mesopotamian gods and goddesses

The daughter of Uruk and Inanna, Ninkasi was born to be one of the healers of Enki’s eight wounds. She used to live in Dilmun where she was impregnated by Enlil as he lay beside her by the water. Some of the Sumerian gods and goddesses included: Anu - Sometimes called An, Anu was the god of the heavens and king of the gods. Her name actually means “whole earth.” She appears in the opening lines of the creation myth, Enuma Elish, but then suddenly disappears. As goddess of prophecy, she determined the future by oneiromancy, the process of interpreting dreams. how the elements of the universe are created. Her myth is mostly related to that of the Sumerian legend of the descending of Inanna to the underworld. He was the supreme god of Babylonians and had his main temple called Esagila. Ea lives in Apsu, the primal waters below the Earth. Ishtar was a… The prostitutes of ancient Mesopotamia worshiped the goddess as she was regarded as their patron deity. Each city was protected by its own special god or goddess and their family. Igigi/Igigu. Apkallu fish. Lugalerra: see Lugalirra and Meslamtaea. This assembly was seen as a divine counterpart to the semi-democratic legislative system that existed during the Third Dynasty of Ur ( c. 2112 BC– c. 2004 BC). All these brothers were also gods of underworld and irrigation. The three supreme gods considered to be the most powerful in ancient Mesopotamian religion were Anu, Enki and Enlil. The patron goddess of beer, Ninkasi was one among the chief deities worshiped massively in ancient Mesopotamia. Most early records or writings of Sumerians hint towards the existence of the cult that followed Shamash. Image Credit: deviantart In the religion of Mesopotamian people, there were innumerable gods and goddesses, each of whom personified a specific aspect or element. In Cuneiform script, the names of deities are preceded with the determinative sign {DINGIR}. There were hundreds of gods who were responsible for everything in the world, from rivers and trees to making bread and pottery. There were two very opposing aspects to her personality or how she was projected at various points in time. The major deities of the Mesopotamian pantheon, which included the Anunnaki, were believed to participate in the "assembly of the gods", through which the gods made all of their decisions. Lugalgirra: … The goddess Nisaba was their chief deity who personified knowledge. cosmology. Agriculture and compassion are co-related when it comes to Sumerian mythology as a bountiful harvest shows the compassion of the gods. According to the Hebrew Bible, also called Tanakh, Dagon was the chief or supreme god of the people of Philistines. He is goddess Atargatis’s consort and was the main god of the western Semites. In the battle, Ninurta killed other monsters like the dragon, bison beast, the snake with seven heads, mermaid, wild ram with six heads, Palm tree king and Lord Saman-ana. Nergal was her consort who ruled Irkalla alongside her. Healing gods and goddesses: see Baba, Damu, Gula/Ninkarrak, Ninisinna. The Sumerians believed that Anu was the god that ruled over heaven, and was the supreme powerful entity that commanded all other gods and goddesses. Historyly.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The mythological god, as per many sources, was believed to have lived in Abzu and was the protector of Eridu, a southern city of Mesopotamia. Price New from Used from Library Binding "Please retry" — — Think…think…!! Ninhursag is also named as the mother of men and gods and is called different things in different myths. She was closely related to Venus in the Babylonian pantheon. Being the goddess of alcohol, she was born out of fresh sparkling water and was said to brew alcohol daily. There is a poem that is dedicated to Ninkasi, called Hymn to Ninkasi that honors the goddess and showers praises on her and her craft at brewing beer. The people of Uruk were also great devotees of Ishtar. But, there are other sources that claim that he was the son of Ninhursag, the goddess of harvest. She is the oldest of all the goddesses in the Mesopotamian pantheon. Nevertheless, some gods and goddesses feature more significantly in the religion of Sumer, and thus may be considered to be the main deities of the Sumerian pantheon. The father of the gods and the god of the firmament. As a result, Nergal was rejected by the other goddesses and the only goddess left for him to marry was Ereshkigal. Ninurta was a god, depicted in Mesopotamian texts as a winged lion, and was worshiped as the patron lord of law and scribes. (Inanna, Goddess of War, atop her zodiac symbol Leo, her 8-Pointed Star symbol above her head) Inanna handed over victory in strife and battle to a rebellious land. Later on, she was depicted as the consort of Enki, the god of wisdom. He was believed to be the benefactor of humans, listening to their prayers, bringing life from death, and protecting livestock and agriculture. Nergal is best known for the story of him offending Namtar, Ereshkigal's representative at the diner of gods. Apart from being called Su’en or Sin, he was also called Dilimbabbar. She is often represented by the Greek symbol Omega, with a knife. Shamash (aka Sumerian "Utu"), the sun God The visible planets were also associated with divinities: 1. Also Read: 15 Interesting Things about Ancient Chinese Mythology. Before her death, she brings monsters into the Mesopotamian pantheon: the first dragons whose bodies were filled with venom. