The Eagle Anzu

Descriptions of Anzu’s appearance vary. In the oldest myth that mentions him, the Etana myth, he is described as an eagle. Later he was described as a being that combines features of both an eagle and a lion.

Anzu can be characterized as ambitious, selfish, and ruthless. His goal is to ascend to heaven and make himself equal to the gods.

Anzu is commissioned by Enlil to decree the destinies of ordinary humans. In doing so, he should only decree such destinies that are advantageous for Enlil’s projects. Anzu is also able to transport humans to the heaven of the gods. Another of his tasks was to guard the tablet of destinies that determines the tasks of the Igigi.

The prefix “An” in the word Anzu identifies Anzu as belonging to the heaven of the gods. He is one of the inhabitants of the Huluppu tree, which is considered a connection between the middle world and heaven.

Anzu’s origin is unclear, since the gods think they did not create him. In the Anzu myth, there is speculation about his origin. The Igigi and Enki come to the conclusion:

“On Hehe, a wooded mountain, in the bosom of the Anunnaki, Anzu was brought into the world. At the call of the gods, the four winds met, brought the water of the life-giving flood that begot Anzu. […] Truly, the water of the life-giving flood has begotten Anzu, the holy water of the gods from the Apzu. The wide earth received it, and then he was born from mountain rocks.”

This event is described in the myth Enki and Ninhursag. Anzu is thus very old and existed when the first cities were founded.

In the Etana myth, which takes place shortly after the deluge around 2850 BC, Anzu is one of the main actors. He is, together with the Usumgallu snake that guards the Huluppu tree, one of the tree’s inhabitants. At that time, the Huluppu tree already stood near the city of Uruk.

Unlike almost all other Sumerian myths, the Etana myth contains much symbolism. Since Etana is referred to as the king of wild animals, one can conclude that in the myth the wild animals meant uncivilized humans. The eagle hunts these wild animals together with the Usumgallu snake, which means that the two demons re-decreed the destinies of uncivilized humans so that they contributed to rebuilding Sumerian civilization after the flood.

In the Etana myth, Anzu’s personality is clearly worked out: He is ambitious and selfish. He wants to elevate himself to the gods and make himself equal to them. For this reason, he kills the children of the Usumgallu snake, whom he probably saw as competitors for his own children. This myth also makes clear that Anzu is able to transport humans to the heaven of the gods.

What was only hinted at through symbolism in the Etana myth is confirmed in the myth Lugalbanda and the Anzu Bird: Anzu was commissioned by Enlil to decree the destinies of ordinary humans. He was supposed to bring humans to stay on the straight and narrow path on which they would be advantageous for Enlil’s projects. Anzu is aware of his power. This becomes clear when he said to Lugalbanda:

“When I determine a destiny, who will change it? When I speak only one word, who shall change it?”

Even though Anzu had the commission to decree only good destinies that were advantageous for Enlil, he was nevertheless aware of the scope he had. This becomes clear when he said:

“A good destiny can hide a bad one: that is true.”

At that time, Enlil had carried out several projects that aimed to build human civilization. The Igigi directed these projects on Enlil’s behalf as he had decreed on the tablet of destinies. But soon it was no longer enough for Anzu to decree only the destinies of ordinary humans. He wanted to determine the tasks of the Igigi himself. For this reason, he stole the tablet of destinies from Enlil in the Anzu myth. However, the gods commissioned Ninurta to take the tablet away from him again. This led to a battle between Ninurta and Anzu in which Anzu died.