Deities based on culture?
Feb 7, 2015 15:33:49 GMT -5
Post by nocodeyv on Feb 7, 2015 15:33:49 GMT -5
Recently I've been swept up by a fascination with the obscure corners of Mesopotamia's extensive pantheon, and have been spending a lot of time at the ETCSL pouring over their translations in search of divine names and their functions. However, as I'm still learning about Mesopotamia, I was having a bit of trouble separating the deities I'm reading about according to their cultural origins.
I know that the "seven great gods," usually listed as An, Enki, Enlil, Inanna, Nanna, Ninḫursag̃a, and Utu, all have their origins in Sumerian myth and religion. I'm also aware that deities like Abzû, Marduk, Nábû, Ṣarpānītu, Tašmētu, and Tiāmat are of Babylonian origin, with possible antecedents in Sumerian and Akkadian myth and religion. Aššūr, meanwhile, I've been led to believe, originates in Assyria. What I'm having more difficulty with is determining the difference between Sumerian and Akkadian deities, if there even is one.
For example, the god Birtum, (identified as "Birdu" in some of my print-sources). According to the ETCSL Birtum is the wife of the goddess Nungal, and one of the Nippur pantheon: "Birtum the very strong, my spouse, resides there with me [in the é.sa.pàr, "House of the Net" temple?]. Taking a seat on its great and lofty dais, he gives mighty orders."1 According to the glossary of Stephanie Dalley's translations in "Myths from Mesopotamia" released by the Oxford World's Classics (pg. 319), Birdu's: "name possibly means 'pimple'. An underworld god, consort of the little-known deity Manungal [Nungal?]. Assimilated with Meslanta'ea, a name of Nergal."
So far that is the only textual evidence I have been able to find for Birtum. Neither of which helps me understand whether Birtum is a Sumerian god, or if he arose during the Akkadian or Babylonian periods. Beyond Birtum though, has anyone (scholarly or otherwise) ever explored this topic before? Are there print (or online) sources that can help in my attempt to understand which deities are from which cultural period?
I've also been using Enenuru's search function to find texts that mention the gods, many of which are texts I haven't read before: a nice treat! Once I've got a text I'll try to find the approximate composition-date (sometimes mentioned on the boards, so thank you for doing that!), so that I can identify at least one period during which the god existed in the Mesopotamian consciousness. I realize, of course, that since we're dealing with deities worshiped thousands of years ago exact answers are often out of the question. A ball-park estimate would also be nice though. Really, anything to help me better make sense of who belongs where would be great.
I know that the "seven great gods," usually listed as An, Enki, Enlil, Inanna, Nanna, Ninḫursag̃a, and Utu, all have their origins in Sumerian myth and religion. I'm also aware that deities like Abzû, Marduk, Nábû, Ṣarpānītu, Tašmētu, and Tiāmat are of Babylonian origin, with possible antecedents in Sumerian and Akkadian myth and religion. Aššūr, meanwhile, I've been led to believe, originates in Assyria. What I'm having more difficulty with is determining the difference between Sumerian and Akkadian deities, if there even is one.
For example, the god Birtum, (identified as "Birdu" in some of my print-sources). According to the ETCSL Birtum is the wife of the goddess Nungal, and one of the Nippur pantheon: "Birtum the very strong, my spouse, resides there with me [in the é.sa.pàr, "House of the Net" temple?]. Taking a seat on its great and lofty dais, he gives mighty orders."1 According to the glossary of Stephanie Dalley's translations in "Myths from Mesopotamia" released by the Oxford World's Classics (pg. 319), Birdu's: "name possibly means 'pimple'. An underworld god, consort of the little-known deity Manungal [Nungal?]. Assimilated with Meslanta'ea, a name of Nergal."
So far that is the only textual evidence I have been able to find for Birtum. Neither of which helps me understand whether Birtum is a Sumerian god, or if he arose during the Akkadian or Babylonian periods. Beyond Birtum though, has anyone (scholarly or otherwise) ever explored this topic before? Are there print (or online) sources that can help in my attempt to understand which deities are from which cultural period?
I've also been using Enenuru's search function to find texts that mention the gods, many of which are texts I haven't read before: a nice treat! Once I've got a text I'll try to find the approximate composition-date (sometimes mentioned on the boards, so thank you for doing that!), so that I can identify at least one period during which the god existed in the Mesopotamian consciousness. I realize, of course, that since we're dealing with deities worshiped thousands of years ago exact answers are often out of the question. A ball-park estimate would also be nice though. Really, anything to help me better make sense of who belongs where would be great.