Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Star Tours #1: Al Lul

Starting point is 00:00:00 This episode is sponsored by Sweet Night. It sure has been a mightily hot summer here in the UK and in so many parts of the world. I for one really struggle to sleep well when it's so warm. Sweet Night believes everyone deserves a good sweet night of sleep. That's why the Sweet Night Cool Nest Ultramatress is designed to help create the ideal environment for restorative sleep. Engineered with advanced cooling technology, it's designed to fill up to 11 degrees cooler with an instant cool-to-the-touch cover and breathable comfort layers that help reduce heat build-up throughout the night. Combined with a seven-zone ergonomic support, it delivers balanced

Starting point is 00:00:48 comfort and targeted support where your body needs it most. The result is a cooler, more comfortable sleep experience that helps minimize nighttime disruptions and let you wake up feeling refreshed and renewed. So remember to visit sweetnight.com. Use code Get Sleepy 20, that's Get Sleepy 20, to shop the Cool Nest Ultra Memory Foam mattress and unlock the current offer. That's get Sleepy 20 at Sweetnight.com. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name is Thomas. Thanks so much for being here. Tonight we're kicking off a new series that blends sci-fi and star lore all into one. We'll be featuring these stories across the next several weeks here on Get Sleepy.

Starting point is 00:01:59 Shortly, we'll be boarding the interstellar spaceship for a trip to the stars. In this seven-part series, we'll visit a different constellation every night and learn about the mythological tales behind the stars. When you board the ship, you'll find that, each passenger has their own pod with a soft bed to curl up in. Meaning, you can find whichever position feels cosiest and enjoy the views from the spaceship window. So, whilst we imagine the potential of space exploration in a future time, we'll also hark back to age-old stories showing us how the stars have been interpreted,

Starting point is 00:02:54 by our ancestors in centuries past. It's all brilliantly written by Kayla, and I have the pleasure of reading the whole series. Before we begin, take some time to ease away any sense of pressure, pressure within the body, perhaps created by stress or tension, or pressure in the mind,

Starting point is 00:03:31 with thoughts of, your to-do list, well that thing you wish you'd done a bit differently. We all experience those internalized pressures. It's part of being human. But it serves us no purpose in the here and now. So, as best you can, just let it all go. This moment, this space you're in, is free. free of pressure. You don't have to do anything. You don't even need to listen to the content of my words. All that really matters right now is that you're welcoming a sense of relaxation into your body. If that soon leads to a good night's sleep, then that's great. But if it takes while to get there, that's fine too. Don't put any pressure on getting to sleep.

Starting point is 00:04:56 The lighter and more carefree you feel, both in body and mind, the more likely that sleep will come your way, gently, softly, on its own accord. So, let's turn to our story. So, let's turn to our story now, as you continue to unwind. We're about to board the interstellar and take a journey like no other. We'll be travelling with Star Tours. Their guides are experts in Star-Law from around the world and are experienced in space travel, so you can rest assured that you'll be in safe hands all night. This is where our story begins. Your guide, Rochelle, welcomes you aboard the interstellar. She has a warm smile that creases at the corner of her eyes and a timeless look to her, like she could be anywhere from 25 to 65 years old. She invites you to you.

Starting point is 00:06:57 to make yourself at home on the ship. Pods line the aisles, each bed with a blue blanket. The windows wrap around the entire circumference of the ship, giving you a beautiful view of the night sky as you step aboard. Rochelle tells you that she'll be sitting at the front of this room if you have any questions or need anything during the night. She then leads you through a door that washes open and invites you into the cafe. You're free to order warm drinks and light snacks to keep you satiated on your journey, lining up to order a tea.

Starting point is 00:08:01 You notice some of your fellow passengers. Two siblings are whispering excitedly to each other as their father cradles a sleeping baby. a group of three older women are chatting and chuckling among themselves. You wonder how many years they've been friends and how often they come on star tours together. You also notice solo travelers, people of varying ages, looking excited to be here. One of the solo men is already yawning. Nearby, a woman looks around in wonder, and you smile at each other when your eyes meet. At the counter, you order a lavender tea and bring it back to your pod.

