The original plan had been to do my final Epic of Gilgamesh post today. However, the passing of a legend has made me postpone that post for Monday. Instead, I want to talk about Leonard Nimoy.
I figure, if this blog talks about mythology, fairy tales, and folktales, it should talk about legends as well.
Many of us are probably most familiar with Mr. Nimoy for his role as Spock in the original Star Trek, the movies that followed, and the reboot of the movies. The show (and his role in it) pioneered science fiction, boldly going where no man had gone before. Countless science fiction writers and directors have credited Star Trek as being their inspiration in their work.
Leonard Nimoy was so much more than his character on Star Trek. Besides his roles on television and the big screen, he was also a voice actor, and sometimes worked as a narrator on documentaries. He served in the military in the 1950's. He was an author, having two autobiographies and several collections of poetry. Mr. Nimoy was also a musician - for the past several weeks I have had the song The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins stuck in my head.
The world is now without Leonard Nimoy, but we will never be without his influence. It can be seen in the movies and shows we watch that he inspired. It can be seen in the tributes of his friends and family - and those of his fans. My mom was reading a book in the Dresden Files yesterday, and had to laugh and show me a line: Dresden "spocked an eyebrow". I logged on to Facebook today and found posts from Christian Kane, Mass Effect, and World of Warcraft (amongst many others) - a diverse mix of interests, to be sure, but each of them were paying their respects to an incredible man who had in some way, at some point, inspired them.
These things will remain with us - and, because of them, so will Leonard Nimoy, the legend.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
Gilgamesh and Ishtar: Never Insult a Goddess
If you read my post about Ishtar, you can probably tell that she’s not the most loving of individuals. She threatens and insults her sister, who kills her in response. She has a seemingly loveless relationship with her husband Tammuz, who she literally damns. These actions seem strange for a goddess of love - but Ishtar is also the goddess of war, and it is clear in the Epic of Gilgamesh that Ishtar combines her two aspects to be a ruthless lover.
When we left Gilgamesh and Enkidu in my last post they had just met and become fast friends. The duo soon went on another adventure, one that involved fighting Humbaba, a beast who terrorized the people and belonged to the gods. Gilgamesh and Enkidu were able to slay Humbaba without too much difficulty, but they got terribly dirty doing so. They went off separately to clean themselves. Gilgamesh bathed the dirt from his body, oiled his hair, and put on a clean robe. It was then that Ishtar happened to look upon him; she found Gilgamesh beautiful and desired him as her consort.
Ishtar approached Gilgamesh and told the king of her desire for him. She offered to marry him, and to make him a king above all others. She offered him great wealth and welfare if he would only agree to be hers.
Gilgamesh turned the goddess down - which probably would have ended badly for him no matter what. Just to make sure, though, he also insulted Ishtar, pointing out all of her flaws.
(In case you’re wondering: Insulting a deity who is far more powerful than you is never a good idea!)
Gilgamesh is thorough in his insults. He calls Ishtar an ice queen (Think she'll let that one go?). He says that she damages everything that is hers. To make sure that he makes his point, Gilgamesh uses all of Ishtar’s past lovers as examples. She loved Tammuz, who she condemned to hell; the lion, her sacred animal, who she allowed to be trapped by mankind; a shepherd, who Ishtar turned into a wolf and then set his own hounds upon; and a gardener, who Ishtar turned into a frog when he displeased her. Gilgamesh says that he will not sleep with Ishtar because she will eventually weary of him and treat him just as badly as she has the others.
A furious and petulant Ishtar goes running to her father (Anu, in this story). She tells him that Gilgamesh has insulted her, and asks him to give her the Bull of Heaven - a powerful beast that she believes can defeat Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Ishtar then steals a line from her sister and threatens to tear down the gates of the Underworld if she doesn’t get what she wants, allowing the dead to rise up and eat the living.
This threat scares Anu as much as it did when Ereshkigal delivered it. He grudgingly caves in to Ishtar’s demands and gives her the Bull of Heaven. She immediately looses it upon the earth, where it opens gaping chasms in the ground. Hundreds of Gilgamesh’s subjects fall to their deaths. Even Enkidu tumbles into one of the chasms, but he is able to clamber back out.
Together Gilgamesh and Enkidu are able to slay the Bull of Heaven (it isn’t even much of a fight, really). Ishtar is enraged at the failure of her plan and comes to insult Gilgamesh.
Upon hearing her insults, Enkidu grabs a chunk of meat from the dead Bull and slaps the goddess’ face with it. He says that he wishes he could hit her himself.
(One would think that he would have learned not to insult Ishtar!)
That night Enkidu has a dream. The gods have decided that either Gilgamesh or Enkidu must die for having slain two beasts of the gods. Enkidu is chosen for the punishment, in part because he offered insult to a goddess.
Enkidu soon falls ill, and nothing can be done to save him. He curses the prostitute that brought him out of the wilderness and the cruelty of the gods, but eventually repents when the gods rebuke him.
And though Gilgamesh weeps and prays, staying by Enkidu’s bedside the entire time his friend is sick...Enkidu eventually dies.
His death begins Gilgamesh’s obsession with his own mortality - which we’ll talk about next post! If you’ve got questions or comments, or know another story where a mortal paid dearly for insulting a deity, please post below or email me! I’d love to hear from you!
Just as a heads up: I’m going to be doing a booksigning at the LaCholla Barnes & Noble in Tucson on March 21st! If you can make it, I would love to see you there.
See you guys on Friday!
When we left Gilgamesh and Enkidu in my last post they had just met and become fast friends. The duo soon went on another adventure, one that involved fighting Humbaba, a beast who terrorized the people and belonged to the gods. Gilgamesh and Enkidu were able to slay Humbaba without too much difficulty, but they got terribly dirty doing so. They went off separately to clean themselves. Gilgamesh bathed the dirt from his body, oiled his hair, and put on a clean robe. It was then that Ishtar happened to look upon him; she found Gilgamesh beautiful and desired him as her consort.
Ishtar approached Gilgamesh and told the king of her desire for him. She offered to marry him, and to make him a king above all others. She offered him great wealth and welfare if he would only agree to be hers.
Gilgamesh turned the goddess down - which probably would have ended badly for him no matter what. Just to make sure, though, he also insulted Ishtar, pointing out all of her flaws.
(In case you’re wondering: Insulting a deity who is far more powerful than you is never a good idea!)
