Gods are often known by several names. She had multiple functions such as fertility, fishing, wildlife, social justice, and prophecy, and had a close association with water just like her father. There were two very opposing aspects to her personality or how she was projected at various points in time. 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. Though she was continuously worshiped throughout the Akkadian era, her cult disappeared in the Old Babylonian period. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Tiamat (f.) married to Apsu and is the goddess of salt water and the ocean. Sin was depicted as a bull with ‘waxing moon’ symbol lodged in his horns. Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic, with a pantheon consisting of hundreds if not thousands of gods of varying importance. But, if the god was so supreme, then how come his name or portrait never appeared in any ancient Sumerian art? 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). He held such power that his name is mentioned in the famous 18th century BC law code of Hammurabi. Let’s take a look at the top 15 Mesopotamian gods and goddesses that were revered in ancient Mesopotamia. She demands to be Gilgamesh’s consort and on his refusal, Ishtar unleashes the Bull of Heaven which results in the death of the wild man, Enkidu. However, there are a few paradoxes as Anu’s supremity is often argued upon by historians. He dedicated this mountain to Ninmah, his mother, who later came to be known as Ninhursag. He was the son of Enlil and Ninlil, gods that were considered very important in Nippur. Nergal is best known for the story of him offending Namtar, Ereshkigal's representative at the diner of gods. The first part represents the image of a sacred goddess and the union of marriage between fresh and salt water, and in the second form she has monstrous associations for she is the symbol of primordial chaos. However, there are quite a few paradoxes regarding his name and what element he personified. See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. A goddess of creation who fashioned Enkidu from clay and her spittle. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The latter, with his evil wind, robs Tiamat of all her powers, and is killed with his arrow. The Mesopotamian goddesses have many stories attached to them and have associations with almost everything on earth. he represents death over all. She became the goddess of wind and Enlil the storm god only after her death. The god was the divine personification of magic, intelligence as well as crafts and creations. The doers of the deeds (creative or otherwise decisive acts), and thus the subjects of the praises, are the gods. But, there are other sources that claim that he was the son of Ninhursag, the goddess of harvest. Index of 255 Mesopotamian Gods – Names for the Gods & Goddesses, A “Who’s Who” of The Anunnaki Giants on Earth Colony Index Of Texts 148 Minor Gods, Quotes From Texts 47 Top Minor Anunnaki Gods; Slide-Shows & Texts (Modern Pic, Not Authentic Artifact) Time-Line of The Gods … Women, in those ancient times, took charge of brewing and making beverages. The source is an 18th century BC epic that was found at Akkadia and is called Atra-Hasis. cosmology. Being the goddess of alcohol, she was born out of fresh sparkling water and was said to brew alcohol daily. 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. Lugalerra: see Lugalirra and Meslamtaea. The art of making beer has been passed down for generations and her female gender and association with brewing has made this process the responsibility of women. Copyright © (2016 - 2020) Historyly.com. For making her pregnant, Enlil was taken to the underworld with Ninlil. In Sumerian mythology, Ereshkigal or Irkalla was considered the... 2. Hadad was one of the chief gods to have had many temples and sanctuaries in Babylon, Uruk, Ur and Nippur. Tiamat- The Goddess of Salt Sea and Mother of Several Deities. There were hundreds of gods who were responsible for everything in the world, from rivers and trees to making bread and pottery. It is infused with the divine, because religion played a crucial part in the way Mesopotamians expressed their thoughts about human life. The Sumerians were well known scientists and inventors of ancient world. In the religion of Mesopotamian people, there were innumerable gods and goddesses, each of whom personified a specific aspect or element. In the codes were written land laws directed from Shamash himself. Price New from Used from Library Binding "Please retry" — — STUDY. There are numerous ancient tablets and other sources where Enlil is mentioned as the ‘King of all lands’. Both Irkalla and Hades are the names for the territory of the underworld and its gods. His main temples were located in Larsa, Eridu and Sippar. Those stories