The first part of our poem, approximately one hundred lines, is too fragmentary for a reconstruction of its contents.
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| Sumer and god Enki |
Enki and the Divine Order of Sumer
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| enki_decrees_infographic |
When the poem becomes intelligible, Enki is decreeing the fate of Sumer:
O Sumer, great land, of the lands of the universe, Filled with steadfast brightness,
the people from sunrise to sunset obedient to the divine decrees, thy decrees are
exalted decrees, unreachable, thy heart is profound, unfathomable, thy . . . is like heaven, untouchable.
The king, begotten, adorns himself with lasting jewel, The lord, begotten, sets crown on
head, thy lord is an honored lord; with An, the king, he sits in the shrine of heaven, thy king is the great mountain, the father Enlil, Like . . . the father of all the lands.
"The Anunnaki, the great gods, in thy midst have taken up their dwelling place, in thy large groves they consume (their) food.
O house of Sumer, may thy stables be many, may thy cows multiply, may thy sheepfolds be many, may thy sheep be myriad, May thy.
stand, may thy steadfast . . . lift hand to heaven, May the Anunnaki decree the fates in thy midst.
Enki then goes to Ur, no doubt the capital of Sumer at the time our poem was composed, and decrees its fate: To Ur he came, Enki, king of the abyss, decrees the fate:
"O city, well-supplied, washed by much water, firm standing ox, Shrine of abundance of the land, knees opened, green like the 'mountain,' Hashur-forest, wide shade.. heroic, thy perfected decrees he has directed, the great mountain, Enlil, in the universe has uttered thy exalted name O thou city whose fates have been decreed by Enki, O thou shrine Ur, neck to heaven mayest Thou rise.
Enki’s Blessings on Meluhha and the Rivers
Enki then comes to Meluhha, the "black mountain," perhaps to be identified with the eastern coast of Africa.
Remarkably enough, Enki is almost as favorably disposed to this land as to Sumer itself.
He blesses its trees and reeds, its oxen and birds, its silver and gold, its bronze and copper, its human beings.
From Meluhha, Enki goes to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
He fills them with sparkling water and appoints the god Enbilulu, the "knower" of rivers, in charge.
Enki then fills the rivers with fishes and makes a deity described as the "son of Kesh" responsible for them.
He next turns to the sea (Persian Gulf), sets up its rules, and appoints the goddess Sirara in charge.
Enki now calls to the winds and appoints over them the god Ishkur, who has charge of the "silver lock of the 'heart' of heaven.
The plow and yoke, fields and vegetation, are next on the list
The plow and the yoke he directed, the great prince Enki caused the . . . ox to . . . To the pure crops he roared, In the steadfast field he made grain grow, The lord, the jewel and ornament of the plain,
The .. . farmer of Enlil, Enkimdu, him of the canals and ditches, Enki placed in their charge. The lord called to the steadfast field, he caused it to produce much grain, Enki made it bring forth its small and large beans,
grains he heaped up for the granary, Enki added granary to granary, With Enlil he increases abundance in the land; Her whose head is . . .. whose face is . . ., The lady who . . .. the might of the land, the steadfast support of the black-headed people, Ashnan, strength of all things, Enki placed in charge.
Enki now turns to the pickax and the brickmold and appoints the brick god Kabta in charge.
He then directs the building implement gugun,lays foundations and builds houses, and places them under the charge of Mushdamma, the "great builder of Enlil".
He then fills the plain with plant and animal life and places Sumugan, "king of the 'mountain',in control. Finally Enki builds stables and sheepfolds, fills them with milk and fat, and puts them in the care of the shepherd-god Dumuzi.
The rest of our text is destroyed and we do not know how the poem ends.
the people from sunrise to sunset obedient to the divine decrees, thy decrees are
exalted decrees, unreachable, thy heart is profound, unfathomable, thy . . . is like heaven, untouchable.
The king, begotten, adorns himself with lasting jewel, The lord, begotten, sets crown on
head, thy lord is an honored lord; with An, the king, he sits in the shrine of heaven, thy king is the great mountain, the father Enlil, Like . . . the father of all the lands.
"The Anunnaki, the great gods, in thy midst have taken up their dwelling place, in thy large groves they consume (their) food.
O house of Sumer, may thy stables be many, may thy cows multiply, may thy sheepfolds be many, may thy sheep be myriad, May thy.
stand, may thy steadfast . . . lift hand to heaven, May the Anunnaki decree the fates in thy midst.
