Enlil and Ninlil
Encyclopedia
Enlil and Ninlil or the Myth of Enlil and Ninlil or Enlil and Ninlil: The begetting of Nanna is a Sumerian
creation myth, written on clay tablet
s in the mid to late 3rd millennium BC
.
, catalogue of the Babylonian section (CBS), tablet number 9205 from their excavations at the temple
library
at Nippur
. This was translated by George Aaron Barton
in 1918 and first published as "Sumerian religious texts" in "Miscellaneous Babylonian Inscriptions
", number seven, entitled "A Myth of Enlil
and Ninlil
". The tablet is 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) by 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) by 1.2 inches (3 cm) at its thickest point. Barton noted that Theophilus G. Pinches had published part of an equivalent Akkadian version of the same story in 1911, noting "The two texts in general agree closely, though there are minor variations here and there."
Another tablet from the same collection, number 13853 was used by Edward Chiera
to restore part of the second column of Barton's tablet in "Sumerian Epics and Myths", number 77. Samuel Noah Kramer
included CBS tablets 8176, 8315, 10309, 10322, 10412, 13853, 29.13.574 and 29.15.611. He also included translations from tablets in the Nippur collection of the Museum of the Ancient Orient in Istanbul
, catalogue number 2707. Another tablet used as cuneiform source for the myth is held by the British Museum
, BM 38600, details of which were published in 1919. Other tablets and versions were used to bring the myth to its present form with the latest composite text by Miguel Civil
produced in 1989 with latest translations by Willem Römer in 1993 and Joachim Krecher in 1996.
s, river
, canal
s and well
, portrayed as the home of the gods and, according to Kramer "that seems to be conceived as having existed before the creation of man." A.R. George suggests "According to a well-known tradition, represented by the myth of Enlil and Ninlil, time was when Nippur was a city inhabited by gods not men, and this would suggest that it had existed from the very beginning." He discusses Nippur as the "first city" (uru-sag) of Sumer. This conception of Nippur is echoed by Joan Goodnick Westenholz, describing the setting as "civitas dei", existing before the "axis mundi
".
Jeremy Black
noted the area of cultivated fields surrounding the primordial home of the gods of fifty sar to be eqivalent to 2000 square metre. The story continues by introducing the goddess Nun-bar-ce-gunu warning her daughter Ninlil about the liklihood of romantic advances from Enlil if she strays too near the river. Ninlil resists Enlil's first approach after which he entreats his minister Nuska
to take him across the river, on the other side the couple meet and float downstream, either bathing or in a boat
, then lie on the bank together, kiss
and conceive Suen-Acimbabbar, the moon god. The story then cuts to Enlil walking in the Ekur
, where the other gods arrest
him for his relationship with Ninlil and exile
him from the city for being ritually impure.
There follows three similar episodes as Enlil leaves the city, speaking to as the keeper of the city gate ("keeper of the holy barrier" or "man of the pure lock"), the man who guards Id-kura; the Sumerian river of the underworld (similar to the river Styx
in Greek Mythology
) and lastly SI.LU.IGI, the underworld ferryman (similar to Charon
). Each time Enlil tells these characters "When your lady Ninlil comes, if she asks after me, don't you tell her where I am!". Ninlil follows him asking each "When did your lord Enlil go by?" To this, Enlil (in disguise) tells her "My lord has not talked with me at all, O loveliest one. Enlil has not talked with me at all, O loveliest one" upon which Ninlil offers to have sex
with him and each time they conceive another god. Two of the offspring are gods of the underworld, Nergal
-Meclamta-ea and Ninazu
. The third god, Enbilulu
is called the "inspector of canals", however Jeremy Black has linked this god to management of irrigation
. The myth ends with praise for the fertility of Enlil and Ninlil.
and multiple birth
s along with the complex psychology
of the myth. He also notes that there are no moral
overtones about Enlil being ritually impure. Ewa Wasilewska noted about the location of the tale that "Black and Green suggest the Sumerians located their underworld in the east mountains where the entrance to Kur
was believed to exist. He (Enlil) was thus the 'King of the Foreign Lands/Mountains,' where the underworld to which he was banished and from which he returned, was located." Robert Payne has suggested that the initial scene of the courtship takes place on the bank of a canal instead of a river.
