Enki

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Jump to: navigation, search For the crater chain on Ganymede, see Enki Catena Enki (Sumerian: dEN.K (G! ! "as a deity in Sumerian mytho#ogy, 4 primary ! sky #ater kno"n as Ea in $a%y#onian mytho#ogy, origina##y chie& god o& Anu Ishtar the city o& Eridu. 'e "as the deity o& cra&ts (( gaam!, "ater ((a, ab !, Enlil Sin inte##igence (( gest (#itera##y ( )ear)!! and creation (Nudimmud, &rom Ki Sama dim mud, )to engender), )to shape)!. Enki *he e+act meaning o& his name is uncertain: the common trans#ation is ),ord o& the Earth): the Sumerian en is trans#ated as a tit#e e-uiva#ent to )#ord). it "as origina##y a tit#e given to the 'igh /riest. ki means )earth). %ut there are theories that ki in this name has another origin, possi%#y kig o& unkno"n meaning, or kur meaning )mound). *he name Ea is a##eged#y 'urrian in origin "hi#e others 012032 c#aim that it is possi%#y o& Semitic origin and may %e a derivation &rom the 4est5Semitic root 6hyy meaning )#i&e) in this case used &or )spring), )running "ater.)

Contents
0hide2 1 7ttri%utes 3 8estorer o& %a#ance 9 Con&user o& #anguages : Champion o& humankind ; Enki and nanna < /ortraya# = n&#uence > Ea and 4est Semitic deities ? See a#so 1@ Notes 11 8e&erences 13 E+terna# #inks

[edit] Attributes
*he main temp#e o& Enki "as ca##ed -engur-a, the )house o& the #ord o& deep "aters). e-unir or -abzu, the )house o& 7%Au) (the house o& &ar "aters!, the underground area o& s"eet "aters (most pro%a%#y the SumeriansB e+p#anation o& ground"ater! marsh#ands that surrounded the mound on "hich the temp#e to E%ki at Eridu "as %ui#t. t "as in Eridu, "hich "as then in the "et#ands o& the Euphrates va##ey not &ar &rom the /ersian Gu#&. 'e "as the keeper o& the ho#y po"ers ca##ed Me, the gi&ts o& civi#iAed #iving. Enki is a#so the master shaper o& the "or#d, god o& "isdom and o& a## magic. 'e is the #ord o& the 7psu (7kkadian, 7%Au in Sumerian, hence perhaps the Greek and Eng#ish "ord )a%yss)!, the &resh"ater ocean o& ground"ater under the earth. n the #ater $a%y#onian "Enuma Eli" 7%Au, the )%egetter o& the gods), is inert and s#eepy %ut &inds his peace distur%ed %y the younger gods so sets out to destroy them. 'is grandson Enki, chosen to represent the younger gods puts a spe## on 7%Au )casting him into a deep s#eep) con&ining him deep underground. Enki su%se-uent#y sets up his home "in the depths of the Abzu. Enki thus takes on a## o& the &unctions o& the 7%Au inc#uding his &erti#ising po"ers as #ord o& the "aters and #ord o& semen092. Ear#y roya# inscriptions &rom the third mi##ennium speak o& )the reeds o& Enki). 8eeds "ere an important #oca# %ui#ding materia#, used &or %askets and containers, and co##ected outside the city "a##s, "here the dead or sick "ere o&ten carried. *his #inks Enki to the kur or under"or#d o& Sumerian mytho#ogy. n another even o#der tradition Nammu the goddess o& the primeva# creative matter and the mother5goddess "ho "as said to have "given birth to the great gods", "as the mother o& Enki, and as the "atery creative &orce, "as said to pre5date Ea5Enki. 0:2 $enito states )4ith Enki it is an interesting change o& gender sym%o#ism, the &erti#ising agent is a#so "ater, Sumerian "a" "hich a#so means )semen). n one evocative passage in a Sumerian hymn Enki stands at the empty river %eds and &i##s them "ith his B"aterB)0;2. *his may %e a re&erence to EnkiBs hieros gamos or sacred marriage "ith KiCNinhursag (the Earth! (see %e#o"!.

