Where is God? Humans have long pondered this concept, envisioning deities as exalted beings residing in the Heavens and the Underworld, as well as omnipotent forces present everywhere and within all of us. In Inanna’s Bargain, I made this latter idea more tangible with my protagonists. The following excerpt is from Chapter 24: “I’ve oftenContinue reading “Deities Within”
Tag Archives: Usmu
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 