Herman Behrens has suggested a ritual
context for the myth where dramatic passages were acted out on a voyage between the Ekur and the sanctuary in Nippur. Jerrold Cooper has argued for a more sociological interpretation, explaining about the creation of gods who seem to perform as substites for Enlil, he suggests the purpose of the work is "to tell the origins of four gods" and that it "explains why one (Suen) is shining in the heavens, while the other three dwell in the Netherworld". Cooper also argues that the text uses local geographical placenames in regard to the netherworld.
From the analysis of Thorkild Jacobsen
, Dale Launderville has suggested the myth provides evidence that Sumerian society prohibited premarital sex
in a discussion entitled "Channeling the Sex Drive Toward the Creation of Community". He discusses the attributes of the gods "(1) the moon god was regarded as rejuvenating living things; (2) Nergal was associated occasionally with agricultural growth but more often with plague, pestilence, famine
and sudden death
; (3) Ninazu and (4) Enbilulu were forces that ensured successful agriculture
." He concludes that the narrative exonerates Enlil and Ninlil indicating nature to have its way even where societal conventions try to contain sexual desire.
Robert S. Falkowitz discusses the possibility that the gods referred to were real people, saying "There are no indications in the narrative that Enlil and Ninlil are anything other than human
. Semantic classifiers in the writing system and stock epithet
s categorize them as divine."
Sumerian language
Sumerian is the language of ancient Sumer, which was spoken in southern Mesopotamia since at least the 4th millennium BC. During the 3rd millennium BC, there developed a very intimate cultural symbiosis between the Sumerians and the Akkadians, which included widespread bilingualism...
creation myth, written on clay tablet
Clay tablet
In the Ancient Near East, clay tablets were used as a writing medium, especially for writing in cuneiform, throughout the Bronze Age and well into the Iron Age....
s in the mid to late 3rd millennium BC
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
.
Compilation
The first lines of the myth were discovered on the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, commonly called The Penn Museum, is an archaeology and anthropology museum that is part of the University of Pennsylvania in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:An internationally renowned...
, catalogue of the Babylonian section (CBS), tablet number 9205 from their excavations at the temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
at Nippur
Nippur
Nippur was one of the most ancient of all the Sumerian cities. It was the special seat of the worship of the Sumerian god Enlil, the "Lord Wind," ruler of the cosmos subject to An alone...
. This was translated by George Aaron Barton
George Aaron Barton
Reverend George Aaron Barton Ph.D. was a Canadian author, Episcopal clergyman and professor of Semitic languages and the history of religion.-Biography:...
in 1918 and first published as "Sumerian religious texts" in "Miscellaneous Babylonian Inscriptions
Miscellaneous Babylonian Inscriptions
Miscellaneous Babylonian Inscriptions is a 1918, Sumerian linguistics and mythology book written by George Aaron Barton.It was first published by Yale University Press in the United States and deals with commentary and translations of twelve cuneiform, Sumerian myths and texts discovered by the...
", number seven, entitled "A Myth of Enlil
Enlil
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death.-Early life:Members...
and Ninlil
Ninlil
In Sumerian religion, Ninlil , also called Sud, in Assyrian called Mullitu, is the consort goddess of Enlil. Her parentage is variously described. Most commonly she is called the daughter of Haia and Nunbarsegunu...
". The tablet is 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) by 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) by 1.2 inches (3 cm) at its thickest point. Barton noted that Theophilus G. Pinches had published part of an equivalent Akkadian version of the same story in 1911, noting "The two texts in general agree closely, though there are minor variations here and there."
Another tablet from the same collection, number 13853 was used by Edward Chiera
Edward Chiera
Edward Chiera was an Italian-American archaeologist, Assyriologist, and scholar of religions and linguistics.Born in Rome, Italy, in 1885, Chiera trained as a theologian at the Crozer Theological Seminary . He completed his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania...
to restore part of the second column of Barton's tablet in "Sumerian Epics and Myths", number 77. Samuel Noah Kramer
Samuel Noah Kramer
Samuel Noah Kramer was one of the world's leading Assyriologists and a world renowned expert in Sumerian history and Sumerian language.-Biography:...
included CBS tablets 8176, 8315, 10309, 10322, 10412, 13853, 29.13.574 and 29.15.611. He also included translations from tablets in the Nippur collection of the Museum of the Ancient Orient in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, catalogue number 2707. Another tablet used as cuneiform source for the myth is held by the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, BM 38600, details of which were published in 1919. Other tablets and versions were used to bring the myth to its present form with the latest composite text by Miguel Civil
Miguel Civil
Miguel Civil is an assyriologist at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, and a scholar of Sumerology.Civil's training includes a Ph.D. at the University of Paris in 1965. Civil has written several books, and is also editor of the lexical series Materials for the Sumerian Lexicon .-...
produced in 1989 with latest translations by Willem Römer in 1993 and Joachim Krecher in 1996.
