Anu (deity)
Anu is an ancient deity from Mesopotamian mythology, often regarded as one of the earliest and most significant gods in the pantheon. His name translates to "sky," and he is recognized as the Lord of the Heavens and the Father of the Gods. Anu is part of a divine triad alongside Enlil and Ea, believed to be instrumental in creating the universe. He resides in the highest level of heaven, where he governs with authority, conferring kingship and overseeing cosmic order, aided by the stars he created, known as the Soldiers of Anu. Anu's consorts varied across cultures; in Akkadian texts, he is associated with the goddess Antu, while Sumerian texts sometimes mention Urash and Ki. Despite his supreme status, Anu is portrayed as a distant figure, often more concerned with the universe's fate than human affairs. Temples dedicated to Anu, particularly in the ancient city of Uruk, served as cultural and religious centers, where significant festivals celebrated his prominence and engaged the community in rituals that honored his divine authority.
Anu (deity)
Symbols: Crown with horns; crown/turban on a throne; bull
Country: Mesopotamia
Mother: Kishar
Father: Anshar
Children: Gatumdug; Baba; Ningirsu; Adad; Enki; Girra; Nanna; Nergal; Inanna; Nanaya; Nidaba; Ninisinna; Ninkarrak; Ninmug; Ninnibru; Ninsumun; Nungal; Nuska
Anu was one of the earliest Mesopotamian gods, and he was originally the most important, supreme god. His name meant "sky," and he was the Lord of the Heavens, the sky god. Anu, who was the chief, along with the gods Enlil and Ea made up the highest triad of Mesopotamian deities. It was believed that he created the universe, either by himself or with Enlil and Ea.
As their chief, Anu was considered the Father of the Gods, and he lived in the uppermost level of heaven. Anu was also the heavenly arbiter or decision maker, who could confer kingship upon men and a higher status upon gods.
He ruled with the help of his army, the stars he had created in the heavens (called the Soldiers of Anu), whose purpose it was to punish the wicked. Numbers played an important role in ancient Babylonian society. Babylonians believed, for example, that every proper name could be written in numbers. Anu’s number name was the perfect number sixty. The god’s symbol was a crown with horns (a sign of strength), and sometimes it was a crown or turban (symbols of kingship) placed on a throne.
The god was called Anu by the Akkadians and An by the Sumerians. Sumerian texts name the goddess Urash as his consort, although later, his consort became the goddess of the earth, Ki. However, in Akkadian texts, his consort is the goddess Antu, whose name is derived from Anu’s. The Akkadians believed that Anu and Antu created both the underworld gods known as the Anunnaki as well as the seven evil demons known as the Utukki. Sometimes, Inanna, the goddess of love, is also described as Anu’s consort, and at other times, she is called his daughter.
Anu was perceived as a deity who was more remote than the other gods, and he resided almost always in the heavens and concerned himself more with the fate of the universe than of humankind. Over time, despite his popularity and supreme status, other gods took on more importance and took over some of his attributes. Some even took on his name—Anu—as a part of their own.
In Mythology
Early Mesopotamian texts do not describe any origin stories for Anu. But later texts say he was the son of Anshar and Kishar, who were considered the male and female principle, or the heavenly and earthly worlds. Anu lived in the third and highest level of heaven, and this place was also where he kept the bread and water of life, the food of immortality. Two gods, Tammuz and Ningizzida, guarded Anu’s heavenly abode.
One of Anu’s key roles was to be a heavenly arbiter. So when the hero Gilgamesh rebuffed the goddess Inanna, she went to Anu and told him that Gilgamesh had insulted her. The angry Inanna insisted that Anu give her the Bull of Heaven so that she could punish Gilgamesh by unleashing it on his land. And when the hero Adapa broke the wings of the South Wind in anger, it was Anu who called Adapa to heaven for judgment and decided his fate.
According to a Hittite and Hurrian myth, Alalu was initially the king of the gods. Alalu reigned for nine years until his powerful son Anu overpowered him and took over his throne. Alalu fled and sought refuge in the earth—that is, in the underworld. Anu also reigned for nine years until his son Kumarbi sought to overcome him. Anu tried to flee to the heavens, but Kumarbi pulled him down by his feet and bit off his testicles. Kumarbi started laughing in celebration of his victory. But Anu suggested his laughter might be premature, because Kumarbi hadn’t understood the consequences of his act. By swallowing Anu’s testicles, Kumarbi had been impregnated with the storm god Teshub, the river Aranzah, the god Tasmisu, and two other fearful deities. When the time came, Teshub in turn overthrew Kumarbi and became king of the gods. The Hurrians saw this constant struggle for supremacy as a metaphor for the cycle of nature, the struggle between Earth and sky.
Origins and Cults
Temples and shrines dedicated to Anu were spread all across Mesopotamia, but the ancient southeastern city of Uruk (called the City of Anu) served as the center of his cult. Here, Anu was at the head of the pantheon and frequently received offerings from the religious in the temple complex situated in the Anu District. The main highlight of the city is the Anu ziggurat (a large, stepped, pyramid-like temple tower), which was considered to be the largest ziggurat in southern Mesopotamia. Sometime in the thirty-first century BCE, the famous White Temple, with its gold, silver and copper work, was built atop it.
Two festivals celebrated the start of the new year in Uruk. Of the two, the festival held in the seventh month is the one that is the most well known. The festival lasted for eleven days and involved a grand procession. During the festival, the statues of the gods were taken out of the main temple’s sanctum sanctorum, with Anu the supreme god leading the way. The seven-stage procession went out of the Grand Gate and stopped at significant points before finally arriving at the Akitu temple. Along the way the king, priests, royalty, and others present recited prayers and performed other rites. On the ninth day of the festival, another procession started from the Akitu temple before bringing the gods back to their home in the main temple complex.
Another cult center of Anu was at Der, which was also called the City of Anu. In the twenty-second century BCE, Gudea, the ruler of a southern Mesopotamian state, built a temple to Anu in Lagash. And in the same century, King Ur-Nammu built a garden and shrine for Anu in Ur. Anu also had a presence in the Esagila temple complex, which was at the center of Mesopotamian religious life.
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