'is sym%o#s inc#uded a goat and a &ish, "hich #ater com%ined into a sing#e %east, the goat Capricorn, "hich %ecame one o& the signs o& the Aodiac (Capricornus!. Enki in Sumerian astronomy a#so represented the p#anet Dercury, kno"n &or its a%i#ity to shi&t rapid#y, and its pro+imity to the Sun, Sumerian Etu, 7kkadian Shamash, the god o& Justice.

[edit] estorer of balance

Enki "as not per&ect, as god o& "ater he had a penchant &or %eer and as god o& semen he had a string o& incestuous a&&airs. n the epic Enki and "inhursag, he and his consort Ninhursag had a daughter Ninsar. 4hen Ninhursag #e&t him he came upon and then had intercourse "ith Ninsar (,ady Greenery! "ho gave %irth to Ninkurra (,ady Fruit&u#ness or ,ady /asture!. 7 second time, he had intercourse "ith Ninkurra, "ho gave %irth to Ettu (( 4eaver or Spider!. 7 third time Enki succum%s to temptation, and attempts seduction o& Ettu. Epset a%out EnkiBs reputation, Ettu consu#ts Ninhursag, "ho, upset at the promiscuous nature o& her spouse, advises Ettu to avoid the river%anks. n another version o& this myth Ninhursag takes EnkiBs semen &rom EttuBs "om% and p#ants it in the earth "here seven p#ants rapid#y germinate. 4ith his t"o5&aced servant and ste"ard simud, Enki &inds the p#ants and immediate#y starts consuming their &ruit. Consuming his o"n semen he &a##s pregnant (i## "ith s"e##ings! in his Fa", his teeth, his mouth, his throat, his #im%s and his ri%. *he gods are at a #oss to kno" "hat to do, as Enki #acks a "om% "ith "hich to give %irth, unti# NinhursagBs sacred &o+ &etches the goddess. Ninhursag re#ents and takes EnkiBs 7% ("ater, or semen! into her %ody, and gives %irth to gods o& hea#ing o& each part o& the %ody. *he #ast one 5 Ninti, Sumerian ( ,ady 8i%, is a#so a pun on ,ady ,i&e, a tit#e o& Ninhursag herse#&. *he story sym%o#ica##y re&#ects the "ay in "hich #i&e is %rought &orth through the addition o& "ater to the #and, and once it gro"s, "ater is re-uired to %ring p#ants to &ruit. t a#so counse#s %a#ance and responsi%i#ity, nothing to e+cess. Ninti, is given the tit#e o& the mother o& a## #iving, and "as a tit#e given to the #ater 'urrian goddess Khe%a. *his is a#so the tit#e given to Eve (( 'e%re" Chavvah!, the 7ramaic 'a""ah, "ho "as supposed#y made &rom the 8i% o& 7dam, in a strange re&#ection o& the Sumerian myth. 8o%ert DcE#vaine 0<2, attempts to sho" that this myth deve#oped Fust %e&ore the da"n o& the /atriarcha# 7ge, "here #egitimiAing myths #egitimated stories o& institutiona#iAed ma#e dominance. *he active ro#e o& Ninhursag is di&&erent than in #ater times "hen ma#e semen %ecame a metaphor &or seed, "hi#e "omen "ere reduced to %eing )#ike the Earth, rich, &erti#e, %ut empty un#ess a seed took root in it.)(p13;! *his )seed metaphor trans&ormed man &rom %eing #itt#e more than a %ystander into a God5#ike creator o& #i&e and "omen &rom the Goddess #ike creator o& #i&e into ...dirt ... n Genesis the soi# has no creative po"er) (p.13>!

[edit] Confuser of lan!ua!es

n the Sumerian epic entit#ed Enmerkar and the #ord of Aratta, in a speech o& Enmerkar, an incantation is pronounced that has a mythica# introduction. KramerBs trans#ation is as &o##o"s0=2: Gnce upon a time there "as no snake, there "as no scorpion, *here "as no hyena, there "as no #ion, *here "as no "i#d dog, no "o#&, *here "as no &ear, no terror, Dan had no riva#. n those days, the #ands o& Su%ur (and! 'amaAi, 'armony5tongued Sumer, the great #and o& the decrees o& princeship, Eri, the #and having a## that is appropriate, *he #and Dartu, resting in security, *he "ho#e universe, the peop#e in unison *o En#i# in one tongue 0spoke2. (*hen! Enki, the #ord o& a%undance ("hose! commands are trust"orthy, *he #ord o& "isdom, "ho understands the #and, *he #eader o& the gods, Endo"ed "ith "isdom, the #ord o& Eridu Changed the speech in their mouths, 0%rought2 contention into it, nto the speech o& man that (unti# then! had %een one.

