Gods, demons, and symbols of ancient Mesopotamia : an illustrated dictionary

Ancient Mesopotamia was a rich, varied and highly complex culture whose achievements included the invention of writing and the development of sophisticated urban society. This book offers an introductory guide to the beliefs and customs of the ancient Mesopotamians, as revealed in their art and their writings between about 3000 B.C. and the advent of the Christian era. Gods, goddesses, demons, monsters, magic, myths, religious symbolism, ritual, and the spiritual world are all discussed in alphabetical entries ranging from short accounts to extended essays. Names are given in both their Sumerian and Akkadian forms, and all entries are fully cross-referenced. A useful introduction provides historical and geographical background and describes the sources of our knowledge about the religion, mythology and magic of ''the cradle of civilisation''. Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia. An Illustrated Dictionary. 2004 1 Authors' note 5 Introduction 7 Peoples and places 9 Mythology and legends 14 Art and iconography 15 Periods 21 Chronological Table 22 abzu (apsu) 27 Adapa 27 afterlife 27 alkohol 28 altars 29 amulets 30 An (Anu) 30 animal sacrifice 30 animal skins 33 anointing 34 An拧ar and Ki拧ar 34 Anuna 34 Anunitu 34 Arabian gods 35 arrow 35 Asag (Asakku) 35 Asarluhi 36 assembly of the gods 36 astrology and astronomy 36 A拧拧ur 37 ball-staff 39 barley stalk 39 Bau 39 beasts of the gods 39 bells 41 Berossos 41 Bes 41 bird gods 42 birds 42 bird talons and wings 43 bison 44 boats 44 boats of the gods 44 boat with human head 45 bucket and cone 46 building rites and deposits 46 bull 47 bull and 'winged gate' 47 bull-man 48 Bull of Heaven 49 bulls and lions with human head 51 centaur 51 chaplet 51 chariots of the gods 52 cosmology 52 cow and calf 53 creation 53 crescent 54 crook 54 cross 54 cult statues 55 Dagan 56 Damgalnuna (Damkina) 56 Damu 57 dead gods 57 death and funerary practices 58 dedication 62 deification of kings 62 demons and monsters 63 Dilmun 66 Dilnunite gods 66 diseases and medicine 67 divination 68 divine intervention 69 dogs 70 donkey ears 70 dragons 71 dreams and visions 71 Du-ku 72 Dumuzi 72 Dumu-zi-abzu 73 dwarf 73 E-abzu 73 E-ana 73 Egyptian gods and symbols 74 E-kur 74 Elamite gods 74 Enki (Ea) 75 Enkidu 76 Enkimdu 76 Enki's creatures 76 Enlil (Ellil) 76 Enme拧arra 76 Ennugi 77 Enzag 77 Ere拧kigal 77 Eridu 77 Esagil 77 Etana 78 eye and eye-idols 78 'eyes-of-Ningal' 80 Ezida 80 fertility 80 figurines 81 'filling motifs' 82 fish 82 fish-garbed figure 82 Flood 83 flour 84 fly 84 food and drink of the gods 85 fork 85 frog 85 galla 85 gatekeepers 86 Gatumdug 86 generations of gods 86 chart 87 genies 86 Ge拧tinana 88 Gibil (Girra) 88 gidim 88 Gilgame拧 89 gipar 91 goat-fish 93 gods and goddesses 93 gods' symbols 96 good and evil 98 'great gods' 99 griffin 99 griffin-demon 101 Gula 101 hand 102 'hands-of-I拧tar' 102 horned cap 102 horse 103 House God and House Goddess 104 human sacrifice 104 Huwawa (Humbaba) 106 Igigu 106 Ilaba 106 Imdugud (Anzu) 107 Inana (I拧tar) 108 incense 109 Isimud (Usmu) 110 I拧hara 110 I拧kur (Adad) 110 I拧taran 111 journeys and processions of the gods 112 Kassite gods 112 Ki 112 kudurrus 113 kur 114 lahama 114 Lahmu 115 lama (lamassu) 115 Lama拧tu 115 lamp 116 La-tarak and Lulal 116 letters to gods libation 117 lightning (symbol) 118 lilitu 118 lion 118 lion-centaur 119 lion-demon 119 lion-dragon 121 lion-fish 121 lion-humanoid 122 Lisin 122 lists of gods 122 local gods 123 Lugalbanda 123 Lugal-irra and Meslamta-ea 123 mace 124 magic and sorcery 124 magic circle 128 Mamu 128 Marduk 128 Martu (Amurru) 129 me 130 melam and ni 130 merman and mermaid 131 mongoose 132 mother goddesses and birth goddesses 132 Damgalnuna 133 Nabu 133 Nammu 134 Namtar 134 Nanaya 134 Nanna-Suen (Sin) 135 Nan拧e 135 Nergal (Erra) 135 New Year ceremonies 136 night 137 Nimrod 137 Ninazu 137 Ningal 138 Ningirsu 138 Ningi拧zida 138 Ninhursaga 140 Ninisina 140 Ninlil (Mullissu) 140 Ninmah 141 Ninsun 141 Nin拧ubur (god) 141 Nin拧ubur (goddess) 142 Ninurta 142 Nisaba 143 Nisroch 143 nude woman 144 numbers 144 Numu拧da 145 Nungal 145 Nusku 145 oaths and curses 145 'omega' symbol 146 Pabilsag 147 Palm-tree King 147 pantheon 147 Pazuzu 147 personal gods 148 'plant of life' 148 plough 149 priests and priestesses 149 prostitution and ritual sex 150 purification 152 Qingu 153 rainbow 153 rhomb 153 right and left 153 ring-post 154 ring-staff 155 river of the underworld 155 river ordeal 155 rod and ring 156 rosette 156 Sacred Marriage 157 sacrifice and offering 158 Salmu 159 Samana 159 Sarpanitu 160 scorpion 160 scorpion-people 161 seals of the gods 161 Seven (demons) 162 seven dots 162 Seven (gods) 162 Seven Sages 163 Siduri 164 sin 164 Slain Heroes 164 Smiting god 165 snake-dragon 166 snake gods 166 snakes 167 star (symbol) 169 stylised tree and its 'rituals' 170 swastika 171 艩akkan 172 艩ala 172 艩ara 173 艩erida (Aya) 173 艩ul-pa-e 173 tablet of destinies 173 taboos 174 temples and temple architecture 174 Tiamat 177 Tiamat's creatures 177 Ti拧pak 178 Tower of Babel 178 turtle 179 udug (utukku) 179 umu dabrutu 179 underworld 180 Urartian gods 182 Ura拧 (god) 182 Ura拧 (goddess) 182 Uttu 182 Utu (艩ama拧) 182 vase with streams 184 wedge 185 winged disc 185 witchcraft 186 word 186 wrestlers 187 Zababa 187 ziggurats 187 Ziusura (Ut-napi拧ti) 189 zodiac 190 Recommended further reading in English 191 Jeremy Black And Anthony Green ; Illustrations By Tessa Rickards. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 191-192).