were written down by city administrators whose jobs involved the upkeep of the religion, along with the upkeep of commerce and trade. Ancient Mesopotamians like the Akkadians, Sumerians, Assyrians and Babylonians believed in worshiping various gods and goddesses. This symbolizes her role as a mother. Adad or Ishkur - god of storms, venerated as a supreme power especially in Syria and Lebanon Shamash (aka Sumerian "Utu"), the sun God The visible planets were also associated with divinities: 1. Ishtar was regarded as the supreme goddess of beauty and desire. The Sumerian Pantheon. She is said to be the daughter of the god of the sky, Anu. Inanna travels to the underworld with the aim of extending her powers. On the other hand, she symbolized chaos. He was also known as Shulman and his worship started out in Assyria. Her temple was situated at Sirara near Nina. Also Read: 15 Interesting Things about Ancient Chinese Mythology. Historically speaking, it was Mesopotamia that gave birth to the earliest recipe of brewed beer. Mesopotamian religious beliefs centered around numerous divinities and deities, one among which was Enki, also called the ‘Lord of the Earth’. Shala is a Sumerian goddess and a mountain on Venus, the Shala Mons, has been named after her. In order to bring him back, she agrees to take his place in Kur for half a year so that he can return to heaven and to Inanna. She used to live in Dilmun where she was impregnated by Enlil as he lay beside her by the water. Another myth talks about her marriage to Nergal who was the god of plague. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Her name Irkalla is the equivalent of Hades in Greek mythology. Nanshe, the Goddess of Social Justice and Prophecy. Enki and later Nabu was associated with the planet Mercury 2. The people of Uruk were also great devotees of Ishtar. The goddess of beauty, sex, love, and fertility, Ishtar, was the East Semitic version of Inanna, the Sumerian goddess; the Northwest Semitic goddess was called Astarte; and the Armenian goddess was called Astghik. She gave birth to the moon god, Nanna or Suen. Being the goddess of the underworld, she sent her messenger Namtar who was treated well by all the gods and goddesses except for Nergal. As a result, Nergal was rejected by the other goddesses and the only goddess left for him to marry was Ereshkigal. The Mesopotamian religious beliefs of the Akkadians put tremendous importance on worshiping various gods and goddesses, each representing a natural element. The Mesopotamian pantheon The Gods, Goddesses, Spirits and legendary characters of Mesopotamian mythology. Apkallu griffin. Another source says that she is the daughter of Antu and Anu. Ishtar – Goddess of Fertility, Love, and War, 7. In the epic myth of Enuma Elis, Tiamat is the antagonist and fights Marduk. As goddess of social justice and balance, Nanshe provided help to widows, acted as a parent to orphans, saved people from troubled regions, and provided advice to those in debt. He was worshiped by natives of Assyria, Ebla and Ugarit. Nisaba – Goddess of Writing, Learning & Harvest, 15 Facts About Ancient Egyptian Gods That You should Know, 15 Adorable Ancient Greek Vase Paintings You Will Love, 10 Shocking Secrets of Ancient Egypt that you…, 13 Oldest and Ancient Civilizations of the World, 15 Mesopotamia Achievements and Inventions : What…, Code of Hammurabi Considered a Legal Innovation : 13…, 15 Amazing Facts About The Ancient Olympics. He was believed to be the benefactor of humans, listening to their prayers, bringing life from death, and protecting livestock and agriculture. Many Gods are spread across different regions, cultures and tribes. Part of the Sumerian pantheon, she was known as the goddess who could satisfy the heart’s desires, and because of her involvement in it, the art of brewing in Sumer was protected and sanctioned by Ninkasi and two other goddesses. Ancients hymns also show him to be the god of devastation, hunger, and pestilence. One god or deity to have been revered as the god of fertility was Dagon, or Dagan. Anu was the prime and the first god worshiped by Sumerians, and there were other names associated with worshiping him. All Rights Reserved. Apart from being called Su’en or Sin, he was also called Dilimbabbar. Lugalgirra: … Though, in 2700 BC, Nisaba was worshiped as a grain goddess, however, later, she came to be associated with the city of Eresh in Mesopotamia as the leading deity of scribes and keeper of mortal accounts. She is the oldest of all the goddesses in the Mesopotamian pantheon. With him, she had three children: Lisin, Lil, and Asgi. Nergal was her consort who ruled Irkalla alongside her. Called Mulliltu in Assyria, Ninlil is the wife of Enlil. The city associated with Anu was Uruk. Later on, she was depicted as the consort of Enki, the god of wisdom. The goddess Inanna’s descent to the underworld is one of two myths that revolve around Irkalla. The religion of Mesopotamian people was dominated by the presence of several prime gods and goddesses. The Sumerians were the first known people to settle in Mesopotamia over 7,000 years ago. Each city was protected by its own special god or goddess and their family. He is goddess Atargatis’s consort and was the main god of the western Semites. It also meant destruction in the form of floods. He was identified with Meslamtaea and Irra as the god of war and scorched earth. These cookies do not store any personal information. 