Sharur (Car-ur) was the magical battle-mace of Ninurta, the Mesopotamian warrior god of winds and storms. As an animated mythological weapon, Sharur served as a fierce protector as well as a trusted advisor, messenger and spy. The battle-mace played an important role in the late third millennium BCE Sumerian Exploits of Ninurta, gathering military intelligence,Continue reading “Sharur”
Tag Archives: mesopotamia
“I am Inana!”
“My father gave me the heavens and he gave me the earth. I am Inana! Which god compares with me?” “Enlil gave me the heavens and he gave me the earth. I am Inana! He gave me lordship, and he gave me queenship. He gave me battles and he gave me fighting. He gave me the stormwind andContinue reading ““I am Inana!””
The Enigmatic Bent Tree
The Sumerian myth of Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Netherworld may have been illustrated by Akkadian cylinder seals depicting an enigmatic bent tree motif. Three examples include a female and male deity interacting within the curvature of the tree, while another god vigorously attacks the top of the tree with an axe. If this scene representsContinue reading “The Enigmatic Bent Tree”
Flow
One of my latest images, Flowing Vases, portrays watery streams emerging from golden vessels, falling in a silvery cascade, merging with other streams above a base of lapis lazuli. In conceiving the design, I was inspired by ancient images of flowing vases celebrating Enki/Ea, Mesopotamian creator god of waters, wisdom, crafts and magic. Putting penContinue reading “Flow”
The Anzu’s Theft?
Hybrid creatures have appeared in the stories and artworks of many cultures, often with intriguing correlations between texts and images. In ancient Mesopotamia, the lion-headed eagle known as the Anzu became notorious for stealing the Tablet of Destinies from Enlil. The story about the Anzu’s theft and his dramatic defeat by the Sumerian storm godContinue reading “The Anzu’s Theft?”
Fantastic Usmu
Usmu appears in my historical fantasy world as a truly liminal deity, with the ability to shift his physical appearance and assume both male and female guises. As I developed his fictitious character, I was inspired by the gender-bending attributes of Inanna/Ishtar, and by Enki’s creation of sexless beings who could cross the borders ofContinue reading “Fantastic Usmu”
Two-Faced Gods
The oldest known two-faced god was a Sumerian/Akkadian deity named Isimud/Usmu, who served as the chief minister of Enki/Ea, the Mesopotamian creator god of waters, wisdom, crafts, and magic. In the Sumerian myth of Inanna and Enki, he functioned as a high-level attendant and messenger, greeting Inanna at the gate of Enki’s temple, and laterContinue reading “Two-Faced Gods”
CLAIRE SULOS 