Pah
Uber all member
Written and submitted by Kotaro, a Religious Forums member
Here are 2 important myths I finished,[pah - the second, in another thread] and an introduction to Sumerian Mythology. I'll take my time on them so that I can capture their essence. Would you like me to write all the 30 or so myths or just some of the most important ones?
Sumerian Mythology
Sumerian Mythology was the spiritual expression of its people, the Sumerians. The underlying essence of Sumer was their spirituality, expressed in every day life and on holy days by the remembrance of the pre-historic legends of mankind and the gods. Many of the stories in writing existed in pre-Sumerian times in the oral traditions of the sages, and when writing was invented, the legends of their culture were preserved on clay tablets for use by the priests, in schools, for religious devotion, calendars, politics, law codes, and a variety of other subjects.
Sumerian Cosmology
The Sumerians conceived the Cosmos as being "eternal" without beginning or end. And in this eternity existed the Primeval Sea, the "Nammu," and the empty dark space of Air, the "LiL." The abyssal waters of the Nammu and empty darkness of the LiL had always existed; meaning the elements water and air have no actual beginning or end and can be considered as the Primal Origin of all things. They stretch over the Cosmos infinitely.
Now when the Air and the Waters began to interact, a Great Mountain arose out of the Waters and into the Air. The Mountain was called the An-Ki, or Heaven-Earth. The luminous worlds of Heaven, Earth, and the "Ki-gal" (Great Below/Underworld) were all stuck together on this Great Mountain and was so gigantic it produced everything the formerly empty Universe would need for its enfolding/creation process. In some respects it sounds like a super-sized Planet. It was most likely in the very "center" of the Cosmos if there was such a concept.
Then arose from this Mountain the first pair of god and goddess, Anu and Ninmah. And together they produced Enlil. Then another god arose from the Waters, and his name was Enki. Soon there came others too, but not all of their names are known. Enlil separated from the Great Mountain all the celestial bodies, and the gods proceeded to order the Universe. Anu carried off Heaven to be an eternal Palace for the gods far above the sky, and so he became known as god of the Heaven. Enlil carried off the Earth and prepared to organize it with Enki and Ninmah, who became goddess of Motherhood. Enki would make his home in the Sea, where his Sea Palace was built, called the Abzu. And so he became known as god of the sea and all water.
Enlil became known as god of the skies and the vast expanse of air surrounding the Universe. This immensity branded him king of the gods, for his dwelling was far greater than any other. Enlil and his consort Ninlil found themselves in utter darkness in the space of Air between Heaven and Earth, so they together birthed Sin god of the moon, and Sin in turn birthed Samas god of the sun, Ishtar goddess of the planet Venus, Ereshkigal who became goddess of the Great Below (Ki-gal), and the rest of the Stars and Planets, making a beautiful luminous Sky.
Sin travelled across the sky in his crescent boat and Samas rode in his chariot with a team of four horses. Ishtar rode in her chariot pulled by seven dogs. The stars and planets surrounded the Moon, moving about gracefully in the skies. All of these luminous bodies the Sumerians thought were made of the same elements of Air and Water, in various types of density.
Here are 2 important myths I finished,[pah - the second, in another thread] and an introduction to Sumerian Mythology. I'll take my time on them so that I can capture their essence. Would you like me to write all the 30 or so myths or just some of the most important ones?
Sumerian Mythology
Sumerian Mythology was the spiritual expression of its people, the Sumerians. The underlying essence of Sumer was their spirituality, expressed in every day life and on holy days by the remembrance of the pre-historic legends of mankind and the gods. Many of the stories in writing existed in pre-Sumerian times in the oral traditions of the sages, and when writing was invented, the legends of their culture were preserved on clay tablets for use by the priests, in schools, for religious devotion, calendars, politics, law codes, and a variety of other subjects.
Sumerian Cosmology
The Sumerians conceived the Cosmos as being "eternal" without beginning or end. And in this eternity existed the Primeval Sea, the "Nammu," and the empty dark space of Air, the "LiL." The abyssal waters of the Nammu and empty darkness of the LiL had always existed; meaning the elements water and air have no actual beginning or end and can be considered as the Primal Origin of all things. They stretch over the Cosmos infinitely.
Now when the Air and the Waters began to interact, a Great Mountain arose out of the Waters and into the Air. The Mountain was called the An-Ki, or Heaven-Earth. The luminous worlds of Heaven, Earth, and the "Ki-gal" (Great Below/Underworld) were all stuck together on this Great Mountain and was so gigantic it produced everything the formerly empty Universe would need for its enfolding/creation process. In some respects it sounds like a super-sized Planet. It was most likely in the very "center" of the Cosmos if there was such a concept.
Then arose from this Mountain the first pair of god and goddess, Anu and Ninmah. And together they produced Enlil. Then another god arose from the Waters, and his name was Enki. Soon there came others too, but not all of their names are known. Enlil separated from the Great Mountain all the celestial bodies, and the gods proceeded to order the Universe. Anu carried off Heaven to be an eternal Palace for the gods far above the sky, and so he became known as god of the Heaven. Enlil carried off the Earth and prepared to organize it with Enki and Ninmah, who became goddess of Motherhood. Enki would make his home in the Sea, where his Sea Palace was built, called the Abzu. And so he became known as god of the sea and all water.
Enlil became known as god of the skies and the vast expanse of air surrounding the Universe. This immensity branded him king of the gods, for his dwelling was far greater than any other. Enlil and his consort Ninlil found themselves in utter darkness in the space of Air between Heaven and Earth, so they together birthed Sin god of the moon, and Sin in turn birthed Samas god of the sun, Ishtar goddess of the planet Venus, Ereshkigal who became goddess of the Great Below (Ki-gal), and the rest of the Stars and Planets, making a beautiful luminous Sky.
Sin travelled across the sky in his crescent boat and Samas rode in his chariot with a team of four horses. Ishtar rode in her chariot pulled by seven dogs. The stars and planets surrounded the Moon, moving about gracefully in the skies. All of these luminous bodies the Sumerians thought were made of the same elements of Air and Water, in various types of density.