Enlil (literally. “Lord of the Wind” [1] [2] , Akkad. Ellyl ) - in Sumerian- Akkad mythology, the god of wind, air, earth and storms [3] ; the supreme god of the Sumerian pantheon [4] , but later also began to be revered by the Akkadians , Babylonians , Assyrians and Hurrians . The cult center of Enlil was located in Nippur [5] .
| Enlil | |
|---|---|
| Mythology | |
| Name interpretation | Lord of the wind |
| Latin spelling | Enlil, Elil |
| Name in other languages | Nunamnir |
| Floor | |
| Father | |
| Mother | Ki |
| Brothers and sisters | |
| Spouse | Ninlil |
| Children | , , , , , and |
| Cult Center | Nippur |
| Main temple | Ekur ("Mountain House") |
| Attributes | horned hat |
| Mentions | The Epic of Gilgamesh |
| In other cultures | |
Content
Name
Enlil’s name comes from the Sumerian “ en ” (“lord”) + “lil” (“wind”) [1] [2] and does not stand in the parent case. This indicates that Enlil was perceived as a personification of the wind, and not its cause [6] .
Iconography
In Mesopotamian iconography, Enlil was not depicted anthropomorphically, but was denoted by a horned hat symbol [7] , consisting of seven pairs of folded bull horns [8] . Such crowns were an important symbol of deities [9] , which were depicted in them from about the III millennium BC. e. [8] . The horned hat in form and meaning remained unchanged from the early Sumerian prehistory to the time of the Persian conquest and beyond [8] [9] .
The Sumerians had a system of numerology, where certain numbers, according to popular belief, carried a certain sacred meaning [10] . According to this system, Enlil corresponded to the number 50 [11] . Enlil was considered part of the triad of gods besides Anu and Enki [12] [13] [9] [14] . All three of these deities personified immovable stars in the night sky: Anu means the sky equator , Enlil means the northern sky, and Enki means the southern [9] [15] . Enlil was associated with the constellation Bootes [8] .
Mythology
Enlil is one of the three great gods (along with Anu and Ea ). The son of Anu (heaven) and the goddess Ki (earth), who in Akkadian mythology were called Anshar and Kishar, respectively.
Enlil, who sits broadly on the white throne, on the high throne,
Who perfects the laws of power, supremacy and kingdom,
The gods of the earth bow in fear of him,
The gods of heaven are humble before him ...- The Sumerian hymn to Enlil translated by Samuel Cramer [16]
According to myths, Enlil separated the sky from the earth, created agricultural implements, deities of cattle breeding and agriculture, and introduced people to the culture. It was also believed that Enlil was sending natural disasters. In the epic about Gilgamesh, Enlil is called one of the initiators of the global flood with the goal of destroying humanity.
Enlil was also portrayed as a deceitful and evil deity (apparently, as a personification of the elements); sent natural disasters, sought to destroy people by the flood, etc. Enlil's wife was the goddess Ninlil . Sons - the moon god Nunn , the warrior of Ninurth , the deity of the underground elements Nergal , the ambassador of the gods Namtar .
Cult
With the weakening of the cult of the god Anu (c. XXIV century BC), Enlil became an influential deity [17] [14] .
Enlil's cult center was in Nippur [5] the temple of Ekur translated as "Mountain House"), which, according to legend, was built by Enlil himself and is a place of union of heaven and earth. The religious anthem ( Tummal inscription ) during the reign of Ur-Nammu ( III dynasty of Ur ) describes in detail the magnificence of the temple, notes the Anzud Vrata decorated with the mythical bird [8] .
People venerated Enlil, bringing to his statue the offerings that the priests of the temple took after the ritual [18] . The Sumerians revered Enlil as a patron, without whom civilization could not exist, who looked after people and their well-being [4] , called them “The Great Mountain” and “Ruler of foreign lands”, “fierce storm”, “wild bull”, “merchant” [8] . The Mesopotamians Enlil, also known as Nunamnir, was considered the father and creator, the lord of the universe, called (in at least one text) "East wind and North wind") [8] .
The rulers traveled to Ekur to legitimize their power (even in the Babylonian period, when Marduk was considered the supreme god), made offerings after military campaigns [19] . Nippur remained the only city where the palace was not erected, indicating Enlil as the sole ruler of the city [20] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Sumerian Lexicon . sumerian.org. Date of treatment February 8, 2019.
- ↑ 1 2 Glenn Stanfield Holland. Gods in the Desert: Religions of the Ancient Near East . - Rowman & Littlefield, 2009 .-- S. 114 .-- 348 p. - ISBN 9780742562264 .