Gilgamesh is thorough in his insults. He calls Ishtar an ice queen (Think she'll let that one go?). He says that she damages everything that is hers. To make sure that he makes his point, Gilgamesh uses all of Ishtar’s past lovers as examples. She loved Tammuz, who she condemned to hell; the lion, her sacred animal, who she allowed to be trapped by mankind; a shepherd, who Ishtar turned into a wolf and then set his own hounds upon; and a gardener, who Ishtar turned into a frog when he displeased her. Gilgamesh says that he will not sleep with Ishtar because she will eventually weary of him and treat him just as badly as she has the others.
A furious and petulant Ishtar goes running to her father (Anu, in this story). She tells him that Gilgamesh has insulted her, and asks him to give her the Bull of Heaven - a powerful beast that she believes can defeat Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Ishtar then steals a line from her sister and threatens to tear down the gates of the Underworld if she doesn’t get what she wants, allowing the dead to rise up and eat the living.
This threat scares Anu as much as it did when Ereshkigal delivered it. He grudgingly caves in to Ishtar’s demands and gives her the Bull of Heaven. She immediately looses it upon the earth, where it opens gaping chasms in the ground. Hundreds of Gilgamesh’s subjects fall to their deaths. Even Enkidu tumbles into one of the chasms, but he is able to clamber back out.
Together Gilgamesh and Enkidu are able to slay the Bull of Heaven (it isn’t even much of a fight, really). Ishtar is enraged at the failure of her plan and comes to insult Gilgamesh.
Upon hearing her insults, Enkidu grabs a chunk of meat from the dead Bull and slaps the goddess’ face with it. He says that he wishes he could hit her himself.
(One would think that he would have learned not to insult Ishtar!)
That night Enkidu has a dream. The gods have decided that either Gilgamesh or Enkidu must die for having slain two beasts of the gods. Enkidu is chosen for the punishment, in part because he offered insult to a goddess.
Enkidu soon falls ill, and nothing can be done to save him. He curses the prostitute that brought him out of the wilderness and the cruelty of the gods, but eventually repents when the gods rebuke him.
And though Gilgamesh weeps and prays, staying by Enkidu’s bedside the entire time his friend is sick...Enkidu eventually dies.
His death begins Gilgamesh’s obsession with his own mortality - which we’ll talk about next post! If you’ve got questions or comments, or know another story where a mortal paid dearly for insulting a deity, please post below or email me! I’d love to hear from you!
Just as a heads up: I’m going to be doing a booksigning at the LaCholla Barnes & Noble in Tucson on March 21st! If you can make it, I would love to see you there.
See you guys on Friday!
Friday, February 20, 2015
Gilgamesh and Enkidu: Destined BFFs
In ancient times the Sumerians had a king whose name was Gilgamesh. This king’s story is recorded on a series of tablets entitled The Epic of Gilgamesh. The tales contained within the Epic are of great deeds, interactions with the gods, and a quest for eternal life - so their historical accuracy is questionable. However, they do make for a great story!
As you might have guessed from its title, Gilgamesh is the main character of the Epic. He is said to be two-thirds god, one-third man - I’m not entirely sure how that works, but lets roll with it. Gilgamesh’s life, as told in the Epic, follows the formula of the hero’s journey. (In fact, this formula is partially based off of the Epic of Gilgamesh, since the Epic is one of the first tales of its kind.) True to this formula, Gilgamesh at first refuses to be that which he is meant to be. Gilgamesh is a king, but he does not behave like it. He is constantly getting into fights with the young men of the city, and sleeping with all of the women.
Gilgamesh’s subjects are made desperate by his actions and turn to the gods for help. Their prayers do not go unanswered. The gods observe Gilgamesh, take his measure, and create a man designed to be his equal. This man is Enkidu, formed from clay and set loose into the wilderness.
(It is at this point that I wonder how familiar Mary Shelley was with Mesopotamian mythology. The character of Enkidu has very strong similarities with Frankenstein’s Monster. Both are very primitive men at the beginning of the tale. Both are left to roam the wilderness by their creators. Lastly, both are shown to be vastly more “manlike” after their interactions with a woman.)
Enkidu roamed the forest after the gods set him loose. He had no interactions with mankind; instead, he befriended the cattle and gazelles. He moved and ate like a beast, mimicking their habits.
Perhaps this would have continued indefinitely, were it not for the fact that there was a hunter who roamed the same forest as Enkidu. This hunter kept finding his traps disarmed, his pits filled in, and his prey freed. All of these things were done by Enkidu to keep his animal friends safe.
One day the flummoxed hunter happened across Enkidu at a watering hole. He retreated without doing anything, but later told his father about the encounter. His father encouraged the hunter to take the matter to the king, so he did so. When Gilgamesh was told that one of his subjects was being prevented from doing his job by a wild man, he came up with a plan to take away Enkidu’s connection with nature. To this end, he sends the prostitute Shamhat with the hunter.
The hunter takes Shamhat to the watering hole where he first saw Enkidu, and the two lie in wait. After several days Enkidu returns to the water source, and the hunter sends the whore out to meet him. She strips, and Enkidu, overcome with desire, sleeps with her for a week.
When Enkidu finally leaves Shamhat, he finds that the beasts of the field refuse to come near him. The way he walks and the way he thinks have changed from his time with the woman; the animals now recognize Enkidu as a man rather than a beast.
Confused by these changes, Enkidu returns to the prostitute. She tells him that he has become a man, and that he is stronger than any other man alive. When he hears of the king, Enkidu decides that he wants to go and challenge Gilgamesh, and “alter destiny” by beating him.
The whore replies that Gilgamesh has already dreamt of Enkidu’s coming. The tablets then relate Gilgamesh’s dreams: He had two of them, each of which contained a different item that was fawned over by the common people. Confused, Gilgamesh brought these dreams to his divine mother, Ninsun (a cow goddess) so that she would interpret them. Ninsun tells him that the object represents Enkidu. At the end of each dream, Gilgamesh takes the item and keeps it close to him, for he loves it. Ninsun tells Gilgamesh that this shows that Enkidu will become Gilgamesh’s dearest friend.
The story then returns to Enkidu, who is traveling to the city to meet Gilgamesh. Along the way he meets a group of shepherds, who recognize him as a powerful man and accompany him. By the time Enkidu enters the city he has a large group of commoners following him.
Meanwhile, Gilgamesh is continuing in his womanizing ways. He has his eyes set on a woman who has just been married, and plans to enter her bridal tent before her groom. However, when Gilgamesh goes to enact this plan he finds his path blocked...by Enkidu.
The two begin to fight. The ground shakes; the earth rumbles. In the end, neither can overcome the other - for the gods have made Enkidu to be Gilgamesh’s equal. Unable to defeat one another, the duo quickly become fast friends.
