Sumerian Myths

The myth 'Enki and Ninhursag' is a divine love and creation story. Enki, the god of fresh water, falls in love with Ninhursag, the earth mother, and transforms the initially barren and waterless landscape of Dilmun into a fertile paradise. Ninhursag has to leave Dilmun temporarily to look after Sumer. After the loss of Ninhursag, the youthful Enki seduces all the young women in whom he believes he recognizes Nihursag. Each time, however, he realizes that they are nothing like her and leaves them again. Enki, who suffers illness as punishment, is restored by Ninhursag's healing powers. The myth ends with their reconciliation and the consolidation of their love.

Main page: Enki and Ninhursag

The Sumerian myth 'Enki and Ereshkigal' tells the dramatic story of Enki's deep bond with his twin sister Ereshkigal, who has disappeared into the netherworld. Enki, driven by pain and longing, decides to descend into the netherworld to bring Ereshkigal back to the upper worlds. Despite the immense challenges and the confrontation with his own mortality through his experiences in the netherworld, Enki realizes that Ereshkigal has chosen her role as the ruler of the netherworld and that this responsibility is crucial for the balance of the world. Enki accepts her decision and receives from her the seed of the Huluppu tree as a sign of their lasting connection. This mighty tree, which grows near Eridu from a seed from the netherworld, embodies the enduring connection of his world with the netherworld and heaven. Enki eventually returns to the upper world with newfound knowledge and a deep respect for the cycles of life and the role his sister plays in them.

Main page: Enki and Ereshkigal

The Sumerian myth 'Enlil and Ninlil' tells the love story between the youthful god Enlil and the young goddess Ninlil in the settlement of Nippur. Ninlil is warned by her mother not to bathe in the sacred canal, as Enlil might desire her and she is too young for that. Despite the warnings, Ninlil bathes in the canal and, as predicted, Enlil approaches her with a desire for intimacy. Ninlil initially rejects his advances, as this would have consequences for her because of her young age. Enlil redirects Ninlil's fate so that she gains in maturity and beauty. He then seduces her and she conceives the god Nanna (Suen). However, Enlil was not permitted to change Ninlil's fate, which is why the other gods banish Enlil from Nippur and want him to visit the netherworld. While Enlil is on his way to the netherworld, he lets Ninlil become the mother of two netherworld gods. This allows him to extend his influence to the netherworld. He then realizes that he no longer needs to enter the netherworld, so he lets Ninlil become the mother of Enkimdu, whom he would later commission to oversee the construction of the canals.

Main page: Enlil and Ninlil

The myth 'Nanna and Ningal' tells the mythological love story between the moon god Nanna and the dream interpreter Ningal. Nanna, son of Enlil and Ninlil, is described as a luminous, renewing force that synchronizes the rhythm of life on earth with the cosmic cycles of the moon. Ningal, who grew up in the swamps near Eridu, is deeply connected to nature and has a talent for interpreting dreams. She falls in love with Nanna, whose nocturnal appearances regularly haunt her and who touches her deeply. The myth describes how Ningal and Nanna discover their love for each other and, despite their initial secrecy, eventually find each other openly. Nanna, criticized by the Anunnaki for his secrecy, presents himself to Ningal's mother. Ningal, supported by her mother Ningikuga, finally accepts her role as a divine partner and openly proclaims her love. The couple marry in Ur. The myth ends with a solemn recognition of their love and a prophecy of the future roles that their children Inanna and Utu will play in the mythological traditions.

Main page: Nanna and Ningal

The myth of 'Inanna and An' tells how Inanna decided to bring the temple of heaven, E-ana, from heaven to earth in order to claim it for herself. Despite the initial rejection by An, the god of heaven, who had tied his power to this temple, Inanna implements her plan with the support of her brother Utu, the god of justice. Inanna travels by barge, accompanied by Adabgir, the fisherman. During their journey, An sends evil winds that cause the temple to sink into the reed thicket. Adabgir rescues the e-ana with a large fishing net. Šul-a-zida, An's shepherd, attaches the e-ana to a rope to tow it safely, protecting it from further attacks by the evil winds. Finally, the e-ana is safely handed over to Utu. Inanna and Utu cross the river Ulaja, which separates heaven from earth, and successfully bring the E-ana through a narrow path guarded by a giant scorpion. Inanna defeats the scorpion and signals to Utu that he can bring the E-ana safely to earth. Through this act, Inanna increases her influence on Sumer's development. An blesses the E-ana so that it is as enduring as the sky and commands Inanna to make the people numerous. The temple E-ana of Uruk thus becomes the center and social core of all Sumer, a sign of a new era under Inanna's leadership.

