Sumerian Goddesses: The Superwomen of the Mesopotamian Pantheon

Sumerian goddesses, also known as Mesopotamian goddesses, were the female deities of Sumer, the very first literate Mesopotamian civilization. Like their male counterparts, Sumerian goddesses were almost exclusively depicted in human forms, with similar personality traits, emotions, and weaknesses as humans. However, they were immortal, possessed extraordinary powers, and were usually cloaked by “melammu,” an aura that inspired great awe or fear in humans. If you are interested in finding out more about these ancient goddesses, we have you covered.

Sumerian Goddesses List

Although the chief deities of the Sumerian religion were predominantly masculine, in this guide, we will learn about the superwomen of the Mesopotamian pantheon, who were no less influential in shaping the religious beliefs of later Mesopotamian peoples. Many of these goddesses are attributed to various groups of people and their names and roles have evolved over time; hence, it can be a bit confusing to distinguish between them. Let’s look at the central feminine goddesses of Sumerian religion in more detail below:

Inanna

Inanna was the most powerful goddess of Sumer and is primarily known as the deity of sexual love and Sumerian fertility goddess, as well as the goddess of warfare. In later Babylonian civilization, she was identified as the goddess Ishtar and in the Phoenician civilization, as the goddess Astarte. Her symbols include the 8-pointed star and rosette and the Table of Destiny. Her sacred animals were lions and snakes.

Like most gods, her parentage is somewhat disputed as some myths say she was the daughter of the moon god Nanna and his wife Ningal, while others say she was the daughter of the sky god, An. As such, she is also known as the Queen of Heaven or the Sky Goddess and is associated with rains and storms as well as the planet Venus, the morning and evening star. She was also believed to be the twin sister of Utu or Shamash, the Sumerian god of the sun, mortality, justice, and truth.

The goddess was invoked during the sacred marriage rites to bless the happy couple with fertility during the Sumerian New Year. The ancient myths also depict her as being the wife of the shepherd god, Dumuzi, as well as a fickle and vengeful deity who changed many lovers. One such case is described in the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” where Inanna tries to seduce the eponymous hero only to have him reject her because of her cruel treatment of past lovers. Livid, the goddess killed Gilgamesh’s closest friend, Enkidu.

Inanna is also credited as being the patron goddess of prostitutes. As a goddess of warfare, Inanna is also praised in association with military might and imperial power.

Nammu

Nammu is a Mesopotamian Mother Goddess who is personified as the primordial sea at the very beginning of the world. The creation goddess is accredited with giving birth to the first deities, including the god of heaven An, and the goddess of the earth, Ki, along with various other gods and goddesses. She represents the freshwater (Apsu), which the ancient Sumerian people believed ran beneath the earth and was the source of all life and fertility.

Nammu is also believed to be the mother of Enki, the god of water and culture, who reigned over the Apsu. Together with her son, Nammu created mankind by molding clay figurines that were brought to life.

Although there is not much evidence of a cult that was dedicated to worshipping Nammu, it is hinted that she may have had greater importance historically before Enki took over most of her functions. For example, one of the most powerful kings of Sumer and the founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur was named Ur-Nammu after the goddess.

Gula

Gula, known by her various names, including Bau, Ninkarrak, and Nininsina, is the goddess of healing and patron deity of medical practitioners and healers. The name Gula means “great”, which is interpreted to mean “greatness in healing.” She was the daughter of An, created at the beginning of time and her husbands and consorts were the healer god, Ninurta, the agricultural god Abu, and the god of the cities of Larak, Pabilsag.

Among her children was the healing god Damu, which was revered by ancient Sumerians for driving away demons and especially honored at Isin, Ur, and Larsa. She also gave birth to Ninazu, who is also associated with healing.

Originally, Gula was one of the Sumerian deities known as Bau, who was the patron deity of gods. As Nininsina, the goddess’s symbol was a dog and she was depicted with a dog’s head. As a healing goddess, Gula was often invoked for help in conception when it was believed that an evil supernatural entity was preventing conception.

Gula is also known as the “Lady Who Restores Life” as it was believed that after the Great Flood, she breathed new life into the creatures created by the gods. Because of this act and her continued care for humans hereafter, she is considered to be a Mother Goddess.

However, the goddess also had a vicious temper and was often invoked in curses that were believed to have been able to arouse storms and earthquakes. As such, one of her epithets was the "Queen of the Tempest."

