#akkadian mythology

[that-guy-in-the-chiton]

Their mother made them wear it.

[inspofromancientworld]

The Epic of Gilgamesh

By Urban at French Wikipedia - photo by Urban, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1665473

Written sometimes between 2100-1200 BCE, the Epic of Gilgamesh originally began as five Sumerian poems before they were combined by the Akkadians into a single story. It was compiled by Sîn-lēqi-unninni 𒁹𒀭𒌍𒋾𒀀𒅆, a mašmaššu, a type of scholar priest, who lived between 1300-1000 BCE. He added the prologue and the story of Utnapishtim, but his other influences on the poem compared to previous versions is unknown. We've found versions that cover about 2000 years, with the oldest in Sumerian and considered distinct until Sîn-lēqi-unninni compiled it. The newest versions, called the Standard Babylonian version, consists of twelve tablets. The Standard and Old Babylonian versions begin with different lines, with the standard beginning 'He who saw the deep', with 'deep' referring to 'the mysteries of the information brought back by Gilgamesh from his meeting with Uta-Napishti (Utnapishtim) about Ea, the fountain of wisdom' and the old beginning 'Surpassing all other kings'. The poem bears hallmarks of being conveyed orally in repeated and stock phrases throughout its length that help a bard remember the poem.

By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90610606

The first tablet introduces Gilgamesh, who is two-thirds god, one-third man, king of Uruk, though not a good one, oppressing his people, specifically by raping brides on their wedding night. How he oppresses young men is uncertain as the tablet is broken, though its thought he exhausts them through games, forced labor, or tests on strength. The people cry out for help and the gods respond by sending Enkidu, a wild man covered in hair, who lived with herds of animals. After Enkidu destroys all the traps of a man, the man appeals to the sun god Shamash for help. Shamash sends the temple prostitute Shamhat to tame him. After one or two weeks of sex, Enkidu is 'weakened' and his herds flee from him. Enkidu is left lonely, and shocked by the intensity of the feeling. Shamhat consoles him by saying 'Do not grieve, you now have knowledge, like the gods.' Gilgamesh begins having dreams of a beloved companion and asks his mother, Ninsun, goddess of wild cows, for aid in interpreting them.

By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92741965

In tablets two and three, Shamhat takes Enkidu to a shepherd's camp to learn to be civilized, have his hair cut, and become accustomed to how people live. During his time there, he learns about the way Gilgamesh was treating brides. He goes to Uruk to stop Gilgamesh and they fight. After a long fight, Enkidu acknowledges Gilgamesh is stronger than him and they become fast friends. Gilgamesh proposes going to fight Humbaba, a demigod that lives in the Cedar Forest. Enkidu and the council of elders advise against the idea, but when Gilgamesh insists, the elders give advice and Enkidu goes with him. Gilgamesh also visits his mother Ninsun for her blessing and she asks Shamash for protection of the two, adopting Enkidu in the process. In preparation, Gilgamesh leaves instructions for and establishes how Uruk will be rule din his absence.

By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92533041

Tablets four and five tell about the journey to the Cedar Forest, including their camping and Gilgamesh's dreams. Enkidu interprets each dream in a positive way even though they seem to be nightmares to Gilgamesh. When they reach the Cedar Forest and Humbaba threatens them, accusing Enkidu of betrayal, vowing to disembowel Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is frightened, but Enkidu encourages him and they begin fighting. The mountains shake, the sky turns black, and the god Shamash sends 13 winds to bind Humbaba, who then pleads for his life. Gilgamesh takes pity on Humbaba and Humbaba names Gilgamesh king of the forest and cuts the trees for Gilgamesh. Enkidu argues for killing Humbaba to establish his dominance forever. Gilgamesh kills Humbaba and his seven sons while Humbaba spews curses over both Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39285850

