|
|
Sumer /
Religion
Religious ideas and practice among the people of Sumer, during the period 3500-2000 BCE.
The term must not be interpreted so that Sumerian religion was an established religion. There were religious ideas shared among all inhabitants and cities, but from city to city, as well as between individuals there could great, unsystematic differences. When considered a large structure, Sumerian religion was henotheistic rather than polytheistic.
Religious ideas in these areas would transfer smoothly into related systems; labelled by other names. The system succeeding Sumerian religion was Babylonian religion.
It also had clear elements of animism and anthropomorphism.
As far as evidence goes, it is clearly indicated that religion was an established axis of the society.
Veneration also had its local characters, with unique temple structures, priest responsibilities and festivals.
Animal sacrifice was a central part of Sumerian cult.
Religion continued down into the level of family and individual. While leaving the responsibility into the hands of the ruling elite, they had their gods and rituals.
The religion was dominated by a number of gods, a system where each city had its own central god, different from the others. Although there were certain deities that were shared by the cities, often at an elevated position, no system was ever developed for a coexistence of the city gods.
Gods were revered through man-like statues. To each god was attributed important powers.
The highest of gods in Sumerian religion was An, who represented the heaven. His wife was Ki, representing the earth. The highest gods on the level under them were Enki at Eridu, Enlil at Nippur and Inannna at Uruk. Among other city gods were Utu at Sippar and Nanna at Ur.
Enki was the god of water, Ki was the god of earth, Enlil was the god of air, and An was, as noted above, the god of heaven.
Sumerian myths told that man was created by the gods from clay, with the purpose of serving the gods.
There was a clear symbiosis between man and god. Gods were in control over human fate. Humans, and especially the leaders, were in charge of keeping the gods pleased. All types of rituals, from daily t monthly to yearly, were acted out inside the temple. There were several daily rituals.
Each citizen had work duties to their temple, but the work they performed was often of communal character and general interest, like the creation of irrigation system.
Sumerian temples were in their most elevated shape the ziggurat, grand structures built from mud-brick.
The Sumerian image of an afterlife was not positive nor negative, believing in a an existance as a ghost in a dark underworld.
Sumerian creation myths tell about the world being created from an ancient sea.
© Copyright 1996-2009 LookLex Ltd. All rights reserved
By: Tore Kjeilen
|
|
|