After this point in the story Enkidu takes on a roll similar to that of Jiminy Cricket - he is the voice of reason for Gilgamesh, a calming influence on the unruly king. Their friendship matures Gilgamesh, slowly leading the king to grow up and guiding him down the hero’s path.
Unfortunately, their happy times together cannot last.
We’ll continue the story of Gilgamesh in my next post, which features Ishtar’s interactions with the king. Sounds like fun, right? Same as always, please feel free to post below or email me with any questions or comments. I’ll see you on Monday - same myth time, same myth channel!
As you might have guessed from its title, Gilgamesh is the main character of the Epic. He is said to be two-thirds god, one-third man - I’m not entirely sure how that works, but lets roll with it. Gilgamesh’s life, as told in the Epic, follows the formula of the hero’s journey. (In fact, this formula is partially based off of the Epic of Gilgamesh, since the Epic is one of the first tales of its kind.) True to this formula, Gilgamesh at first refuses to be that which he is meant to be. Gilgamesh is a king, but he does not behave like it. He is constantly getting into fights with the young men of the city, and sleeping with all of the women.
Gilgamesh’s subjects are made desperate by his actions and turn to the gods for help. Their prayers do not go unanswered. The gods observe Gilgamesh, take his measure, and create a man designed to be his equal. This man is Enkidu, formed from clay and set loose into the wilderness.
(It is at this point that I wonder how familiar Mary Shelley was with Mesopotamian mythology. The character of Enkidu has very strong similarities with Frankenstein’s Monster. Both are very primitive men at the beginning of the tale. Both are left to roam the wilderness by their creators. Lastly, both are shown to be vastly more “manlike” after their interactions with a woman.)
Enkidu roamed the forest after the gods set him loose. He had no interactions with mankind; instead, he befriended the cattle and gazelles. He moved and ate like a beast, mimicking their habits.
Perhaps this would have continued indefinitely, were it not for the fact that there was a hunter who roamed the same forest as Enkidu. This hunter kept finding his traps disarmed, his pits filled in, and his prey freed. All of these things were done by Enkidu to keep his animal friends safe.
One day the flummoxed hunter happened across Enkidu at a watering hole. He retreated without doing anything, but later told his father about the encounter. His father encouraged the hunter to take the matter to the king, so he did so. When Gilgamesh was told that one of his subjects was being prevented from doing his job by a wild man, he came up with a plan to take away Enkidu’s connection with nature. To this end, he sends the prostitute Shamhat with the hunter.
The hunter takes Shamhat to the watering hole where he first saw Enkidu, and the two lie in wait. After several days Enkidu returns to the water source, and the hunter sends the whore out to meet him. She strips, and Enkidu, overcome with desire, sleeps with her for a week.
When Enkidu finally leaves Shamhat, he finds that the beasts of the field refuse to come near him. The way he walks and the way he thinks have changed from his time with the woman; the animals now recognize Enkidu as a man rather than a beast.
Confused by these changes, Enkidu returns to the prostitute. She tells him that he has become a man, and that he is stronger than any other man alive. When he hears of the king, Enkidu decides that he wants to go and challenge Gilgamesh, and “alter destiny” by beating him.
The whore replies that Gilgamesh has already dreamt of Enkidu’s coming. The tablets then relate Gilgamesh’s dreams: He had two of them, each of which contained a different item that was fawned over by the common people. Confused, Gilgamesh brought these dreams to his divine mother, Ninsun (a cow goddess) so that she would interpret them. Ninsun tells him that the object represents Enkidu. At the end of each dream, Gilgamesh takes the item and keeps it close to him, for he loves it. Ninsun tells Gilgamesh that this shows that Enkidu will become Gilgamesh’s dearest friend.
The story then returns to Enkidu, who is traveling to the city to meet Gilgamesh. Along the way he meets a group of shepherds, who recognize him as a powerful man and accompany him. By the time Enkidu enters the city he has a large group of commoners following him.
Meanwhile, Gilgamesh is continuing in his womanizing ways. He has his eyes set on a woman who has just been married, and plans to enter her bridal tent before her groom. However, when Gilgamesh goes to enact this plan he finds his path blocked...by Enkidu.
The two begin to fight. The ground shakes; the earth rumbles. In the end, neither can overcome the other - for the gods have made Enkidu to be Gilgamesh’s equal. Unable to defeat one another, the duo quickly become fast friends.
After this point in the story Enkidu takes on a roll similar to that of Jiminy Cricket - he is the voice of reason for Gilgamesh, a calming influence on the unruly king. Their friendship matures Gilgamesh, slowly leading the king to grow up and guiding him down the hero’s path.
Unfortunately, their happy times together cannot last.
We’ll continue the story of Gilgamesh in my next post, which features Ishtar’s interactions with the king. Sounds like fun, right? Same as always, please feel free to post below or email me with any questions or comments. I’ll see you on Monday - same myth time, same myth channel!
Monday, February 16, 2015
Ishtar: All's Fair in Love and War
Ishtar is the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war. Her Sumerian name is Inana (sometimes spelled Inanna). As I mentioned in my Intro, I’m not actually sure who Ishtar’s father is; various stories and tablets list multiple gods as her father. Some of these tablets openly contradict one another, with a possible father from one tablet being Ishtar’s consort in another. Whoever he is, Ishtar’s father is definitely one of the more important gods in the Mesopotamian pantheon. Ishtar also has a sister: Ereshkigal, queen of the Underworld.
There’s an interesting story that revolves around Ishtar and Ereshkigal. For some reason, Ishtar decides that she wants to go to the Underworld. Rather than politely asking her sister if she can come and visit, Ishtar demands entrance, threatening to break down the gates of hell if she is not allowed in. (This is pretty much par for course with Ishtar. She isn’t exactly a sweet, kind goddess...)
Ereshkigal is understandably infuriated by Ishtar’s threats. She tells her servants to allow Ishtar to enter, but to do so in the most humiliating manner possible. At each of the seven gates of the Underworld, Ishtar is forced to remove a piece of clothing - leaving her stark naked by the time she passes through the last gate. (I imagine this looking rather like Cersei Lannister’s walk of shame in A Dance With Dragons. This is interesting, because Cersei and Ishtar have another thing in common - the Lannister crest and the symbol of Ishtar are both lions. Was this deliberate on George R. R. Martin’s part?)
Ishtar is quite peeved by the time she comes face to face with her sister. She insults Ereshkigal without thinking of the consequences. The Underworld goddess immediately orders Ishtar to be tortured and killed as punishment. (No love lost in that relationship!)