Starting point is 00:09:12 You place the warm travel mug on the bedside table and snuggle under the blankets. The bed isn't too soft or too hard. It's the perfect level of firmness for you. You lie back against the pillows and hold the mug of tea in your hand, gazing out at the night's sky around you. You feel like you are floating at the edge of the earth. Then you realize you are, and a smile warms your face. The captain's voice on the speakers.

Starting point is 00:10:11 announces that you are ready for take-off, the passengers go silent. An engine gently rumbles as the ship hovers off the landing dock and zooms into space. Black sky and stars rush past her windows. The speed makes it feel like you have a weighted blanket across you. But if it weren't for that sensation and the merging of the stars outside the window. You would barely feel the ship moving at all. The ride is smooth and the gentle movement helps you relax. When the ship slows down, the stars look nearer than you've ever seen them before, rather than tiny white specks in the far-away sky. The stars now look like glowing, flickering orbs, around about the size of your fist, hovering near the windows of your ship. You almost feel as if someone has zoomed into

Starting point is 00:11:42 the stars for you. Rochelle explains that the captain wanted to give everyone a closer look at the individual stars. Before you reach your fire. destination for stargazing this evening. You take a moment to marvel at the technology that's allowed you to travel into space today and get a new perspective on the night sky. Sometimes technology can be distracting and take us out of the moment. But right now, it's helping you take in every detail of the marvellous night sky. You lean over the side of your bed to take a look out of the windows below. You can see the blue earth, surrounded by black sky and glittering stars, thinking of all the people on earth who have gazed up at the stars throughout time. You can

Starting point is 00:13:06 hardly believe you are now among the stars, able to look down at your home planet. Lying back against the pillows, you drink your tea, letting the warmth and the pleasant smell of lavender wash through you with each sip. Some of the children are wandering up and down the aisles between the pods. A little girl who looks to be about six or seven, lies down on her belly and gazes through the clear floor of the ship. She must feel like she's floating in space. The whole universe at her fingertips. The ship starts to move again and Earth gets closer. The stars shrink back to their normal size as some of the landmasses of the amazing blue planet become visible.

Starting point is 00:14:29 When the ship comes to a hovering stop again, Rochelle announces, you can now see the continent of Asia below. Home to the Middle East and ancient Mesopotamia, you gaze at the brown and green land masses, trying to make out the shapes of the continents. The Babylonians and Samerians were two of the peoples who lived in Mesopotamia, which was in modern-day Iraq. Their astrology is nearly 5,000 years old.

Starting point is 00:15:18 And some of the oldest records we have of astronomy are the Babylonian star catalogs from around 1200 BCE. These catalogs were a series of astronomy. of astronomical observations about constellations and planets. They also made reference to gods and mythology. In fact, the Babylonians and Sumerians have influenced modern stories about the stars. The Western world's 12-symbols zodiac is based on that of the Babylonians, originally had 17 or 18 symbols. When the Greeks and Egyptians translated to the zodiac, they simplified it. Around 70 Babylonian star tablets have been found.

Starting point is 00:16:32 Many of these tablets include star charts, astrological observations, and predictions based on the stars, you continue gazing at the star-specled sky all around you. Rochelle tells you that many of the ancient writings on astrology focused on predicting the future, and there were also texts that shared mythological stories, some of which had symbolic connections to the stars and the cosmos. The constellation you were going to look at tonight was called Al-Lul by the ancient Mesopotamians. But it is better known today in the English-speaking world as cancer. Al-Lul means deceptive digger. It may have been confused with the word Alutu, which means pincers in Babylonian, in

Starting point is 00:17:58 part that may explain the modern connection between cancer and the crab. But in ancient times, this constellation wasn't associated with a crab, but rather a turtle. You try to see the shape of a turtle in the stars. But to you, it all looks like one sheet of sparkling lights. Luckily, Rochelle is prepared. With a laser pointer, she connects the dots for you in the night sky. The stars at the top of the constellation curve round in a shape that could be interpreted either as a turtle's legs or a crab's pincers.

Starting point is 00:19:03 The body and back legs also curve round in the sky. While you can see the image now thanks to your guide, you wonder at how many people in ancient times grouped the stars together. Perhaps for people who had no television or radio, looking at the night sky was one of their primary evening pastimes. For a moment, Rochelle colours in the constellation like a green turtle. so you can see the full image. Then she lets it fade back to the connected dots, shining majestically in the sky.

