen any of the worldly things, and he hadn't heard the news about what had happened in Uruk. By the way he was good hearted and so he decided to take Hiram with him to his hut, to treat him until he was totally healed. But Hiram wanted to stay under the miraculous plant.
And finally that night the young shepherd said to Hiram, the power of god be upon him, "Teach me the religion of your god, teach me how two men can love each other, besides lying together only for the sake of enjoyment. I feel I want to learn to give you my love and to get your love, as you really are a very beautiful man, and such a very special one."
Then Hiram, the hand of Melqart be upon him forever, invited that wonderful youth to his pallet. He undressed him with his weak hands, and caressed and kissed him teaching him how to give and to receive love, using every part of one's body. The young shepherd was greatly astounded. He had already laid with other men, but just like two animals needing to give vent to their instincts and procreation needs, not like two men giving each other love.
From time to time some travellers crossed the region where the beautiful shepherd pastured his flock. So one day he met a group of people who were coming from Uruk. From them the young shepherd came to know all that had happened there. Therefore he came to know that Hiram, the power of go be on him, had told him the truth.
He therefore went back to where the odd plant was that had sheltered Hiram and related to Hiram, from whom he had learned to love all that he had heard about his god.
When Hiram, the hand of Melqart be on him forever, came to know that at the last moment the god Melqart had spared the town of Uruk. The people had finally manifest its' repentance and accepted the true faith. He yelled to his Lord and god, "Ah, my Lord, poor of me, because nobody converted while I was still living amongst them! Because it was possible for them to despise me for so many years, and abuse me with their bad words, and they were never punished for that! Oh, my god!"
So Hiram, the benevolence of god be on him, complained to his god. Hiram just after he said these words, he looked and saw that the odd plant, that up to then had been verdant above him, became totally dry. He then yelled, "Oh, my god! With what can I cover myself now, and where can I find a shelter?"
Then Melqart talked to his soothsayer, "Hiram, my faithful Hiram! You are complaining because I let die something that I had made grow from the desert in a single night. Don't you then understand how much it would pain me to destroy an entire city with all its inhabitants that I, who love all the mankind, cared for so many years?"
Then Hiram understood and repented for his mean words.
The shepherd who found Hiram, the power of god be upon him, on the desert, kept him company and now believed that the stranger had been sent him by the great god, and was nourishing towards him a strong affection and a growing love.
As Hiram, be on his the blessing, was still too weak to move alone, the shepherd prepared for him a kind of sled. He used a wooden trough that he lined with soft sheep furs. He then tied a rope around it and that he also passed through the collars of his shepherd dogs. This was so that they could drag the ill man from one place to another. The dogs recognised the holiness of the soothsayer Hiram. They were extremely careful not to toss the ill man too much in the trough-sled, as his skin was still very thin and delicate as he had not yet totally healed.
But later that day Hiram, the power of Melqart be upon him, said to the beautiful shepherd who was now his lover, "O my good friend, what will the owner of your flock say when he discovers that you are devoting to me so much of your time, when he pays you to care for his sheep?"
The young shepherd answered him, "O beloved by Melqart, since you have been with me wonderful things have happened. Before this was not a verdant land barely a single blade of grass. There are now meadows of the most opulent green, crossed by gurgling brooks. In this short period the flocks have grown four times. So what can their owner complain about?"
Notwithstanding this one day Hiram, the blessing of Melqart be on him, heard the voice of an unknown man who was heavily scolding the shepherd.
He was saying him with an angered voice, "What are you doing all the time? What do you have to do with that stranger? Did you possibly become his trollop? Do you like letting him fuck you instead of caring for my flocks? After all it is me who has to pay for everything, here!"
It was the owner of the flock and he was, as Hiram had correctly guessed, a really disagreeable person.
But the shepherd courageously answered and said to his master, "This man, that I found naked at the limits of the desert, is a soothsayer of the god Melqart, and he is a man full of love. Since he is living with me, I can milk your sheep twice every day. Moreover they now deliver only twins, and so your flock had doubled. We owe all this only to the presence of this man, as his only presence is a great blessing!"