Story
The story opens with a description of the city of Nippur, its wallWall
A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure, separates space in buildings into rooms, or protects or delineates a space in the open air...
s, river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
, canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s and well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
, portrayed as the home of the gods and, according to Kramer "that seems to be conceived as having existed before the creation of man." A.R. George suggests "According to a well-known tradition, represented by the myth of Enlil and Ninlil, time was when Nippur was a city inhabited by gods not men, and this would suggest that it had existed from the very beginning." He discusses Nippur as the "first city" (uru-sag) of Sumer. This conception of Nippur is echoed by Joan Goodnick Westenholz, describing the setting as "civitas dei", existing before the "axis mundi
Axis mundi
The axis mundi , in religion or mythology, is the world center and/or the connection between heaven and Earth. As the celestial pole and geographic pole, it expresses a point of connection between sky and earth where the four compass directions meet...
".
Jeremy Black
Jeremy Black (Assyriologist)
Jeremy Allen Black, BA, BPhil, MA, DPhil was a British Assyriologist and Sumerologist, founder of the online Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature....
noted the area of cultivated fields surrounding the primordial home of the gods of fifty sar to be eqivalent to 2000 square metre. The story continues by introducing the goddess Nun-bar-ce-gunu warning her daughter Ninlil about the liklihood of romantic advances from Enlil if she strays too near the river. Ninlil resists Enlil's first approach after which he entreats his minister Nuska
Nuska
Nuska was the vizier of the Sumerian god Enlil. He is also described as a scribe who recorded events and a boatman who took Enlil to his future wife, Ninlil. His shrine was recorded to be in the Ekur....
to take him across the river, on the other side the couple meet and float downstream, either bathing or in a boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
, then lie on the bank together, kiss
Kiss
A kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the lips or other body parts of another person or of an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good...
and conceive Suen-Acimbabbar, the moon god. The story then cuts to Enlil walking in the Ekur
Ekur
Ekur is a Sumerian term meaning "mountain house". It is the assembly of the gods in the Garden of the gods, parallel in Greek mythology to Mount Olympus and was the most revered and sacred building of ancient Sumer.-Origin and meaning:...
, where the other gods arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
him for his relationship with Ninlil and exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
him from the city for being ritually impure.
There follows three similar episodes as Enlil leaves the city, speaking to as the keeper of the city gate ("keeper of the holy barrier" or "man of the pure lock"), the man who guards Id-kura; the Sumerian river of the underworld (similar to the river Styx
Styx
In Greek mythology the Styx is the river that forms the boundary between the underworld and the world of the living, as well as a goddess and a nymph that represents the river.Styx may also refer to:-Popular culture:...
in Greek Mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
) and lastly SI.LU.IGI, the underworld ferryman (similar to Charon
Charon (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on...
). Each time Enlil tells these characters "When your lady Ninlil comes, if she asks after me, don't you tell her where I am!". Ninlil follows him asking each "When did your lord Enlil go by?" To this, Enlil (in disguise) tells her "My lord has not talked with me at all, O loveliest one. Enlil has not talked with me at all, O loveliest one" upon which Ninlil offers to have sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
with him and each time they conceive another god. Two of the offspring are gods of the underworld, Nergal
Nergal
The name Nergal, Nirgal, or Nirgali refers to a deity in Babylon with the main seat of his cult at Cuthah represented by the mound of Tell-Ibrahim. Nergal is mentioned in the Hebrew bible as the deity of the city of Cuth : "And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal"...
-Meclamta-ea and Ninazu
Ninazu
Ninazu in Sumerian mythology was a god of the underworld, and of healing. He was the son of Enlil and Ninlil or, in alternative traditions, of Ereshkigal and Gugalana, and was the father of Ningiszida...