Ninhursag

Ninhursag is one of the oldest and most important goddesses in the Sumerian religion. Her name means “Lady of the Mountain” as she was the goddess of the stony and rocky ground who had great power to produce life in the foothills and deserts. She is also associated with fertility, conception, childbirth, nurturing, growth, and transformation.

Ninhursag is exalted as the Mother of All Children, since she gave birth to various gods, men, and animals, and even the barren earth. Her husband was the god Shulpae and her children included sons Mululil and Ashshirgi, and daughter Egime.

Her name was often invoked by pregnant women and mothers who had given birth since she was believed to form the child and care for it in the womb as well as after they were born.

In iconography, the goddess is represented by a symbol that looks like the Greek letter Omega that is often accompanied by a knife. The sign is believed to represent the uterus and the blade that cuts the umbilical cord, symbolizing Ninuhursag’s role as the mother goddess.

Ereshkigal

Ereshkigal is the queen of the underworld, also known as the “Lady of the Great Place.” Originally a Sky goddess, since her father was An, Ereshkigal was kidnapped, taken to the underworld, and forced to become its queen by the inhabitants of Kur. She was the sole ruler of the kingdom, until she shared her power with her husband and king, Nergal, who became the god of death, pestilence, and plague.

In some texts, Ereshkigal was also the twin sister of the major god, Enki as well as the older sister of Inanna, with whom she had great enmity since Inanna once tried to usurp her positions as the goddess of the underworld.

The main roles of Ereshkigal as the goddess of the Underworld were to guard the fountain of life to prevent her subjects from partaking of it and escaping her rule, prevent the living from entering and learning the truth of the afterlife. She also gave birth to Namtar, the god of death. Her power also extended to the earth where she freed the possessed from evil spirits in magical ceremonies.

As an underworld goddess, a chief temple was dedicated to her in Cuthah in Mesopotamia. Her cult also extended to southern Arabia, Asia Minor, and Egypt.

Nanshe

In Sumerian mythology, Nanshe was the daughter of Enki, the god of water, wisdom, and magic. As a sacred Mesopotamian deity, her functions varied and she has been associated with social justice, freshwater, fertility, dreams, prophecy, and an overseer of widows and orphans.

According to the myth, her father Enki placed Nanshe in charge of the fish and fishing. She had power over the Persian Gulf and all the animals within its waters. Her consort was Nindara and her chief temple was the Sirara temple situated in Lagash.

As a goddess of justice, her popularity went beyond her original boundaries of southern Mesopotamia and she made sure that the weights and measures were correct. A benevolent goddess, Nanshe was in charge of looking after the poor, lonely, and disenfranchised.

The goddess was also described as a divine soothsayer and gave her favored prophets the ability to interpret dreams accurately.

Nisaba

Nisaba was the goddess of writing, accounting, and the harvest. She was worshipped at Eres and Umma and often praised by ancient Sumerian scribes. However, she is not just the scribe of mortals but gods as well. According to the religious belief of later Mesopotamian people, particularly the ones in the Babylonian period, her functions were taken over by the god Nabu.

In some texts, Nisaba was believed to be the daughter of An and Unas (Heaven and Earth), while in others, she was depicted as the daughter of Enlil, the god of wind and storms, and Ninlil, the goddess of destiny. In the most renowned stories, though, Nisaba is the mother of Ninlil.

As a scribe goddess, she keeps records of events and performs other bookwork-related duties for the gods, including accounting and creating regional borders. As a deity of knowledge, she is related to several other aspects of studies and many gods look to her for advice.

In addition, Nisaba is also associated with grain or cereal, reflecting her earth mother goddess. Her status as the provider of reed stylus further depicts her as the goddess of writing and scribal arts.

Ningal

Ningal was the goddess of reeds and is credited with being the daughter of the water god Enki and the goddess of reeds, Ningikurga, in the Mesopotamian religious traditions. She was also the consort of Nanna, the god of the moon, with whom she gave birth to the sun god Utu, his sister Inanna, and in some ancient Sumerian texts, Ishkur, the god of rain and spring thunderstorms. The goddess was first worshipped by cow-herders in the southern Mesopotamia marshlands and is chiefly recognized at Ur.

Her wedding to Nanna was believed to result in fertility, symbolized by the birth of children. As such, her symbol is a vessel of water with fish that signifies the womb. She is also linked with dream divination, clairvoyance, and interpretation.

