The gods were all different, so lets now have a look at some of the most famous ancient Mesopotamian deities. Ea 4. That reflects the political reality of change brought about by costly battles. Released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license 3.0, 2011.. http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/ Humhum was a minor god worshiped in Dr-arruku (also known as Sippar-Aruru) in northern Babylonia. Define Sumerian. According to the King's List, 07 Nov 2022 10:09:50 While gods such as Marduk and Enlil are no longer worshipped in large temples or carried through cities, these important deities undoubtedly had a lasting effect on all human history. Sumugan (also spelled Sumuqan) or akkan was a god associated with quadrupeds, In Assyrian mythology, Tashmetu is the divine consort of, Tutu was the tutelary god of Borsippa at least between Ur III. While this alone secured Shamashs place as an important deity, his role as a god of justice was of equal significance to the social and political structure of Mesopotamian culture. The Battle of Old and Young Gods: Enuma Elish. This may have come about because hunter-gatherers were guided by the moon as they traveled. Ares: God of war. As a liminal goddess who often challenged social norms, the Mesopotamians believed that Ishtar enabled her followers to cross entrenched social boundaries, such as gender roles and class-based limitations. https://www.thoughtco.com/mesopotamian-gods-and-goddesses-112327 (accessed November 8, 2022). Similarly, Mesopotamian administrators would legitimize their policies by asserting that the laws were supported by An. These aspects of Marduk, coupled with his supreme authority, would have likely made his influence seem all-encompassing to the Mesopotamians. Ura is the earliest attested consort of Anu, as evidenced by Sumerian texts dating to the third millennium BCE. Similar to the Greek god Apollo, it was believed that Shamash pulled the sun across the sky each day. Athena: Goddess of wisdom. For the cost of a movie ticket. An Elamite goddess known from Susa who in Mesopotamia was regarded as analogous to Ishtar or. QuotesGram quotesgram.com. Read full chapter In the Sumero-Akkadian pantheon, Nergal was a secondary Mesopotamian god. Available Added License type. Enki, later known as Ea, and also occasionally referred to as Nudimmud or Niniku, was the god of the subterranean freshwater ocean. In addition to being the god of water and wisdom, Enki was associated with trickery, magic, and fertility. In particular, Nanna was linked to divination, astrology, and omens. Nergal was associated with the Underworld. Just as the Mesopotamians believed that they would not have the sun without Shamash, they relied on Nanna for the continued presence of the moon. The eleven mythical monsters created by Timat in the Epic of Creation, Enma Eli: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Kilili was a demon or minor goddess who served as a messenger of Ishtar. M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota, Apsu (in Akkadian, Sumerian is Abzu)the personification of the freshwater underworld ocean; begetter of the skies and earth, united with Tiamat at the beginning of time, Tiamat (Akkadian word for sea)primeval chaos; the personification of salt water and spouse of Apsu bearer of the skies and earth, also consort of Kingu, Lahmu & Lahamutwin deities born from Apsu and Tiamat, Anshar & Kisharmale and female principles, the twin horizons of sky and earth. Mandanu was a divine judge, attested after the Old Babylonian period, but absent from older god lists such as the so-called Weidner and Nippur lists. Unusually, in the cult of Nanna, the moon was thought to be the father of the sun. As was the case with many Mesopotamian gods, Enki was closely associated with specific cities and was believed to be the patron of the city Eridu. Sumerian Blood: Gilgamesh against the Gods - Commercial License Store Hub Package ID. It is from him that the figure of Capricorn derives. ", Ninhursag ("Mistress of the mountain ranges". Wish List. However, he was also believed to have control over the fates and his commands were unalterable. Bau was a prominent goddess of Lagash, and some of its kings regarded her as their divine mother. She was introduced in Mesopotamia in the Ur III period as an independent deity. One of Enkis primary roles was as a creator deity, as he was one of the three Mesopotamian gods involved in making the universe. Kingaludda was a demon whose name means "director of the storm.". Emesh is a farmer deity in the Sumerian poem. Adad or Hadad - the God of Storm and Rain The Mesopotamian storm god varied from place to place. However, a central role of Marduks was to maintain universal balance so he was viewed as a god of both creation and destruction. By Irving L. Finkel; Markham J. Geller. Single Purchase Added . The word dagon was the Ugaritic and Hebrew collective noun for grain, and Dagon was worshiped as far back as the earliest days of 2500 BC. What Are the Five Most Important Empires of Ancient Mesopotamia? Enlil : God of Air. His union with Gula helped him invoke magical spells to head off demons and diseases. Known Gods Nergal Ishtar Erishkigal Ninurta Tiamat Trivia According to Ishtar, the gods do not need to sleep. Major Deities[ change | change source] Hadad (or Adad) - storm and rain god Enlil (or Ashur) - god of air, head of the Assyrian and Sumerian pantheon Anu (or An) - god of heaven and the