With the goddess of love dead, all mortal beings on earth stop having sex. Ea, king of the gods, is quite worried by this development. He sends an emissary to the Underworld to ask for Ishtar’s life to be returned to her. Ea makes sure to warn the emissary to follow the proper protocol and to be very respectful of Ereshkigal.
Ereshkigal is angered by the emissary’s request, but she can find no fault in his actions. This prevents her from denying his request. Ereshkigal grudgingly brings Ishtar back to life. The goddess ascends from the Underworld, with a piece of her clothing being returned to her at each of the seven gates.
The story does not end there; to be returned to the world of the living, Ishtar must find someone to take her place in the Underworld. To ensure that Ishtar complies with this rule, Ereshkigal sends an enforcer squad of demons along with her.
To Ishtar’s credit, she does not damn the first person she sees. Every person she runs into turns out to be a true friend, someone who honestly grieved for her while she was dead. In growing desperation, Ishtar returns home - where she finds her husband Tammuz (also called Dumuzi) seated on her throne with dry eyes. He had not mourned her passing. As revenge for his lack of compassion, Ishtar turns him over to the demons, who drag him back to the Underworld as her replacement.
Luckily, Tammuz had someone in his life who mourned for him. His sister Belili (Sumerian: Geshtinanna) was so struck with grief by his passing that she begged to be allowed to take his place. The gods eventually decided to split the year between the two siblings - each would spend six months in the Underworld per year, leaving the other to live freely during that time.
As you can probably tell from this story, Ishtar is not the most loving of goddesses - which seems strange for a goddess of love. She hates her sister, has a seemingly loveless marriage with Tammuz...perhaps it would be more accurate to call Ishtar a sex goddess than a love deity. Scholars believe that prostitution was a form of worship at Ishtar’s temple, which might back up this idea of sex rather than love. (Such a thing was not uncommon; the Greek goddess Aphrodite had a temple where one could worship by buying a prostitute.)
I’ll talk a little bit more about Ishtar and her many conquests in a few posts, when we get into the Epic of Gilgamesh. Until then, I’d love to know what you think of her! Feel free to comment below or email me. If you missed my special post on Valentine’s Day, you can check it out here - it talks about Lovesick, my second book, which is coming out this November!
I plan on doing three posts dealing with the Epic of Gilgamesh, beginning on Friday. The first will talk about Gilgamesh and Enkidu; the second, Gilgamesh’s response to Ishtar propositioning him; the third, Gilgamesh and his search for eternal life. I hope to see you then!
There’s an interesting story that revolves around Ishtar and Ereshkigal. For some reason, Ishtar decides that she wants to go to the Underworld. Rather than politely asking her sister if she can come and visit, Ishtar demands entrance, threatening to break down the gates of hell if she is not allowed in. (This is pretty much par for course with Ishtar. She isn’t exactly a sweet, kind goddess...)
Ereshkigal is understandably infuriated by Ishtar’s threats. She tells her servants to allow Ishtar to enter, but to do so in the most humiliating manner possible. At each of the seven gates of the Underworld, Ishtar is forced to remove a piece of clothing - leaving her stark naked by the time she passes through the last gate. (I imagine this looking rather like Cersei Lannister’s walk of shame in A Dance With Dragons. This is interesting, because Cersei and Ishtar have another thing in common - the Lannister crest and the symbol of Ishtar are both lions. Was this deliberate on George R. R. Martin’s part?)
Ishtar is quite peeved by the time she comes face to face with her sister. She insults Ereshkigal without thinking of the consequences. The Underworld goddess immediately orders Ishtar to be tortured and killed as punishment. (No love lost in that relationship!)
With the goddess of love dead, all mortal beings on earth stop having sex. Ea, king of the gods, is quite worried by this development. He sends an emissary to the Underworld to ask for Ishtar’s life to be returned to her. Ea makes sure to warn the emissary to follow the proper protocol and to be very respectful of Ereshkigal.
Ereshkigal is angered by the emissary’s request, but she can find no fault in his actions. This prevents her from denying his request. Ereshkigal grudgingly brings Ishtar back to life. The goddess ascends from the Underworld, with a piece of her clothing being returned to her at each of the seven gates.
The story does not end there; to be returned to the world of the living, Ishtar must find someone to take her place in the Underworld. To ensure that Ishtar complies with this rule, Ereshkigal sends an enforcer squad of demons along with her.
To Ishtar’s credit, she does not damn the first person she sees. Every person she runs into turns out to be a true friend, someone who honestly grieved for her while she was dead. In growing desperation, Ishtar returns home - where she finds her husband Tammuz (also called Dumuzi) seated on her throne with dry eyes. He had not mourned her passing. As revenge for his lack of compassion, Ishtar turns him over to the demons, who drag him back to the Underworld as her replacement.
Luckily, Tammuz had someone in his life who mourned for him. His sister Belili (Sumerian: Geshtinanna) was so struck with grief by his passing that she begged to be allowed to take his place. The gods eventually decided to split the year between the two siblings - each would spend six months in the Underworld per year, leaving the other to live freely during that time.
As you can probably tell from this story, Ishtar is not the most loving of goddesses - which seems strange for a goddess of love. She hates her sister, has a seemingly loveless marriage with Tammuz...perhaps it would be more accurate to call Ishtar a sex goddess than a love deity. Scholars believe that prostitution was a form of worship at Ishtar’s temple, which might back up this idea of sex rather than love. (Such a thing was not uncommon; the Greek goddess Aphrodite had a temple where one could worship by buying a prostitute.)
I’ll talk a little bit more about Ishtar and her many conquests in a few posts, when we get into the Epic of Gilgamesh. Until then, I’d love to know what you think of her! Feel free to comment below or email me. If you missed my special post on Valentine’s Day, you can check it out here - it talks about Lovesick, my second book, which is coming out this November!
I plan on doing three posts dealing with the Epic of Gilgamesh, beginning on Friday. The first will talk about Gilgamesh and Enkidu; the second, Gilgamesh’s response to Ishtar propositioning him; the third, Gilgamesh and his search for eternal life. I hope to see you then!
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Chosen of the Gods: Lovesick
Ladies and gentlemen, I have some very exciting news! My second book will be coming out later this year!
Lovesick is the sequel to Hammerfall, and it tells a new tale of the relic bearers. There are some new faces, along with a few familiar ones. The official write-up is below:
“Flynn Carter had a double curse - writer’s block and a rapidly approaching deadline. Then a goddess came knocking at his door, changing everything. Not just any goddess: Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
Aphrodite claims that her son Eros has been kidnapped, and that Flynn is the only one who can find him. To make matters worse, she believes that it was Hephaestus, Greek god of the forge, who took him. Flynn is convinced he’s hallucinating, but he’s never been the type to turn down a damsel in distress.
