by Josh Owens

Created on: March 15, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

NINURTA

Mesopotamian religion has played a part in molding many of the world's religious ideals and legends. Some believe that the roots of many of today's religions come from Mesopotamian roots. Of these religions Judaism, Islam and Christianity are all affected.
Ninurta was a God to the peoples of Sumer and Babylon. He was worshiped from around 3500BC-200BC. In Mesopotamian life he was the God of thunderstorms and the plough. In Sumer he was the God of farmers, thunder and war. Ninurta was the God of Nippur and he also appears in Akkadian mythology. Ninurta was a hero and a large factor in good versus evil battles. Ninurta is perceived as a youthful warrior. He is the son of Enlil and Ninhursaga, and the consort of Gula goddess of healing. Ninurta means "Lord of the Earth".

Ninurta started off as an eagle. He then asked his mom if he could have a head like a lion, and she gave him what he asked for. Having the head of a lion, this made him very aggressive. So his mother left his eagle wings and gave him a humanoid body in hopes that this would calm him down, but this did not do any good.
Ninurta is said to wear a horned helm and a skirt. He carries a weapon called Sarur. According to certain texts Sarur becomes personified, having its own intelligence and becomes the chief adversary of good versus evil with Ninurta wielding him. Surur is a double edged scimitar with a lions head on the hilt.
Ninurta is attributed with the creation of all mountains. The mountains were forged when he did battle with Asag.
Some of the heroic deeds of Ninurta include his challenge of the malignant dragon named Kur. Kur lives in the underworld. When the Tablets of Destiny were stolen by the storm-bird Zu, Ninurta retrieved them. The Tablets of Destiny were sacred tablets in Sumer. The Tablets of Destiny gave Ninurtas father Enlil his power to rule over humans. Some of the monsters that Ninurta defeated to get the tablets include the Palm Tree King, The Gymsum, The Dragon and Lord Saman-ana. When Zu or Anzu took the tablets Ninurta went to do battle with him. On the mountain side Anzu met Ninurta. Anzu looked at him and shook with rage at him, barred his teeth like a demon, and he roared "I have taken away every single rite and I am in charge of all the Gods. Who are you to come and do battle against me?" Ninurta answered "I have come to do battle against you, to trample on you!" The battle started and Ninurta was victorious.
There are often three or more versions to the stories about Ninurta.
He is represented in different religions, with different names. In Sumer, the water God Enki, whose parallel among Greek Gods is Poseidon, is related to Ninurta. Ninurta is is also the prototype of the Babylonian God Marduk, and Inanna is the counter part of Semitic Ishtar. Ninurta has also been associated with Nimrod, who was Noah's grandson in the Christian religion. Ninurta was a popular God, and he was worshipped by many different religions, under different names.

Bibliography

1. Dalley, Stephanie Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the flood, Gilgamesh, and others Oxford University Press. Oxford,1989(pg 213)

2. Jordan, Michael Encyclopedia of Gods Facts on file Inc. New York, NY 1993 (pg 186-187)

3. Kramer, Samuel Noah Sumerian Mythology: A Study of Spiritual and Literary Achievement in the Third Millennium BC. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, PA 1972(pg 77-78)

4. Lindemans, Micah Encyclopedia Mythica May 1997.

5. Williams, Yona Exploring Enlil and His Worthy Son, Ninurta. Religion articles unexplainable.net 2007.

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