RoseRed`s Notes on Divine Symbols

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Thread Orientation: This thread is dedicated to collecting and explaining as many divine symbols and emblems as possible, using RoseRed`s notes as a template.

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As for the layout of this thread, Rose has mainly utilized van Buren`s studies, which are highly categorical. I hope to make a separate post for each of the given categories of symbol (A to N) below, and this will be a systematic represention of Rose`s notes. Originally this reading was also meant to compliment our look at Sumerian Standards, which is viewable here. While this material features symbols from varying periods, the organized presentation I am forwarding here will allow for updates and expansions on each entry which may highlight and isolate any Archaic instances of the symbols, at which point the thread will also compliment the current enenuru focus on Archaic Symbolic Technology.





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Introductory notes/


Rose has primarily referenced: Symbols of the Gods in Mesopotamian Art, by Elisabeth Douglas van Buren, 1945 (AnOr 23)

(Rose:) "Van Buren doesn’t distinguish symbols and standards (respectively the symbols used as standards as well)."

van Buren: “We use ‘Emblems’ as meaning a symbol which has been put into material form; when such an emblem is mounted on a long shaft (like a flag) so that it may be set up or moved from place to place, it may be called a ‘standard’.” (von der Osten, Ancient Oriental Seals..)

Term for symbols (whether on standards or not): šu-nir (Akkadian: šurinnu)




Bibliographical Suggestions/

[/color]Ursula Seidl, Die babylonischen Kudurru-Reliefs (OBO 87)
[/li][li][/color]Jerry Black & Anthony Green, Gods Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia, London 1992
[/li][li][/color]Reallexikon der Assyriologie, keyword: Göttersymbole- und Attribute (RlA)
[/li][/ul]

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A) Agricultural

Divine Symbols: A) Agricultural

- PICTURE PENDING -


1. Ear of Corn



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2. Marru



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3. Plough



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4. Sacred Tree

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B) (Models of) Animals

Divine Symbols: B) (Models of) Animals

1. Bird on Rod: different species of birds are probably attributes of distinct divinities.

I) (lion-headed) eagle with Spread Wings

- Shape of a standard; bird shown frontal, head turned to right
- probably Imdugud (=Anzû) → associated with Ningirsu this attribution is confirmed by many seals and seal impressions from Lagaš.

- PICTURE PENDING -

II) Eagle with Figure of God

- Fragments of stelai of Gudea show priest carrying such standards
the bird (eagle) is arranged on the head of a god (possibly identified with Ninurta)
- God and attribute have fused into a “mystic whole”, so they can be hardly distinguished

III) Aquatic Bird

- Long necked bird (goose?), associated with goddess Baba (but there’s no evidence)
- earliest examples: Uruk III
- few early Babylonian seals, last examples from Parthian Period; van Buren supposes either a survival of the symbol, a renaissance, or that it might be an independent Parthian creation. Black & Green state there’s probably no relation.



Seidl analyses three different kinds of birds, here not considered to be models of animals, but designs of birds themselves/

XXXII Bird with head turned back (Vogel mit zurückgewendetem Kopf)

- The special posture seems not to be symbolic, but caused by the tied up wings
- Evidence: 1x early historic Susa; in Mesopotamia only during Cassite times probably connected to Cassite God Ḫarba

XXXIII Pacing Bird (Schreitender Vogel)

- Clearly distinguished from standing bird (representing Ninurta)
- Known since prehistoric time, also as symbol on late Babylonian seals
- Inscriptions refer to Papsukkal (“vizir good”, known since Cassite times)

XXXV Bird on post

- it’s still unclear, if bird and post build a symbol, or if it’s a standard (so the bird itself is the symbol)
- 2 evidences from Cassite times and Isnin II
- Inscriptions relate it to the Cassite dual gods Šuqamuna and Šumalia