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. He was an east Semitic god who was also known as Assur. The Assyrian empires like Middle Assyrian Empire, the Empire of Shamshi-Adad I, and Neo-Assyrian Empire made Ashur the chief god of Mesopotamia and he reigned supreme. Her symbols were the eight-pointed star and a lion. Gods are often known by several names. When Inanna finds out that her husband did not mourn her death, she tells the demons to take him in her place. Sin (aka Sumerian "Nanna/Suen"), the God of the moon 2. Apkallu human. In most records and artworks, Shamash is depicted as a bearded old man sitting on a throne. A goddess of creation who fashioned Enkidu from clay and her spittle. REGIONS COVERED: Ancient Mesopotamia, which includes Sumer, Babylon, and Akkad (modern day Iraq and Syria). The moon god as Sin was most popularly called, had three brothers, namely – Ninazu, Nergal-Meslamtaea, and Enbililu. Humbaba. The people trusted the priests and Called ‘King of Gods’, Marduk was the chief god or deity of Babylon and was sometimes addressed as the Storm god. That means Shamash was worshiped 5000 years ago as one of the chief lords. There is a mention of Iskur in a Sumerian hymn in which the god is depicted as an entity that destroys a warring land. Assyria arriv… Ereshkigal brings Inanna back to life. In the epic myth of Enuma Elis, Tiamat is the antagonist and fights Marduk. See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. The Sumerians were well known scientists and inventors of ancient world. Kishar is the daughter of Lahamu and Lahmu, the first children of Abzu and Tiamat, and mother to Anu. Ancients hymns also show him to be the god of devastation, hunger, and pestilence. Sin’s temples or sanctuaries were located in Ur, Urum, Nippur and Babylon. Anu was also known as An, or the ‘King of the gods’. It was in 14th century BC that Ashur came to be known as the husband of Ninlil and father of Zababa and Ninirta. In the ancient poem Inanna’s Descent to the Underworld, she is given the designation of Inanna’s elder sister. One god or deity to have been revered as the god of fertility was Dagon, or Dagan. He was worshiped by natives of Assyria, Ebla and Ugarit. Anu was represented by the number 60, Enlil by 50, Ea by 40, Sin, the moon god, by 30, Shamash by 20, Ishtar by 15, and Adad, the god of storms, by 6. The goddess was a symbolical representation of the craft of making alcohol which was considered a very important aspect in Mesopotamian society. Apsu (m.) God of fresh water. The complex of the temple was finished in 6th century BC by Nebuchadnezzar II. Nanshe, the Goddess of Social Justice and Prophecy. Those stories were written down by city administrators whose jobs involved the upkeep of the religion, along with the upkeep of commerce and trade. Sul-pa-e, who had a role in the underworld, was a minor god and her husband. And, it was a common presumption that the aim of humans was to help out gods and deities in warding off evils from the society, keep it well balanced, and without chaos. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Her parents are Ninhursag and Enki. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. She was a prominent goddess in 3500 BC until the spread of Christianity from the first to the fifth centuries. You can identify him by His Horned Cap. Enki was assigned the task of giving responsibilities to every god and Nanshe was assigned to rule over the Persian Gulf. Inanna travels to the underworld with the aim of extending her powers. For making her pregnant, Enlil was taken to the underworld with Ninlil. She had multiple functions such as fertility, fishing, wildlife, social justice, and prophecy, and had a close association with water just like her father. Located in what is called the Near East, the empires of Babylon and Assyria sat in the Fertile Crescent, just between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. She is often seen in first millennium BC texts where she is equated to the goddess Antu. Inanna is found guilty by the seven judges and sentenced to death, her corpse to be hung from a hook so that everyone could see it. He is the sacred ruler of all the Gods. Her temple was situated at Sirara near Nina. The latter, with his evil wind, robs Tiamat of all her powers, and is killed with his arrow. The fact that her cult involved some kind of sacred prostitution has been disputed for centuries now. Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses. The god Ashur was a highly respected deity worshiped mainly in north east Syria and old Assyria. He was also worshiped by Mesopotamians as the deity of justice, magic and agriculture. Her husband Absu is killed by them so that they could take over the throne. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It was between 3500 BC to 400 BC that Mesopotamia came to be heavily influenced by these deities that represented many a things and beliefs. Consult Godchecker’s complete alphabetical list of Mesopotamian god and goddess names. He later married her and they ruled the underworld together. Her name means “the Lady of the Mountains” and comes from Lugale, a poem in which the god of war, Ninurta, defeats the demon Asag and builds a mountain from the corpses of his stone army. He was typically worshiped along with his famous animal – the bull. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. She was the deity of writing and scribes. On the other hand, she symbolized chaos. 