About this belief system
Sumerian religion refers to spiritual beliefs practiced from ca. 4500-1900 BCE in Mesopotamia, or modern-day southern Iraq. Many deities were diffused into other Mesopotamian cultures.
Parent belief system
Mesopotamian Culture · PolytheisticHeads up. Sumerian Religion belongs to a parent belief system on the basis of shared myths and deities.Mesopotamian religion broadly included cultures in the ancient near east: Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Assyria, and others. These cultures shared highly diffused customs, deities, and myths from ca. 3000 BCE - 400 CE. Many deities were diffused from one culture into another, with the result that religious beliefs were consistent and coherent. Around 400 CE, Christianity and other Abrahamic religions became more widely practiced. Mesopotamian cultures also gave rise to many chief features observed in the...
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Top myths
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| Inanna's Descent to the Netherworld | Epic of Ziusudra | Eridu Genesis | Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld | |
| Afterlife myth | Creation, Flood myth | Creation, Flood myth | Afterlife myth | |
| Unknown author | Unknown author | Unknown author | Unknown author | |
| Read myth | Read myth | Read myth | Read myth | |
| More myths | ||||
Top deities
Background
The Sumerian religion was practiced from roughly 4500-1900 BCE in Mesopotamia, or modern-day southern Iraq.[1] The Sumerians were known as the "black headed people," according to texts from the Akkadian people, their neighbors to the north. The Sumerians worshiped many different deities and had various cult cities. The Sumerians are allegedly the first civilization to invent a formal writing system, known as cuneiform. It's important to note that the exact relationships between Sumerian deities are difficult to confirm because some texts contradict others. Sumerian religion faded away into history some time around 1900 BCE. During this time period, the Akkadian empire came to power in the area. For that reason, many Sumerian deities and myths were adapted into the new culture, much like how Roman myths were adapted from earlier Greek ones.
The Sumerians invented writing
The Sumerians are known for allegedly being the first civilization and the first peoples to use a formal writing system, called cuneiform.[2] Most myths that scholars have on record come from clay tablets with cuneiform symbols. These symbols have been mostly translated in the last several hundred years.
Core Sumerian mythologies
The Sumerians observed a rich mythological tradition.
Sumerian cosmology
The Sumerian view of the universe seems to be based on the observance of a heaven, Earth, and an underworld. Sometimes, these were represented by the deities An (sky), Ki (Earth), and Ereshkigal (underworld).[3]
The "underworld/netherworld" at Ganzir
In some myths, the place where the dead go is "Ganzir."[4] This is the case in the Sumerian afterlife myth named Inanna's Descent to the Netherworld as well as in Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld. In general, it is also described as a dreary place where the food is made of clay or mud.[5] Humans, however, survived there as ghosts or spirits.
"The conditions of `life' in the underworld
were thought, with few exceptions, to be dismal
in the extreme. The Sumerian dead fed on dust
and scraps and lived in darkness." [6]
The Sumerian depiction of the realm of the dead may have also been an inspiration for the contemporary notion of "Hell" in Christianity.
"The notion of an underworld peopled by
terrifying demonic beings, which foreshadowed
the medieval image of Hell, seems to
have been a theological invention of the first
millennium BC. The dead Enkidu encounters
such demons in the Epic of Gilgameš. The
clearest literary account of such an underworld,
however, is a text recounting the hellish
vision of an Assyrian prince (thought by some
to be the seventh-century BC crown prince,
later king, Assurbanipal)." [7]
The aforementioned categorization has survived through most of Mesopotamian literature.
Sumerian myths: A-Z
Adapa and the South Wind Creation mythNuthsell
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Debate Between Sheep and Grain Creation mythNuthsell
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- Epic of Ziusudra Creation, Flood myth
Nuthsell
The Sumerian deities An, Enlil, and Enki created the "black headed people," the animals, and assigned the cities among the deities. Eridug was given to Nudimmud, the leader. Ziusudra, a Sumerian king, is told that a flood will sweep over the land: "A decision that the seed of mankind is to be destroyed has been made." This was announced by An and Enlil. A huge boat is constructed and it withstands the rain and wind for seven days and seven nights. When the chaos ended, Utu, the sun deity, showed himself and entered the boat, whereby Ziusudra sacrified oxen and offered sheep to him. As the animals disembarked off of Ziusudra's boat, An and Enlil treated Ziusudra kindly and granted him eternal life in "the land Dilmun" because he preserved the seed of mankind.
- Eridu Genesis Creation, Flood myth
Nuthsell
The Sumerian deities An, Enlil, and Enki created the "black headed people," the animals, and assigned the cities among the deities. Eridug was given to Nudimmud, the leader. Ziusudra, a Sumerian king, is told that a flood will sweep over the land: "A decision that the seed of mankind is to be destroyed has been made." This was announced by An and Enlil. A huge boat is constructed and it withstands the rain and wind for seven days and seven nights. When the chaos ended, Utu, the sun deity, showed himself and entered the boat, whereby Ziusudra sacrified oxen and offered sheep to him. As the animals disembarked off of Ziusudra's boat, An and Enlil treated Ziusudra kindly and granted him eternal life in "the land Dilmun" because he preserved the seed of mankind.
- Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld Afterlife myth
Nuthsell
While Enki was saling, the south wind uprooted a single ḫalub tree on the bank of the Euphrates river. A woman found it, planted it in Inanna's garden, and watered it by only using her feet; it grew massive after ten years. Inanna wanted to use it for a chair, but its bark would not break. Inanna cried and asked her brother, Gilgameš, to do it. Gilgameš cut the tree with his strength and also made a powerful mallet from its branches. During a game, both the ball and the mallet fell down into the netherworld. When Gilgameš could not recover items, his servant Enkidu offered to retrieve it. Enkidu became trapped there. Gilgameš asked Enki and Enlil to rescue Enkidu, but without success. Utu, however, obliged and made a hole for Enkidu to return. Gilgameš rejoiced and asked Enkidu how different kinds of people fare in the netherworld, ending the poem.
- Inanna's Descent to the Netherworld Afterlife myth
Nuthsell
Inanna descends from the great above to the great below. She abandons several temples and heads for open country. She gives precise instructions to her companion—Ninsubur: Inanna says "if I don't return in three days, go to the temples and plead on my behalf." At the netherworld she enters and goes through seven gates before she is turned into a corpse. Ninsubur follows the instructions and tells Inanna's father Enkil what happened. He helps her by sending two a-sexual creatures to sneak in and bring her back to life. Once Inanna is alive she ascends while being escorted by demons from the netherworld. The demons allow her to trade her husband Dumuzi in her place.
The Song of the Hoe Creation mythNuthsell
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Sumerian deities: A-Z
Adapa Sumerian · 1 mythAdapa was a figure from Eridu that came to be known as the "wise man" after Enki provided him such wisdom.
An SumerianAn (Sumerian: 𒀭) was the supreme deity of the sky and father of the Sumerian pantheon of deities. An was commonly symbolized by the horned cap and dingir (𒀭) symbol.
- Anšar Sumerian
Anšar, in some traditions, was the parent of the supreme sky deity named An.
Anzû SumerianAnzû (Sumerian: 𒀭𒅎𒂂) was a lesser divinity in Mesopotamia, commonly depicted as a lion-headed eagle that can breathe fire and water.
- Apsu Sumerian
In the Babylonian tradition, Apsu (Sumerian: 𒍪 𒀊) was a primordial creature and the lover of Tiamat; and, he was killed by Ea. Most other traditions depict Apsu as water.
- Asag Sumerian
Asag was a monstrous demon in the Sumerian tradition.
- Bau Sumerian
Bau was said to be the consort of Ningirsu and daughter of An in Sumerian traditions.
- Bull of Heaven Sumerian
The "Bull of Heaven" was a Sumerian beast oftentimes depicted in cylinder seals. In some traditions, the bull was killed by Gilgamesh.
- Dumuzi Sumerian
Dumuzi was the primary consort of Inanna according to the Sumerian tradition.
Enki Sumerian · 1 mythEnki is the son of An (Anu), and a member of the Anunnaki, the main seven deities of the Sumerian pantheon. Enki is one of the most powerful figures within Sumerian mythology.
Enkidu SumerianEnkidu (Sumerian: 𒂗𒆠𒆕) was a semi-divine figure mentioned in Sumerian literature as the friend of Gilgameš. Older literature portrays him as a wild man created by Aruru.
Enlil Sumerian · 1 mythEnlil (Sumerian: 𒀭𒂗𒆤) was a member of the Anunnaki, the core seven Sumerian deities.
- Ereškigal Sumerian
Ereškigal was a Sumerian deity associated with death and the underworld.
Gilgameš Sumerian · 3 mythsGilgameš (Sumerian: 𒄑𒉈𒂵𒈩) was the mythical king of a city named Uruk and was well-known for his epic journey to find immortality.
Inanna Sumerian · 1 mythInanna (Sumerian: 𒀭𒈹) was one of the oldest deities in the Sumerian pantheon. She was later adapted into the Akkadian pantheon of deities under the name Ištar.
- Ki Sumerian
Ki (Sumerian: 𒆠) was known as the earth goddess and one of the original three deities of the Sumerian pantheon.
- Kišar Sumerian
Kišar was said to be the parent of the supreme sky deity named An, according to some traditions.
- Nammu Sumerian
Nammu is one of the oldest deities in the Sumerian pantheon and claims the title of the "mother who gave birth to the heavens and the earth."
- Ninḫursaĝ Sumerian
Ninḫursaĝ (Sumerian: 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒉺𒂅) was a common Mesopotamian deity assumed under various names and the fertility role. In some traditions, she was the consort of Enki.
Ninlil SumerianNinlil (Sumerian: 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒆤) was a second generation Sumerian deity who is said to be the wife of Enlil. She was associated with being an air goddess.
Ninurta Sumerian · 1 mythNinurta (Sumerian: 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒅁) was a major Sumerian deity associated with agriculture and harvest. In the Assyrian period, he was more closely associated with war and fighting.
- Uraš Sumerian
Uraš was an archaic Sumerian Earth deity.
Usmû SumerianUsmû was a minor Sumerian deity associated with being a minister of Enki (Ea). He was often depicted as having two faces.
- Utu Sumerian
Utu (Sumerian: 𒀭𒌓) was an important Sumerian deity often represented by the sun. In the Akkadian traditions, Utu's name was Šamaš.
Ziusudra Sumerian · 2 mythsZiusudra (Sumerian: 𒍣𒌓𒋤𒁺) was a figure that appeared in a Sumerian king list as well as the flood myth known as the the "Epic of Ziusudra."
Cite this page
OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Sumerian." OMNIKA – World Mythology Index, OMNIKA Foundation, 20 Jul. 2019, omnika.org/stable/223. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
OMNIKA (2019, July 20). Sumerian. Retrieved from https://omnika.org/stable/223
OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Sumerian." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation. Created July 20, 2019. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://omnika.org/stable/223.
