Pantheon:
Deity Of:
Primordial Earth
Archetype:
Earth Mother
Group:
Anunnaki
Other Names (a.k.a.):
Ki-Urash, Uraš, Uras, Urash
Other Pantheons:
Babylonian = Antu
Greek = Gaia
Ki stood for the earth.
She was a powerful earth goddess and the main partner of An, the sky god.
At first, Ki and An were together, showing how the sky and earth were one.
Their son Enlil split them apart, which made the sky and earth separate places.
Ki organized the universe, took part in the creation of man, and established civilization.
Consorts:
An – god of Sky, Heaven
Children:
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
Ninhursaga – goddess of Earth, Animals, Wildlife, Birth, Fertility
Nunbarshegunu – goddess of Flood, Justice, Grain, Scribal Arts, Writing, Accounting, Surveying, Wisdom
Ki symbolized the earth. The cuneiform sign for Ki was used to denote earth and related concepts.
She was often linked with fertility and creation.
Her images showed plants and animals, representing life’s creation.
Even though her iconography is limited. In art, Ki would have been depicted as nurturing and motherly.
Weapons:
None Known
Sacred Animals:
Ki created all animals and wildlife. She did not have any specific sacred animals.
Symbolism:
Ki was a symbol of the earth itself.
The cuneiform sign for Ki meant “earth.” This sign also meant things like “hearth, home fire,” “army,” and “threshing floor, place where grain is separated.” It showed how she was connected to different parts of life on earth.
Celestial Associations:
Earth
Realms:
Ki ruled over the earth. This happened after she and An split up, with An taking the heavens.
Her kingdom included everything on earth, like making life and taking care of it.
Worship Places:
Ki did not have any temples or specific places of worship dedicated to her.
However, Urash, often associated with Ki, had her temple in Nippur.
Rituals & Divinations:
As a mother goddess, offerings for fertility and the earth’s bounty were probably common.
Festivals:
None Known
Creation: Main theme associated with Ki was the creation, as she was believed to be the life giver.
In the myth ‘Separation of Heaven and Earth,’ Ki and An were united together. Then their son Enlil split them up. Thus, Ki took care of the earth and An took the sky.
Visit All Sumerian Gods & Goddesses
- Ki Goddess (Academic-Accelerator.com) https://academic-accelerator.com/encyclopedia/ki-goddess
- J.A. Coleman, The Dictionary of Mythology: An A-Z of Themes, Legends, and Heroes (Barnes & Noble, Inc., 2007)
- Multiple Authors, Ki (goddess) (Wikipedia.com, September 14, 2023) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ki_(goddess)
- Multiple Authors, Uraš (Wikipedia.com, November 25, 2023) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ura%C5%A1
- Saugat Adhikari, Top 10 Sumerian Gods and Goddesses (AncientHistoryLists.com, September 2, 2022) https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/mesopotamia-history/top-sumerian-gods-goddesses/