Summary page for Nunbarshegunu, the Sumerian goddess of scribal arts, accounting, and writing.
Pantheon:
Deity Of:
Flood, Justice, Grain, Scribal Arts, Writing, Accounting, Surveying, Wisdom
Archetype:
Harvest Deity: Oversaw grain cultivation and agricultural management.
Sage: Represented wisdom, literacy, and creative inspiration.
Group:
Anunnaki: The Anunnaki often represented order and governance, and Nisaba’s function as the scribe of the gods and keeper of records fit within their overarching responsibilities in maintaining cosmic balance and law.
Other Names (a.k.a.):
Lady of wisdom, Nanse, Nanshe, Nina, Nisaba, Nissaba, Nunbarsegunu, Professor of Great Wisdom, Unsurpassed Overseer
Other Pantheons:
Compared to Seshat, the Egyptian goddess of writing and record-keeping.
Revered as a goddess of grain, writing, and scribal arts.
Began as a grain deity overseeing agriculture and food distribution.
She transitioned into a patroness of literacy, accounting, and record-keeping.
Served as the scribe of the gods, managing divine and mortal records.
Symbolized wisdom, knowledge, and the power of writing in ancient culture.
She linked agriculture, particularly grain, with knowledge and writing.
Ancient Sumerians believed she gave wisdom to rulers and helped scribes learn their craft.
Her symbols, like the lapis lazuli tablet and golden stylus, represented her authority in both farming and scholarly activities.
Parents:
Ki – goddess of Earth
An – god of Sky, Heaven
Her parentage is not regarded as fixed in ancient traditions; in some accounts, she is confirmed to be the daughter of An.
Siblings:
If her parents are An and Ki, then her siblings would be:
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
Ninhursag – goddess of Earth, Animals, Wildlife, Birth, Fertility
Consorts:
Haia – god of Storehouses, Scribal Arts, Grains, Doorkeeper
Children:
Ninlil – goddess of Grain, Air, Healing
Often depicted with plants or grain, symbolizing her agricultural role.
Shown crowned with vegetation, highlighting her connection to agriculture.
She was described as holding a golden stylus and a lapis lazuli tablet, reflecting her role in writing and accounting.
Represented in the “Dream of Gudea” as studying a starry clay tablet.
She appeared on cylinder seals linked to construction and temple building.
Textual descriptions emphasize her dual roles in agriculture and literacy.
Weapons:
Nunbarshegunu had no weapons or warlike associations.
She embodied wisdom, agriculture, and literacy, not martial attributes.
Sacred Animals:
She was called the “great wild cow,” symbolizing her nurturing nature.
Linked to “wild sheep,” reflecting her agricultural and pastoral roles.
Symbolism:
She was represented as a stalk of grain, signifying her role as a grain goddess.
Associated with barley, earning the epithet “Lady Whose Body is the Flecked Barley.”
Symbols included a lapis lazuli tablet and a golden stylus, representing writing and wisdom.
The phrase “The Lady – in the place where she approaches there is writing” emphasized her influence on literacy and record-keeping.
Celestial Associations:
Linked to the starry heavens, symbolizing her connection to divine knowledge.
She was described as “colored like the stars of heaven” in Mesopotamian texts.
Depicted studying a clay tablet with starry heavens in the “Dream of Gudea.”
Realms:
Nunbarshegunu was connected to the realm of agriculture, especially grain.
She was also tied to the realm of wisdom and writing, overseeing these aspects in ancient Sumerian society.
Worship Places:
Eresh (Esagin): Her primary temple, called the “House of Lapis Lazuli.”
Nippur: Worshiped actively at the temple of her daughter, Ninlil.
Mesopotamian Sanctuaries: Sanctuaries with libraries and scribal houses honored her across Mesopotamia.
Her worship spanned from around 2000 BCE to 1750 BCE.
Rituals & Divinations:
Writing and composition were acts of devotion honoring her gifts.
Scribes invoked her for inspiration and guidance in their work.
Scribal tablets often ended with the phrase, “Praise be to Nisaba!”
Young scribes credited her with their talent, calling themselves her creation.
Scribes ended their writings with praises to her, showing respect and worship.
She was believed to possess a lapis lazuli tablet with “heavenly writing.”
The tablet symbolized divine knowledge and wisdom. It was linked to consulting constellations for agricultural guidance.
Nunbarshegunu gained a new role in exorcisms, connecting her to purification rituals.
Festivals:
Festivals in her honor marked the calendar, aligning with the agricultural cycle to celebrate the harvest and the sowing of seeds.
During these times, the community came together to offer grains and other products of the earth, seeking her blessings for bountiful harvests and the spread of knowledge.
Mythology Themes
Represented themes of agriculture, literacy, and divine wisdom in Sumerian culture.
In myths, Nunbarshegunu acted as a scribe and accountant for the gods.
Samuel Noah Kramer highlighted Nanshe’s (aka Nunbarshegunu or Nisaba) role in ethical and moral conduct. Advocating for justice, caring for orphans and widows, and judging mankind.
Mythology Stories with Mentions of Nunbarshegunu
Linked to stories about Sud/Ninlil’s marriage to Enlil. Mentioned as the mother of Sud/Ninlil in divine familial narratives.
She played a vital role in the story of Enlil and Sud, helping Enlil marry her daughter Sud, later known as Ninlil.
Visit All Sumerian Gods & Goddesses
- J.A. Coleman, The Dictionary of Mythology: An A-Z of Themes, Legends, and Heroes (Barnes & Noble, Inc., 2007)
- 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, Nisaba (Wikipedia.com, November 30, 2023)
- Samuel Noah Kramer, The Sumerians Their History, Culture, and Character (The University of Chicago Press, 1963)
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Nissaba (Britannica Encyclopedia, April 01, 2016)
- Faculty of Oriental Studies, A hymn to Nisaba (Nisaba A) (The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, 2003)
- Joshua J Mark, Nisaba (World History Encyclopedia, 23 January 2017)