But the owner of the flock was a really greedy man. He had already heard that the king of Uruk was searching for a man called Hiram. Also, that the great king promised a great reward to anybody who brought that soothsayer to him.
He therefore said to the shepherd, "Well, my servant, tell me, where is that mysterious and powerful man about which you told me? Take me to meet him, so that I too can see him and talk with him."
But the young and beautiful shepherd was not so na•ve, and imagined that his master was pushed only by selfishness and his personal interests, by the greediness that hardens the heart. So he answered him making an evasive gesture and said, "Just today he left going in that direction," and pointed towards a point that was in the opposite area of Hiram's hiding place.
The master at once went away with all his men and they rode in the direction pointed out by the smart shepherd. They went to search for Hiram, and planned to find and tie him up and take him with them to the presence of the king of Uruk, so they could get the generous reward. Hiram, may Melqart give him health, understood that the time had come to leave that place. Together with his lover, they went to look for a new and safe hiding place.
Around evening they reached a cave that offered them a shelter against the cold of the desert night. As he was still rather weak, his lover had brought with them a leather bag full of fresh milk and gave it to Hiram to drink. He then laid close to him and warmed him with his body.
Hiram wanted to make love with him one more time, as he thought that in any moment the beautiful shepherd would have to go back to the flock he had to care about.
They made love for a long time, with sweetness and tenderness, giving themselves to each other, each of them caring only to give to the companion the most noble, beautiful and intense pleasure.
In the dead of the night Hiram, the hand of Melqart be on him, woke up to the sound of a sweet song. He recognised the voice of his lover. He left the cave and saw that the moon was full and that its light was covering everything with a precious, silvery cloak.
Hiram, may Melqart bless him, spoke to the young and beautiful shepherd.
"Why did you get up, my friend? Are you feeling nostalgia for your house? Do you want possibly to go back to your master? Don't you want to stay here with me?"
"Oh no," the gentle and beautiful shepherd answered him, "my master went away. He will never again come back. He only wanted to find and grab you to get the reward promised by the king. He didn't stop and rest at the falling of the darkness, even though I told him to do it. This region is full of steep slopes and of landslides. And yet he didn't listen to me and so his destiny fell upon him. Our god Melqart showed me all this in a dream. I therefore don't have to go back to him anymore. And I will not stay with you for some days only, but I will accompany you forever. I will be with you until the day when you chase me away from you, or when our god will call us to be near him."
The young and beautiful shepherd therefore united with Hiram, the blessing of the powerful god be always upon him, and from then on he became his steady companion, his friend, his lover and finally also his faithful spouse.
10 - HIRAM GOES BACK TO URUK
Hiram, the power of the god of love between men be always with him, stayed longer at the house of the beautiful shepherd who was his spouse.
Every day he went to the seashore and sitting on the sand, carefully observed it. So he willingly looked at the games of the fish when thy jumped out of the water and danced and played in the shining light of the sun.
Also the biggest of those fish often turned towards the prophet looking at him for a long time. It was as if he wanted to give him a salute or communicate something else to him. It was something that the beautiful young man was not yet able to understand.
Then one day Hiram, the protection of god be on him, he got the impression that this fish had something in his mouth that was clear and shining. In fact the fish swam close to the shore and threw on the beach a shining object. Hiram recognised that fish, it was exactly the same fish to which, when he was a child, he threw together with his father pieces of bread. And Hiram recognised the shining object. It was a golden necklace chain belonging to the king of the Sumerians. Hiram, the hand of Melqart be upon him, saw in the gift of wthat fish a sign. He took the golden chain and went to see the beautiful shepherd, his spouse.
"The time has come for you to go see the king," Hiram said to his faithful spouse, "and give him the news you saw me. Nevertheless don't tell him where I am. As a sign that you are telling him the truth, give him back this chain that belonged to him. You also have to take with you a handful of the heart on which I laid, and this branch of the bush that protected me, and one of these wonderful dry and empty fruits in the shape of a virile member that contained a sugary liquid that nourished me. Tell the king I will come to see him as soon as I am totally healed and feel well again."