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. theogony. Nanshe was the daughter of … Kishar is the daughter of Lahamu and Lahmu, the first children of Abzu and Tiamat, and mother to Anu. There are other mentions of him in various Akkadian texts where he is depicted as a destroyer. These included – Supreme Ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven, and Lord of the Constellations. There is a mention of Iskur in a Sumerian hymn in which the god is depicted as an entity that destroys a warring land. Enlil - The god of air, wind, and storms, Enlil held the Tablets of Destiny. Iškur/Adad. Ishtar was a… Her temple at the Zagros mountains was always visited by kings before they went away on their many military and war campaigns. Please feel free to comment on our post on ancient Mesopotamian religious beliefs in the 15 gods and goddesses, and do share extra facts with us if you wish! Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. One such god was Shamash or Utu. He was also worshiped by Mesopotamians as the deity of justice, magic and agriculture. All these brothers were also gods of underworld and irrigation. She was also a representation of the crafts of war and combat. Igigi/Igigu. Ea lives in Apsu, the primal waters below the Earth. 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. Marduk was Enki’s son and appeared wearing robes that rendered a royal look to his personality. In Cuneiform script, the names of deities are preceded with the determinative sign {DINGIR}. One such main goddess was Tiamat who symbolized the primordial ocean that gave birth to Mesopotamia’s first set of gods. Most people worshiped him in an avatar that wore a horned head dress. In her other form she is a dragon as large as the sky. 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. Mesopotamian religion - Mesopotamian religion - Myths: The genre of myths in ancient Mesopotamian literature centres on praises that recount and celebrate great deeds. Hadad was depicted with a bearded look, with thunderbolt and a club clenched in his fists. Representing a bull, Sin or Nanna was the protector and patron deity of Ur. That means Shamash was worshiped 5000 years ago as one of the chief lords. 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. In the ancient poem Inanna’s Descent to the Underworld, she is given the designation of Inanna’s elder sister. She was the deity of writing and scribes. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Most early records or writings of Sumerians hint towards the existence of the cult that followed Shamash. Married to Tiamat and has Lakhmu and Lakhamu. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses. REGIONS COVERED: Ancient Mesopotamia, which includes Sumer, Babylon, and Akkad (modern day Iraq and Syria). As per one aspect, Tiamat was a personification of feminine beauty and grace. Mesopotamian gods and goddesses are known from the literature of the Sumerian people, the oldest written language on our planet. Top 10 Ancient Mesopotamian Goddesses 1. There are mentions of Enki in numerous Sumerian texts that speak about the power of his virility. We have tried to collect as many Holy Aliases as possible. Her associations with Virgo have been talked about by many scribes and this association has resulted in the present-day constellation of Virgo. He was typically worshiped along with his famous animal – the bull. When Ninshubur, Inanna’s second in command, pleads with Ereshkigal, she agrees to help Inanna. Centuries old depictions show her carrying a double-headed mace and sometimes a lion-headed scimitar. The goddess is regarded as one of the oldest worshiped deities in Babylon. And, he did this all simply because he was irritated at humans for making loud noises that interrupted his sleep. Evidence suggests that she is either the daughter of Nunbarsegunu and Haia or Nammu and Anu. As per several ancient texts, Sin was the first child of Enlil, and was a hugely revered god of ancient Mesopotamia. Think…think…!! It spoke about how Enlil brought about destruction on humans by bringing a devastating flood. 