| ENLIL: In
Sumerian mythology, Enlil (Bel) is a powerful creator god who is exiled to
the underworld for raping Ninlil, a young virgin. Enlil had been the
lord of heaven and earth and was ruler of the seas, the winds and all living
creatures, but he had been tempted by a beautiful maiden bathing in the
enchanted waters of a clear river. The girl's mother, the goddess
Nunbarshegunu, had hoped Enlil would see the girl and want her for his
bride. But when Enlil beholds the naked beauty, he is overcome with
desire and seizes the girl. Ninlil begs him not to molest her, telling
him she is a virgin. Enlil ignores her pleas and rapes her on the
riverbank, impregnating her with his son.
Upon learning what has happened, the
outraged Nunbarshegunu demands that her daughter's honor be avenged.
She and the other deities force Enlil into the underworld as punishment for
his cruelty. In some legends, Ninlil joins him in the abyss and gives
birth to his child, Sin, god of the moon. (o)
ENLIL: Enlil (also
called Bel) is the master of heaven and creator of all living things
according to Akkadian/Sumerian mythology. Ancient legend tells that
Enlil, god of wind and storms, and fellow deity An, lord of the sky,
routinely met to decide the fate of human beings. Over time, Enlil
began absorbing An's importance and eventually became supreme. he then
had exclusive power over fate in this world and the next.
Some legends claim that Enlil once lived
in paradise but decided he would prefer life in the material world. He
descended to the earth and took up residence with his creatures. This
blissful existence ceased, however, when the god became infatuated with a
young girl named Ninlil whom he saw bathing in a stream. Overcome by
her beauty and by his lust, Enlil raped the girl. The other gods,
hearing of his vile deed, forced Enlil into the underworld and forbade him
from ever returning to heaven or earth. (In some versions, Ninlil
joins him there after discovering that she is soon to bear his child.)
The ancient Sumerians feared Enlil's
ability to bring devastating storms and held frequent rituals to appease the
god and beg for his divine protection. At his temple in the city of
Nippur, worshipers chanted their belief that his domain of heaven was
integrally connected to the land of the living. One pray states:
"Without lord Enlil, the great mountain, no cities would be raised....no
high priest born....The birds of Heaven would not nest on the wide earth."
After the Babylonian conquest, both An and
Enlil were supplanted by MARDUK, the chief of the Babylonian pantheon.
Enlil is also mentioned as the afterlife guardian in the Epic of Gilgamesh,
an ancient poem about the exploits of a great cultural hero. (p)
Resource List - all entries are taken verbatim from the
original source:
(o) "The Encyclopedia of Hell."
Miriam Van Scott. St. Martin's Press. ©1998
(p) "The Encyclopedia of Heaven." Miriam Van
Scott. St. Martin's Press. ©1999
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