Main page: Inanna and An

In the myth of 'Inanna and Enki', Inanna undertakes a journey to Eridu in order to obtain the divine powers, the Me, from Enki. The Me embody the divine powers over the fundamental aspects of human culture and civilization. Inanna carefully prepares herself by dressing up in all her finery to impress and flatter Enki in Eridu. During an exuberant party at which Inanna and Enki drink beer together, the beguilingly beautiful Inanna manages to persuade the drunken Enki to give her the divine powers. After Enki has slept off his intoxication and realizes what has happened, he tries in vain to get the divine powers back. Despite several attempts by his vizier Isimud to stop the boat of heaven in which Inanna is taking the divine powers away, Inanna manages to overcome all obstacles and bring them safely to Uruk. Once in Uruk, the people celebrate Inanna. Enki ultimately has to accept Inanna's success. However, as the loss of the divine powers results in a catastrophe in Eridu, mediation takes place between the two and Inanna gives Enki back what he needs. The myth ends with the solemn recognition of Inanna's power and the cultural wealth she has brought to Uruk.

Main page: Inanna and Enki

The myth 'Enki and the World Order' portrays Enki as a central god who is responsible for maintaining social order and balance in the world by overseeing and directing both natural resources and cultural and social structures. At the beginning of the myth, it is recalled that Enki planted the Huluppu tree in Eridu, which connects Sumer with the underworld and the heavens. Enki is portrayed as a powerful and revered god whose actions ensure the prosperity of Sumer's civilization. The myth depicts how Enki, after a recent inundation of Eridu and Ur, undertakes various journeys to consolidate the land. Enki divides the responsibilities among all the gods so that they can help regulate the various aspects of life, from agriculture to law and crafts. At the end of the myth, Inanna complains to Enki that she has been ignored in the allocation of tasks. Enki justifies this with the collateral damages she tends to cause with her unconventional approaches. Nevertheless, he assigns her the important task of interpreting the oracular omens of battles and fights.

Main page: Enki and the World Order

The myth 'The courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi' presents Inanna as an attractive and open-minded young woman who loves to be seduced and desired. Instead of housework, she only ever thinks about that thing. She actually wanted to marry the farmer Enkimdu, but when she saw Dumuzi, she changed her mind and chose him, the shepherd Dumuzi, as her future husband and king of Uruk. Dumuzi was delighted about his mission to seduce Inanna, but as the future king he also demanded support in his daily work. Inanna assured him of this. She appointed herself his leader and weapon bearer in battle, his advocate in meetings and his inspiration on campaigns. Inanna then realized that Dumuzi was ready for the sacred rite, the sacred marriage. The sacred marriage, which many kings after him were to spend with Inanna, took place in the temple of Uruk. Inanna's servant Ninshubur praised the deeds that Dumuzi was to perform as the future king. Dumuzi then went to Inanna's bed, where Inanna was already waiting for him.

Main page: The Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi

In the myth 'Inanna's Descent to the Netherworld', Inanna leaves her temple to visit the netherworld. She takes various divine powers with her to protect herself. Before her departure, Inanna gives her servant Ninshubur detailed instructions in case she does not return. When Inanna arrives at the gates of the netherworld, Ereshkigal learns of the divine powers she carries with her. Ereshkigal instructs the gatekeeper to take all her divine powers from her as she enters and carry them away, transferring Inanna's divine powers to Ereshkigal. Naked and without her divine powers, Inanna appears before Ereshkigal, whereupon she is sentenced to death by the judges of the netherworld. When Inanna does not return, Ninshubur carries out Inanna's instructions and asks the other gods for help to save Inanna. Finally, Enki, the god of wisdom, intervenes and creates two beings who revive Inanna with life-giving food and water. Inanna is revived, but the laws of the netherworld demand that someone must take her place. Inanna chooses the one who did not mourn her, her husband Dumuzi. After some negotiations, it is decided that Dumuzi and his sister Geshtinanna must each spend half the year in the netherworld.

Main page: Inanna's Descent to the Netherworld

The 'Epic of Atrahasis' contains the account of the Flood. It deals with the creation of civilization, the resulting problem of population growth and the need to keep the number of people manageable. Initially, the Igigi do the hard work of building canals. Overburdened by the hard work, they rebel against Enlil, their commander-in-chief on Earth. The supreme Anunnaki Anu, Enki, Enlil and Mami (Ninhursag) then confer. Enki suggests equipping the humans with intelligence so that they can take over the work of the Igigi. Mami then uses pure clay mixed with the blood of a sacrificed Igigi to make the humans intelligent. The humans eventually take over the workload, but their increasing numbers cause Enlil to unleash a plague. After some time, when the humans were as numerous as before, Enlil causes a drought to break out. But after a while, the people were as numerous as before. This time, Enlil decides to send a flood to wipe out humanity for good and start again. However, Atrahasis is warned by Enki, who helps him and his family to build a boat to survive the flood. By the end of the myth, the gods have learned their lesson: Mami and Enki limit human fertility to keep population growth under control.

Main page: The Epic of Atrahasis

The 'Myth of Etana' tells the story of the first king of Kish, Etana, who was chosen by the city goddess Inanna to become king of Kish after the Flood. Etana built a shrine to Addad in memory of the Flood, under the protection of which stands the Huluppu tree. The eagle Anzu nests in the crown of the tree and the serpent at its root. The eagle and the serpent swear a mighty oath to the god Shamash (Utu) to be friends and hunting companions. Despite the oath, the eagle breaks it and eats the serpent's children. In retaliation for the eagle's betrayal, Shamash had the eagle plucked by the serpent and thrown into a pit. King Etana, who is looking for a way to find a successor, is instructed by Shamash to rescue the eagle. In return, the eagle wants to give him the plant of life. After Etana has freed the eagle from the pit, they join forces. The eagle carries Etana into the sky to the houses of the gods. On their way through the gates of heaven, they bow together and (presumably) finally reach a house where Inanna and an empty throne are already waiting for Etana.

