Interpretation of the Myth Enlil and Ninlil

The myth is much more complex than it appears at first glance. It can be summarized as follows:

Enlil was a young man living in Nippur at a time when the gods were human and the cities were not yet populated by humans. Enlil had fallen in love with the beautiful Ninlil. Ninlil, although not averse to him, followed her parents’ advice and rejected Enlil because of her inexperience and youth. Enlil then abused his power with the help of his minister Nuska and made her more mature and attractive. This allowed him to have consensual sex with Ninlil and impregnate her with Nanna, who later became the moon god.

As Enlil had abused his power by confusing the rites of the gods, he had to leave Nippur as punishment and visit the underworld. Ninlil followed him at a distance. Ninlil then met with all the men Enlil had spoken to on his way. Nergal, Ninazu and Enbilulu were conceived during these encounters.

At the end of the myth, Enlil is praised as the god whose utterances cannot be changed. He is praised for having established Ninlil as the goddess of fertility.

This myth is also of particular importance because in it the influential moon god Nanna is conceived, who is the father of Inanna and Utu.

The crucial passage where Enlil disrupted the rites of the gods by changing Ninlil’s fate is often overlooked in translations of the myth. As a young man, he was probably not yet authorized to decree destinies. Perhaps he was allowed to decree fates, but not the fates of high-ranking gods like Ninlil. Since he did so anyway, the other gods saw their power threatened and banished him from the city.

It is unclear whether he went to the netherworld of his own free will or whether he was to be banished there. In any case, when he was on his way there, he managed to extend his influence over the netherworld by fathering Nergal and Ninazu, which is probably why he did not have to visit it after all.

When he arrived at the ferryboat, he probably already realized that he no longer needed to board it. He therefore did not have another netherworld god fathered here, but Enbilulu, whom he would later commission to supervise the construction of the canals.

As Ninlil herself had emphasized, the procreation of Nergal, Ninazu and Enbilulu was part of a strategic plan and did not serve to satisfy sexual needs. The procreation of Nergal, Ninazu and Enbilubu allowed Enlil to consolidate his power.