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- PICTURE PENDING -

2. Bull on Altar

- Evidence: only Early Assyrian colonisation (“Cappodocian” cylinder -seals and seal impressions from Kültepe)
- There’s always a triangular / cone-shaped erection rising above the bull’s back, sometimes with bird either situated in the background or close to the divinity to whom homage is being paid often direct object of a cult NOT symbolizing a living animal, for it’s always standing on an altar or high ground line → model of a bull, maybe in clay and hollow (like bull-shaped vessels of painted clay found in Anatolia); then the “cone” must be the mouth of an orifice van Buren supposes it to be “a shrine or relinquary to contain something to sacred to expose to view”



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- PICTURE PENDING -

3. Bull-Standard


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4. Cow and Calf



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5. Horse’s Head

- Only 3 instances, 2nd half of 2nd millennium e.g.: kudurru of Nebukadnezar I: horse head with bridle and headpiece (→ no wild horse)
- maybe symbolizing Šamaš (who’s on the Maltai relief standing on a horse), but very unclear



Seidl on the Horsehead/

"Possibly a symbol of a local divinity; most likely connected to region of Namru"

Black & Green on the Horsehead/

'
May represent a constellation: the kudurru of Nebukadnezar shows a rainbow arching over a horse’s head the Akkadian word for rainbow (Manzât) is also the name of a star in Andromeda and of a goddess; the star “horse” is located near the star “rainbow”
→ so the kudurru may illustrates the constellation of those two stars.




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6. Lion on Standard


Objects from Lagaš/

- fragment of stele of Gudea: lion bearing disk on his back, poised on round listle; also lions without disk (→ probably more than one standard of the same type carried in procession)

- Seal impressions on Clay Tablets (Ur III) also without Disk always placed behind a seated god or beside him →maybe Ningirsu (of Lagaš); his symbols were the lion and the lion-headed eagle

- [RlA: Göttersymbole- und Attribute
Lion: since Akkad-period proved as symbol of goddess, often martial Ištar rarely used as symbol]



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- PICTURE PENDING -

7. Serpents Entwined



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- PICTURE PENDING -

8. Uncertain Animal’s Head

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C) Architectural

Divine Symbols: C) Architectural

1. Gate-Post with Streamer

- Largely attested on monuments from Warka

- Symbol of goddess Innin (Inanna), also in cuneiform as pictographic sign originally bundle of reed, bound tightly together; ring at upper end used to support the reed mat which formed the door; surplus ends of the reeds left sticking out at the back, thus forming the “streamer” .

- Single post always representing goddess Inanna
sometimes (alabaster cult-vase, several cylinder seals) in pairs erected on altar-like base mounted on the back of an animal
also in front of shrine or determining a hut etc. as sacred place of Inanna.



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2. Gate-Post without Streamer

- Often “buckled spear”, but originally *not* a spear:
Lagaš, NW of the edifice of Ur-Nanše: copper sheathing of ringed post, 3.27 in length;

- originally stood at door of a temple pair of posts of a door or gateway evidence found at several sites →no local reservation
until Ur I: probably symbol for protecting cattle (as structural element of temples (which had own cattle))


Akkadian period/

still reproduced, but developed and adapted in accordance with the “creative impulse” of that time frequently in mythological scenes, “where it stands in the rear of the main action, or else one or a pair of Nude Heroes hold gateposts to mark the entrance to the sanctuary of a seated deity who can be identified as Ea by the flowing vase which he holds.”

Neo-Sumerian period/

seems to disappear as a symbol
some clay reliefs still show post + nude hero



Early Babylonian times/

Few cylinder seals still display the symbol (nude hero standing behind protagonist holds a gate-post bull-men holding them, perhaps to imply that they guarded a temple entrance where a god-king seated


Problems/

- not yet (well, 1954...) identified with any deity
probably male god (indications: connected with cattle; gate-post with streamers was symbol for Ištar, who protected sheep; Archaic seal and stone relief at Ur show it erected beside the shrine of a god) constantly occurred at zikkurrat of Anu (no gate-posts with streamers there!)
→ maybe originally the symbol of sky-god Anu (before Star became his sign)
Nude Heroes: Dumuzi & Ningizzida, guardians of the Gate of Anu’s Palace (described in religious texts); in Akkadian period transferred to entourage of Ea.




