The compare and contrast concepts of Inanna 's and Marduk 's are not exclusive to Sumerian or Babylonian myth. Several cultures have varying ideology about religion and creation; upon close inspection, one can see the similarities. Upon reading the story of Inanna, you can see how she transformed from a young woman to a beautiful goddess displaying her sexuality for all to see. This transformation is manifest in the use of symbolisms to display this myth. The story of "The Descent of Inanna" is a retranslation done by Samuel Kramer and Diane Wolkstein. Inanna 's descent to the underworld is a story taken from Sumerian mythology. Inanna is a Sumerian goddess of love, fertility, and warfare. She was a prominent female deity in ancient Mesopotamia pantheon. Inanna 's journey to the underworld took place because she wanted to attend the funeral ceremony of Ereshkigal 's (Inanna 's sister) husband. Inanna 's timid approach to a problem stems from her fright to fight the powerful creatures with her general erudition and perseverance. In her cosmic form, Inanna represent the planet Venus. Inanna, according to the Mesopotamian was a very complex deity. She abandoned Heaven and Earth, her holy title as priestess, and left the seven cities where they looked at her as the Great …show more content…
This mythology is about a god behaving destructively and other gods and human having to suffer the consequences of that behavior. The narration of "The Descent of Inanna" hits on this with the quote, "No one ascends from the underworld unmarked. If Inanna wishes to return from the underworld, she must provide someone in her place" (Kramer 36). In reference, to "The Epic of Creation", Marduk "made a net to encircle Tiamet within it, marshaled the four winds so that no part of her could escape: South Wind, North Wind, East Wind, and West Wind the gift of his father Anup, he kept them close to the net at his
Most cultures have a creation myth, a story of how humans came to exist in the world. Often, they involve Gods of some capacity who exist without much question or explanation. Many myths have a common idea for the origin of the world, like Earth being born from water, a golden egg, or a great monster. The Mayan creation myth and the Babylonian creation myth are similar in that they both begin with water, and account the creation and purpose of man. They also differ, as the Mayan Popol Vuh chronicles a peaceful tale of trials to forge the Earth and sentient beings to worship the gods, while the Babylonian Enuma Elish tells of wars between gods that lead to the creation of Earth and of man as a servant to the gods.
The first form of power that is revealed to the reader is that of female Mesopotamian gods. Aruru is the goddess of birth (95). Without her loving, delicate craft of creation, there
There were many ways that the Ancient Egyptian society and the Mesopotamian society were similar yet at the same time they were very different. Egyptians and Sumerians agreed on religion in a sense that both cultures were polytheistic. However, the relationships between the gods and goddesses were different between the Sumerians and Egyptians. This essay will discuss those differences in culture, religion and the viewpoints on death and afterlife.
lines 100-140.” This is not the only times the story show similarity in both stories it is implied that humans were made in God’s image as well . Both stories depict a devine resting of a God once the universe is constructed where in Genesis it states, “Yahweh takes up divine rest in his cosmic-temple after creation out of chaos” and in Enuma Elish it states, “Marduk and other gods take rest in temple after victory over creation-conflict”. It is interesting to point out that in both stories the Gods feel the need to rest after achieving similar feats in terms of the creation of the universe. In different ways both narratives involve the creation of humans.
The Enuma Elish mirrors the subordinate disordered lives of the Babylonians that created it. Genesis mirrors the newfound freedom and idealism of the Jewish people who created it after years of oppression. These two writings contrast the differences between the ancient Babylonians and the ancient Hebrews. Creation stories give great insight into the lives of the people who created them.
Mythology is the study of a compiled group of stories that describe the culture’s practices and past experiences. Mythology is a valuable aspect of every culture. It communicates the culture’s truthful everyday experiences or fabricated details of past events, roles, and traditions such as family, sexuality, art, religion, philosophy, laws and marriage. A culture’s collective group of stories help communicate loyalty, ethical and rational teachings, and social models. Ancient Greece and Egypt are two cultures that we’ve studied in this course so far that I will discuss the Creation Myth associated with each culture.
The first encounter with Gilgamesh shows Inanna as a girl who cannot overcome her inner fears, and is begging for the assistance of this mighty ruler. She cried, “O Gilgamesh, in the days when the fates were decreed… they (the animals) would not leave my tree.” It also depicts Inanna as a somewhat timid person who is afraid to fight these mighty creatures with her own knowledge and fortitude. The conquering of her fears symbolizes Inanna coming out of the shadows of girlhood; moreover, this foreshadows the needs that must be met as a woman.