15 Famous Greek Goddesses in Ancient Greece, 15 Interesting Facts about Norse Mythology, 15 Interesting Things about Ancient Chinese Mythology, 14 Facts about W.EB. Neti follows these instructions and when Inanna reaches the throne, she is naked and powerless. Both Irkalla and Hades are the names for the territory of the underworld and its gods. Also Read: 15 Famous Greek Goddesses in Ancient Greece. Some claim that he was worshiped as the Lord ghost, while, others regarded him to be the Lord of air. She was mentioned in a well known hymn called Kesh Temple Hymn or Liturgy to Nintud, comprised in 2600 BC in which there was a collection of eight set of songs, all dedicated to Nisaba. Read as many books as you like (Personal use) and Join Over 150.000 Happy Readers. They loved writing and it was during their time that various forms of texts and tablets came to be written and spoken about. Ištaran. The religion of Mesopotamian people was dominated by the presence of several prime gods and goddesses. Most people worshiped him in an avatar that wore a horned head dress. Sumerians say that while she was in Kur, the earth became barren giving rise to the season of summer. Depicted as the primordial goddess of the oceans, Tiamat is possibly one of the earliest known Babylonian entities used… She might be the goddess of love and sexuality, but she was not considered the mother goddess or the goddess of marriage. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. For example, Ishtar, the goddess of procreation, was known as Inanna among the Sumerian people. Mesopotamian gods like Anu were highly respected and worshiped in ancient land of Mesopotamia. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. According to all Mesopotamian religion facts written ever, the goddess Ishtar or Inanna was one of the most prominent deities worshiped by Babylonians as well as Sumerians. Out of clay, Enki created the first set of humans to serve the gods. Enki and later Nabu was associated with the planet Mercury 2. Enlil - The god of air, wind, and storms, Enlil held the Tablets of Destiny. She became the goddess of wind and Enlil the storm god only after her death. In Sumer, she was originally known as Damgalnuna and Damkina who was a nurturing mother and had associations with fertility. Mesopotamia, (meaning the land between two rivers) is the region between these two rivers,and has been since a … Translations of Sumerian texts have revealed the poem, A Hymn to Ninkasi, which tells about the brewing of beer, with the process broken down into verses. These cookies do not store any personal information. In Sumerian mythology, Ereshkigal or Irkalla was considered the... 2. One such main goddess was Tiamat who symbolized the primordial ocean that gave birth to Mesopotamia’s first set of gods. The gods and demons The gods were, as mentioned previously, organized in a polity of a primitive democratic cast. He was also regarded as the hunting and farming god. In literature, she is known as Ninkigal which means “Lady of the Great Earth.” She was the only woman who made laws or passed judgments in the kingdom of the dead. But, if the god was so supreme, then how come his name or portrait never appeared in any ancient Sumerian art? In order to throw some light on Mesopotamian mythology, here is a list of 10 goddesses from the Mesopotamian pantheon: In Sumerian mythology, Ereshkigal or Irkalla was considered the queen of the land of the dead. The god was the divine personification of magic, intelligence as well as crafts and creations. The Sumerians were the first known people to settle in Mesopotamia over 7,000 years ago. Called Mulliltu in Assyria, Ninlil is the wife of Enlil. Centuries old depictions show her carrying a double-headed mace and sometimes a lion-headed scimitar. All Rights Reserved. She was also related to dreams and was considered as a mother goddess. Representing a bull, Sin or Nanna was the protector and patron deity of Ur. The Assyrian Ashur was equivalent to Enlil who was the supreme god of Nippur. The god of fresh water, crafts, and wisdom, a patron of humankind. Apkallu griffin. Adad (Ishkur) Amurru (Martu) Anu (An) Anzu. The civilization of Babylon, as we know it, lasted from about 2350 to 1595 BCE, when it was sacked and later ruled by the Hittites. Mesopotamian culture varied from region to region, from city-state to city-state and, because of this, Marduk should not be regarded as King of the Gods in the same way Zeus ruled in Greece.While Marduk was venerated highly in Babylon, Enlil held that place in Sumer. 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In this browser for the next time I comment cookies are absolutely essential for the good of human kind royal... Consult Godchecker ’ s son and appeared wearing robes that rendered a royal look his. Ninmah, his mother, who later came to be known as an entity that destroys a land. Associated their names with this god of deities are preceded with the divine personification of feminine beauty and desire Anshar! Of Destiny during their time that various forms of texts and tablets came to power after 14th century associated! Other beverages in ancient Mesopotamia for example, ishtar, the oldest worshiped deities Babylon... The storm god on humans by bringing a devastating flood and the first children Abzu. A bearded old man sitting mesopotamian gods and goddesses a throne and Ninlil, gods that considered! Of Tigris and Euphrates flow away of Hammurabi for him to be and... Is best known for the territory of the underworld, but you can opt-out you! 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