Pantheon:
Deity Of:
Earth, Animals, Wildlife, Birth, Fertility
Archetype:
Great Mother
Creator
Group:
Anunnaki
Other Names (a.k.a.):
Aruru, Damgalnuna, Damgalnunna, Dingirmah, Lady of the Great Mountain, Lady of the Mountain, Lady of the Wild Hills, Mami, Nin Mar Ki, Nin Me En, Ningikuga, Ningikugal, Ningursag, Ninharsag, Ninhursag, Ninhursaga, Ninhursagga, Ninimma, Nin-Imma, Ninkharsag, Ninkhursag, Ninmah, Ninmar, Ninmena, Ninna, Ninsikil, Ninskilla, Nintu, Nintur, Nintua Kalamma, Nintuama Kalamma, Virgin Lady
Other Pantheons:
Babylonian = Damkina, Mylitta
Akkadian = Belet-Ili
Egyptian = Hathor
She was the goddess of the mountains and wildlife, especially in the foothills and deserts. Was connected to wild animals, especially deer and mountains.
Ninhursag was a mother goddess, known for fertility, childbirth, and nurturing life.
She created humans and gods and was seen as a protector, especially of children and mothers.
Siblings:
Enki – god of Water, Fish, Justice, Wisdom, Magic, Shipmenders, Crafts, Healing, Fertility, Art, Exorcism
Enlil – god of Air, Earth, Storms, Wind, Agriculture
Gatumdug – goddess of Fertility, Healing
Nunbarshegunu – goddess of Flood, Justice, Grain, Scribal Arts, Writing, Accounting, Surveying, Wisdom
Consorts:
Sulpae – god of Wildlife, Fertility, and Sky. Also god of Feasts and Good Times
Enki – god of Water, Fish, Justice, Wisdom, Magic, Shipmenders, Crafts, Healing, Fertility, Art, Exorcism
Enlil – god of Air, Earth, Storms, Wind, Agriculture
Children:
Ninhursag and Sulpae
Ashshirgi – god of Protection – tutelary god of Adab and Kesh
Lisin – goddess of god or goddess of Fire
Mululil – god of Scholars, a Dying god, god of Adab
Ninhursag and Enlil
Emes – god of Summer, Vegetation
Enten – god of Winter, Fertility, Farming
Ninurta – god of Law, Scribal Arts, Writing, War, Healing, Hunting, Farming
Children:
Ninhursag and Enki
Ningal – goddess of Moon
Ninsikila – goddess of god or goddess of Purity
Ninsar – goddess of Plants
Children:
Gods created by Ninhursag to heal Enki
Abu – god of Plants, Vegetation
Nintul – god of Protection of Magan
Ninsutu – goddess of Healing
Ninkasi – goddess of Fulfilling Wishes, Beer, Wine
Nanshe – goddess of Sea, Fish and Fishing, Marshlands, Divination, Dream Interpretation, Justice, Social Welfare
Azimua – goddess of a Scribe Of The Underworld
Ninti – goddess of Calendars
Enshagag – god of Dilmun, was appointed by Enki as Lord of Dilmun
Ninhursaga was depicted seated upon or near mountains.
Her hair was sometimes shaped like the symbol omega (Ω). This symbol may have represented a stylized womb, associated with fertility and motherhood.
In one pre-Sargonic depiction from Girsu, she sat on “scale-like” mountains with a flat crown and omega-shaped hair.
She often wore a horned head-dress and a tiered skirt.
She was associated with deer, which appeared in the art of her temples and plaques.
Weapons:
None Known
Sacred Animals:
Deer and other wildlife, especially those of the foothills and deserts, were sacred to Ninhursag.
At times two stags accompanied an Igmud-eagle, another sign for Ninhursag
The Igmud eagle, also known as the Imdugud or Anzu bird, was a mythical creature in Mesopotamian mythology. Often depicted as a massive bird, sometimes with a lion’s head. It was a symbol of strength and power.
Symbolism:
The omega symbol (Ω) was associated with Ninhursag, symbolizing fertility and motherhood.
Sumerians used the omega symbol (Ω) long before Greeks chose it for their alphabet. We call it omega symbol here, not because Sumerians called it omega, but because it is what its known as now.
She was linked to the earth and life creation.
Celestial Associations:
She was connected to the planet Earth.
Realms:
Ninhursag was associated with mountains, wild, untamed lands, and places where wildlife thrived.
She was connected to the earthly paradise of Dilmun, where she and Enki resided.
Worship Places:
The “House of Mountain Deeps” or E-Kur temple was situated in Eridu.
People also worshipped Ninhursag in temples at Adab and Kish.
She also had a temple in Nippur during the Ur III period.
Shrines dedicated to Ninhursag were established in Kish.
Once the highest-ranking female deity, Ninhursag’s status was later overtaken by Ninlil.
Rituals & Divinations:
Typical Sumerian worship included offerings, hymns, and prayers to honor the goddess.
A door socket inscribed with a curse from Ninhursag and Samas threatened anyone who removed it, demonstrating reverence and fear of the deity’s power.
Festivals:
None Known
Fertility and creation were central themes in her mythos. She represented the earth’s ability to produce life, even in harsh, stony areas.
Her myths often involved themes of motherhood, nurturing, and the cycle of life and death.
In the story of “Enki and Ninhursag,” she cured Enki after he ate the forbidden plants by giving birth to healing deities.
As Aruru, she created Enkidu, the companion of Gilgamesh, from clay and saliva.
In the “Anzu Epic,” she supported her son Ninurta, demonstrating her protective and nurturing nature.
Ninhursaga played a crucial role in shaping the destinies of gods and humans alike, often acting as a mediator and healer.
Visit All Sumerian Gods & Goddesses
- Arthur Cotterell, Oxford Dictionary of World Mythology (Oxford University Press, 1997)
- Giovanni Pettinato, Ninhursaga (Encyclopedia of Religion, 2005) https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ninhursaga
- J.A. Coleman, The Dictionary of Mythology: An A-Z of Themes, Legends, and Heroes (Barnes & Noble, Inc., 2007)
- Joshua J. Mark, Ninhursag (World History Encyclopedia, 26 January 2017)) http:// https://www.worldhistory.org/Ninhursag/
- Matt Clayton, Sumerian Mythology: Captivating Myths Of Gods, Goddesses, And Legendary Creatures of Ancient Sumer and Their Importance To The Sumerians (Captivating History, 2019)
- Multiple Authors, Ningikuga (Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, 20 November 2022) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ningikuga
- Multiple Authors, Ninhursag (Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, 30 December 2023) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninhursag
- Pettinato, Giovanni, Ninhursaga (Encyclopedia.com, 2005) https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ninhursaga
- Thinley Kalsang Bhutia, Ninhursag (Britannica Encyclopedia, 02 May, 2018) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ninhursag