Starting point is 00:20:02 Let us begin the tale of Al-Lul, says Rochelle. Thousands of years ago, when the stars were younger than they are now, there lived the Sumerian people. They were one of the world's first civilizations. and have one of the earliest writing systems that we know of, called Cuneiform script, before the great metropolises of Athens or Rome, or the building of the great pyramids, the Sumerians built walled cities, wrote down laws, and perfected crafts. One of the things they loved to do most was study the stars.

Starting point is 00:21:01 The Sumerians chiselled star charts and stories onto clay tablets. Tonight's tale is from one of these tablets. The story of Ninerta and the Turtle. Nineta was an agricultural god, sometimes portrayed as a warrior. He was also associated with healing. Our story begins with the stormbird on. Stealing the tablet of destinies from the god Enki, the windows around you start to swell and form new shapes and colors. Soon, with the stars outside as a backdrop, the windows project the scene.

Starting point is 00:22:11 And you find yourself looking at the ancient civilization of Sumer. There is a ward-scied city made of mud buildings. You hear the trickling of the Euphrates River, and you can almost smell the red roses growing in gardens and in wild fields outside the city walls. Meanwhile, Rochelle continues with the story. Since Nanata liked helping others, he decided to get the tablet back from Onzu. and to return it to Enki. Enki lived in the city of Eridu, right on the Euphrates River. Thanks to the water, crops grew plentifully here,

Starting point is 00:23:16 and traders came from all over Mesopotamia to trade goods and wares. But the stormbird Onzu lived to the north in high mountains. Ninetta was not deterred. He knew Enki would keep the river flowing and the crops strong in his absence. So he packed his bags and left to find Onzu. As you listen, a pink light connects some of the stars of Al-Lul and they fill in with color. You can see the winged god Ninita. He has the body of a man and a stoic face. He wraps his headscarf to protect himself from the sun and sand and walks out of the city of Eridu.

Starting point is 00:24:33 You watch from the comfort of your pod as Nanita follows the Euphrates north of the city, taking in the grand pastures and lush fields. He waves to farmers and stops to admire a particularly beautiful patch of red roses. The lush fields turn to rockier paths as Nunerta gets closer to the mountains. You imagine the air getting cooler and fresh breezes wrapping around the traveling god. The shell continues the story. Ninerta climbed to the mountain and found Onzu in his nest. The bird welcomed him warmly and offered him food and drink.

Starting point is 00:25:45 Ninerta was surprised. You know I have come here to take back the tablet, Ninertar asked. Onzu looked off into the distance and then said, All I wanted was some of the famous writing from the city to read a story to my daughter. To teach her how to read and learn the ways of our people. Nanerta looked at the nest and saw that Onzu was feeding a chicklet. Her feathers looked soft and fuzzy as she cuddled into the warmth of her father. Ninetta's heart softened. He decided to stay the night with Onzu. They talked of the mountains

Starting point is 00:26:51 and the winds and the knowledge housed in the ancient cities. Of the stories and other arts and crafts that flourished within the city walls, while Onzu loved the wide, windy expanses of the mountains, and fields. He wanted to enjoy some of the delights of the city too. The new friends talked late until the night and fell asleep under the stars. They even read some of the tablet and enjoyed the stories it told. In the morning, Nanata had an idea. He told Onzu that if he gave him the tablet to take back to Enki. He would take Onzu's daughter with him as well. That way, she could spend part of the year learning in the city.

Starting point is 00:28:07 And the other part with Onzu, enjoying the beauty of the mountains. Onzu agreed, and the chicklet chirped with excitement. The next day, Ninetta packed his things. and Onzu packed for his daughter when they said goodbye. Onzu wrapped them both in a warm, feathery hug. Since Nanita now had the little chick with him, he decided to fly home. In the night sky, you watch his starred wings flap up and down. The image in the windows of the ship swells again, and you can see Mesopotamia below as if you were flying with Nanata. Snow-capped mountains fade away and turn into forests, which then turn into fields.