The Decree Upon Ur: Shrine of Abundance
Enki then goes to Ur, no doubt the capital of Sumer at the time our poem was composed, and decrees its fate: To Ur he came, Enki, king of the abyss, decrees the fate:
"O city, well-supplied, washed by much water, firm standing ox, Shrine of abundance of the land, knees opened, green like the 'mountain,' Hashur-forest, wide shade.. heroic, thy perfected decrees he has directed, the great mountain, Enlil, in the universe has uttered thy exalted name O thou city whose fates have been decreed by Enki, O thou shrine Ur, neck to heaven mayest Thou rise.
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| Nannar's Ziggourat Temple in Ur |
Enki then comes to Meluhha, the "black mountain," perhaps to be identified with the eastern coast of Africa.
Remarkably enough, Enki is almost as favorably disposed to this land as to Sumer itself.
He blesses its trees and reeds, its oxen and birds, its silver and gold, its bronze and copper, its human beings.
From Meluhha, Enki goes to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
He fills them with sparkling water and appoints the god Enbilulu, the "knower" of rivers, in charge.
Enki then fills the rivers with fishes and makes a deity described as the "son of Kesh" responsible for them.
He next turns to the sea (Persian Gulf), sets up its rules, and appoints the goddess Sirara in charge.
Enki now calls to the winds and appoints over them the god Ishkur, who has charge of the "silver lock of the 'heart' of heaven.
The plow and yoke, fields and vegetation, are next on the list
Assigning Guardians to Elements of Civilization
The Divine Assignments of Enki’s Decrees
This table summarizes the gods appointed by Enki to oversee essential aspects of civilization in Sumerian mythology.
| Domain/Task | Assigned Deity | Divine Role |
|---|---|---|
| Rivers | Enbilulu | Oversees river flow and irrigation |
| Sea | Sirara | Governs the Persian Gulf |
| Winds | Ishkur | Controls storms and divine winds |
| Agriculture | Enkimdu | Manages canals and crop fields |
| Grain and Bread | Ashnan | Provides nourishment and grain |
| Construction | Kabta / Mushdamma | Directs bricks and architecture |
| Herding and Flocks | Dumuzi | Shepherd god of livestock |
The plow and the yoke he directed, the great prince Enki caused the . . . ox to . . . To the pure crops he roared, In the steadfast field he made grain grow, The lord, the jewel and ornament of the plain,
The .. . farmer of Enlil, Enkimdu, him of the canals and ditches, Enki placed in their charge. The lord called to the steadfast field, he caused it to produce much grain, Enki made it bring forth its small and large beans,
grains he heaped up for the granary, Enki added granary to granary, With Enlil he increases abundance in the land; Her whose head is . . .. whose face is . . ., The lady who . . .. the might of the land, the steadfast support of the black-headed people, Ashnan, strength of all things, Enki placed in charge.
Enki now turns to the pickax and the brickmold and appoints the brick god Kabta in charge.
He then directs the building implement gugun,lays foundations and builds houses, and places them under the charge of Mushdamma, the "great builder of Enlil".
He then fills the plain with plant and animal life and places Sumugan, "king of the 'mountain',in control. Finally Enki builds stables and sheepfolds, fills them with milk and fat, and puts them in the care of the shepherd-god Dumuzi.
The rest of our text is destroyed and we do not know how the poem ends.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the purpose of Enki's decrees?
A1: Enki’s decrees establish order in Sumer by assigning divine responsibilities to different gods, shaping civilization through structured domains.
Q2: Which cities are mentioned in the myth?
A2: Cities such as Sumer, Ur, and Meluhha are referenced as part of Enki’s journey to impose divine order and prosperity.
Q3: What domains did Enki organize?
A3: Enki organized rivers, agriculture, construction, livestock, grain, winds, and the sea—each assigned to specific gods.
Q4: Who is Enbilulu and what is his role?
A4: Enbilulu is the deity assigned by Enki to manage the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, ensuring the irrigation and flow of life in Sumer.
Q5: How does this myth reflect Sumerian society?
A5: The myth reflects a society that valued divine structure, agricultural order, and cosmic hierarchy, with gods overseeing all vital aspects of life.
Written by H. Moses
All rights reserved ©Mythology and History
All rights reserved ©Mythology and History
References
- Black, Jeremy, and Anthony Green. Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary. London: British Museum Press, 1992.
- Kramer, Samuel Noah. History Begins at Sumer: Thirty-Nine Firsts in Recorded History. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1981.
- Jacobsen, Thorkild. The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976.
- Dalley, Stephanie. Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