In tablets six and seven, Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar's advances because of how she treats her lovers, spurning them when they no longer hold her fancy. Angered, she denies him entry to E-Ana, which interferes with Gilgamesh's business. She then asks her father, Anu, to send the Bull of Heaven, Gulaana, to avenge her. Anu refuses to do so and Ishtar threatens to raise the dead, who 'outnumber the living' and will 'devour them', in addition to being loud enough to disrupt the heavens and earth. Anu says that if he does give her the Bull of Heaven, that Uruk will have seven years of famine, so Ishtar provides enough to survive those seven years. Anu gives her the Bull of Heaven and she leads it to Uruk. The Bull of Heaven drank so much that the Euphrates river lowers to the point that the marshes dry up. The Bull then opens up pits that swallow 300 men. Angered, Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat the Bull of Heaven without divine assistance and Gilgamesh offers up the heart to Shamash. When Ishtar complains, Gilgamesh throws one of the Bull's hindquarters at him. Enkidu has a dream that either he or Gilgamesh must die in retribution for the deaths of Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. Even though Shamash protests, Enkidu is chosen for that death. Enkidu curses those involved in civilizing him and the works he'd managed to complete. Shamash tries to console Enkidu by telling him that Gilgamesh will honor him at his funeral and will wander the world, consumed with grief. Regretting his curses, Enkidu blesses Shamash. In a second dream, Enkidu is taken captive into a 'house of dust' in the Netherworld where the inhabitants eat clay, wear bird feathers, and are watched over by terrifying beings. For twelve days, Enkidu becomes sicker and sicker. After complaining that he couldn't die in battle, Enkidu dies. Gilgamesh refuses to believe that Enkidu is dead until a 'maggot drops from the nose of the corpse.'

In tablets eight through ten, Gilgamesh is overcome with grief. After delivering Enkidu's eulogy, he tears at his hair and clothing in grief while doing everything he can to make sure that Enkidu has a good reception in the afterlife. After the funeral, Gilgamesh roams the wilderness wearing skins, lost to his grief. Now, afraid for his own death, he goes to visit Utnapishtim (meaning 'the Faraway') in an effort to learn the secret to eternal life. After a long, perilous journey, Gilgamesh arrives at the peaks of Mount Mashu, the western edge of the earth, where Shamash moves the sun at night, where no man has ever entered. A married pair of scorpion monsters guard the entrance to the tunnel and they try to discourage Gilgamesh. The wife, though, is moved by Gilgamesh's grief and encourages her husband to allow Gilgamesh entrance. Gilgamesh manages to traverse the tunnel in twelve 'double hours', escaping before Shamash entered the tunnel and would have burnt him alive. He enters the Garden of the Gods, full of trees with edible jewels growing on them. The alewife Siduri thinks Gilgamesh must be a murderer or thief because of his appearance, but he explains his purpose. She tries to discourage him, but eventually sends him to Urshnabi, the ferryman, who will help him cross the sea to Utnapishtim. In a fit of rage, Gilgamesh destroys stone charms Urshanabi had. After being informed he just destroyed the method of crossing the sea, Gilgamesh cuts down 120 trees to become punting poles. When Gilgamesh finally reaches Utnapishtim, Utnapishtim rebukes him for fighting against 'the common fate of humans' and it's a futile battle that will 'diminish life's joys'.

By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62659558

Tablet eleven tells Utnapishtim's story, how he became the only surviving human after the flood, how he had to build a boat with specific dimensions and sealed with pitch and bitumen. He tells of the violent storm that caused the gods to flea to heaven in terror. Eventually, Utnapishtim's boat comes to rest on Mt Nimush and he releases three birds, a dove, a swallow, and a raven. When the raven doesn't come back, Utnapishtim releases all of the ark's inhabitants. He makes an offering to the gods and they are pleased with it, Istar promising to remember him and Enlil blessing him and his wife with eternal life. Utnapishtim points out it is a unique gift and that Gilgamesh will have to do something extraordinary to earn it. He challenges Gilgamesh to remain awake for six days and seven nights. When Gilgamesh falls asleep, Utnapishtim has his wife bake a loaf of bread for each day Gilgamesh sleeps. Gilgamesh is forced to admit that he cannot overcome sleep, much less death. After having Urshanabi clean and dress Gilgamesh in royal robes, Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh of a plant at the bottom of the sea that will make him young again. Gilgamesh lashes stones to his feet so he can walk along the bottom of the sea to reach it. He plans to test it on an old man in Uruk to make sure it works, but when he stops for a bath, a serpent takes the plant, shedding its skin as it leaves. Gilgamesh weeps in despair at never gain immortality. After awhile, he returns to Uruk and its massive walls cause him to praise Urshanabi's work.