Now Flynn and a motley group of fellow relic bearers must find Aphrodite’s son...but they are rapidly running out of time, and Hephaestus seems less to blame by the minute. Will they be able to find Eros - and whoever really took him - before it’s too late?”
Chosen of the Gods: Lovesick - coming October 2015!
Lovesick is the sequel to Hammerfall, and it tells a new tale of the relic bearers. There are some new faces, along with a few familiar ones. The official write-up is below:
“Flynn Carter had a double curse - writer’s block and a rapidly approaching deadline. Then a goddess came knocking at his door, changing everything. Not just any goddess: Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
Aphrodite claims that her son Eros has been kidnapped, and that Flynn is the only one who can find him. To make matters worse, she believes that it was Hephaestus, Greek god of the forge, who took him. Flynn is convinced he’s hallucinating, but he’s never been the type to turn down a damsel in distress.
Now Flynn and a motley group of fellow relic bearers must find Aphrodite’s son...but they are rapidly running out of time, and Hephaestus seems less to blame by the minute. Will they be able to find Eros - and whoever really took him - before it’s too late?”
Chosen of the Gods: Lovesick - coming October 2015!
Friday, February 13, 2015
Seafood allergy
I'm terribly sorry, guys, but there won't be a regular post today. I'm apparently allergic to seafood, so I've been on allergy meds since last night - and they always knock me out. Rather than risking having a bunch of typos and a subpar blog post about Ishtar, I'm going to postpone said post until Monday. I'll hopefully be recovered by then and able to do the post the justice it deserves.
I will have a very special post tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that!
Again, I'm really sorry. I'll do my best to make it up to you next week.
I will have a very special post tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that!
Again, I'm really sorry. I'll do my best to make it up to you next week.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Ereshkigal and Nergal: Another Underworld Romance
Yes, those really are the names of two of the Mesopotamian gods. No, I’m not making this up.
I know I said in my Intro that I would mostly be calling the gods by their Akkadian names. The name Nergal is actually what the Sumerians called the god (his Akkadian name is Erra), but the tablet that contains the story of these two deities is called Nergal and Ereshkigal, so I’m sticking with the name Nergal to avoid confusion.
At this point you’re probably wondering who Ereshkigal and Nergal are. Ereshkigal is the Mesopotamian goddess of the Underworld; her sister, Ishtar, is the goddess of love. (This will be relevant later.) Nergal is a god who is sometimes associated with pestilence or the sun. Their story is probably my favorite in Mesopotamian mythology. It is almost exactly the reverse of the Greek tale of Hades and Persephone - for in it, Ereshkigal lures Nergal to the Underworld, seduces him, and intices him to stay with her as her consort.
Interested? I hope so! This post was written specially for this week, since it fits rather nicely with the upcoming holiday of Valentine’s Day. The story of these two gods is very much a traditional romance tale (though at times it can read a bit like an erotic romance novel!). Unfortunately, a lot of the tablet Nergal and Ereshkigal is damaged or missing, so we don’t know the whole story. Here is the parts of the tale that we do know:
The Mesopotamian gods are having a huge party when Anu, father of the gods, realizes that his daughter Ereshkigal is not present. Her duties prevent her from leaving the Underworld, just as his duties prevent him from traveling to see her. Not wanting his daughter to miss out on the fun, Anu sends a messenger to the Underworld.
The messenger gives Ereshkigal her father’s regards, and asks her to send her vizier to the party to choose a present for the goddess. Ereshkigal is pleased by this and immediately sends Namtar, her vizier, to the party. Once there, all of the gods are very respectful of Namtar - all, that is, save for Nergal. Nergal refuses to kneel before the vizier even though all of the other gods are doing so. He is admonished for his lack of respect by his father, Ea. As a punishment, Ea sends Nergal down to the Underworld. He is very clearly warned that he must not sit on a chair, eat, or bathe while there. Most important of all, Nergal must not, under any circumstances, have sex with Ereshkigal.
Care to guess which of those rules Nergal breaks?
To his credit, Nergal actually lasts a while before he forgets Ea’s warnings. He remembers not to sit, refuses to eat or drink, and won’t let the servants bathe him. Unfortunately, the god loses all self-control when Ereshkigal puts on a pretty dress and starts flirting with him. They immediately retire to her bedchamber...where they stay for the next six days.
Yeah.
On the seventh day, Nergal remembers that he wasn’t supposed to sleep with Ereshkigal. He flees back to heaven, where an irritated Ea ritually cleanses Nergal in the hopes of preventing Ereshkigal’s minions from recognizing him.
This is very wise of Ea. When Ereshkigal hears that Nergal has left her, she is furious. (Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...especially when that woman rules over hell!) She sends Namtar to her father with a message. Ereshkigal points out that she has never been like other girls. Her sister, Ishtar, always had a man on her arm - but Nergal was Ereshkigal’s first lover. She then loses her calm and warns Anu that if Nergal is not returned to her, she will open the gates of hell and allow the dead to eat the living.
The Walking Dead...Mesopotamian style.
Anu is understandably nervous at Ereshkigal’s threat. He allows Namtar to search amongst the gods for Nergal. Unfortunately, Ea’s ritual cleansing worked; Namtar is unable to recognize Nergal, and must return to Ereshkigal empty-handed.
Equally unfortunate is the fact that the tablet is damaged here, leaving us unsure of what happens next. When the story can be read again, Nergal is furious with Ereshkigal - and, for some reason, he is storming the gates of hell. Nergal fights his way through the seven gates single-handedly, and pushes through to the courtyard of the queen. He stands before Ereshkigal and laughs mockingly, before seizing the goddess by the hair and dragging her from her throne.
Just when you’re sure something terrible is going to happen, Nergal pulls Ereshkigal to him and kisses her passionately! The duo then retire to her bedchamber, where they stay for another seven days.
I’m not making this up.
The last part of the tablet is mostly illegible, but it seems to show Anu making Nergal the king of the Underworld. Other Mesopotamian tablets back up this idea, since they show Nergal ruling over the dead alongside Ereshkigal.
Whatever the case, I hope you enjoyed reading about Ereshkigal and Nergal! Their story cracks me up; I love that romance novels existed even in the Mesopotamian times. I also adore the similarities to the Greek story of Hades and Persephone - though the Greeks definitely have the more family-friendly version!