[edit] Champion of humankind

7ccording to Sumerian mytho#ogy, Enki a#so assisted humanity to survive the He#uge designed to ki## them. n the ,egend o& 7trahasis, En#i#, the king o& the gods, sets out to e#iminate humanity, "hose noise o& them mating is o&&ensive to his ears. 'e successive#y sends drought, &amine and p#ague to e#iminate humanity, %ut Enki th"arts his

ha#&5%rotherBs p#ans %y teaching 7trahasis irrigation, granaries and medicine. 'umans again pro#i&erate a &ourth time. Enraged En#i#, convenes a Counci# o& Heities and gets them to promise not to te## humankind that he p#ans their tota# annihi#ation. Enki, does not te## 7trahasis, %ut te##s o& En#i#Bs p#an to the "a##s o& 7trahasisB reed hut, thus covert#y rescuing the man 7trahasis, or Iiusudra %y either instructing him to %ui#d some kind o& a %oat &or his &ami#y, or %y %ringing him into the heavens in a magic %oat. 7&ter the seven day He#uge, the &#ood hero, Etnapishtim, 7trahasis or Iiusudra &rees a s"a##o", a raven and a dove in an e&&ort to &ind i& the &#ood "aters have receded. Gn the %oat #anding, a sacri&ice is organiAed to the gods. En#i# is angry his "i## has %een th"arted yet again, and Enki is named as the cu#prit. 7s the god o& "hat "e "ou#d ca## eco#ogy, Enki e+p#ains that En#i# is un&air to punish the gui#t#ess 7trahasis &or the sins o& his &e##o"s, and secures a promise that the gods "i## not e#iminate humankind i& they practice %irth contro# and #ive "ithin the means o& the natura# "or#d. *he threat is made, ho"ever, that i& humans do not honor their side o& the covenant the gods "i## %e &ree to "reak havoc once again. *his is apparent#y the o#dest surviving source o& the NoahBs 7rk %i%#ica# ta#e and other para##e# Didd#e Eastern He#uge myths.

[edit] Enki and Inanna

n his connections "ith nanna Enki sho"s other aspects o& his ## non5/atriarcha# nature. *he myth Enki and $nanna0>20?2 te##s the story o& the young goddess o& the J5anna temp#e o& Eruk, "ho visits the senior god o& Eridu, and is entertained %y him in a &east. *he seductive god p#ies her "ith %eer, and the young goddess maintains her virtue, "hi#st Enki proceeds to get drunk. n generosity he gives her a## the gi&ts o& his Me, the gi&ts o& civi#iAed #i&e. Ne+t morning, "ith a hangover, he asks his servant simud &or his Me, on#y to %e in&ormed that he has given them to nanna. Epset at his actions, he sends %alla demons to recover them. nanna escapes her pursuers and arrives sa&e#y %ack at the -uay at Eruk. Enki rea#iAes that he has %een tricked in his hu%ris and accepts a peace treaty &orever "ith Eruk. /o#itica##y, this myth "ou#d seem to indicate events o& an ear#y period "hen po#itica# authority passed &rom EnkiBs city o& Eridu to nannaBs city o& Eruk. n the myth o& $nanna&s des'ent,01@2 nanna, in order to conso#e her grieving sister Ereshkiga#, "ho is mourning the death o& her hus%and Guga#ana (Gu($u##, Ga#(Great, 7na('eaven!, s#ain %y Gi#gamesh and Enkidu, sets out to visit her sister. She te##s her servant Ninshu%ur (Nin(,ady, Shu%ur(EveningK, a re&erence to nannaBs ro#e as the evening star, that i& she does not return in three days, to get he#p &rom her &ather 7nu, En#i#, king o& the gods, or Enki. 4hen she does not return, Ninshu%ur approaches 7nu on#y to %e to#d that he understands that his daughter is strong and can take care o& herse#&. En#i# te##s Ninshu%ur he is much too %usy running the cosmos. Enki immediate#y e+presses concern and dispatches his Ga##a demons, Ga#aturra or Kurgarra, se+#ess %eings created &rom the dirt &rom %eneath the godBs &inger5nai#s, to recover the young goddess. *hese %eings may %e the origin o& the Greco58oman %alli, androgynous %eings o& the third se+, simi#ar to the 7merican ndian %erdache, "ho p#ayed an important part in ear#y re#igious ritua#.0112 n the story $nanna and (hukaletuda,0132 Shuka#etuda, the gardener, set %y Enki to care &or the date pa#m he had created, &inds nanna s#eeping under the pa#m tree and rapes the goddess in her s#eep. 7"aking, she discovers that she has %een vio#ated and seeks to punish the miscreant. Shuka#etuda seeks protection &rom Enki, "hom $ottero0192 %e#ieves to %e his &ather. n c#assic Enkian &ashion, the &ather advises Shuka#etuda to hide in the city "here nanna "i## not %e a%#e to &ind him. Enki, as the protector o& "homever comes to seek his he#p, and as the empo"erer o& nanna, here cha##enges the young impetuous goddess to contro# her anger so as to %e %etter a%#e to &unction as a great Fudge. Eventua##y, a&ter coo#ing her anger, she too seeks the he#p o& Enki, as spokesperson o& the )assem%#y o& the gods), the gigi and the 7nunnaki. 7&ter she presents her case, Enki sees that Fustice needs to %e done and promises he#p, de#ivering kno"#edge o& "here the miscreant is hiding.