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3. Post with Pairs of Rings

- Exact meaning and corresponding deity unknown was considered symbolizing holy tree; union of male and female principle (fusion of the two elements into one whole)

- made of reed; number of rings always uneven

- Clay tablet from Uruk IV: pictographic sign

- Cylinder Seal Uruk III: symbol planted of each side of a temple
sometimes in connection with cattle
→maybe also male deity with own herds of cattle



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- PICUTURE PENDING -

4. “Winged Gate”


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- PICTURE PENDING -

5. Zikkurrat

[sheshki]

Bill, very interesting article so far. here you can find the winged gate

www.us.archive.org/GnuBook/?id=sealcylindersofw00warduoft#162

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D) Bodily Parts

Divine Symbols: D) Bodily Parts

1. Eyes

- potent talisman, possibly symbolizing an divine all-seeing eye → strong protective character often presented to the gods as votive offerings (e.g. necklaces with pairs of eyes out of onyx)

- Early Dynastic Period: “Eye Temple” at Tell Brak (Jemdet Nasr, Syria) → many schematically formed little idols of alabaster, limestone, soapstone, black burnished clay

Suggestions: the Magic Eye was the presiding divinity to whom the temple was dedicated (unproven) just abstract formalized images of gods extensive use of the eye as a decorative motive with a symbolic meaning (maybe the “rhombs” (H3) are also abstracts images of the divine eye) so called gaming boards show the “Evil Eye”: not just unlucky, but rather fateful.



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2. Hand

- amulets: (fingers outstretched or fist) against the “Evil Eye” and sorcery in general (even 2nd millennium ) common in Early Dynastic Period (carved in bone, shell, lapis lazuli, stone as protection against the Powers of Evil) sometimes mounted on a pole (→ seals of Old Babylonian Period) the number of fingers seems without significance (varying 4-7)

- as symbol of great power:

“šurinnu” could mean “hand of Justice; Hand of Šamaš”


- van Buren:
“An incantation against an evil tongue contains the words: ‘Above is the hand of justice, the hand of Šamaš, below is the performing rite of Ea’. An oath was sometimes sworn by ‘the emblem (šurinnu) of Šamaš ‘ or the judges and witnesses went ‘before the šurinnu of Šamaš and the šaššaru of Šamaš’. In these passages the šurinnu, the ‘symbol of Šamaš’, is generally taken to have been a sun-disk, but without any positive proof for the identification. If in this context the šurinnu was really ‘the hand of justice, the hand of Šamaš’, it would have been singularly appropriate to take an oath before it”
“As Defender or Avenger Šamaš wielded the šaššaru, as Sun-god the sun-disk was assigned to him, as Divine Judge, he was symbolized by the ‘hand of justice’.”

- Black & Green: the Hand symbolizes control or seizure → Akkadian names of diseases are often directly attributable to the Power of various gods (hand of Šamaš, hand of Ištar, hand of the ghost (gidim))= qāt eṭemmi



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- Picture Pending -

3. Head on Post

- on cylinder seals, middle 2nd millennium erected between two divinities two heads, the upper one wears “feather” head-dress; other side of post: curved “handle” / ornamental head-gear; heads schematically rendered seals show Hurrian elements; uninscribed compositions reveal that it was the object of a cult meaning unknown.

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E) Celestial Bodies

Divine Symbols: E) Celestial Bodies

1. Crescent

a) Crescent
b) Moon-Disk
c) God in Crescent

2. Crescent on Post

3. Lightning
a) Triple Lightning
b) Single Lightning
c) Double Lightning

4. The Seven Dots

5. Star
a) Star
b) Star on Disk

6. Star on Rod

7. Sun-Disk
a) Sun-Disk of Šamaš
b) Sun-Disk of Assur

8. Sun-Disk on Post

9. Winged Disk
a) Winged Disk
b) God in Winged Disk
c) Winged Disk with Three Divinities