Ninkasi

Ninkasi is the goddess of beer and alcohol and her name means “the lady who fills the mouth.” She was the daughter of the king of Uruk and the high priestess of the temple of Inanna. The goddess was born of sparkling fresh water and made to “satiate the heart.”

Her primary function was to brew all the beer, and possibly all the wine too, for the Enlil and his entourage. On earth, she was also revered as the goddess of fertility, which interestingly, not only made her the patron deity of harvest and brewing, but also of drunkenness, carnal love, and the cruel acts of war. The goddess had nine children, all of whom were named after alcoholic drinks or their effects.

Ninkasi’s priestesses were in charge of keeping the temples of Sumer well-supplied with libation, including the major religious sanctuary at Nippur, which is now present-day southwest Baghdad.

Ninkasi is symbolized by an ear of barley and during the spring, she caused grains to grow.

Ki

The earth goddess Ki was considered the female counterpart to the sky god An. They were believed to be the children of Nammu who were united as one. By her consort, An, Ki gave birth to the group of deities, the Anunnaki, the most notable among these being Enlil. According to the myth, Enlil cleaved the earth and heaven into two. An carried away the sky while Ki, accompanied by Enlil, took away the earth.

Some experts doubt whether Ki was an actual deity since she is mentioned in a very limited number of ancient texts and does not appear to have any cults to her name. As such, she is also identified as the goddess Ninhursag; the goddess of healing, Ninti. She later came to be associated with the Akkadian and Babylonian goddess Antu.

Ninlil

Ninlil, also known as Belit, by the Akkadians, was the goddess of destiny, the consort of the god Enlil and mother to the moon god Sin or Nanna. The deity was worshipped particularly at Shuruppak and Nippur and was sometimes identified with Inanna. She was also credited as being the wife of Ashur, the national Assyrian god.

In Sumerian religion, Ninlil was the grain goddess and was the daughter of the god of stores, Haia, and the Nisaba. In the myth, Ninlil was raped and impregnated by her consort, Enlil. For his crime, the wind god was banished to the Underworld, but he was followed by Ninlil. During the entire journey, Enlil assumed three different disguises and slept with Ninlil, each time resulting in the birth of an offspring. This myth represents the lifecycle of grain: the process of pollination, the ripening of the crops, the eventual withering, and returning to the earth (symbolizing Ninlin’s journey to the Underworld).

In some ancient literature, Ninlin is also the mother of Ninurta, the god who slew the demon Asag.

Ashnan

Ashnan is the Sumerian goddess of grain who, along with her sister, Lahar, was created by the god to provide sustenance to the Annunaki. However, the gods soon realized that the Annunaki could not eat the grain so human beings were created so that the goddesses’ efforts would not be wasted.

Sirtur

Also known as Sirtir, Duttur, and Dittur, was a Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian goddess of sheep. She is also the mother of Dumuzi, the consort of Inanna. Experts suggest that she was symbolized by the ewe. In other texts, she is associated with the goddess Ninsun, who is the mother of the hero, Gilgamesh.

Sumerian Goddesses Summary

The ancient Sumerian civilization was truly fascinating and female deities continued to be venerated well into the Christian period. Let’s take a look at the summary of this culture and its goddesses:

●      Sumerian goddesses were almost exclusively depicted in anthropomorphic forms but they possessed extraordinary powers.

●      Many of these goddesses are attributed to various civilizations, including the Sumerian, Babylonian, and Akkadian, and their names and roles have overlapped and evolved over time.

●      Sumerian goddesses also have a complicated and oftentimes conflicted hierarchy.

●      Inanna was the most powerful and important Sumerian goddess and was the goddess of carnal love, fertility, and warfare.

●      Nammu was the Mother Goddess or the personification of the primeval sea.

●      Gula is the patron goddess of healing.

●      Ninhursag is the goddess of stony and rocky ground.

●      Ereshkigal is the queen of the Underworld.

●      Nanshe was the deity of freshwater, social justice, fertility, and prophecy.

●      Nisaba was the goddess of writing and the harvest.

●      Ningal was the goddess of reeds in Mesopotamia.

●      Ninkasi was the goddess of beer and alcohol.

●      The earth goddess Ki was the consort of the sky god, An.

●      Ninhil was the goddess of destiny.

●      Ashnan, along with her sister Lahar, is the goddess of grain.

●      Surtur is the goddess of sheep.

Although the Sumerian pantheon can be complicated, we hope this article helped provide you with enough information on the ancient Babylonian civilizations. For more information on world history, theology and mythology, come back to our website any time.