SÉ-MOMMA and Μῶμος (Momus)

Momus Criticizes the Gods' Creations,
Heemskerck 1561 (section)

There are words in Oera Linda that have been unclear to all translators thus far, from its first defender, J.G. Ottema, to its last opponent, G.T. Jensma. One of these words is the compound SÉ.MOMMA, the first part of which will mean 'sea', although it could also mean 'see'. A significant discovery related to the second part was made yesterday.

[079/04] HARK_HARK THÉR SKIL EN SÉ.MOMMA KÉTHA.
“Hark! Hark! A ..... is about to speak!”

SÉ.MOMMA is used in chapter M. which describes the moral decline of Athenia (Athens), after the fall of Seekrops (Cekrops). Chronologically, this chapter follows chapter L2. in which Geart and her men leave Athenia, moving with a fleet of 84 ships to Panj-ab (Indus Valley region), joined by 30 Tyrian ships.

Context of the fragment

Because wealth was much more important than virtue and honor to this spoiled and corrupted brood, one sometimes saw young men who adorned themselves with flamboyant clothing, to the shame of their parents and the maidens, and [079] to the mockery of their kin. If any of our modest elders came to the General Assembly at Athenia and wished to protest about this, a cry would go up: “Hark! Hark! A ..... is about to speak!”

Provisional Dutch translation Ott:

Aangezien rijkdom voor die bedorven en verbasterde soort een veel hogere waarde heeft dan deugd en eer, zag men soms knapen die zichzelf sierden met buitensporige, kostbare kleding — hun ouders en de Maagden beschamend en [079] hun geslacht bespottend. Kwamen onze eenvoudig gebleven ouderen te Athenia op de Algeme Acht om zich daarover te beklagen, dan werd er geroepen: “Hoort, hoort! Een ..... wil iets zeggen!”

Translations thus far

Ottema (1872/ '76) had zeegedrocht, translated by Sandbach (1876) into sea-monster. This interpretation was adopted by Overwijn (1941/ '51), Pierce (1983), Jensma (2006, who noted: "unclear") and Raubenheimer (2011). Of these, only Overwijn ('41) added an explanation:

It is remarkable that we still have words like: "mombakkes" [mask], "onder het mom van" [under the guise of] and the like. "Mombakkes" clearly means "monstrosity-cheekhouse", i.e. "fake face". Likewise, sêmomma = sea-mom = sea-monster.^[1]

Wirth (German, 1933) had Seemumme (sea-mom/ -mum). Likewise, De Heer (Dutch, 2008) had zeemamma and Menkens (German, 2013) See-Mumie. These may seem more literal interpretations, but referring to elders that would certainly have included (if not exclusively been) men, they are not satisfactory.

Traces in Old Greek

In search of possibly related words or cognates, I found the following entries in the Old Greek - Dutch dictionary from 1900, which I had used at grammar school in the 1980s. What struck me, is that these words perfectly match the context in which MOMMA was used in the Oera Linda fragment, quoted above.

(original Dutch between brackets:)

μομφά	reproach (verwijt)
μομφὰν ἔχειν τινος	to complain about (zich beklagen over)
μωμάομαι (Ionian: μωμέομαι, μωμεύω)	to mock (bespotten)
μωμητός (adj.)	reprehensible (berispelijk)
μωμητος (noun)	reproach, mockery, slander, opprobrium (verwijt, spot, smaad, schandvlek)

It also mentioned a god of envy, son of Night (god van de nijd, zoon van de nacht), abbreviated as M. This must be the personified spirit Μῶμος (Momos/ Momus).

Discussion

I have yet to look into how and in what context Momus appears in the relevant Old Greek texts (listed here), but the 16th century painting by Heemskerck, used on the Wikipedia page (a section of which is depicted above), is again striking, because of the contrast between the modestly clothed Momus and the person in flamboyant clothing standing next to him.

If SÉ.MOMMA was made up by Verwijs and/or Haverschmidt (or any other alleged 19th century mystifier), it would be subtle and genious beyond belief.

Note

[1] Original Dutch in Overwijn (1941) Het Oera Linda Boek, p. 83:

Merkwaardig is het, dat wij nog steeds woorden als: "mombakkes" (= mom-bakhuis = mom-wanghuis), "onder het mom van" e.d. bezitten. Bij "mombakkes" ziet men duidelijk de betekenis van "gedrocht-wanghuis", d.i. "namaakgezicht" aan den dag komen. Zoo ook "sêmomma = zee-mom = zeegedrocht.