As always, please post below or email me with any comments or thoughts you have. I’ll be back on Friday with another special Valentine’s Day post - this one dealing with Ereshkigal’s sister Ishtar, goddess of love and war! See you then!
I know I said in my Intro that I would mostly be calling the gods by their Akkadian names. The name Nergal is actually what the Sumerians called the god (his Akkadian name is Erra), but the tablet that contains the story of these two deities is called Nergal and Ereshkigal, so I’m sticking with the name Nergal to avoid confusion.
At this point you’re probably wondering who Ereshkigal and Nergal are. Ereshkigal is the Mesopotamian goddess of the Underworld; her sister, Ishtar, is the goddess of love. (This will be relevant later.) Nergal is a god who is sometimes associated with pestilence or the sun. Their story is probably my favorite in Mesopotamian mythology. It is almost exactly the reverse of the Greek tale of Hades and Persephone - for in it, Ereshkigal lures Nergal to the Underworld, seduces him, and intices him to stay with her as her consort.
Interested? I hope so! This post was written specially for this week, since it fits rather nicely with the upcoming holiday of Valentine’s Day. The story of these two gods is very much a traditional romance tale (though at times it can read a bit like an erotic romance novel!). Unfortunately, a lot of the tablet Nergal and Ereshkigal is damaged or missing, so we don’t know the whole story. Here is the parts of the tale that we do know:
The Mesopotamian gods are having a huge party when Anu, father of the gods, realizes that his daughter Ereshkigal is not present. Her duties prevent her from leaving the Underworld, just as his duties prevent him from traveling to see her. Not wanting his daughter to miss out on the fun, Anu sends a messenger to the Underworld.
The messenger gives Ereshkigal her father’s regards, and asks her to send her vizier to the party to choose a present for the goddess. Ereshkigal is pleased by this and immediately sends Namtar, her vizier, to the party. Once there, all of the gods are very respectful of Namtar - all, that is, save for Nergal. Nergal refuses to kneel before the vizier even though all of the other gods are doing so. He is admonished for his lack of respect by his father, Ea. As a punishment, Ea sends Nergal down to the Underworld. He is very clearly warned that he must not sit on a chair, eat, or bathe while there. Most important of all, Nergal must not, under any circumstances, have sex with Ereshkigal.
Care to guess which of those rules Nergal breaks?
To his credit, Nergal actually lasts a while before he forgets Ea’s warnings. He remembers not to sit, refuses to eat or drink, and won’t let the servants bathe him. Unfortunately, the god loses all self-control when Ereshkigal puts on a pretty dress and starts flirting with him. They immediately retire to her bedchamber...where they stay for the next six days.
Yeah.
On the seventh day, Nergal remembers that he wasn’t supposed to sleep with Ereshkigal. He flees back to heaven, where an irritated Ea ritually cleanses Nergal in the hopes of preventing Ereshkigal’s minions from recognizing him.
This is very wise of Ea. When Ereshkigal hears that Nergal has left her, she is furious. (Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...especially when that woman rules over hell!) She sends Namtar to her father with a message. Ereshkigal points out that she has never been like other girls. Her sister, Ishtar, always had a man on her arm - but Nergal was Ereshkigal’s first lover. She then loses her calm and warns Anu that if Nergal is not returned to her, she will open the gates of hell and allow the dead to eat the living.
The Walking Dead...Mesopotamian style.
Anu is understandably nervous at Ereshkigal’s threat. He allows Namtar to search amongst the gods for Nergal. Unfortunately, Ea’s ritual cleansing worked; Namtar is unable to recognize Nergal, and must return to Ereshkigal empty-handed.
Equally unfortunate is the fact that the tablet is damaged here, leaving us unsure of what happens next. When the story can be read again, Nergal is furious with Ereshkigal - and, for some reason, he is storming the gates of hell. Nergal fights his way through the seven gates single-handedly, and pushes through to the courtyard of the queen. He stands before Ereshkigal and laughs mockingly, before seizing the goddess by the hair and dragging her from her throne.
Just when you’re sure something terrible is going to happen, Nergal pulls Ereshkigal to him and kisses her passionately! The duo then retire to her bedchamber, where they stay for another seven days.
I’m not making this up.
The last part of the tablet is mostly illegible, but it seems to show Anu making Nergal the king of the Underworld. Other Mesopotamian tablets back up this idea, since they show Nergal ruling over the dead alongside Ereshkigal.
Whatever the case, I hope you enjoyed reading about Ereshkigal and Nergal! Their story cracks me up; I love that romance novels existed even in the Mesopotamian times. I also adore the similarities to the Greek story of Hades and Persephone - though the Greeks definitely have the more family-friendly version!
As always, please post below or email me with any comments or thoughts you have. I’ll be back on Friday with another special Valentine’s Day post - this one dealing with Ereshkigal’s sister Ishtar, goddess of love and war! See you then!
Friday, February 6, 2015
The Rise of Marduk
In this post we’re going to be talking about a group of ancient Babylonian tablets that tell the story The Epic of Creation. The Epic is the tale of the creation of the earth and of mankind (as you might have guessed from its title), but it also tells of the god Marduk’s rise in power. As I mentioned in my Intro, Marduk was originally a minor farming deity - until the Babylonians came, and saw him as something far greater. The Epic tells of how Marduk became that something.
In the beginning, there were only three gods: Apsu, Mummu, and Tiamat (who is sometimes portrayed as a dragon). Apsu and Tiamat were mates, and they produced several godly children. These children in turn produced children of their own, who then went on to have children, and so on. Eventually the god Ea was born.
All of these gods running around was very noisy, and Apsu and Mummu longed for a bit of peace and quiet. (Any parent reading this can probably relate, right? Well, hopefully you won’t relate to what they did next...) Hoping to regain the quiet they had once had, Apsu and Mummu went to Tiamat. They told her that they wanted to kill all of their noisy children.
To her credit, Tiamat refused to take part in their scheme. All of the other gods might have been noisy, but they were her children, and she loved them as fiercely as a mama bear.
Apsu and Mummu continued their plot without the help of Tiamat. Eventually Ea caught word of what they wanted to do. Determined to protect his family, Ea made a pre-emptive move and slew Apsu. He then proceeded to take Mummu captive, and to build a home on top of Apsu’s remains (cozy, right?). At some point around this time Ea’s wife gave birth to Marduk, whom the couple deemed to be perfect. (And not just in that proud parent way - literally perfect, even for a god.)
Unfortunately for Ea, Tiamat was now pissed. She might have tried to protect her children before, but Tiamat apparently drew the line at patricide. She gathered together an army of gods who had not been involved in Ea’s rebellion, and planned to take down the god who had killed her mate.