sky, lord of constellations, and father of the gods Dagon (or Dagan) - god of fertility Gill, N.S. Every year, his statue was moved from Borsippa to Babylon in honor of his father. Mesopotamian texts recorded that Ishtar was the twin sister of Shamash and the younger sister of Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld. Twisted Hearts ( Riddle Rosehearts . As a deity associated with the production of water, Enki was considered essential to the life of the people and to the continuity of their cities. Although Shamash was worshipped throughout Mesopotamia, his primary temples were located in the cities of Sippar and Larsa. Nabu was said to be the inventor of writing. Mesopotamian kings who wanted to legitimize their reign did so by claiming the blessing of Enlil. Kulullu ("fish man") was an apotropaic creature depicted a centaur-like fish-man. Though his main trait was aggression, he had associations with protection and healing too. Mesopotamia was an ancient civilization positioned between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River. 1st City-States & Kings of Mesopotamia - Prior The Great Flood, Slide-Shows & Texts: Genesis 6:4 "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterward-when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children (semi-divines) by them. Depicted as a courageous warrior, he held a bow and an arrow along with a mace called a sharur. This god had a two-edged aspect: he was both the giver and the destroyer. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Shul-utul was the tutelary god of the dynasty started by Ur-Nanshe. Although worship of the Mesopotamian gods slowly died out following the fall of the Persian Empire, this religion heavily influenced the mythologies of later polytheistic civilizations, such as the Egyptians and Greeks. Ashnan A Grain goddess created by the Gods to provide the Annunaki with food. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Mesopotamian_deities&oldid=8298113, Pages with too many red links from October 2021, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. Nanna was the Mesopotamian god of the moon. Belet Nagar was the tutelary goddess of the Syrian city of Nagar. Hermes: Messenger god. He is also known as the governor of the universe and, as such, is seen seated on a throne with a staff and a ring in his hands as the symbols of righteousness and justice. Due to its many civilizations, the Mesopotamians had a variety of gods, and the ones who made it on to this list represent just a few of them. In the second millennium, he appeared in different texts, letters, and lists of offerings. The Sumerian myths, like the language, continued to be taught in the scribal schools throughout the second and first millennium BCE, and the Akkadians borrowed a lot of its myths from the Sumerians, but by Old Babylonian (20001600 BCE) times, the literature developed myths and epics of its own. Enki was also credited with making the first humans out of clay and he was believed to have created the Tigris and Euphrates rivers out of his semen. Similar to the sky gods of other ancient mythologies, such as Zeus, An was considered the supreme god of their pantheon and the father of many other Mesopotamian deities. Shulpa-e's name means "youthful brilliance". The name Bl-arbi means "lord of the poplar" (the tree meant is assumed to be, Most historians generally agree that Gilgamesh was a historical king of the Sumerian city-state of. Enlil was one of the most prominent gods in the Mesopotamian pantheon, second only to the supreme god An. Descriptions of each edition are found in brief where available. Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses. He was listed with An and Enki as one of the three gods involved in the creation of the universe. Scholars believe that Marduk may have originated as an agricultural deity who was worshipped as the patron of the city of Babylon. Lugalbanda was an early legendary king of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk, who was later declared to be a god. They were called the Anu-na-ki. Reading of the theonym LUM-ma is unclear. He planned to use clay to create humans so that they could serve the gods by performing their work. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Enki was said to reside in the Abzu, which the Mesopotamians believed was a freshwater ocean located beneath the earth that was the source of all streams, rivers, and lakes. Ordinary Mesopotamians visited their temples with offerings, such as animals to sacrifice, to please their gods. The religion of ancient Mesopotamia was complex and sometimes contradictory, as the role of each deity would change according to the needs of the time and the dominant cultures that worshipped these figures. To the Mesopotamians, these ancient deities gave birth to the universe and maintained both the physical and spiritual world around them. Later the Babylonians, Akkadians, Hurrians, and Assyrians also began worshiping him. Some deities became so prominent that they were worshipped throughout the Cradle of Civilization. However, he was also believed to have control over the fates and his commands were unalterable. GODS, DEMONS AND SYMBOLS OF ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA: AN ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY By Jeremy Black, Anthony Green *Excellent Condition*. Enki suggested that the leader of the rebellious gods (Kingu) should be killed and humankind created