Adam and Eve of Genesis and Izanagi and sister Izanami of Shintoism provide examples of myths that share both a passive and active pair of people who eventually create the Earth's population. In any case, certain popular creation myths, some closely tied to prominent religions, share more common characteristics than others. An entire sub-study, called comparative mythology, gives insight into this subject. Through studies such as comparative mythology, researchers and philosophers have discovered hundreds of parallels between the myths that make up every culture, including their creation myths. As most are deeply rooted in religion, comparisons based on geographic area, themes, and similar story lines emerge as religions form and migrate.
The Epic of Gilgamesh has many similarities to the Bible, especially in Genesis and it’s not just that the both begin with the letter “g”’! One major similarity being the flood story that is told in both works. The two stories are very similar but also very different. Another being the use of serpents in both works and how they represent the same thing. A third similarity being the power of God or gods and the influence they have on the people of the stories. Within these similarities there are also differences that need to be pointed out as well.
The myths which prove the contradictory behavior of the gods, acting as both benefactors and tormentors of man, can readily be explained when viewed in light of the prime directive for man, to worship the gods and not “overstep,” and the ensuing “Deus ex Mahina” which served to coerce man to fulfill his destiny as evidenced by the myths: “Pandora,” “Arachne, and “Odysseus.” Humankind and it’s range of vision over the gods beauty and power portrayed them to be benefactors but unseemingly it depicted their affliction towards humans.
The two creation myths chosen to compare and contrast focuses on the Norse culture of Iceland Vikings and the Genesis creation of the Hebrew origin of Christian culture. Both creation myths begin with an empty void where chaos or conflict develops. The Norse myth narrates a conflict between the fiery realm of Muspell and the dark, cold realm of Niflheim within the emptiness called ginnungagap and where nothing could grow. The Genesis conflict was between God and nothing, loneliness, and the need to create something beautiful.
Dalley, Stephanie. Myths from Mesopotamia. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Dundes, Alan, ed. Sacred Narrative: Readings in the Theory of Myth. LA: University of California Press, 1984.
Marduk, who is said to be very handsome with limbs well made, with fire from his mouth, as well as his huge four ears and four huge eyes, is the son of Ea and Damkina. Marduk is known as the chief god in Babylon and later declared as “Lord of Universe” by other gods. Marduk had many encounters, but the encounter with Tiamat helps demonstrate how powerful and mighty Marduk truly was. After many other attempts by others, Marduk agrees to fight Tiamat. Just like Zeus, Marduk has the power of storm and sky on his side. Marduk makes Tiamat swallow the storm, splitting her in half, and defeating her. After controlling possession of the tablet of destiny, Marduk later hands the tablet over to Anu, then divides the gods, and obtains the title, “Lord of Universe”. This story is important because it shows that Marduk is capable of overpowering Tiamat even after others previously tried and failed. In addition, Marduk uses his identifying power: storm, which consists of sky and winds as well.
People of the ancient world often had questions about their existence and how life and people came to be on earth. Most ancient people answered these questions through religion. The Sumerians were the first important group of people to inhabit Mesopotamia and they were known to practice a form of worship called polytheism, which is the worship of several gods. Mesopotamians associated different gods with natural events, emotions, and other occurrences. Their main deities included An (the god of the heavens), Enlil (Lord Storm), Enki (god of wisdom), and Nihursaga (the mother of all living things)(p.22). The Mesopotamians believed that the gods controlled all of the events and occurrences in life. An ancient text called “Creation of Man by the Mother Goddess” (p.34) helps us understand how the M...
Their similar qualities are strange due to the fact that these two epics were written in such different cultures, time periods, and probably mindsets. The Epic of Gilgamesh tried to describe the Sumerian beliefs, as well as the Sumerian 's culture. It appears that they used fighting to find out the best among them in war and to see who was worthy to rule kingdom. For example, we can consider Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s first battle. Everything is viewed as a battle in this culture, and at the end of each journey is the key to more wisdom. Hinduism however is kind of same but in different ways. In Rama 's culture, to obtain wisdom and knowledge, one has to be patient and finish his sacred duty. However, people have to fulfill the sacred duty by not fighting or battling for power, rather through the moral behavior and virtue. “Hinduism is all about being humble and leading your life in a way that will make the after-life even greater. It is about being truthful to their dharma and letting things happen in its way” (Narayan 23). Both Rama and Gilgamesh are epic heroes to their own culture. Different lifestyles will show up with the encounter of different believes. It’s usual to find one god or hero in every culture that it worships for hope and guidance. Thus, their similar characteristics represent this common archetype of a hero that every culture looks