This article is about the Igigi in Mesopotamian mythology. For the article about the Akkadian king "Igigi," see Igigi (Akkadian King)

Igigi (Akkadian King)

Igigi was a king of the Akkadian Empire. His rule began in 2257 BCE, and he fought for power in Akkad after the death of Shar-kali-sharri.-See also:*History of Sumer*Akkadian Empire*Sumerian king list*Imi*Nanum*Ilulu...

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Igigi was a term used to refer to the gods of heaven in Sumerian

Sumerian religion

Sumerian 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...

 mythology. Though sometimes synonymous with the term "Annunaki," in one myth the Igigi were the younger gods who were servants of the Annunaki, until they rebelled and were replaced by the creation of humans.

Atrahasis

Sumerian paradise is described as a garden in the myth of Atrahasis where lower rank deities (the Igigi

Igigi

Igigi was a term used to refer to the gods of heaven in Sumerian mythology. Though sometimes synonymous with the term "Annunaki," in one myth the Igigi were the younger gods who were servants of the Annunaki, until they rebelled and were replaced by the creation of humans.- Atrahasis :Sumerian...

) are put to work digging a watercourse

Watercourse

A watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, anabranches, and so forth.-See also:* physical geography* Environmental flow* Waterway* Hydrology* Wadi-External links:...

 by the more senior deities (the Annanuki).
The Igigi then rebel against the dictatorship

Dictatorship

A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...

 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...

, setting fire to their tools and surrounding Enlil's great house by night. On hearing that toil on the irrigation channel is the reason for the disquiet, the Annanuki council decide to create man to carry out agricultural labour.