When Ea heard of Tiamat’s intentions he was terrified. (After all, she might have been a giant dragoness!) So were all of the other gods - all, that is, save for Marduk. Marduk was more than willing to face Tiamat and her armies in battle...provided that a few of his demands were met.
This is where things get interesting. Tiamat’s armies needed a commander, so she had appointed the god Qingu to the position. To cement his leadership, she gave him the Tablet of Destinies - a tablet that grants the being who wears it supreme power over all things.
In exchange for beating Tiamat and her armies, Marduk wanted the gods to give him the Tablet of Destinies.
The other gods readily agreed to his demands, and Marduk went marching off to battle. Tiamat’s army was overcome with fear at the sight of him and retreated. Marduk then challenged Tiamat to single-combat. She accepted, and was readily bested by the champion of the gods. (Seriously. It wasn’t even a contest. He didn’t even get hurt!) With Tiamat dead, Marduk proceeded to defeat all of her forces. This included Qingu, from whom Marduk claimed the Tablet of Destinies.
The remains of Tiamat’s body were then used by Marduk to create the heavens and the earth [this is a common (and disturbing!) theme in various mythologies]. Qingu was charged with being a traitor and inciting a rebellion. Found guilty, he was executed; his blood was used by Ea and Marduk to create mankind, who were declared to be under the authority of the gods.
The rest of this tablet (the 6th of those that tell the Epic) and the entirety of the next depict Marduk assuming a ruler’s position amongst the gods and having them sing his praises. (Yes, there is literally an entire tablet devoted to the other gods telling him how great he is.) I’ll end here was well - but I’d love to know what you think of the Epic of Creation! Please comment below or email me.
I’ve got two very special Mesopotamian posts planned for next week - both of them dealing with love, due to the upcoming holiday! Stay tuned, and I’ll see you guys next post!
In the beginning, there were only three gods: Apsu, Mummu, and Tiamat (who is sometimes portrayed as a dragon). Apsu and Tiamat were mates, and they produced several godly children. These children in turn produced children of their own, who then went on to have children, and so on. Eventually the god Ea was born.
All of these gods running around was very noisy, and Apsu and Mummu longed for a bit of peace and quiet. (Any parent reading this can probably relate, right? Well, hopefully you won’t relate to what they did next...) Hoping to regain the quiet they had once had, Apsu and Mummu went to Tiamat. They told her that they wanted to kill all of their noisy children.
To her credit, Tiamat refused to take part in their scheme. All of the other gods might have been noisy, but they were her children, and she loved them as fiercely as a mama bear.
Apsu and Mummu continued their plot without the help of Tiamat. Eventually Ea caught word of what they wanted to do. Determined to protect his family, Ea made a pre-emptive move and slew Apsu. He then proceeded to take Mummu captive, and to build a home on top of Apsu’s remains (cozy, right?). At some point around this time Ea’s wife gave birth to Marduk, whom the couple deemed to be perfect. (And not just in that proud parent way - literally perfect, even for a god.)
Unfortunately for Ea, Tiamat was now pissed. She might have tried to protect her children before, but Tiamat apparently drew the line at patricide. She gathered together an army of gods who had not been involved in Ea’s rebellion, and planned to take down the god who had killed her mate.
When Ea heard of Tiamat’s intentions he was terrified. (After all, she might have been a giant dragoness!) So were all of the other gods - all, that is, save for Marduk. Marduk was more than willing to face Tiamat and her armies in battle...provided that a few of his demands were met.
This is where things get interesting. Tiamat’s armies needed a commander, so she had appointed the god Qingu to the position. To cement his leadership, she gave him the Tablet of Destinies - a tablet that grants the being who wears it supreme power over all things.
In exchange for beating Tiamat and her armies, Marduk wanted the gods to give him the Tablet of Destinies.
The other gods readily agreed to his demands, and Marduk went marching off to battle. Tiamat’s army was overcome with fear at the sight of him and retreated. Marduk then challenged Tiamat to single-combat. She accepted, and was readily bested by the champion of the gods. (Seriously. It wasn’t even a contest. He didn’t even get hurt!) With Tiamat dead, Marduk proceeded to defeat all of her forces. This included Qingu, from whom Marduk claimed the Tablet of Destinies.
The remains of Tiamat’s body were then used by Marduk to create the heavens and the earth [this is a common (and disturbing!) theme in various mythologies]. Qingu was charged with being a traitor and inciting a rebellion. Found guilty, he was executed; his blood was used by Ea and Marduk to create mankind, who were declared to be under the authority of the gods.
The rest of this tablet (the 6th of those that tell the Epic) and the entirety of the next depict Marduk assuming a ruler’s position amongst the gods and having them sing his praises. (Yes, there is literally an entire tablet devoted to the other gods telling him how great he is.) I’ll end here was well - but I’d love to know what you think of the Epic of Creation! Please comment below or email me.
I’ve got two very special Mesopotamian posts planned for next week - both of them dealing with love, due to the upcoming holiday! Stay tuned, and I’ll see you guys next post!
Monday, February 2, 2015
Intro to Mesopotamian Mythology
Greetings everyone, and welcome to a new month! We’re going to be starting a new mythology today - that of the Mesopotamians. Ironically, Mesopotamian mythology is one of the oldest in the world...so it most certainly is not new!
Before I start talking about the myths, I’d like to answer a quick question: Who are the Mesopotamians?
The word “Mesopotamia” means “the land between two rivers”. The region of land dubbed Mesopotamia was thus named due to its location between (you guessed it!) two rivers - the Tigris and the Euphrates. When I use the term “Mesopotamian mythology”, I am referring to the collective myths of the several ancient civilizations that called Mesopotamia their home.
These civilizations include the Sumerians, the Babylonians, and the Assyrians. They ruled over Mesopotamia for three millennia, up until the Persians conquered them. At times one of their cultures existed simultaneously with another, but for the most part they succeeded one another.
There are several things that make Mesopotamian mythology fascinating. Firstly - its age. Mesopotamia’s myths and pantheon pre-date the Greek and Roman ones by a goodly long while. In fact, scholars believe that the classical myths of Greece and Rome were influenced by Mesopotamian mythology! For instance, Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, is very similar to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Worship of Ishtar revolved in part around the planet Venus - which is named for the Roman goddess of love! (This is insanely cool for a myth nerd like me.) The Mesopotamian god Nabu, god of scribes and wisdom, bears similarities to the Greek god Apollo. These are only a few of many such similarities between Mesopotamia’s myths and those of later civilizations.
