mesopotamian gods

In ancient Mesopotamia, numerous gods ruled over the city. Each of them was served and adored by their faithful who made important offerings to them, in addition to taking them out in procession and worshiping them.

The term of mythology of Mesopotamia, is used to name all the mythologies of the different civilizations of the territory. The Sumerians practiced a religion in which there were various gods., demons and spirits that represented different forces or presences.

In this post, We are going to investigate the different Mesopotamian gods that are most important for civilization. In their beliefs, it is established that these deities were the ones who originally created human beings to be their slaves.

History of the gods of Mesopotamia

The gods of Mesopotamia, They are a group of deities that were worshiped by the inhabitants of the Mesopotamian civilizations.. These divine figures were characterized by their anthropomorphic appearance and also by practicing customs very similar to those of human beings.

These customs we are talking about are getting married, reproducing and looking for offspring, fighting, etc. It is said that it was these gods who created human beings. with the purpose that they would be their servants and make their lives easier with their help.

As in all mythologies, there are stories that may or may not be true. Of the gods of Mesopotamia, it is said that they were vengeful as well as cruel, showing ruthless before the mercies of men.

One of the best-known stories that tell of this evil character is the story of the Deluge. In it he is shaped like the god Enlil makes the decision to finish off the human beings for being noisy and not allowing him to sleep.

With this idea of ​​terror, we arrive at an important point and that is that gods of this religion were not worshiped out of love but quite the opposite, it is believed that they professed that faith out of fear and submission to reprisals.

Each of the cities of Mesopotamia, as we have mentioned, had its own god who was the standard bearer of the protection of that area. Each terreiro was owned by a god and it was there that temples and monuments should be built in his honor., in addition to organizing offering and prayer ceremonies.

important mesopotamian gods

There are hundreds of names of Mesopotamian gods, but there are deities that belong to one group more prominent than another. In this section we are going to name you some of the most prominent deities of the religion.

ninlil

In the ancient Sumerian civilization, this goddess was related to the air. Her original name is Sud, but she was renamed Ninlil after marrying Enlil.

Ancient Mesopotamian texts say that Ninlil lived in the commercial area of ​​Dilmun and one day decided to bathe naked in the river, where she was forcibly taken by Enlil. This led to Enlil being banished from earth, but she decided to follow him.

Enlil

As we have commented, within the ancient Sumerian religion, this deity was considered the god of earth, sky and water. The name of this Mesopotamian god is made up of two Sumerian words, first of all, en which means sir and, on the other hand, lil which is related to wind and storms.

For the Mesopotamian civilization, the development and prosperity of their crops It had nothing to do with the weather but with the course followed by the rivers. Enlil was a feared deity since in the vast majority of cases he manifested himself in a negative way through floods, storms or modifying the course of rivers.

In various populations, he was a worshiped god to whom submission was rendered. These populations were the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Akkadians, and the Canaanites. According to mythology, this god tried to end the lives of human beings on different occasions since they found it annoying.

Enki

Enki, within this mythology he was considered the god of the earth. She is one of the most important deities of the Sumerian civilization, her main function was to create human beings and encourage other gods to do so.

In addition to creating humans, he also is responsible for equipping them with knowledge on different branches such as agriculture and the arts.

To a certain extent, mythology also relate this god to the aquatic world since his world was located in Apsu, an area located where the primordial waters emanate.

He is credited with creating the seamen.They are spirits with half a fish body and half a human body. Legends say that they were the advisors of the mythological rulers and the priests of Enki.

Ereshkigal

Ruled in the underworld at the side of her husband Negal. She is the daughter of the god Anu and sister of Inanna. She was kidnapped by the serpent god Kur, who dragged her to the underworld where she is.

ereshkigal, characterized by its great beauty wished Nergal as soon as this floor the underworld as punishment. The god, he should refuse any gift from the goddess, should not eat, drink, sit and also should resist sexual temptation.

The god Nergal did so, he refused everything that was offered to him, but there came a point where he could not take it anymore and gave in to the beauty of the goddess. They spent seven nights together, but then Nergal returned to the sky world leaving Ereshkigal alone, who did not take it well at all and threatened to send the dead if he did not return to her.

Nergal had no choice but to return to the underworld and after a dark event they both ruled the underworld realm.

Nergal

God of the dead and husband of the goddess Ereshkigal. He becomes the ruler of the underworld, when he tries to slit his wife's throat for threatening him after abandoning her. This, he offers to govern together and accepts the proposal.

He is not only associated with the dead, but also with the fires, pests, diseases and other events that cause devastation and destruction.

nanar

Son of the gods Enlil and Ninlil, named god of the moon. For the Sumerian inhabitants, this god is recognized by the name of Nannar, compared to the Babylonians and Arcadians who identify him with the name of Sin.

When the city of Ur was dominant in the region, the god Nannar became the supreme god of the pantheon. He is also considered the god of the moon, father of wisdom. He was depicted as an old man with horns and a lapis lazuli beard.

swallow

She is the wife of the god Nannar or Sir, like him, is considered the goddess of the moon. On several occasions, this deity is understood as a cow goddess, which is why many cattle herders worship her.

It is related to animals, which he turns into an amulet for fertility.

Nabu

Son of the gods Marduk and Zarpanitum, Nabu was the god of scribes and writing. Its representation is through symbols such as tablets or tools related to writing.

This god is the responsible for writing the destiny of each person on a tablet of sacred records. He was later associated with the values ​​of wisdom and the process of agriculture.

Marduk

He is one of the main gods of the Babylonians. He was the firstborn of the god Enlil, he was worshiped as the god of creation, water, nature, magic and judgment.

Throughout history, the name of this god changes several times in the Babylonian creation myth. He was represented with a human figure next to a servant dragon.

Ki

Among all female deities, Ki is one of the most important in Mesopotamian religion. There are many academic professionals who doubt the existence of this goddess because no evidence of her worship has been found. Furthermore, her name only appears in Sumerian texts that are linked to creation.

Anu

King of the gods, of the constellations and of the sky. Married to the goddess Ki, they live in the highest areas of the sky.

Anu has the power to judge those who committed crimes and evil deeds. According to legends, the stars were created by this god and served as soldiers who watched over evil people.

It is one of the oldest gods of MesopotamiaAlong with the god Enlil and the goddess Ninlin, they are the three most important gods according to history.

Innana

La goddess of war and love, besides being the protector of the city of Uruk. Innana, she is related to the goddess Venus, so she is also related to the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

The Sumerian texts related to Nannar and Nigal, his parents, he also had a twin sister who is known as Utu.

Innana had 15 different temples, some more important than others for your veneration. The largest and most important was located in the city of Uruk.

Deities could be represented by symbols or emblems as well as figures. Each one of the gods that we have talked about and all those that remain to us, were chosen to represent certain functions that had to do with what makes up the universe and everyday life.

We have told you about some of the most important Mesopotamian gods of this religion, we hope that this publication has helped you to learn about new cultures, as well as being interesting for you.