Tablet twelve does not organically connect to the rest of the epic, with Enkidu being alive and Gilgamesh complaining to him that his belongings have fallen into the underworld. Enkidu, wanting to please Gilgamesh, offers to retrieve them. Gilgamesh agrees and advises Enkidu about what he must avoid doing while he's in the underworld. Enkidu manages to do everything he was told not to do and has to remain in the underworld. Gilgamesh prays to the gods to return his friend. Enlil and Nanna ignore him, but Enki and Shamash hear him and decide to help. Shamash makes a crack that allows Enkidu's ghost to escape. Gilgamesh asks Enkidu what he saw as the tablet ends.

[ofruinsandmyth]

Akkadian cylinder seal depicting the goddess Inanna, foot rested on the back of a lion while Ninshubur stands in front of her, paying obeisance (c. 2350–2150 BCE)

[nogetron]

Here’s my third redesign of Inanna, this time in digital!

[waywordsstudio]

Review: "Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth" by Diane Wolkstein -

A philologist and storyteller takes on the reconstruction of the Sumerian tale of Inanna to powerful success, replete with enlightening essays to support her work.

#bookreviews #literature #books #bookworm #read #book #readreadread #dianewolkstein #inannaqueenofheavenandearth #sumeria #sumerianmythology #mesopotamia #akkadianmythology #translation #mythology #inanna #ishtar

[goofygrimoires]

I have no reason to get into the Labubu discourse because to be honest I don't have a dog in the fight, but one thing has admittedly piqued my interest, even if for silly reasons. Apparently "Christians" have been alleging that Labubu is in fact based on the Demon Pazuzu, which is utterly ridiculous considering that other than maybe fangs the popular blind box craze and the Babylonian and Near Eastern birth house protector of women in childbirth and their children (from his much more frightful wife) have no similarities. It has made me wonder, however, how much horror movies have impacted the popular demonology of modern so called "Christians" as Pazuzu would have been relatively unknown to those who didn't seek out information on Ancient Near Eastern religions until the book and movie "The Exorcist" popularized him (basing itself on a story about a Ouija board encounter with an unrelated demon called "Zozo" which despite taking significant Christian interest to prove their bottom line on the infernal spiritual toy made by Parker Brothers, anyone who knew the kid who said it claimed he was That Kid who Lied All The Time™.) So, it's clear to me from this that despite some Christians making sweeping statements about the "Satanic" nature of Horror movies and Horror media in general, it still has an impact on their popular demonology and "Satanic Panic" conspiracy theories. Interesting I hope, then again, Tik Tok Christians get scared and excited when they realize that "Satan" and "Santa" sound similar, and act like they have made some massive discovery. Also "Pazuzu" and "Labubu" only sound similar because of the "A-U-U" sound in their name, it's really not that close.

[clwhowrites]

Prompt 28/1/25

Odin, Zeus, Marduk, and Ra are having a party outside the Shady Dimensions Old Gods Home. They were having a good time until Jesus waked by.

[alpaca-clouds]

Monotheism is not quite what you think it is

So, you have been told that in the Abrahamitic religions (meaing, Judaism, Christianity and Islam) there is only one God. The big one. Adonai, YHWH, Elohim, or Allah. The one big guy. Chances are, that if you are one of those people sent to a religious school or dragged to chuch, you even have been told it there. Heck, you might have learned the Ten Commandments - a version of which exists in each of the scriptures - starting out with "there is no other God but Me" (meaning the one guy).

What would you do, if I told you, that this is actually a mistranslation and that in fact the old versions of the texts do reference a variety of other gods not as demons or devils, but as just as real as the one guy?

