There is very little information about the Sumerian religion. The Sumerians are in fact the oldest civilization of humanity. As used to happen in many ancient religions, the Sumerians had different deities that represented one conception or another.
In this article we will see the most relevant Sumerian gods and of which there is more information, hence its importance.
As their name indicates, the Sumerians were inhabitants of the Sumerian region, located in the current Middle East and that occupied what is now Syria, Iraq and Jordan, approximately between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.
Some of the most complete studies that have been carried out on this civilization, carried out by National Geographic or Discovery World, suggest that we are most likely facing the oldest civilization of all time The problem is that there is no clear starting point to define its origin.
Likewise, the Sumerians were so archaic and primitive that they basically dedicated their lives solely and exclusively to carrying out subsistence activities and worshiping and pleasing their deities. However, we owe them the invention of the wheel back in 3000 BC. Next we will see the most important Sumerian gods.
1. Inanna
The goddess Inanna is one of the representations most adulated by the Sumerians, and even It was later adopted by the Assyrians (with the name of Ishtar). This figure with a female body, wings and feet of an eagle, represented sexuality, fertility, love and, curiously, war.
Another of the Sumerian gods of great importance as he was the master and lord of meteorology : He represented storms, wind and air and therefore was the deity of creation. Mythology explains that Enlil separated his father and his mother to form the sky and the earth, which is why the Sumerians believed him to be the being of creation.
3. An
An is known as the god of the heavens, being the most relevant deity in the Sumerian pantheon. However, he ended up sharing this role with the god Enlil, since Sumerian mythology was variable and has always been changing over time. Likewise, he continued to hold a privileged place in the pantheon.
4. Utu
Twin brother of Inanna, he was the god of the sun and justice. Both concepts had supreme importance in the Sumerian civilization, since when it came to politically organizing the city-states, The subjects appealed to Utu to legislate Furthermore, being also the god of the sun, he also occupied a privileged position in the Sumerian pantheon.
5. Ninhursag
Another of the most relevant female deities of the Sumerian gods. She was known as “the mother of all goddesses”, protector of women and children As a curiosity, she was also the goddess of life and earth, which gives her a semi-creator status along with Utu.
6. Nanna
Nanna, or Nannar in Mesopotamian culture, is known as the god of the moon. He is the son of Enlil and Ninlil (gods of the sky and air respectively). This way, Nanna represented astrology and wisdom and was also the protector of the flock and the shepherds of the land. A temple was built in honor of this deity: Ziggurat of Ur, now ruins in what we know today as the country of Iraq.
As a curiosity, we must emphasize the large number of female deities that the Sumerians worshiped, and they worshiped each other in almost equal numbers. Nammu is also considered one of the most important Sumerian goddesses , because with her it all began: “the abyss of waters.” Water represents life, the beginning of everything. She was the goddess of birth and life.
Sumeria as the origin of all civilization
As we have seen in the introduction, we owe so much to the Sumerians that it is advisable to delve a little into their history and their contributions to humanity, especially in politics and urban development. To the Sumerians They are credited with creating the first city-nations an administrative organization that continues to be reflected today, and the unquestionable development of agriculture.
There is very good literature to deal with historical and scientific rigor about the Sumerians and their gods, as well as their customs and habits. One of them is the American author of Ukrainian origin, Samuel Noah Kramer and his great work The story begins in Sumer published in 1956, which, to this day, is still considered the best research book on the Sumerians and their legacy.