1. For example, Ishtar, the goddess of procreation, was known as Inanna among the Sumerian people. Some Sumerian sources and texts depict Tiamat, the primordial goddess of ocean as the mother of Enki. The moon god as Sin was most popularly called, had three brothers, namely – Ninazu, Nergal-Meslamtaea, and Enbililu. Before Syriac Christianity took over Mesopotamia, these people had unique sets of Mesopotamian religious beliefs that included worship of main gods and deities like Ishtar, Marduk, Anu, and Tiamat among a host of others. But the ancient Mesopotamian people believed that the gods ruled every aspect of their life. The mountains get created from her breasts, while, her spit gives birth to mist. When Inanna finds out that her husband did not mourn her death, she tells the demons to take him in her place. Some texts claim he was the supreme ruler of heaven. All the above listed gods and goddesses were an integral part of ancient Mesopotamian lands, and were heavily influenced by various empires that reigned Mesopotamia from time to time. According to the Hebrew Bible, also called Tanakh, Dagon was the chief or supreme god of the people of Philistines. Known also as Iskur, Hadad’s power was not merely meant for the good of human kind. In most records and artworks, Shamash is depicted as a bearded old man sitting on a throne. He was also worshiped by many as the divine god of prayers and justice. Apkallu human. Their power and importance cannot be overstated. The Mesopotamians were very religious, and their many civilizations shared the same deities with different identities and names. Whether the priestess performed sexual acts or not is still a matter of conjecture though many have argued that this never happened. As per one aspect, Tiamat was a personi… The gods of the Mesopotamian region were by no means uniform in name, power, provenance or status in the hierarchy. While the great gods of the pantheon were worshipped by priests at rituals in cultic centers, ordinary people had no direct contact with these deities. She is mentioned in several works of the Seleucid era. The father of the gods and the god of the firmament. Sul-pa-e, who had a role in the underworld, was a minor god and her husband. The goddess Nisaba was their chief deity who personified knowledge. 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. Tiamat is the primordial Babylonian goddess of the salt sea who mated with the god of fresh water, Abzu, to produce younger gods. Some claim that he was worshiped as the Lord ghost, while, others regarded him to be the Lord of air. The god Ashur was a highly respected deity worshiped mainly in north east Syria and old Assyria. Anu was also known as An, or the ‘King of the gods’. When Enki, the god of water, is informed about it, Neti, the gatekeeper, is ordered to close all the gates and open them one at a time as Inanna removes pieces of her clothing. Some of the Sumerian gods and goddesses included: Anu - Sometimes called An, Anu was the god of the heavens and king of the gods. Gods and Goddesses Since approximately 4500 BC there have been settlements on the edges of the marshes where the Tigris and the Euphrates reach the Persian Gulf. Anu(An) is the God of the sky. Ereshkigal’s main temple was situated in Kutha. The daughter of Uruk and Inanna, Ninkasi was born to be one of the healers of Enki’s eight wounds. He later married her and they ruled the underworld together. She was closely related to Venus in the Babylonian pantheon. Sacred Number- 60 He is the sacred ruler of all the Gods. 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. 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. Inana/Ištar. Her name actually means “whole earth.” She appears in the opening lines of the creation myth, Enuma Elish, but then suddenly disappears. He was the husband of Goddess Ningal, and father of Inanna and Utu. 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. Ištar: see Inana. 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. Download Mesopotamian Gods Goddesses Book For Free in PDF, EPUB. Healing gods and goddesses: see Baba, Damu, Gula/Ninkarrak, Ninisinna. She sends two sexless creatures to revive her younger sister with water and food. genealogy of the Gods. Once the killings were over, the god gave back the tablet to Enlil. Assyria arriv… Gods, Goddesses, Demons and Monsters The people of Mesopotamia believed that their world was controlled by gods and goddesses, demons and monsters. While they are trying to take her out of the underworld, two demons come and ask for someone else as her replacement. She is often seen in first millennium BC texts where she is equated to the goddess Antu. The Mesopotamian literary corpus is one of the oldest literatures in the world. We cannot guarantee that every book is … The prostitutes of ancient Mesopotamia worshiped the goddess as she was regarded as their patron deity. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.