The shepherd took the road to Uruk. He went in front of the king and everything happened as Hiram, the power of god be on him, foresaw. The king recognised the scent of the soothsayer in the handful of heart and in the branch. The king wanted to ask all about his companion, but the shepherd disappeared as soon as he told his embassy and nobody was able to say where he went. So the shepherd went back to Hiram and cared for him, until his man was again totally healthy and strong.
Then Hiram, the protection of Melqart be upon him, talked to his beloved and young shepherd and said, "Come, now, my faithful spouse, let's go together, because you have to finally collect your reward from the king, as you are taking me back to Uruk."
"No," the shepherd answered him, "I will never ask for any other reward than your love so full of blessings. O my beloved, having been chosen by you as your spouse is the greatest, beautiful and precious reward."
Hiram caressed him with tender love, spoke and said, "All as you like or want, my sweet spouse, you will be my companion as long as god would like. Anyway I pray you to collect the reward of the king, to share it with the poor people who are more in need than you."
They both then left to go to Uruk, and the whole town welcomed them with a great joy and enthusiasm. The return of the soothsayer was celebrated for several days. Then Hiram assumed the supervision of the works for building the temple of the god Melqart and of the houses for the priests and acolytes of the god. The other temples were emptied and purified, and in them were established several schools and centers for the teaching of the true faith. Hiram, the blessing of god be always on him, taught the people and instructed the doctors about the precepts of the true love between men and of the love between the true men, so that the religion could be correctly taught and also trained after his departure to unite forever with his god.
Hiram, Melqart give him the eternal award, settled in a beautiful house in Uruk and according to tradition he publicly married in that period with his beautiful shepherd, on the same day when the temple of Melqart was inaugurated. Some say that he had in the young and beautiful shepherd a very worthy and good spouse.
Others instead say, even though this seems incredible, that his spouse did on the contrary change and become a terribly unsupportive, quarrelsome and bad person. Some even say that the shepherd, on a day when Hiram had several important guests, behaved once again in a very reproachable way but Hiram, the hand of Melqart be on him, remained silent and didn't answer him back with any bad words. His friends felt sorry for him and full of pity asked him why he was so tolerant in front of such impudence from his spouse.
Hiram answered them, "I have already received what I asked in my prayers, as I once asked Melqrt, the powerful god, that he would inflict on me already in this life my punishment for my wrong deeds, but that after my death he would receive me in his heaven. Our god Melqart heard my prayer and ordered me to take as a spouse the shepherd that had rescued me. I would so know the pains of hell already along my present life and I will not know them in my future life."
11 - DESTRUCTION OF URUK - END OF HIRAM
For some years all went well in Uruk, but then, little by little, the memory of what they barely escaped started to fade away. So the inhabitants of Uruk started to remember their ancient customs and usages. They were still following the teachings of the new religion that Hiram, the peace be upon him, had brought them. But they were not fully satisfied with them. They were missing the festivals and the annual fairs with the orgies that had accompanied them and that everybody always participated in. They had enjoyed the excitement for the choreographed and vocal performances of naked woman that they had performed before at the times of the idols. They therefore started to carve in secret some images and to venerate them.
Hiram was afraid, seeing their ignorance begin to triumph again and the return of superstitions and he became sad because of it. But his words and his warnings fell again on deaf ears.
One day the king summoned Hiram, the hand of god be on him, and received him with a sad expression.
"There are bad feelings with the neighbouring nations. They are all in fact mocking us because we have added to our temples with their beautiful, precious works of art. This is in a temple where we adore a god blessing the love between two men. They laugh behind our backs, as they say that such a god can't help but make us become weaker. In their eyes we already are judged as weak people and comic characters. I therefore decided that from now on all will be allowed to worship whoever they choose, to adore the gods they like, and you no longer have any say in these matters, o Hiram!"
Evidently the priests and the wizards had succeeded to stealthily go back to the city and had influenced the king's heart. This so influenced the king that he didn't want to listen any more advise from the soothsayer of Melqart.