A couple of weeks back I talked a bit about the background of Lucifer, how in the Hebrew version of the text this character was not called Lucifer but Halel. And Halel is not an angel or anything, but he is another god in the pantheon that Elohim was from. A god associated with beauty. And back when the Syrian myths were still a thing, the story went: "Halel thought he should lead the pantheon because he was more beautiful than all the other gods and for this was punished to spend some time mortal wandering the earth." While most of this myth did not survive, for some reason some parts did, with Halel not really getting explained. But yeah, he wants to overthrow Elohim and gets banished. And because the European audience for whom it was then later translated into Latin would now know Halel, the translator put in Lucifer, who like Halel was a male god associated with beauty and the morning star (aka Venus).

But this is not the only god that gets outright referenced in the text. Several others do, mostly from the Canaanite and Syrian pantheon - as those are where YHWH ended up for a long time. Some Egyptian deities also get mentioned. And no, none of them are said to be demons or devils or anything like that.

The core of this is the translation of that one sentence in the Ten Commandments. It gets usually translated as "There is no God but me", or "You shall not have another God but me". But what it more clearly says originally is: "You shall not pray to another God but me". And there is the thing. The "you" is not a "you" of "anyone", but actually means a very specific people. And for this, we need to once more go back to the origin of YHWH.

Now, mind you, given that we are talking about stuff that is about 4000 years in the past, so the sources are not capable of filling up all the questions. But we have a somewhat good idea.

See, something that in todays discussions about anti-semitism gets kinda overlooked is, that the Semites were not just the Jewish people, but a whole culture of people living in the east of the Mediterranean, which includes Akkadia, Phoenicia and Ancient Syria. Those were an "advanced civilization" too, but one that rarely gets talked about as much as Greece, Rome and Egypt - despite later Roman history being heavily connected to it and sharing several deities.

Not to put on my conspiracy hat, but I am rather convinced that part of the reason we talk little about it, is, that if everyone knew about this mythology, people would look at the Bible and go: "Oooooooh!" Because while we can absolutely see those similarities with other mythology as well, because of the common background, if you compare the old Testament to Akkadian, Phoenician, and Persian myths, there is a lot more commonality there.

But yeah, these cultures had also a lot of cultural exchange going on with both Egypt and Greece at this time - 4000 years ago. Which at the time with everyone being very polytheistic meant that alos a lot of gods god exchanged. Basically like if you are doing a trading card game. "Oh wow, you have a really cool harvest deity." - "Trade you for your fire deity." - "You got a deal!" And while we are not 100% sure, we are fairly certain that in all that a harvest and/or weather deity named YHWH got taken over by those semitic people doing their own desert civilization. Some of them had like actual cities, some were more normadic.

Either way, YHWH was taken into that pantheon and for some reason he at some point got fused with Ba'al, a war deity, who also had weather aspects. And this fused deity at some point for one tribe then also fused with Elohim, the highest of the gods. A good old typical Sky Daddy.

And then there was this one mainly normadic tribe, who at some point were like: "Yeah, actually, we do no longer care about the other gods. It is all Sky Daddy YHWH-Ba'al-Elohim for us now!" However, they did not deny the reality of the other gods, it was just that this tribe decided to exclusively pray to this one deitiy, because in their understanding, this deity had promised to protect them and what not.

Yes, this one tribe were the Israelites.

And that brings us back to "You should not worship any god but me". Because that "you" was meant for them only. The Israelites. And if you real the whole scripture - at least the Hebrew one - there is absolutely no doubt about this. Heck, even later in the Greek stuff (so Jesus-related lore) we are very clear on that. This was not a religion for anyone. This was a religion for the Israelites, and nobody else.

Jesus at one point explicitly says: "I have not come to deliver anyone BUT the Jews".

Now mind you, technically this is mainly an issue with the scripture in Judaism and Christianity. Because they mainly kept the translated versions of the old Hebrew texts, even though a lot of people who read them lack the historical context of who wrote these texts and when and why. But the fact that Jesus is very clear on who he is there for does remain.

Islam does not have this issue as much, as the Qur'an did not just take the Hebrew stuff, but basically retold all the stuff in a very shortened version. Which for the most part also keeps out the references to all the other deities - and does not involve anyone going: "This religion is for this specific group only."

To me these days it is really weird, that most of the times when I am talking to Christian religious people, they are not engaging with those parts of the bible however. Usually, if you note those parts, they will outright deny them.