[edit] "ortrayal
Enki "as considered a god o& #i&e and rep#enishment, and "as o&ten depicted "ith t"o streams o& "ater emanating &rom his shou#ders, one the *igris, the other the Euphrates. 7#ongside him "ere trees sym%o#iAing the ma#e and &ema#e aspects o& nature, each ho#ding the ma#e and &ema#e aspects o& the B,i&e EssenceB, "hich he, as apparent a#chemist o& the gods, "ou#d master&u##y mi+ to create severa# %eings that "ou#d #ive upon the &ace o& the earth. n character Enki is not a Fester or trickster god, he is never a cheat, and a#though &oo#ed, he is not a &oo#. Enki uses his magic &or the good o& others "hen ca##ed upon to he#p either a god, a goddess or a human. Enki is a#"ays true to his o"n essence as a mascu#ine nurturer. 'e is &undamenta##y a trou%#e5shooter god, and avoids or disarms those "ho %ring con&#ict and death to the "or#d. 'e is the mediator "hose compassion and sense o& humor %reaks and disarms the "rath o& his stern ha#&5%rother, En#i#, king o& the gods. 'e is the Cha##enger "ho tests the #imits o& nanna in the myth Enki and $nanna and the Me and then concedes gracious#y his de&eat %y the young goddess o& ,ove and 4ar, %y strengthening the %onds %et"een Eridu and her city o& Eruk. So he %ecomes the Empo"erer o& nanna.

'e is the #ord o& the 7psu (7kkadian, 7%Au in Sumerian, hence Greek and Eng#ish Abyss! , the &resh5"ater ocean o& ground"ater under the earth. *he essay on )Enki: the Fresh 4aters ,ord, Daster o& a## Cra&ts, Dagick and 4isdom)01:2 states o& Enki that he is 5

")he most 'omplete and modern mirror of mas'uline *holeness in Mesopotamia and *orld religion+ ,is values and attributes are timeless- and it is not surprising to see that ,e is one of the most beloved gods of Mesopotamia+ ,o* 'an ,e be so *hole. /e'ause in ,im the passionate and 0oyous #over- the Mysti'- the (trategist- the (or'erer- the 1ivine Managerthe 2eeper of 3orld 4rder and 5es'uer of ,umankind and %ods alike are all 4ne+ Enki is +++ the gallant- impetuous- energeti' #ord of 3isdom- the (eeker after truth- and Master Adept in sor'ery- en'hantment and sedu'tion+" 0;2