from his flesh and blood mixed with clay to perform the duties shunned by the gods. They were led by Anu's eldest son, En-ki (lord of Earth). Birtum was the husband of the prison goddess Nungal. Adad : God of storm. Join our mailing list. Bitu's primary function is that of a gatekeeper (. Some of the Sumerian gods and goddesses included: Anu - Sometimes called An, Anu was the god of the heavens and king of the gods. Nunusdug was a minor goddess from the city of Kisiga, attested only in the Early Dynastic period. Ishtar, also known as Inanna, was the Mesopotamian goddess of love, sex, and war. Erragal, also known as Errakal, is a relatively rarely-attested deity who was usually regarded as a form of Erra, Gareus was a god introduced to Uruk during late antiquity by the. Lulal, also known as Latarak in Akkadian. He was the champion of the gods and savior of humanity. Release Date. An Elamite goddess regarded as analogous to Ishtar by modern researchers. Ashgi was one of the main gods of Adab in the Early Dynastic and Sargonic periods. His disciples often credited him as the inventor of the plough. However, he was undoubtedly one of the most important deities in their pantheon. At first, he was no more than a local deity, but soon his worship was taken to another level. According to the oldest surviving legend, the Myth of Atrahasis, the younger gods originally had to toil for a living. Like the Sumerians, the Babylonians spent time and effort in trying to make their gods happy. Enki (known as Ea in Akkadian and Babylonian mythology), was one of the other important ancient Mesopotamian gods of the supreme triad. Enlilazi was a minor god regarded as the "superintendent of Ekur. His iconography depicts him as standing with his hands in the posture of a priest wearing a horned cap on his head. As the supreme deity and ultimate authority figure, the Mesopotamians relied on An to maintain their physical and social world. His function as the god of crop fertility or vegetation was handed down to Baal in 1500 BC. Similar to Shamash, Nannas importance lay in his role in maintaining the physical world. The second century BC witnessed a fall in his worship when cuneiform became nothing more than a lost art. MrSalearno's. $1.50. Father of all the other gods, evil spirits, and demons, typically depicted in a headdress with horns Antu, Antum, or Ki-istconsort of Anu in Akkadian myth The god of heaven, Anu, was his father, and Shalash was his consort. As such, this deity was central to the Mesopotamian worldview. Geshtinanna was a rural agricultural goddess sometimes associated with. She holds a BA in Anthropology with a concentration on Archaeology from the University of Arizona, during which she also attained a Minor in Psychology. Terracotta figurines of Athena are known from Seleucid Babylon. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Gill, N.S. Because Enlil was both creator and destroyer, the Mesopotamians attributed all aspects of their existence to him. Hades: The misunderstood god of the underworld. They were restricted to the domain of incantations and were mostly depicted as outlaws, beings who attacked humans causing all kinds of diseases. Being the god of water, he was the patron deity of cleaners as well. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." (the 1st kings on Earth were in . Chthonic deities also include the demons, which first appear in Mesopotamian myths during the Old Babylonian period (20001600 BCE). As a result, this god was heavily associated with magic and rituals. They rebelled and went on strike. Yes Added Status. Gazbaba was a goddess closely associated with Nanaya, like her connected with erotic love. Lugaldukuga was the father of Enlil in some traditions, Nammu is the primordial goddess who, in some Sumerian traditions, was said to have given birth to both An and, Ama-arhus (Nin-amaaruu; "(lady) compassionate mother") was a sparsely attested Mesopotamian divinity, explained as a title of the medicine goddess, Amasagnudi was the wife of Papsukkal in the god list, Amashilama was the daughter of Ninazu and his wife, Antu is a goddess who was invented during the. Map of Mesopotamia displaying the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Inscribed brick from the Temple of Enlil in the city of Nippur, Symbols of Marduk: the Mushhushshu snake-dragon and the spade, Relief of Ishtar holding a symbol of leadership, Cylinder Seal depicting Nanna (far left) rising from a crescent moon, had an influence on monotheistic Semitic religions, Ashurbanipal: King of Assyria, Hunter of Lions, Sargon of Akkad: The Orphan Who Founded an Empire, The Parthian Empire vs the Roman Empire: 160s CE, Slavic Mythology: 8 Creatures, Myths, & Stories. Complete Mesopotamian Kings List | Mesopotamian Gods & Kings Complete Mesopotamian Kings List (Texts: All Artifacts, Color Coding, & Writings in Bold Type With Italics Inside Parenthesis, are Added by Editor R. Brown, not the Authors, Translators, or Publishers!) ThoughtCo. The people of Mesopotamia were highly religious, and Mesopotamian scribes recorded more than a hundred gods and goddesses. As the god of wisdom, Enki was often called upon by individuals who needed advice or by administrators and kings seeking the wisest course of action. Watch All Videos. As a god who helped create the universe and bring order to the natural world, Marduk was central to the cosmology of later Mesopotamians.
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