. The third god, Enbilulu
Enbilulu
Enbilulu was the god of rivers and canals in Mesopotamian mythology. In the creation mythology he was placed in charge of the sacred rivers Tigris and Euphrates by the god Enki. Also he was the deity of irrigation and farming. In the Sumerian "Enlil and Ninlil" story he is a son of Enlil and Ninlil...
is called the "inspector of canals", however Jeremy Black has linked this god to management of irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
. The myth ends with praise for the fertility of Enlil and Ninlil.
Discussion
Jeremy Black discusses the problems of serial pregnancyPregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
and multiple birth
Birth
Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring. The offspring is brought forth from the mother. The time of human birth is defined as the time at which the fetus comes out of the mother's womb into the world...
s along with the complex psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
of the myth. He also notes that there are no moral
Moral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...
overtones about Enlil being ritually impure. Ewa Wasilewska noted about the location of the tale that "Black and Green suggest the Sumerians located their underworld in the east mountains where the entrance to Kur
Kur
In Babylonian mythology, Irkalla is the hell-like underworld from which there is no return. It is also called Arali, Kigal, Gizal, and the lower world...
was believed to exist. He (Enlil) was thus the 'King of the Foreign Lands/Mountains,' where the underworld to which he was banished and from which he returned, was located." Robert Payne has suggested that the initial scene of the courtship takes place on the bank of a canal instead of a river.
Herman Behrens has suggested a ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
context for the myth where dramatic passages were acted out on a voyage between the Ekur and the sanctuary in Nippur. Jerrold Cooper has argued for a more sociological interpretation, explaining about the creation of gods who seem to perform as substites for Enlil, he suggests the purpose of the work is "to tell the origins of four gods" and that it "explains why one (Suen) is shining in the heavens, while the other three dwell in the Netherworld". Cooper also argues that the text uses local geographical placenames in regard to the netherworld.
From the analysis of Thorkild Jacobsen
Thorkild Jacobsen
Thorkild Jacobsen was a renowned historian specializing in Assyriology and Sumerian literature.He was one of the foremost scholars on the ancient Near East.-Biography:...
, Dale Launderville has suggested the myth provides evidence that Sumerian society prohibited premarital sex
Premarital sex
Premarital sex is sexual activity, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex, practiced by persons who are unmarried. Although it has always been practiced, in the West it has increased in prevalence since the mid-1950s...
in a discussion entitled "Channeling the Sex Drive Toward the Creation of Community". He discusses the attributes of the gods "(1) the moon god was regarded as rejuvenating living things; (2) Nergal was associated occasionally with agricultural growth but more often with plague, pestilence, famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
and sudden death
Sudden death
In a sport or game, sudden death is a form of competition where play ends as soon as one competitor is ahead of the others, with that competitor becoming the winner. Sudden death is typically used as a tiebreaker when a contest is tied at the end of the normal playing time or the completion of...
; (3) Ninazu and (4) Enbilulu were forces that ensured successful agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
." He concludes that the narrative exonerates Enlil and Ninlil indicating nature to have its way even where societal conventions try to contain sexual desire.
Robert S. Falkowitz discusses the possibility that the gods referred to were real people, saying "There are no indications in the narrative that Enlil and Ninlil are anything other than human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
. Semantic classifiers in the writing system and stock epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
s categorize them as divine."
Further reading
- Behrens, Hermann. 1978. Enlil und Ninlil. Ein sumerischer Mythos aus Nippur. Studia Pohl Series Major 8. Rome: Biblical Institute Press.
- Bottéro, Jean and Kramer, Samuel Noah. 1989, reprinted 1993. Lorsque les dieux faisaient l'homme rev. Éditions Gallimard. p. 105-115.
- Cooper, Jerrold S. 1980. "Critical Review. Hermann Behrens, Enlil und Ninlil etc.". In Journal of Cuneiform Studies 32. 175-188.
- Geller, M.J. 1980. "Review of Behrens 1978". In Archiv für Orientforschung 27. 168-170.
- Green, Margaret Whitney. 1982. "Review of Behrens 1978". In Bibliotheca Orientalis 39. 339-344.