[edit] Influence
Enki and #ater Ea "ere apparent#y depicted, sometimes, #ike 7dapa, as a man covered "ith the skin o& a &ish, and this representation, as #ike"ise the name o& his temp#e E5apsu, )house o& the "atery deep), points decided#y to his origina# character as a god o& the "aters (see Gannes!. G& his cu#t at Eridu, "hich goes %ack to the o#dest period o& Desopotamian history, nothing de&inite is kno"n e+cept that his temp#e "as a#so associated "ith NinhursagBs temp#e "hich "as ca##ed Esaggila ( )the #o&ty sacred house) (E ( house, Sag ( sacred, #a ( 'igh (or (7kkadian! ( #a (goddess!!!, a name shared "ith DardukBs temp#e in $a%y#on, pointing to a staged to"er or Aiggurat (as "ith the temp#e o& En#i# at Nippur, "hich "as kno"n as Ekur ()Kur) ( mountain )E) ( house!, and that incantations, invo#ving ceremonia# rites in "hich "ater as a sacred e#ement p#ayed a prominent part, &ormed a &eature o& his "orship. *his seems a#so imp#icated in the epic o& the hieros gamos or sacred marriage o& Enki and Ninhursag, "hich seems an etio#ogica# myth o& the &erti#iAation o& the dry ground %y the coming o& irrigation "ater (&rom Sumerian ( B7, 7%B ( "ater, or semen!. *he ear#y inscriptions o& Erukagina in &act go so &ar as to suggest that the divine pair, Enki and Ninki, "ere the progenators o& seven pairs o& gods, inc#uding Enki as god o& Eridu, En#i# o& Nippur and SuBen (or Sin! o& Er, and "ere themse#ves the chi#dren o& 7n (sky, heaven! and Ki (earth! 0<2. *he poo# o& the 7%Au at the &ront o& his temp#e, "as adopted a#so at the temp#e to Nanna (7kkadian Sin! the Doon, at Er, and spread throughout the Didd#e East. t remains, as the sacred poo# at Dos-ues, and as the $aptisma# &ont in Christian Churches. 4hether Eridu at one time a#so p#ayed an important po#itica# ro#e in Sumerian a&&airs is not certain, though not impro%a%#e. 7t a## events the prominence o& )Ea) #ed, as in the case o& Nippur, to the surviva# o& Eridu as a sacred city, #ong a&ter it had ceased to have any signi&icance as a po#itica# center. Dyths in "hich Ea &igures prominent#y have %een &ound in 7ssur%anipa#Bs #i%rary, and in the 'attusas archive in 'ittite 7nato#ia. 7s Ea, Enki had a "ide in&#uence outside o& Sumeria, %eing e-uated "ith E# (at Egarit! and possi%#y Lah (at E%#a! in the Canaanite Bi#hm pantheon, he is a#so &ound in 'urrian and 'ittite mytho#ogy, as a god o& contracts, and is particu#ar#y &avoura%#e to humankind. 7mongst the 4estern Semites it is thought that Ea "as e-uated to the term 6hyy (,i&e!0=2, re&erring to EnkiBs "aters as #i&e giving. EnkiCEa is essentia##y a god o& civi#iAation, "isdom and cu#ture. 'e "as a#so the creator and protector o& man, and o& the "or#d in genera#. *races o& this vie" appear in the Darduk epic ce#e%rating the achievements o& this god and the c#ose connection %et"een the Ea cu#t at Eridu and that o& Darduk. *he corre#ation %et"een the t"o rise &rom t"o other important connections: (1! that the name o& DardukBs sanctuary at $a%y#on %ears the same name, Esaggila, as that o& a temp#e in Eridu, and (3! that Darduk is genera##y termed the son o& Ea, "ho derives his po"ers &rom the vo#untary a%dication o& the &ather in &avour o& his son. 7ccording#y, the incantations origina##y composed &or the Ea cu#t "ere re5edited %y the priests o& $a%y#on and adapted to the "orship o& Darduk, and, simi#ar#y, the hymns to Darduk %etray traces o& the trans&er o& attri%utes to Darduk "hich origina##y %e#onged to Ea. t is, ho"ever, as the third &igure in the triad (the t"o other mem%ers o& "hich "ere 7nu and En#i#! that Ea ac-uires his permanent p#ace in the pantheon. *o him "as assigned the contro# o& the "atery e#ement, and in this capacity he %ecomes the &shar apsi&- i.e. king o& the 7psu or )the deep.) *he 7psu "as &igured as the a%yss o& "ater %eneath the earth, and since the gathering p#ace o& the dead, kno"n as 7ra#u, "as situated near the con&ines o& the 7psu, he "as a#so designated as En5Ki, i.e. )#ord o& that "hich is %e#o"), in contrast to 7nu, "ho "as the #ord o& the )a%ove) or the heavens. *he cu#t o& Ea e+tended throughout $a%y#onia and 7ssyria. 4e &ind temp#es and shrines erected in his honour, e.g. at Nippur, Girsu, Er, $a%y#on, Sippar and Nineveh, and the numerous epithets given to him, as "e## as the various &orms under "hich the god appears, a#ike %ear "itness to the popu#arity "hich he enFoyed &rom the ear#iest to the #atest period o& $a%y#onian57ssyrian history. *he consort o& Ea, kno"n as Ninhursag, Ki, Eriash Hamkina, )#ady o& that "hich is %e#o",) or Hamga#nunna, )great #ady o& the "aters,) origina##y "as &u##y e-ua# "ith Ea %ut in more patriarcha# 7ssyrian and Neo5$a%y#onian times p#ays a part mere#y in association "ith her #ord. Genera##y, ho"ever, Enki seems to %e a re&#ection o& pre5patriarcha# times, in "hich re#ations %et"een the se+es

