Welcome to the Sumerian Family Trees page, where the relationships of the Sumerian gods come to life. Explore the intricate family trees of Sumerian mythology, where gods shaped the cosmos and humanity.
Table Of Contents
- Introduction
- Ab and Ziku: Abzu, Namma
- Abzu and Namma: Gestu, An, Ki
- An and Ki: Enlil, Ninhursag, Enki, Gatumdug, Nunbarshegunu
- Enki and Ninhursag: Ninsar, Ninkurru, Uttu
- Enki and Ninsun: Dumuzi, Belili
- Enlil and Ninhursag: Emes, Enten, Ninurta
- Haia and Nunbarshegunu: Ninlil
- Enlil and Ninlil: Nanna, Nergal, Ninazu, Enbilulu
- Nanna and Ningal: Ereshkigal, Inanna, Utu, Ishkur, Numushda
- Explore Additional Deities’ Summaries and Details
- References
Sumerian Family Trees Hierarchies Overview
The Sumerian pantheon hierarchies were crafted with deep reverence for historical accuracy, drawing on a wealth of scholarly research. Recognizing the nuances and variations in ancient texts and traditions, we carefully examined each source to uncover the shared threads that define these divine relationships.
We’ve created detailed hierarchical trees for deities with strong scholarly consensus illuminating their roles and connections within the pantheon. These visual guides offer a clear and engaging way to explore the intricate bonds between the gods and goddesses, revealing the profound structure of Sumerian mythology.
Ab and Ziku: Abzu, Namma
In Sumerian mythology, Ab, the god of Wisdom, and Ziku, the goddess of Primordial Essence, were sometimes viewed as the primordial creators of everything. Their children, Abzu and Namma, were thought to represent sweet and salt waters, essential forces of creation.
However, interpretations of this family tree vary greatly, with minimal consensus among scholars and sources.
Ab – god of Wisdom
Ziku – goddess of Primordial Essence and Spirit In All Things
Abzu – god of the Underground Cavern of Sweet Water
Namma – goddess of Primordial Salt Waters
Abzu and Namma: Gestu, An, Ki
Abzu, the god of Sweet Waters, and Namma, the goddess of Salt Waters, are central figures in Sumerian creation myths. Their union birthed powerful deities, including Gestu, the god of Wisdom; An, the god of Heaven; and Ki, the goddess of Earth.
Together, these children shaped the cosmos and laid the foundation for existence. However, the full extent of their divine family remains unclear, with many details lost or debated in Sumerian lore.
Abzu – god of the Underground Cavern of Sweet Water
Namma – goddess of Primordial Salt Waters
Gestu – god of Wisdom
An – god of Sky, Heaven
Ki – goddess of Earth
An and Ki: Enlil, Ninhursag, Enki, Gatumdug, Nunbarshegunu
An, the god of Heaven, and Ki, the goddess of Earth, were revered as the divine parents in Sumerian mythology.
Their children included Ninhursag, the goddess of fertility and wildlife; Enlil, the god of storms and agriculture; and Enki, the god of wisdom and water. Other offspring, such as Gatumdug, the goddess of healing, and Nunbarshegunu, the goddess of justice and scribal arts, added to their illustrious lineage.
Despite these known figures, the complete scope of An and Ki’s family remains uncertain, with gaps and variations in surviving myths.
An – god of Sky, Heaven
Ki – goddess of Earth
Ninhursag – goddess of Earth, Animals, Wildlife, Birth, Fertility
Enlil – god of Air, Earth, Storms, Wind, Agriculture
Enki – god of Water, Fish, Justice, Wisdom, Magic, Shipmenders, Crafts, Healing, Fertility, Art, Exorcism
Gatumdug – goddess of Fertility, Healing
Nunbarshegunu – goddess of Flood, Justice, Grain, Scribal Arts, Writing, Accounting, Surveying, Wisdom
Enki and Ninhursag: Ninsar, Ninkurru, Uttu
Enki – god of Water, Fish, Justice, Wisdom, Magic, Shipmenders, Crafts, Healing, Fertility, Art, Exorcism
Ninhursag – goddess of Earth, Animals, Wildlife, Birth, Fertility
Ninsar – goddess of Plants
Ninkurru – goddess of Land, Artisans, Sculptors
Uttu – goddess of Plants, Weaving, Earth
Enki and Ninsun: Dumuzi, Belili
Enki – god of Water, Fish, Justice, Wisdom, Magic, Shipmenders, Crafts, Healing, Fertility, Art, Exorcism
Ninsun – goddess of Wild Cows
Belili – goddess of Moon, Underworld, Love, Trees, Wells and Springs, Wine
Dumuzi – god of Fertility, Grain, Flocks and Herds, Underworld
Enlil and Ninhursag: Emes, Enten, Ninurta
Enlil – god of Air, Earth, Storms, Wind, Agriculture
Ninhursag – goddess of Earth, Animals, Wildlife, Birth, Fertility
Emes – god of Summer, Vegetation
Enten – god of Winter, Fertility, Farming
Ninurta – god of Law, Scribal Arts, Writing, War, Healing, Hunting, Farming
Haia and Nunbarshegunu: Ninlil
Haia – god of Store-Houses, Scribal Arts, Grains, Door-keeper
Nunbarshegunu – goddess of Flood, Justice, Grain, Scribal Arts, Writing, Accounting, Surveying, Wisdom
Ninlil – goddess of Grain, Air, Healing
Enlil and Ninlil: Nanna, Nergal, Ninazu, Enbilulu
Enlil – god of Air, Earth, Storms, Wind, Agriculture
Ninlil – goddess of Grain, Air, Healing
Nanna – god of Moon, Calendars, Fertility, Cattle
Nergal – god of War, Pestilence, Fire, Battle, Desert, Death, Underworld
Ninazu – god of Boundaries, Magic, Healing
Enbilulu – god of Canals, Rivers, Irrigation, Farming
Nanna and Ningal: Ereshkigal, Inanna, Utu, Ishkur, Numushda
Nanna – god of Moon, Calendars, Fertility, Cattle
Ningal – goddess of the Moon, Fertility
Ereshkigal – goddess of the Underworld as Queen of The Dead
Ishkur – god of Storm, Wind
Inanna – goddess of Fertility, Love, War, Procreation
Utu – god of the Sun, Justice
Numushda – god of Flooding
References
The information presented on this page has been carefully gathered from the following trusted sources.
- Arthur Cotterell, Oxford Dictionary of World Mythology (Oxford University Press, 1997)
- Faculty of Oriental Studies, The ETCSL Project (The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, 2006) https://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/
- Matt Clayton, Sumerian Mythology: Captivating Myths Of Gods, Goddesses, And Legendary Creatures of Ancient Sumer and Their Importance To The Sumerians (Captivating History, 2019)
- Samuel Noah Kramer, Sumerian Mythology: A Study of Spiritual And Literary Achievement in the Third Millenium B.C. (General Press, 2021)
- Samuel Noah Kramer, The Sumerians Their History, Culture, and Character (The University of Chicago Press, 1963)