Enlil was the recognized "God of the Wind" of Mesopotamia, being of great relevance for the time and a member of the triad of gods, together with his parents, An and Ki, Gods of Heaven and Earth.
It is known that Enlil reached the earth before it was occupied by humans and that, after taking a tool in his hands, known as a hoe, he proceeded to hit the ground and from the opening that resulted the men emerged.
Caricature of the god Enlil. Image taken from
Therefore, Enlil is the creator of human beings, but at the same time and due to his acts arising from his strong temperament, he came to threaten the lives of many of them through natural phenomena.
It is known from one of the poems created at the time that Enlil was honored as the god who caused a flood. This phenomenon had the purpose of extinguishing human life since they caused too much noise and did not allow it to rest.
Etymology
Enlil was an important god in the religion of Mesopotamia, which is why his name has Sumerian roots. According to the writings of the time, the name Enlil comes from the combination of the terms 'EN' and 'LIL', each of which has a different meaning.
'EN', according to the Sumerian language, refers to 'Lord'. In turn, 'LIL' means 'Storm' or 'Wind', thereby giving the name of 'Lord of the Wind' or 'God of the Wind'. A name very in keeping with the powers attributed to Enlil. Among its faculties was the ability to increase or decrease the intensity of the wind, always depending on the strong temperament of the Sumerian deity.
Another meaning attributed to Enlil's name is based on a summary root -Lil, whose meaning is God, a conception that was associated with mountains. Consequently, the etymology of the name in this case was associated with the God in charge of the mountain wind, who had contact with the sky at the top and at the base with the underworld.
Origin
The god Enlil was a very important deity in Mesopotamia, he dealt with the Winds, which together with other gods was part of the so-called celestial triad.
According to the representations and the material that has been rescued from the historical period in which Enlil reigned, it is known that it was the result of the union between the God of Heaven An and the Goddess who dominated the Earth known as Ki.
According to the legend of the God Enlil, it is said that at birth he separated his parents, who until that moment were one, and that is why the earth and the sky have well-defined limits to each other.
The Lord of the Heavens An also had another son named Enki or Ea, who was known as the Lord of the Earth in Mesopotamia, who is known to have maintained a strong rivalry with Enlil.
It is known that while Enki was dedicated to building human beings and motivating other gods to contribute their work, Enlil on several occasions attempted against their lives on earth in order to extinguish them.
Attributes
Enlil was venerated in various temples where he appeared as one of the main gods in the company of his parents An and Ki, among others. In the cultures that coexisted in Mesopotamia, they gave great importance to religion and believed in various gods, temples were built to them in their honor, in which offerings were given to them in order to protect the population.
The gods, for the Mesopotamian culture, were respectable beings that were not available to those who did not enjoy immortality and were feared by the followers, for that reason they made offerings permanently.
The main temple known to Enlil was located in the ancient Sumerian city of Nippur (now Iraq). However, it is revered in most of Mesopotamia by all its inhabitants.
According to the representations that were made of the God of the Wind, his attributes are a crown as a symbol of his authority over men. It had 7 Pleiades stars that illustrated the constellation of Taurus.
In other representations of the god the crown also appeared, but accompanied by 7 horns. In some temples, as a symbol of maximum authority, a total of 50 horns were placed on his crown.
Civilizations in which he reigned
Enlil, as part of the triad of the most significant gods of Mesopotamia, was worshiped in various temples spread over different populations. However, its main temple was in the city of Nippur, about which some stories claim that it was built by Enlil himself.
The Sumerians were the first to recognize Enlil as their God, a belief that later spread to other Mesopotamian populations such as the Akkadians, the Assyrians, the Hittites and the Babylonians, among others.
The acceptance and recognition of Enlil as one of the main and powerful gods of Mesopotamia was widespread among various peoples and remained solid until during the reign of Hammurabi the god was discarded from the pantheons.
The pantheons were the place where the gods were honored and many of the offerings were placed in Mesopotamia. Enlil was replaced by the God Marduk. Despite this, Enlin continued to be revered for a long time by the different civilizations that made up Mesopotamia.
References
- Ancient Origins in Spanish. (2016). The fearsome Enlil: lord of the wind and storms of Sumerian mythology. Taken from Ancient-origins.es
- Encyclopedia Britannica. Enlil. Mesopotamian Good. Taken from british.com
- Let's talk about mythologies. Enlil: his symbol, in the bible and much more. Taken from hablemosdemitologias.com
- Hoys, V, A. M, (2005). Bibliography History of Ancient Religions. Taken from uned.es
- The symbols. Meaning of the Symbol of the God Enlil. Taken from lossymbols.com
- Wikipedia.org. Enlil. Taken from en.wikipedia.org