- ↑ Coleman, JA; Davidson, George. The Dictionary of Mythology: An AZ of Themes, Legends, and Heroes . - London: Arcturus Publishing Limited, 2015 .-- S. 108 .-- 373 p. - ISBN 978-1-78404-478-7 .
- ↑ 1 2 Kramer, Samuel Noah. The Sumerian Deluge Myth: Reviewed and Revised // Anatolian Studies / British Institute at Ankara. - 1983 .-- No. 33 . - S. 115–121 . - DOI : 10.2307 / 3642699 .
- ↑ 1 2 Hallo, William W. Review: Enki and the Theology of Eridu // Journal of the American Oriental Society. - 1996. - No. 116 (2) . - S. 231–234 .
- ↑ Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, Pieter Willem van der Horst. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible . - Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999 .-- S. 356. - 1006 p. - ISBN 9780802824912 .
- ↑ Albert C. Moore. Iconography of Religions: An Introduction . - Chris Robertson, 1977 .-- S. 76 .-- 350 p. - ISBN 9780800604882 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Black, Jeremy; Green, Anthony. Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary . - London: The British Museum Press, 1992 .-- S. 74-76, 98-102. - 192 p. - ISBN 0-7141-1705-6 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Nemet-Nejat, Karen Rhea. Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. - Daily Life. - Greenwood, 1998 .-- S. 185-186, 203. - ISBN 978-0313294976 .
- ↑ Thomas McEvilley. The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies . - Allworth Press, 2002. - S. 171–172. - 1122 s. - ISBN 9781581159332 .
- ↑ Röllig, Werner. Götterzahlen // Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischeen Archäologie / E. Ebeling; B. Miessner. - Berlin: Walther de Gruyter & Co., 1971. - No. 3 . - S. 499-500 .
- ↑ David Toshio Tsumura. Creation and Destruction: A Reappraisal of the Chaoskampf Theory in the Old Testament . - Eisenbrauns, 2005 .-- S. 134. - 234 p. - ISBN 9781575061061 .
- ↑ L. Delaporte. Mesopotamia . - New York: Routledge, 1996 [1925]. - S. 137. - 392 p. - ISBN 0-415-15588-6 .
- ↑ 1 2 Kramer, Samuel Noah. The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. - Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 1963. - S. 118-122. - ISBN 0-226-45238-7 .
- ↑ Rogers, John H. Origins of the Ancient Astronomical Constellations: I: The Mesopotamian Traditions // Journal of the British Astronomical Association. - London: The British Astronomical Association, 1998. - No. 108 (1) . - S. 9–28 .
- ↑ Samuel Kramer . Sumerians. First Civilization on Earth / Translator: Anna Miloserdova. - M .: Centerpolygraph, 2011 .-- 440 p. - ISBN 978-5-9524-4805-6 .
- ↑ Tammi J. Schneider. An Introduction to Ancient Mesopotamian Religion . - Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2011 .-- P. 58 .-- 157 p. - ISBN 9780802829597 .
- ↑ David Janzen. The Social Meanings of Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible: A Study of Four Writings . - Walter de Gruyter, 2004 .-- S. 247. - 312 p. - ISBN 9783110904819 .
- ↑ Littleton, C. Scott. Gods, Goddesses, and Mythology . - New York City: Marshall Cavendish, 2005 .-- T. IV: Druids - Gilgamesh. - S. 480–482. - ISBN 0-7614-7563-X .
- ↑ David Janzen. The Social Meanings of Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible: A Study of Four Writings . - Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2012 .-- S. 247. - 312 p. - ISBN 9783110904819 .
Literature
- Enlil (Ellyl) // Elokventsiya - Yaya. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1957. - P. 89. - ( Great Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 51 vols.] / Ch. Ed. B. A. Vvedensky ; 1949-1958, vol. 49).
- Enlil // Soviet Historical Encyclopedia : in 16 vol. / Ed. E. M. Zhukova . - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia , 1961-1976.
- Enlil / V.K. Afanasyeva // Myths of the World : Encycl. in 2 t / hl ed. S. A. Tokarev . - 2nd ed. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia , 1988. - T. 2: K — Ya. - S. 662–663.
- Jacobsen T. Enlil - Strength // Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion = The treasures of Darkness: A history of Mesopotamian religion. - M .: Oriental literature , 1995. - S. 115-121. - 293 p. - (In the wake of the disappeared cultures of the East). - 3,000 copies. - ISBN 5-02-016601-4 .