"ere characterised %y a situation o& greater gender e-ua#ity. n his character, he pre&ers persuasion to con&#ict, "hich he seeks to avoid i& possi%#e.

[edit] Ea and West Semitic deities

n 1?<:, a team o& ta#ian archaeo#ogists under the direction o& /ao#o Datthiae o& the Eniversity o& 8ome ,a SapienAa per&ormed a series o& e+cavations o& materia# &rom the third5mi##ennium $CE city o& E%#a. Duch o& the "ritten materia# &ound in these digs "as #ater trans#ated %y Hr. Giovanni /ettinato.01;2 7mong other conc#usions, he &ound a tendency among the inha%itants o& E%#a to rep#ace the name o& E#, king o& the gods o& the Canaanite /antheon (&ound in names such as Dikae#!, "ith a (t"o sy##a%#es as in Dikiah!. Jean $ottero01<2 and many others01=2 have suggested that a in this case is a 4est Semitic (Canaanite! "ay o& saying Ea, EnkiBs 7kkadian name. a (t"o sy##a%#es! is dec#ined "ith the Semitic ending as ahu and may have deve#oped into the #ater &orm o& Lah"eh. a has a#so %een con&used "ith the Egaritic Lamm ((Sea!, (a#so ca##ed Judge Nahar, or Judge 8iver! "hose ear#ier name in at #east one ancient source "as La", or LaBa. 7#though %oth Ea and Lamm "ere "ater gods and are sometimes ca##ed )storm) gods, Ea "as the creator and representative o& the s"eet %ene&icent "aters &rom %e#o" the earth, and as )Enki) "as responsi%#e &or &erti#ising the earth itse#&. Lamm, ho"ever, in addition to %eing the deity o& sa#t "aters, and o& storms that sank ships, &#ooded cities 55 that is, had a more vio#ent character than Ea, "ho genera##y avoided con&#ict. ndeed, ancient Er during its hey day as a port city a#ong the ancient coast#ine o& the /ersian Gu#& (no" &ar in#and!, maintained its most ho#y shrine to the #i&e5 giving essence o& &resh "ater as against the #i&e5threatening -ua#ities o& the sa#ty seas. *hus Ea, the #ord o& the s"eet "aters, antagonist to his ha#& %rother, the storm god En#i#, "ho can %e identi&ied "ith the 4est Semitic storm god $aBa# 'addad, the King o& heaven and creator o& heaven and earth in 4est Semitic mytho#ogy. Lamm, a#though important to the maritime Canaanites, "as comparative#y a minor &igure "hen compared to $aBa# 'adad, "ho in the 4est Semitic myths is a#"ays his &oe.