- Hall, Mark Glenn. 1985. A Study of the Sumerian Moon-God, Nanna/Suen. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania. p. 524-526.
- Heimerdinger, Jane W. 1979. Sumerian literary fragments from Nippur. Occasional Publications of the Babylonian Fund 4. Philadelphia: The University Museum. 1, 37.
- Jacobsen, Thorkild. 1987. The Harps that Once .. Sumerian Poetry in Translation. New Haven/London: Yale University Press. p. 167-180.
- Röllig, Wolfgang. 1981. "Review of Behrens 1978". In Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft 131. 430.
- Römer, Willem H.Ph. 1993a. "Mythen und Epen in sumerischer Sprache". In Mythen und Epen I. Texte aus der Umwelt des Alten Testaments III, 3. Kaiser, Otto (ed). Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus Gerd Mohn. p. 421-434.
See also
- Barton CylinderBarton CylinderThe Barton Cylinder is a Sumerian creation myth, written on a clay cylinder in the mid to late 3rd millennium BC, which is now in the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology...
- Debate between Winter and SummerDebate between Winter and SummerThe Debate between Winter and Summer or Myth of Emesh and Enten is a Sumerian creation myth, written on clay tablets in the mid to late 3rd millennium BC.-Disputations:...
- Debate between sheep and grainDebate between sheep and grainThe Debate between sheep and grain or Myth of cattle and grain is a Sumerian creation myth, written on clay tablets in the mid to late 3rd millennium BC...
- Self-praise of Shulgi (Shulgi D)Self-praise of Shulgi (Shulgi D)Self-praise of Shulgi is a Sumerian myth, written on clay tablets dated to between 2100 to 2000 BC.-Compilation:The myth was discovered on the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, catalogue of the Babylonian section , tablet number 11065 from their excavations at the...
- Old Babylonian oracleOld Babylonian oracleOld Babylonian oracle is a Sumerian myth, written on clay tablets dated to between 2340 to 2200 BC.The myth was discovered on the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, catalogue of the Babylonian section , tablet number 8322 from their excavations at the temple library...
- Hymn to EnlilHymn to EnlilThe Hymn to Enlil, Enlil and the Ekur , Hymn to the Ekur, Hymn and incantation to Enlil, Hymn to Enlil the all beneficent or Excerpt from an exorcism is a Sumerian myth, written on clay tablets in the late third millennium BC.-Compilation:Fragments of the text were discovered in the University of...
- Kesh temple hymnKesh temple hymnThe Kesh Temple Hymn or Liturgy to Nintud or Liturgy to Nintud on the creation of man and woman is a Sumerian myth, written on clay tablets as early as 2600 BC...
- Lament for UrLament for UrThe Lament for Ur, Lamentation over the city of Ur or Prayer for Ur is a Sumerian lament composed around the time of the fall of Ur to the Elamites and the end of the city's third dynasty The Lament for Ur, Lamentation over the city of Ur or Prayer for Ur is a Sumerian lament composed around the...
- Sumerian creation mythSumerian creation mythThe earliest record of the Sumerian creation myth and flood myth is found on a single fragmentary tablet excavated in Nippur, sometimes called the Eridu Genesis. It is written in the Sumerian language and datable by its script to 2150 BC, during the first Babylonian dynasty, where the language of...
- Sumerian religionSumerian religionSumerian religion refers to the mythology, pantheon, rites and cosmology of the Sumerian civilization. The Sumerian religion influenced Mesopotamian mythology as a whole, surviving in the mythologies and religions of the Hurrians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and other culture...
- Sumerian literatureSumerian literatureSumerian literature is the literature written in the Sumerian language during the Middle Bronze Age. Most Sumerian literature is preserved indirectly, via Assyrian or Babylonian copies....
External links
- Barton, George Aaron., Miscellaneous Babylonian Inscriptons, Yale University Press, 1918. Online Version
- Cheira, Edward., Sumerian Epics and Myths, University of Chicago, Oriental Institute Publications, 1934. Online Version
- Kramer, Samuel Noah., Sumerian Mythology: A Study of Spiritual and Literary Achievement in the Third Millenium B.C., Forgotten Books, First published 1944. Online Version
- Enlil and Ninlil., Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G., The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Oxford 1998-.
- Transliteration - The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Oxford 1998-.