Abzu

Abzu
Abzu
Genealogy
Consort	Tiamat
Children	Kingu(Babylonian religion),Lahamu,Lahmu,Anu(Sumerian religion)

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TheAbzuorApsu(Sumerian:𒀊𒍪abzu;Akkadian:𒀊𒍪apsû), also calledengur(Cuneiform:𒇉,LAGAB×HAL;Sumerian:engur;Akkadian:engurru—lit.ab='water'zu='deep', recorded in Greek asἈπασώνApasṓn^[1]), is the name for fresh water from undergroundaquiferswhich was given a religious fertilising quality inancient near eastern cosmology,includingSumerianandAkkadianmythology. Lakes, springs, rivers, wells, and other sources of fresh water were thought to draw their water from the abzu. In Mesopotamian mythology, it is referred to as theprimeval seabelow the void space of the underworld (Kur) and the earth (Ma) above.

In Sumerian culture

In the city ofEridu,Enki's temple was known asE₂-abzu(house of the deep waters) and was located at the edge of a swamp, an abzu.^[2]Certain tanks ofholy waterinBabylonianandAssyriantemple courtyards were also called abzu (apsû).^[3]Typical in religious washing, these tanks were similar toJudaism'smikvot,the washing poolsofIslamic mosques,or thebaptismal fontinChristian churches.

In Sumerian cosmology

TheSumeriangodEnki(Ea in theAkkadian language) was believed to have keen eyes and appeared out of the abzu since before human beings were created. His wifeDamgalnuna,his motherNammu,his advisorIsimudand a variety of subservient creatures, such as the gatekeeperLahmu,also lived in the abzu.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

As a deity

Abzu (apsû) is depicted as adeity^[9]only in the Babyloniancreation epic,theEnūma Eliš,taken from the library ofAssurbanipal(c. 630 BCE) but which is about 500 years older. In this story, he was a primal being made of fresh water and a lover to another primal deity,Tiamat,a creature of salt water. TheEnūma Elišbegins: "When above the heavens (e-nu-ma e-liš) did not yet exist nor the earth below, Apsu the freshwater ocean was there, the first, the begetter, and Tiamat, the saltwater sea, she who bore them all; they were still mixing their waters, and no pasture land had yet been formed, nor even a reed marsh. "This resulted in the birth of the younger gods, one,Enki,would later contain Apsu when he plotted to kill them because of their noise. Enraged, Tiamat gives birth to monsters, filling their bodies with "venom instead of blood", and made war upon her treacherous children, only to be slain by Enki's sonMarduk,the god of Storms, who then forms the heavens and earth from her corpse.

In popular culture

Abzûis a 2016 adventure game that was influenced by Sumerian mythology of Abzu.^[10]

Notes

^Maul, Stefan (October 2006)."Apsȗ".In Francis G. Gentry (English edition) (ed.).Brill's New Pauly.Brill.doi:10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e129820.ISBN 9789004122598.
^Green, Margaret Whitney (1975).Eridu in Sumerian Literature.University of Chicago: Ph.D. dissertation. pp. 180–182.
^Jeremy Black and Anthony Green, 1992.Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: an illustrated dictionary,s.v."abzu, apsû".ISBN 0-292-70794-0.
^Orlin, Eric (2015-11-19).Routledge Encyclopedia of Ancient Mediterranean Religions.Routledge. p. 8.ISBN 978-1134625529.
^Horowitz, Wayne (1998).Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography.Eisenbrauns. p. 308.ISBN 0931464994.
^Putthoff, Tyson (2020).Gods and Humans in the Ancient Near East.Cambridge University Press. p. 71.ISBN 978-1108490542.
^Eppihimer, Melissa (2019).Exemplars of Kingship: Art, Tradition, and the Legacy of the Akkadians.Oxford University Press. p. 188.ISBN 978-0190903015.
^N. Pope, Charles (2016).Living in Truth: Archaeology and the Patriarchs (Part I): Early Pharaohs.DomainOfMan.com. p. 17.
^Jordan, Michael (1993).Encyclopedia of gods: over 2,500 deities of the world.New York: Facts on File. p.2.ISBN 9780816029099– via Internet Archive.
^Haske, Steve (2016-09-27)."Exploring the Hidden Depths of 'Abzû'".Inverse.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-03-09.Retrieved2017-04-22.

External links

Quotations related toAbzuat Wikiquote

[1] Maul, Stefan (October 2006)."Apsȗ".In Francis G. Gentry (English edition) (ed.).Brill's New Pauly.Brill.doi:10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e129820.ISBN 9789004122598.

[2] Green, Margaret Whitney (1975).Eridu in Sumerian Literature.University of Chicago: Ph.D. dissertation. pp. 180–182.

[3] Jeremy Black and Anthony Green, 1992.Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: an illustrated dictionary,s.v."abzu, apsû".ISBN 0-292-70794-0.

[4] Orlin, Eric (2015-11-19).Routledge Encyclopedia of Ancient Mediterranean Religions.Routledge. p. 8.ISBN 978-1134625529.

[5] Horowitz, Wayne (1998).Mesopotamian Cosmic Geography.Eisenbrauns. p. 308.ISBN 0931464994.

[6] Putthoff, Tyson (2020).Gods and Humans in the Ancient Near East.Cambridge University Press. p. 71.ISBN 978-1108490542.

[7] Eppihimer, Melissa (2019).Exemplars of Kingship: Art, Tradition, and the Legacy of the Akkadians.Oxford University Press. p. 188.ISBN 978-0190903015.

[8] N. Pope, Charles (2016).Living in Truth: Archaeology and the Patriarchs (Part I): Early Pharaohs.DomainOfMan.com. p. 17.

[9] Jordan, Michael (1993).Encyclopedia of gods: over 2,500 deities of the world.New York: Facts on File. p.2.ISBN 9780816029099– via Internet Archive.

[VerseInterview-10] Haske, Steve (2016-09-27)."Exploring the Hidden Depths of 'Abzû'".Inverse.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-03-09.Retrieved2017-04-22.

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v t e Sumerian mythology
Primordial beings	Abzu An Enmesharra Ki Nammu
Primary deities	Enki Enlil Inanna Nanna Ninhursag Utu
Other major deities	Dumuzid the Shepherd Ereshkigal Ishtaran Nergal Nisaba Ninazu Ninegal Ningal Ningishzida Ninlil Ninshubur Ninurta Nuska
Minor deities	Azimua Bitu Geshtinanna Gugalanna Hushbishag Isimud Namtar Ninimma Ninkasi Ninsianna Nimintabba Ninsun Nungal Sherida Ugur Uttu
Demons, spirits, and monsters	Asag Anzû Gallu Huwawa Mušḫuššu Udug Rabisu
Mortal heroes	Enkidu Enmerkar Etana Gilgamesh Lugalbanda Ziusudra