Ninhursag

English

Alternative forms

• Ninḫarsag
• Ninḫursaĝ
• Ninḫursaĝa

Etymology

Borrowed from Sumerian 𒀭𒎏𒄯𒊕 (Ninḫursaĝ).

Proper noun

Ninhursag

1. (Sumerian mythology) The Sumerian earth and mother goddess, one of the seven great deities of Sumer.

   Synonyms: Damgalnuna, Ninmah

   • 1963 [Penguin Books], S. H. Hooke, Middle Eastern Mythology, 2004, Dover Publications, page 33,

     The protagonists are the god Enki, the water-god, and the goddess Ninhursag, the earth-mother. […] The Myth goes on to relate that from the union of Enki and Ninhursag is born Ninsar, or Ninmu, the goddess of plants. Ninhursag′s period of gestation is described as lasting nine days, a day for each month of human gestation.

   • 2003, Lluís Feliu, translated by Wilfred G. E. Watson, The God Dagan in Bronze Age Syria, BRILL, page 91:

     In six texts of this corpus the goddess Ninḫursag appears, and of these six texts, only one records an issue exclusively for the goddess,¹⁷¹ the other issues are for Ninḫursag with other goddesses or with Dagan, the only male god to accompany her in any of the documents.

   • 2019, Steve Tinney, Enki and Ninhursag, Steve Tinney, Karen Sonik (editors), Journey to the City: A Companion to the Middle East Galleries at the Penn Museum, Penn Museum, page 85,

     As the text continues, Enki copulates with Ninhursag and she gives birth to a vegetation goddess named Ninnisig. Enki, seeing Ninnisig and desiring her, copulates with her as well, and she gives birth to another goddess, whom Enki also impregnates. The pattern continues until Ninhursag intervenes;

Translations

Sumerian goddess

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Further reading

• Tell al-'Ubaid on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

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