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: Sumerian
Judgment of the Bird-Man
Akkadian cylinder seals depicting the Judgment of the Bird-Man have often been viewed in light of later texts, such as the Neo-Sumerian Ninurta’s Pride and Punishment and the Akkadian OB/SB Epic of Anzu. These mythological narratives portrayed the Anzu/bird-man as a divine thief, conquered by the warrior god Ninurta—though the stories differed on whether heContinue reading “Judgment of the Bird-Man”
Inanna’s Father?
Who was Inanna’s father? One of the Sumerian creator gods: An, Enki, or Enlil? Or the moon god Nanna? By the late third millennium BCE, different genealogical traditions had developed concerning Inanna’s parentage. The location of her cult center next to the ancient White Temple in Uruk reinforced her early associations with the sky godContinue reading “Inanna’s Father?”
“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”
Inanna and the Halub Tree
The story of Inanna and the halub tree makes up the first half of the Sumerian myth of Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld. The story seems to stand on its own, opening with a cosmological creation, and ending with the death of the halub tree (often interpreted as a willow). Indeed, the two halves ofContinue reading “Inanna and the Halub Tree”
The Anzu’s Story
Alongside starring in the Epic of Anzu, the divine storm bird was featured in other ancient Mesopotamian myths, raising the tantalizing idea that the same Anzu was involved in all of these stories—at least in the popular imagination. In a 1950 essay, “Akkadian Sidelights on a Fragmentary Epic,” Elizabeth Van Buren proposed an intriguing timelineContinue reading “The Anzu’s Story”
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?”
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”
Myths of Enki
Myths of Enki, The Crafty God, by Samuel Noah Kramer and John Maier, presents Sumerian myths, prayers, chants, and incantations highlighting the importance of Enki (later known as Ea) in ancient Mesopotamia. This book was out of print for many years but has recently been republished. I have relied on library loans in the past,Continue reading “Myths of Enki”
CLAIRE SULOS 