Main page: The Myth of Etana

The myth 'Lugalbanda and the Anzu Bird' tells of the adventures of the hero Lugalbanda, who has been left behind by his troops in Uruk. He plans to approach the mighty Anzu bird in order to win Anzu's favor by entertaining his family. Lugalbanda believes that Anzu could help him reach his comrades who are marching against the city of Aratta. In preparation, Lugalbanda prepares a careful feast and nurtures Anzu's chick with great care, which deeply impresses Anzu and leads to friendship between the two. Impressed by Lugalbanda's actions, Anzu offers him the choice of his destiny. He presents him with several powerful options, but Lugalbanda only chooses the ability to travel without fatigue. He uses this gift to quickly return to his troops camped outside Aratta. It soon becomes clear that Lugalbanda has made a short-sighted choice. Instead of playing a key role in the war between Uruk and Aratta, he merely becomes a messenger for Enmerkar, the king of Uruk: as the siege drags on, he goes back to Uruk on Enmerkar's behalf to ask Inanna for help. However, she demands hard-to-obtain offerings before she considers intervening in the conflict.

Main page: Lugalbanda and the Anzu Bird

The myth 'Inanna and the Huluppu Tree' tells the story of the goddess Inanna and the Huluppu tree. This tree was planted on the banks of the Euphrates by Enki, the god of wisdom, in the very early days when Eridu was founded. The tree thrived at first, but during a great flood it was uprooted and washed away by the river. The goddess Inanna rescued the tree from the floods and brought it to her sacred garden. She replanted the tree there in the hope that she would soon be able to make a throne and a bed out of it. But the tree is soon taken over by an incorruptible snake that nests at the root, the Anzu bird that places its young in the branches and the dark maiden Lilith, who takes up residence in the trunk. Desperate at this unfortunate turn of events, Inanna turns to Gilgamesh, the hero of Uruk. Gilgamesh intervenes and kills the snake, whereupon the Anzu bird and Lilith flee. Gilgamesh gives the tree to Inanna so that she can build her bed and her throne from it. Inanna shapes its roots into a pukku and its crown into a mikku for Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh plays on his pukku and praises himself for his deeds. The young men who helped him cut down the tree danced to it. They danced until they died of exhaustion. Then the pukku tore a hole in the ground that reached into the netherworld and fell in.

Main page: Inanna and the Huluppu Tree

The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the most famous myths of Mesopotamia, tells of the adventures of King Gilgamesh of Uruk, who had the mighty walls of Uruk built. Despite his physical perfection and royal power, his city suffers under his tyrannical rule, leading the citizens to petition the gods for a change. In response, the gods create Enkidu, a wild man who lives with the animals in the forests. Enkidu is civilized by a courtesan after he meets her in the wilderness. This encounter changes Enkidu's life, and he makes his way to Uruk, where he befriends Gilgamesh. Together they have many adventures, including a confrontation with Humbaba, the guardian of the sacred cedar forest, and a battle against the celestial bull sent by the goddess Inanna (Ishtar) after Gilgamesh rejects her advances. Enkidu later dies of an illness that is considered a punishment from the gods, which shakes Gilgamesh deeply and leads him on a quest for immortality. He meets Utnapishtim, the survivor of the great flood, who has been granted immortality by the gods. Gilgamesh learns that he too must find a god who will grant him immortality. However, becoming immortal was not the fate that was destined for him. In the end, Gilgamesh dies as the great hero who is praised for his unimaginable deeds.

Main page: The Epic of Gilgamesh

Anzu is commissioned by Enlil not only to decree the fates of ordinary people as usual, but also to guard the innermost chamber containing the tablet of destinies. Anzu is attracted by the overwhelming power that the tablet of destinies confers. The tablet would allow him to extend his power and to determine the rites of the Igigi and their fates. One day, when Enlil is bathing in the sacred waters, Anzu seizes the opportunity, snatches the tablet of destinies and flees with them into the mountains. However, this causes chaos. When the gods try to restore the old order, they realize that Anzu has become practically invincible thanks to the power of the tablet of destinies. Numerous gods refuse to challenge him for fear of his new, almost invincible powers. Ninurta, however, cannot refuse the dangerous task of taking the tablet of destinies from Anzu. In the epic battle that follows, Ninurta succeeds in overpowering Anzu through cunning and the help of Enki (Ea). With the death of Anzu and the recapture of the tablet of destinies, Ninurta restores the old order. As a reward, Ninurta is assigned Anzu's tasks. He is given the opportunity to decree the fates of ordinary people unnoticed. This guarantees him divine honors and an important place in the pantheon.

Main page: The Myth of Anzu