Enlil

ancient Mesopotamian god

Enlil (Sumerian:𒀭𒂗𒆤 dEN.LÍL, "Lord Storm") was the ancient Mesopotamian god of wind, air, earth, and storms. He is first attested as the chief deity of the Sumerian pantheon and plays a vital role in the Sumerian creation myth, but he was later worshipped by the Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians. He is also sometimes referred to in Sumerian texts as Nunamnir.

Enlil and Ninlil

Quotes

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Quotes about Enlil

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The shepherd adorns the plain with his ewes and lambs. [...] After Enlil had acted mightily thus, Enlil did not abandon us.
  • My king, lord Acimbabbar, you are on your throne because of Enlil. Youthful Suen, lord Acimbabbar, you are on your throne because of Enlil. I, the king, whose fate was already decreed in the true womb, who raises his head in authority, Ur-Namma, the youth who caught the eyes of the Great Mountain, Enlil, was chosen by Nunamnir in Sumer and Akkad. He decreed my fate in Nibru, in the mountain of life. He beamed at me approvingly and bestowed the kingship on me. In Urim, in the E-mud-kura, he made the foundation of my throne firm.
    • Variant from Ur: I, the king, whose fate was already decreed in the true womb, who raises his head in authority, Ur-Namma, the youth who caught the eyes of the Great Mountain, Enlil, was chosen by Nunamnir in Sumer and Akkad. He decreed my fate in Nibru, in the mountain of life. In Urim, in the E-mud-kura, he made the foundation of my throne firm. He placed the awesome crown, the adornment of kingship, on my head. He put the holy staff to guide the numerous people in my hand. [...] The shepherd's crook into my hand, and the nose-rope to lead the living.
    • Ur-Nammu, Ur-Namma the canal-digger (late 3rd millennium BC to early 2nd millennium BC), at The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature.
  • [Indra] is chief of the pantheon just as Enlil is chief of the pantheon. He supersedes a higher moral god just as Enlil supersedes a higher moral god. He separated heaven from earth, just as Enlil separated heaven from earth. He is a god of storm, both literally and figuratively, just as Enlil is a god of storm literally and figuratively. He conquers the enemies of the Aryans, just as Enlil similarly conquers enemies. Viṣṇu, who is noted to stride widely to the side in the battle against Vṛtrá, is referred to as Índra’s younger brother (Epic period and on), while Enki, who represents fresh water and fertile earth, is referred to as the younger brother of Enlil. Índra uses a net as a snare (AV 8.8.8), he shakes ripe fruit from trees as if with a hook (RV 3.45.4), and he cannot be stopped by bird catchers (RV 3.45.1). Enlil catches both birds and fish with nets. In other words, similar specific imagery is shared... In short, we hereby have a synchronism.
    • Levitt, S. H. (2012). Vedic-ancient Mesopotamian interconnections and the dating of the Indian tradition. Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 93, 137-192.

Anonymous

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Anonymous
  • Not only did the lord make the world appear in its correct form, the lord who never changes the destinies which he determines – Enlil – who will make the human seed of the Land come forth from the earth – and not only did he hasten to separate heaven from earth, and hasten to separate earth from heaven, but, in order to make it possible for humans to grow in "where flesh came forth" (𒍜𒌓𒁺𒀀) [the name of a cosmic location], he first raised the axis of the world at Dur-an-ki. He did this with the help of the hoe -- and so daylight broke forth. By distributing the shares of duty he established daily tasks, and for the hoe and the carrying-basket wages were even established. Then Enlil praised his hoe, his hoe wrought in gold, its top inlaid with lapis lazuli, his hoe whose blade was tied on with a cord, which was adorned with silver and gold. ... The lord evaluated the hoe, determined its future destiny and placed a holy crown on its head. [...] Here, in 'Where Flesh Came Forth', he set this very hoe to work; he had it place the first model of mankind in the brick mould. His Land started to break through the soil towards Enlil. He looked with favour at his black-headed people. Now the Anuna gods stepped forward to him, and did obeisance to him. They calmed Enlil with a prayer, for they wanted to demand the black-headed people from him. Ninmena, the lady who had given birth to the ruler, who had given birth to the king, now set human reproduction going.

Hymns

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  • Enlil has perfected for you your great and noble filial status and lordship. Enlil has made majestic divinity manifest for you. Determining a destiny for your flowing waters, the majestic lower waters, Enki from within the sacred bathing chamber has placed the good earth, the good mother, at your feet. Enlil has sired you in majesty and lordship.

    O Nanna, your crescent moon is called "the crescent moon of the seventh day". Enlil has made known throughout heaven and earth your name, which is a sacred name. Princely son, he has made your greatness manifest throughout heaven and earth. The majestic assembly has bestowed on you his status as Enlil.

Sumerian disputations

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Sumerian disputations

Sumerian proverbs

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Sumerian proverbs

See also

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