Ninhursag (deity)
Ninhursag is a significant mother goddess from ancient Mesopotamian mythology, revered as one of the seven great deities of Sumer. Her name translates to "lady of the sacred mountain," reflecting her association with nature and the wilderness, where she is considered the mother of both wild and domesticated animals. Ninhursag embodies fertility, birth, and nurturing, often depicted as a midwife and protector of life. While her specific parentage is not well-documented, she is linked with several important deities, including Enki, the god of wisdom and water, and has many divine offspring, like Ninmu, the goddess of plants, and various deities of healing.
Her mythology is rich, highlighting her interactions with Enki, which resulted in the introduction of disease to the land of Dilmun, a paradise that lacked water. Ninhursag's temples were established across Mesopotamia from the 30th century BCE to the 1st millennium BCE, with notable cult centers in cities like Kesh and Tell al-Ubaid. Her worship emphasized themes of fertility, healing, and the essential role of water in sustaining life, making her a central figure in the spiritual and cultural practices of the ancient Sumerians. Icons of Ninhursag often feature symbolic elements such as her omega-shaped hair, a horned headdress, and sometimes a mace, reflecting her powerful maternal and protective qualities.
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Ninhursag (deity)
Symbols: Lion; sign similar to the Omega
Country: Mesopotamia
Children: Ninmu; Abu; Nintul; Ninsutu; Ninkasi; Dazimua; Enshagag; Ninti; Ninurta
Ninhursag was a popular and prominent Mesopotamian mother goddess, and one of the seven great deities of ancient Sumer. Her name means lady of the sacred mountain and legend has it that her son Ninurta changed her name from Ninmah to Ninhursag when he created the mountains. She was the lady of the uncultivated hills, mother to wild and herd animals. As the mother goddess she was seen as the mother of all (divine and human), the goddess of birth, a fertility goddess who was sometimes portrayed as a midwife.
Nothing much is known about Ninhursag’s divine parentage, but she was the female counterpart to many gods, including Enki, Enlil, and Shulpae to name a few. Her association with Shulpae was tied to her power to produce wildlife, whether in the desert or in the mountains and hills. There is a popular myth about her union with Enki, the god of wisdom, magic, and water, which ends in disease being introduced into Dilmun, the land where the gods dwelled.
The goddess’s children were many, but the most often recorded are Ninmu (also called Ninsar), the goddess of plants, the god Ninurta, and the eight deities of healing she created—Abu, Nintul, Ninsutu, Ninkasi, Dazimua, Enshagag, and Ninti. Ninti, Lady Rib, seems to be a pun on the name Lady Life, which also happened to be one of Ninhursag’s titles as the giver of life.
In ancient Mesopotamian many goddesses embodied the mother goddess and fertility goddess aspects and their functions overlapped significantly with Ninhursag’s. At times these goddesses are also considered alternative names for Ninhursag. They included Nintu, Ninmah, Mamma/Mami, Aruru, Belet-Ili, Damgulanna, and Damkina.
Ninhursag’s hair is often shown in an omega-like shape and sometimes she wears a horned headdress, tiered skirt, and has bow cases at her shoulders. At times she carries a mace or a stick with the omega-like symbol on it, and is shown with a leashed lion cub. The omega-like symbol is thought to represent a uterus and is sometimes accompanied by the image of a knife, which could be interpreted as a tool that is used to cut the umbilical cord after birth.
In Mythology
According to a popular Sumerian myth, Enki and Ninhursag both resided in Dilmun, a paradise-like land where there was no sickness, no death, no old age, no barrenness, and animals live peacefully with all. The only thing lacking was water and Ninhursag requested Enki, as the water god, to provide some. From their union their daughter Ninmu, the goddess of plants, was born. It was said Ninhursag gestated for nine days, each day corresponding to one month of human pregnancy.
Enki then committed incest and impregnated Ninmu, who gave birth to the goddess Ninkurra, who Enki also impregnated. Ninkurra in turn gave birth to Uttu, goddess of weaving. Ninhursag then warned Uttu about drawing Enki’s attention and advised her on what to do. So when Enki approached Uttu, the goddess demanded presents of apples, cucumbers, and grapes. Enki brought the offerings and Uttu agreed to sleep with him. Eight plants sprang from their union, but before Ninhursag could give them their names and qualities, Enki quickly ate them. Angry, Ninhursag leveled a terrible curse on Enki and the god was stricken ill with eight diseases in eight different parts of his body (they are commonly believed to be the jaw, teeth, mouth, throat, hip, rib, limbs, and his side).
The gods grew worried as Enki became very weak and the land started to dry up and turn to dust. A cunning fox was sent to persuade Ninhursag to return and cure Enki. Ninhursag did so by creating the eight deities of healing, one for each diseased part of Enki’s body.
The myth shows how water was a life-giving, important natural force for ancient Mesopotamians. Without water, crops would wither and die, so Enki’s gift of water in Dilmun, a paradise devoid of water, takes on particular significance. It also talks about how diseases came to be and the emphasis Mesopotamians placed on curing individual diseases.
Origins & Cults
The mother goddess in her various avatars was worshiped all over Mesopotamia. Her cult was present from the thirtieth century BCE all the way to the first millennium BCE. Ninhursag in particular had temples at Kesh/Kish, Lagash, Eridu, and Tell Obeid. The Kesh sanctuary was the center of her cult from the thirtieth century BCE to about the seventeenth century BCE. It then lost its popularity to nearby Adab.
Tell al-Ubaid was a prosperous Sumerian city, and the temple there was dedicated to Ninhursag in 2500 BCE. The temple was set on a terrace enclosed by an oval wall. It was guarded by eight copper-skinned lions and on its façade hung an eight-food frieze made out of copper that depicted a lion-headed eagle with antlered stags on either side. Another frieze made out of shells showed the milking of cows, which was the livelihood of many people in the region.
Many Mesopotamian kings called themselves "beloved of Ninhursag" and said they had been nourished by her milk. According to a Babylonian investiture ritual, Ninhursag as the goddess Ninmenna was the one who placed the gold crown on the king’s head in the Eanna temple.
Bibliography
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Brisch, Nicole. "Mother Goddess (Ninmah, Nintud/r, Belet-ili)." Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses. Oracc and the UK Higher Education Academy, 2013. Web. 2 Feb. 2016.
Coulter, Charles, and Patricia Turner. Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. London: Routledge, 2012. Print.
Hooke, S. Middle Eastern Mythology. New York: Dover, 2004. Print.
Kynard, Troy. The Esoteric Codex: Mesopotamian Deities. Raleigh: Lulu.com, 2015. Print.
Leick, Gwendolyn. A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology. London: Routledge, 1991. Print.
Monaghan, Patricia. Encylopedia of Goddesses and Heroines. Novato: New World, 2009. Print.