The second thing about Mesopotamian mythology that really intrigues me is the fact that the three cultures within Mesopotamia mostly worshipped the same gods. Due to their differences in languages, the gods sometimes had different names in different times/parts of Mesopotamia - but they were essentially the same beings, with basically the same stories.
While we’re on the subject of names - since the gods were often worshipped under more than one name (for example, Ishtar was called Inanna by the Sumerians) I will identify the god by all of its names at the start of my future posts. After that, I will refer to the deity by their Akkadian name (Akkadian being the language of the Babylonians and the Assyrians).
Now that I’ve bored you with all of these details, lets get down to the mythology!
Chief among the Mesopotamian gods was Anu, ruler of heaven. Both he and his son, Ellil (god of the earth) ruled over man and had the right to bestow kingship on mortals. Almost as important as them was Ea, who ruled over water and was thought of as a god of sorcery.
During the Babylonian era a new god rose up to become the chief of the pantheon - Marduk. Marduk was the son of Ea, and had been a farmer’s god associated with agriculture before the Babylonians got their hands on him. They saw Marduk as a champion of good, and told tales of his victories against the forces of evil.
Marduk’s son was Nabu, the scribe god I mentioned earlier in this post. The other deity I mentioned, Ishtar, was said to be the daughter of either Anu, Ellil, or Ea (Which one depends on the myth. Ishtar was also sometimes said to be a consort of Anu). Another possible father of Ishtar was Sin, the god of the moon.
Ishtar’s sister (by one of the multiple father candidates. Seriously. This feels like something out of Mama Mia!.) was Ereshkigal, queen of the Underworld. Their brother, Shamash, was the god of the sun.
Those are the major heavenly players; now lets talk about the human characters. Mesopotamian mythology is closely intertwined with its history. The Babylonians had a story called the Epic of Gilgamesh that tells the tale of a Sumerian king who actually existed. However, the tales of Gilgamesh’s exploits are highly embellished, including multiple interactions with the gods themselves. Gilgamesh is also said to be not entirely human; instead, he is two-thirds god, one-third man (I'm not quite sure how that works...but alright...)
Even the laws of Mesopotamia were influenced by their myths. Hammurabi, a king of Babylon, created the Code of Hammurabi, a collection of laws he claimed had been given to him by Marduk and Shamash themselves. The Code was carved into a stone, at the top of which is a picture of Hammurabi being handed the laws by one of the gods.
With all of that, I think I’ll wrap up my introduction! I’ll be going into stories about the individual deities and their adventures for the next several weeks. Until next post, please feel free to comment below or email me! I’m really looking forward to talking about the Mesopotamian myths, and I hope you guys are too!
Before I start talking about the myths, I’d like to answer a quick question: Who are the Mesopotamians?
The word “Mesopotamia” means “the land between two rivers”. The region of land dubbed Mesopotamia was thus named due to its location between (you guessed it!) two rivers - the Tigris and the Euphrates. When I use the term “Mesopotamian mythology”, I am referring to the collective myths of the several ancient civilizations that called Mesopotamia their home.
These civilizations include the Sumerians, the Babylonians, and the Assyrians. They ruled over Mesopotamia for three millennia, up until the Persians conquered them. At times one of their cultures existed simultaneously with another, but for the most part they succeeded one another.
There are several things that make Mesopotamian mythology fascinating. Firstly - its age. Mesopotamia’s myths and pantheon pre-date the Greek and Roman ones by a goodly long while. In fact, scholars believe that the classical myths of Greece and Rome were influenced by Mesopotamian mythology! For instance, Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, is very similar to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Worship of Ishtar revolved in part around the planet Venus - which is named for the Roman goddess of love! (This is insanely cool for a myth nerd like me.) The Mesopotamian god Nabu, god of scribes and wisdom, bears similarities to the Greek god Apollo. These are only a few of many such similarities between Mesopotamia’s myths and those of later civilizations.
The second thing about Mesopotamian mythology that really intrigues me is the fact that the three cultures within Mesopotamia mostly worshipped the same gods. Due to their differences in languages, the gods sometimes had different names in different times/parts of Mesopotamia - but they were essentially the same beings, with basically the same stories.
While we’re on the subject of names - since the gods were often worshipped under more than one name (for example, Ishtar was called Inanna by the Sumerians) I will identify the god by all of its names at the start of my future posts. After that, I will refer to the deity by their Akkadian name (Akkadian being the language of the Babylonians and the Assyrians).
Now that I’ve bored you with all of these details, lets get down to the mythology!
Chief among the Mesopotamian gods was Anu, ruler of heaven. Both he and his son, Ellil (god of the earth) ruled over man and had the right to bestow kingship on mortals. Almost as important as them was Ea, who ruled over water and was thought of as a god of sorcery.
During the Babylonian era a new god rose up to become the chief of the pantheon - Marduk. Marduk was the son of Ea, and had been a farmer’s god associated with agriculture before the Babylonians got their hands on him. They saw Marduk as a champion of good, and told tales of his victories against the forces of evil.
Marduk’s son was Nabu, the scribe god I mentioned earlier in this post. The other deity I mentioned, Ishtar, was said to be the daughter of either Anu, Ellil, or Ea (Which one depends on the myth. Ishtar was also sometimes said to be a consort of Anu). Another possible father of Ishtar was Sin, the god of the moon.
Ishtar’s sister (by one of the multiple father candidates. Seriously. This feels like something out of Mama Mia!.) was Ereshkigal, queen of the Underworld. Their brother, Shamash, was the god of the sun.
Those are the major heavenly players; now lets talk about the human characters. Mesopotamian mythology is closely intertwined with its history. The Babylonians had a story called the Epic of Gilgamesh that tells the tale of a Sumerian king who actually existed. However, the tales of Gilgamesh’s exploits are highly embellished, including multiple interactions with the gods themselves. Gilgamesh is also said to be not entirely human; instead, he is two-thirds god, one-third man (I'm not quite sure how that works...but alright...)
Even the laws of Mesopotamia were influenced by their myths. Hammurabi, a king of Babylon, created the Code of Hammurabi, a collection of laws he claimed had been given to him by Marduk and Shamash themselves. The Code was carved into a stone, at the top of which is a picture of Hammurabi being handed the laws by one of the gods.
With all of that, I think I’ll wrap up my introduction! I’ll be going into stories about the individual deities and their adventures for the next several weeks. Until next post, please feel free to comment below or email me! I’m really looking forward to talking about the Mesopotamian myths, and I hope you guys are too!
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