Then he took the upper hand with the opinion that in the case of the extraordinary and menacing event it was only a natural catastrophe. It didn't hit them that these were not natural causes, and everybody soon forgot that only the mercy of Melqart had been ready to save them from a sure ruin.
Therefore the people was soon deceived and believed that in the past they had been bewitched by the preaching of the soothsayer. They did believe in the wrong message of a "visionary madman".
So they went back again to their original state of ignorance.
Hiram, on him be the blessing of the god, went again in front of the king and said, "O my king, don't think that our god Melqart doesn't see and hear you only because you cannot see and hear him. He will see how the men who love each other are mocked. How the fathers forbid their sons who want to follow this way to follow it and force them to marry with a woman.
"Already once he protected you from the punishment that had been written for you, and withheld his anger. But what will you do if his wrath falls on you for the second time? Then his punishment will not only come from the sky like a rain ruining you. It will also surface from the ground so that you will be surrounded on all sides, and you will be annihilated. All your power will have no value at all. What will you do against all this?"
And yet the king, as his earth was poisoned also by the deceitful graces of his new wives and of the good-looking concubines that the priests of the false gods had inserted in his harem. He was no longer able to understand the warnings. His heart was once again shut, and he again thought that his soothsayer was nothing but a madman.
He therefore did just a refusal gesture and made Hiram go away, just as he had already several times in the past.
To show to the world his power, the king of Uruk decided to go an expedition against Phoenicia, the homeland of the soothsayer Hiram, may the god Melqart give him eternal happiness. He won and after he demolished the temple of the god Melqart in Sidon, he returned to his land, and ascribed his success to the gods and idols of the Sumerians.
In the exaltation of his drunkenness of power, he then projected also an expedition against the land of Egypt. He didn't know that in the mean time all the believers and faithful to the god Melqart emigrated from the lands of Phoenicia to the land of Egypt. There they found shelter and protection. And even though Hiram warned the king that the god Melqart would not give his people in the hands of the servants of the false idols, the king refused to listen to his advice. He moved forward with a great army to the conquest of the fertile and rich land of Egypt.
A second army of colonisers was following the troops of Vaylum. The foolish king was so sure of his victory that he was already thinking about how to colonize those lands with men of his own people.
He even thought that his enterprise was so simple and easy, that he evenly split his army into two parts. He directed one part towards Egypt to conquer and rule the fertile Nile land, and the other part towards Asia Minor so he would become the lord of the world.
While his army was ready for the attack, and lined up in the battle field, a horrible tempest, absolutely unexpected and sudden. It fell on them wrapping everything in such an obscurity that it was even impossible to distinguish the sky from the earth.
The attackers were so frustrated that the army turned in retreat and during that it clashed with the part of the army led by the king that was marching against Egypt.
The king was really upset with his generals for their mistakes and ordered them to immediately turn around.
So they were once again at the borders of the Phoenician lands, and again the intervention of the god Melqart blocked their attack. In fact an epidemic burst out and that killed all the Sumerian warriors, while the Phoenicians were not touched by it.
Meanwhile the troops of the king that reached Egypt were defeated. While the king and his troops were away, the Persians invaded and destroyed the city of Uruk and so the Sumerian's empire was erased from the surface of the World. The king died in the battle and many of his subjects were deported as slaves in the lands of the winning nations.
After these events Hiram, on him be the hand of god, didn't live for many years. Hiram was now old and tired. Anyway, as long as he had some energy in him, he went on preaching and calling the people to the true cult and to the good life.
But the day came Hiram felt very weak and understood that he would soon die. He therefore had his grave dug and on a morning, after he did the morning prayers, his soul fled away and went back to Him, who has in his hands the life and the death.
Then his spouse, it has no more importance if he were still faithful to him or if he became importune, cried and cried day and night on the grave and his tears made sprout out of it wonderful flowers. The god Melqart finally took pity on him and took his soul and his body into heaven, where he reunited him to the soul and body of Hiram forever, uniting them in the never ending happiness of love.
THE END
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