The 7 most important Sumerian gods

A review of the most important deities of the first civilization in history.

There is very little information about the Sumerian religion. The Sumerians are in fact the oldest civilization of mankind. As it used to happen in many of the millenary religions, the Sumerians had different deities representing one or another conception.

In this article we will see the most relevant Sumerian gods and of which more information is had, of there its importance.

The 7 most relevant Sumerian gods

As its name indicates, the Sumerians were inhabitants of the Sumerian inhabitants of the Sumerian region, located in the present-day Middle East and occupied and that occupied what today are Syria, Iraq and Jordan, approximately between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

Some of the most complete studies that have been made about this civilization, carried out by National Geographic or Discovery World, point to the fact that we are very probably in the presence of 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 subsistence activities and to worship and please their deities. Nevertheless, it was to them that we owe the invention of the wheel around 3000 BC. Next we will see the most important Sumerian gods.

1. Inanna

The goddess Inanna is one of the most flattered representations by the Sumerians, and was even later adopted by the As was later adopted by the Assyrians (under the name of Ishtar). (under the name of Ishtar). This figure with a female body, wings and eagle's feet, represented sexuality, fertility, love and, curiously, war.

2. Enlil

Another of the Sumerian gods of great importance as he was the master and lord of the the lord and master of meteorologyEnlil represented the storms, wind and air and therefore was the deity of creation. The mythology explains that Enlil separated his father and mother to form the sky and the earth, reason 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 of the Sumerian pantheon. However, he ended up sharing this role with the god Enlil, because Sumerian mythology was variable and Sumerian mythology was variable and has always been modified over time. 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 a supreme importance in the Sumerian civilization, since at the time of politically organizing the city-states, the subjects appealed to Utu to legislate, the subjects appealed to Utu to legislate.. In addition, being also the god of the sun, he also occupied a privileged position in the Sumerian pantheon.

5. Ninhursag

Another of the most important 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 status of semi-creator along with Utu.

6. Nanna

Nanna, or Nannar in Mesopotamian culture, is known as the god of the moon. Son of Enlil and Ninlil (gods of the sky and air respectively). Thus, Nanna represented astrology and wisdom and was also the protector of the flock and shepherds of the earth. and shepherds of the earth. A temple was erected in honor of this deity: Ziggurat of Ur, today ruins in what we know today as the country of Iraq.

7. Nammu

As a curiosity, we must emphasize the great number of feminine deities that the Sumerians worshipped, and they had almost equal number of worships. Nammu is also considered one of the most important Sumerian goddesses, for with her everything began.because with her everything began: "the abyss of the waters". Water represents life, the beginning of everything. She was the goddess of birth and life.

Sumer 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. The Sumerians are credited with the creation of the first city-nations.The Sumerians had an administrative organization that is still reflected in our days, 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 History Begins in Sumer published in 1956 which, to this day, is still considered the best research book on the Sumerians and their legacy.

Bibliographical references:

• Black, J. A.; Cunningham, Graham; Robson, Eleanor (2006), The Literature of Ancient Sumer. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Coleman, J. A.; Davidson, George (2015), The Dictionary of Mythology: An A-Z of Themes, Legends, and Heroes. London: Arcturus Publishing Limited.