Starting point is 00:29:32 Ninetta was proud of those fields, Rochelle continues. It was because of him working together with Enki that this, area of the world was filled with plenty. When Nanita and the tricklet got back to Eridu, the baby bird's eyes grew wide with wonder. She asked Nanita about the buildings, the palaces, and the temple dedicated to Enki himself. They landed softly on the dirt road outside the temple. and went inside. The building is right on the bank of the river Euphrates. You watch as Nanita walks past the limestone columns, decorated with silver and gold and lapis lazuli. You hear musicians playing the loot and watch the people of the city leaving offerings for Enki. Nanita and the chiklet

Starting point is 00:31:02 weave through the people, until they find Enki in his chambers. Enki was delighted to see his tablet returned, says Rochelle. And even more excited that Onzu had sent his daughter to be educated with him. He was happy that his city was so respected that beings wanted to go there, to learn about the world. Enki thanked Ninerta and offered him beautiful gifts. Ninetta accepted. But later that night, he thought of the words he'd read on the tablet of destinies. If he could just keep it for a while longer, perhaps he could become just as revered as Enki. So, that night, Ninetta snuck back into the temple and stole the tablet. In the morning,

Starting point is 00:32:26 Enki saw what had happened and came to confront Nanata. Can't you see, said Enki. The tablet keeps tempting good people to crave more than what they need. Return it, Nanita. and all will be well between us. But Nanata would not. So Enki called upon his great friend, the turtle. Now, this wasn't just any turtle. Not only could it both swim and walk on land. This turtle could also fly.

Starting point is 00:33:21 The turtle went to visit Nanata. When he flew away, the turtle followed. Nanerta was so amazed the turtle could fly. He almost forgot what the creature had come for. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the turtle floating behind him in the sky. The turtle began laughing too. It was hard for either to stay angry when they were laughing. laughing so much. Instead, they decided to have a long conversation nestled in the clouds. They talked

Starting point is 00:34:17 about how some power can be good. Ninetta thought of the chicklet, learning to read. That was a kind of power. The crafts of the artisans and builders in the city were also forms of power that helped others. But sometimes people got so distracted by power, they forgot about making the world better and only wanted to help themselves. Ninetta realized he had fallen into that trap. The turtle and the god talked through the whole night. Many people looked up at the start, that night and saw the two talking. When they left, it seemed as if they had moved the stars to fit their shapes and left their mark in the night sky. The ending of the tale remains lost to history, says Rochelle. The tablet it was written on is broken, but we can imagine that perhaps

Starting point is 00:35:56 Nenerta returned the tablet to the temple of Enki. And together, they used their powers of agriculture, water and wisdom to make the city and surrounding farmlands a prosperous place. When they shared their power with the people, everybody won. Life in ancient Sumer revolved around two rivers. The Tigris and the Euphrates The constellation of Al-Lul is associated with the water levels in the rivers and might have helped ancient Sumerians and Babylonians predict the coming of floods or droughts.

Starting point is 00:36:56 As your guide finishes the story, you notice you've fully snuggled down into your bed. you gaze at the stars through half-lidded eyes, marvelling at their beauty and the stories behind them, and you think about the people who developed tools to see the stars so long ago, and used them to predict the water levels of the river that helped to grow their food. How wonderful to be part of a water. world that has such a strong connection with the night sky. The captain announces you will now start your return to Earth. You're a little bit sad to leave the skies behind, though you have a new appreciation for the stars and their stories. You think you'll feel more connected, both to outer space

Starting point is 00:38:22 and to planet Earth, when you return. Rochelle announces that the captain won't be using light speed to return to Earth. So the journey will take a little while. During that time, you're welcome to wander around the ship, or visit the cafe if you're not ready for bed. But if you feel your eyes closing and your muscles relaxing. Stay tucked into bed and let yourself fall asleep, surrounded by the stars. Rochelle will still be there to answer any questions you might have, but for now, having

Starting point is 00:39:27 finished her stories for the night, she'll leave you to rest. Feeling sleepy, you lie back in bed, watching shapes and colors dance in the darkness of your closed eyes. You pull the blankets up to make yourself as cozy as can be and hear the low buzzing of the ship. The softness of the bed and the gentle movement of the ship make it feel like you're being rocked to sleep. And soon you drift into a deep slumber.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Star Tours #1: Al Lul

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.