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The Sumerians were a people that inhabited the southern part of the alluvial basin formed by the River Tigris and the River Euphrates (in what is now Iraq). Their civilisation started in the fourth millennium BC when the first cities with monumental mud-brick architecture appeared. The economic basis for this civilisation was agriculture, mainly producing grain on irrigated land, as well as livestock. The surplus agriculture was traded for materials lacking in the region. most notably metal, timber and precious stones, which stimulated long-distance trade. The characteristic political unit was the city with its surrounding arable land. In the second half of the third millennium attempts were made to unify the country and impose a centralised political and administrative control. The most successful Sumerian state was that ruled by the Third Dynasty of Ur from around 2113 to 4 BC. In the eighteenth century BC Semitic-speaking groups (known as the Amorites) formed a new state, Babylonia, and Sumerian ceased to be a spoken language, although written Sumerian continued to be used for religious purposes for another thousand years.
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In Sumerian mythology, Bel is the cleverest of the clever and sage of the gods, he is the child of Ea and Dumkina.
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In Sumerian mythology, Nanna (Sin, Suen, Ashgirbabbar) is the moon god. He was the product of Enlil's rape of Ninlil. He travels across the sky in his gufa, with the stars and planets about him. Nanna was married to Ningal and they produced Inanna and Utu.
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In Sumerian mythology and in Babylonian mythology, Adad is a storm god, son of Anu. He holds a lightning bolt in his right hand and an axe in his left. He is partially responsible for the helpful annual flooding of the rivers which brought fertility to the land. He relates to the Canaanite god Hadad.
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In Sumerian and Babylonian mythology, Adamu was the first man. The gods tricked Adamu and his descendants out of immortality - not wanting man to be immortal like the gods - by telling him that the magic food of eternal life was poisonous to him, and as such Adamu didn't eat it and so didn't become immortal.
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In Phrygian and Sumerian mythology, Agdistis was a hermaphrodite monster. He was drugged by the gods by wine added to the pool where he bathed, and while he slept his genitals were tied to a tree. Upon waking he castrated himself and a tree (some say a pomegranate tree others an almond tree) grew from his genitals.
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In Sumerian mythology, Aia is a consort of Utu.
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In Sumerian mythology, An was the personification of heaven. An relates to the Babylonian god Anu. In the early days he carried off heaven, while Enlil carried away the earth.
In Sumerian and Babylonian mythology Anshar is the male principle. The father of Anu and the child of Tiamat and Apsu. He is often paired with Kishar, and his qualities were assimilated with Ashur.
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In Sumerian mythology, Antu is a colorless female being who was the first consort of Anu. They produced the Anunnaki and the utukki. She was replaced by Isthar who is sometimes her daughter.
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The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
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