Personally, given how much violence was committed in the name of the one guy who was so very much against violence, I find it almost sad that this violence was then committed by people who that one guy explicitly said he had not come for.

And the entire rivalry between religions... Back in the day, people just accepted that all the gods were real to some degree and let other people pick their favorite god in peace.

Oh, and before I forget, because a lot of Zionists get super angry about this one: Actually, Arabs are Semites too. So if we want to be really technical abotu words, anti-muslim sentiment (which tends to be just a cover for anti-arab sentiment either way) is actually anti-semitic, too. Because, yes, the term anti-semitism came from a time where it included all those semitic groups, and not just the Israelites.

[raceofseth]

INANNA / ISHTAR

mesopotamian goddess of love, war and fertility

sumerian / akaddian queen of heaven

[underwaterspiderbird]

and champion of the oppressed🥰

25° Lilith Lilith is a figure present in ancient Mesopotamian religion, she is the female goddess associated with the storm, believed to be the bringer of misfortune, disease and death.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Babylonian Map of the World (6th century BC), also known as Imago Mundi, is oldest clay tablet map written in Akkadian.

The tablet describes the oldest known depiction of the known world.

It was discovered at Sippar, southern Iraq, 60 miles north of Babylon on east bank of Euphrates River.

This map not only serves as a historical record of the region's geography but also includes mythological elements, providing a comprehensive view of the ancient Babylonian worldview.

Today, the Babylonian Map of the World is housed in the British Museum, where it continues to be a valuable artifact for understanding the ancient past.

Details of the map:

1. “Mountain” (Akkadian:šá-du-ú)

2. “City” (Akkadian: uru)

3. Urartu (Armenia) (Akkadian: ú-ra-áš-tu)

4. Assyria (Akkadian: kuraš+šurki)

5. Der (Akkadian: dēr)

6. Swamp (Akkadian: ap–pa–ru)

7. Elam (Akkadian: šuša)

8. Canal (Akkadian: bit-qu)

9. Bit Yakin (Akkadian:bῑt-ia-᾿-ki-nu)

10. “City” (Akkadian: uru)

11. Habban (Akkadian: ha-ab-ban)

12. Babylon (Akkadian: tin.tirki), divided by Euphrates

13. Ocean (salt water, Akkadian:idmar-ra-tum)

[inspofromancientworld]

Gods of Antiquity: Thunder Deities

By ESO/P. Horálek - https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2015a/, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90450802

Storms, especially those with thunder and lightning, are common to polytheistic religions around the world. While Indo-European storm deities tend to be masculine, but in other parts of the world, there is a little more variety. Occasionally there is a deity for both thunder and lightning, but most often, there is a singular deity. These deities may also be separated from storms, either working in conjunction with these gods or in opposition to them.

By Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis - ciurlionis.eu, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18576774

*Perkʷūnos is the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European weather god, likely a rain god. He was associated with oak trees, which, because of their height, were frequently struck by lightning. He holds a weapon like a club, mace, or hammer that might be stone or metal called *meld-n-. Though thunder and lightning have destructive forces, the bringing of the rains are regenerative, lending this connotation to the thunder and lightning as well. His name, though, doesn't go as far back as the other reconstructed PIE gods as names related to his only appear in western Indo-European languages.

By Figurine Perun from Veliky Novgorod by „Driewenij Novgorod„. - http://znaleziska.org/wiki/index.php/Figurka_Peruna_(Nowogród_Wlk.), CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87500097 and By Mike like0708 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114646811

One of *Perkʷūnos descendants is the Slavic Perun Перун, the highest god of his pantheon, the god of the sky, lightning, thunder, war, rain, fertility, oak trees, and law. He used a hammer, axe, and arrows and was associated with the eagle. Lightning was thought to be stone arrows and fulgurites (glass made from lightning strikes), belemnites (fossils of ancient squid with an internal skeletal structure), and even prehistoric stone tools were remains of Perun's arrows. He also has a golden apple, which is a talisman of ultimate destruction.

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1981490

Zeus was the Greek king of the gods, the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, law, and order. He was one of the Twelve Olympians and the child of Cronus and Rhea, rules of the Titans. He is a descendant of *Dyēus rather than *Perkʷūnos, but he holds *Perkʷūnos' power over weather, including thunder and lightning. He is also known for his prodigious number of affairs with other deities and humans and fathered many children. He was also considered the father of all the gods, whether he was their father or not. He was also associated with the eagle and the thunderbolt (lightning bolt). He is considered the 'cloud-gatherer', as well as the 'cause of life always to all things'. With the rest of his duties, his mastery over thunder and lightning was seen as a method of battle, especially in the Titanomachy, the war between the Olympians and the Titans.

By Jastrow - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=931147

Hadad of the Akkadians descended from Iškur of the Sumerians was the storm- and rain-god of the Levant and Mesopotamia. He was also called Ba'al or Ba'al-Zephon, meaning 'Lord' or 'Lord of Mt Zaphon', or Jebel Aqra as it is known today. His symbol was the bull rather than the eagle of the above storm gods. He is also known by the title Rammanu 'Thunderer', which is related to the Hebrew Ra'am. Iškur wasn't an important deity among the Sumerians as storms weren't very common there and agriculture relied on irrigation, but Akkad and the Levant relied more on rain, so Hadad held a higher position in their pantheon. He is a god who brings the rains in due season and a god who brings destruction with storms out of season. His cults spread as far as Egypt and it might be that 'Ba'al Shamen', the Lord of Heavens worshiped by Jezebel in the Book of Kings, might refer to Hadad, as it was one of his titles.

[birbtori]

Gilgamesh suddenly wanting to back out from the fight with Humbaba (Enkidu is abt to crash out)

[nogetron]

Tiamat, the goddess of the oceanic abyss. Tiamat was one of two primordial gods, with the other being her mate Abzu. Tiamat embodied the salt water of the sea of chaos. Together with Abzu Tiamat bore their children Lahmu and Lahamu, becoming the first ancestors to all that existed. Many generations of gods were born, all descended from Tiamat. These gods became so plentiful that the rowdiness of these young gods disturbed and annoyed Tiamat’s love Abzu. Abzu planned to kill all the younger gods to achieve quiet peace once more, however, Tiamat refused to participate in his quest for annihilation. One of the younger gods, Enki, caught wind of Abzu’s plan and killed him in a bid to save his brethren. Tiamat flew into a rage at her lover’s death, swearing to kill every last of the gods and creating an army of monster to do battle with them. Enki’s son Marduk stepped forward as the younger generation’s champion, slaying Tiamat and defeating her monsters. From Tiamat’s corpse Marduk fashioned the earth and the sky.

Tiamat was the primordial mother goddess of the ancient Akkadian and Babylonian mythos. Distinctly, Tiamat has been often described as the first dragon with a serpentine body as described in the Enuma Elish. Congruent with this Tiamat’s appearance varies greatly, splicing animal parts in and out and having different levels of anthropomorphism. However Tiamat isn’t the first monster, being proceeded by the Sumerian monsters like Humbaba and Lilith. Tiamat was often called the mother of monsters, creating the likes of Ugallu, Uridimmu, Umū Dabrūtu, Mušhuššu, Ušumgallu, Girtablullǔ, Kusarikku, and Kulullǔ. Tiamat’s battle against Marduk is one of the many examples of the Chaoskampf archetype, seen in many myths such as Ra’s fight with Apep, Lugh battling Balor, and even Saint George’s slaying of the dragon. Tiamat and Abzu’s stances as two primordial dualistic forces links them to several other dualistic gods of other beliefs, like the Irish Danu and Donn, and the Vedic Purusha and Prakriti. Tiamat herself is believed to have grown out of the Sumerian primordial mother goddess Nammu. Tiamat’s name however can be tracked to ancient Proto-semetic, developing alongside the biblical chaos, Tehom. Tiamat’s archetypal battle could’ve grown out of a proto-semitic battle between Baal and the sea god who would eventually develop into Yam, alternatively possibly owing her origins to Asherah. Tiamat was known as Ummu-Hubur, meaning “Mother Watercourse” and was praised as the “One Who Bore them all”.

Original design and profile

[that-guy-in-the-chiton]

Transparent Ereshkigal.

[mateuscosmeportfolio]

Aqrabuamelu

design for Boss Life