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Archive-name: mythology/sumer-faq
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Last-modified: 2000/7/27
Version: 2.0
URL: http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren/sumer-faq.html  

Sumerian Mythology FAQ (Version 2.0)
by Christopher Siren, 1992,1994-2000
cbsiren@cisunix.unh.edu
http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren

This FAQ is posted after major updates to alt.mythology.
The latest edition of this FAQ is maintained at the URL listed above.
The latest text only version of this FAQ is availible via anonymous ftp at:

rtfm.mit.edu at /pub/usenet/news.answers/mythology/sumer-faq
                                                                    
last changes: July 27, 2000: complete revision including incorporating 
    Kramer's _Sumerian Mythology_ and Black & Green's _God's Demons and
    Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia_.  Added more complete citations of
    sources. 
  July 19, 1999: modified first sentance to include hints of
    civilization prior to and outside of Sumer 
  September 20, 1998: fleshed out the Gilgamesh entry 
  July 3, 1998: added a couple of Lilith references to Renee Rosen's and Alan
    Humm's sites. 
  August 13, 1997: added much more historical introductory
    material.
  March 20, 1996: cleaned up some misleading references to Kur.
  March 1, 1996: added the reference to Adapa's
    dictionary.
  Nov 2, 1995: added some short notes about the primary deities,
    Ninhursag, and the Dilmun/Eden parallel to clarify some issues.
  Oct 14, 1995: added brief reviews of the sources and related texts.

Adapa (Dan Sullivan) has constructed a more complete Sumerian-English
dictionary at: 

  http://home.earthlink.net/~duranki/index1.html#dict 

John Halloran has a Sumerian Language Page at: 

  http://www.sumerian.org/sumerian.htm

I have constructed a rudimentary Sumerian-English, English-Sumerian
glossary using Kramer's _The Sumerians_ and Jacobsen's _Treasures
of Darkness_.  Interested parties may locate it at:
http://pubpages.unh.edu/~cbsiren/sumer-dict or send me email for a
copy.

note: This FAQ is partly based on an anthropology paper which I wrote in 
1992, using some of the sources detailed below.

Contents: 

  I. History and Overview
  II. What do we know about Sumerian Cosmology?
  III. What Deities did they worship?
    A. The Four Primary Dieties
    B. The Seven who decreed fate
    C. The Annuna and others
    D. The Demigods, mortal Heroes and Monsters  
  IV. What about the Underworld?
  V. What are "me" anyway?
  VI. I've heard that there are a lot of Biblical parallels in Sumerian 
    literature.  What are they?
  VII. Source material
  VIII. Other books of interest.


I. History and Overview - 

     Sumer may very well be the first civilization in the world (although
long term settlements at Jericho and C,atal Hu:yu:k predate Sumer and
examples of writing from Egypt and the Harappa, Indus valley sites _may_
predate those from Sumer).  From its beginnings as a collection of farming
villages around 5000 BCE, through its conquest by Sargon of Agade around
2370 BCE and its final collapse under the Amorites around 2000 BCE, the
Sumerians developed a religion and a society which influenced both their
neighbors and their conquerors.  Sumerian cuneiform, the earliest written
language, was borrowed by the Babylonians, who also took many of their
religious beliefs.  In fact, traces and parallels of Sumerian myth can be
found in Genesis.
 
  History

     Sumer was a collection of city states around the Lower Tigris and
Euphrates rivers in what is now southern Iraq.  Each of these cities had
individual rulers, although as early as the mid-fourth millennium BCE the
leader of the dominant city could have been considered the king of the
region.  The history of Sumer tends to be divided into five periods.  They
are the Uruk period, which saw the dominance of the city of that same
name, the Jemdat Nasr period, the Early Dynastic periods, the Agade
period, and the Ur III period - the entire span lasting from 3800 BCE to
around 2000 BCE.  In addition, there is evidence of the Sumerians in the
area both prior to the Uruk period and after the Ur III Dynastic period, 
but relatively little is known about the former age and the latter time
period is most heavily dominated by the Babylonians.  
     The Uruk period, stretched from 3800 BCE to 3200 BCE.  It is to this
era that the Sumerian King Lists ascribe the reigns of Dumuzi the
shepherd, and the other antediluvian kings.  After his reign Dumuzi was
worshipped as the god of the spring grains.  This time saw an enormous
growth in urbanization such that Uruk probably had a population around
45,000 at the period's end.  It was easily the largest city in the area,
although the older cities of Eridu to the south and Kish to the north may
have rivaled it.  Irrigation improvements as well as a supply of raw
materials for craftsmen provided an impetus for this growth.  In fact, the
city of An and Inanna also seems to have been at the heart of a trade network
which stretched from what is now southern Turkey to what is now eastern
Iran.  In addition people were drawn to the city by the great temples 
there.
     The Eanna of Uruk, a collection of temples dedicated to Inanna, was
constructed at this time and bore many mosaics and frescoes.  These 
buildings served civic as well as religious purposes, which was fitting as
the en, or high priest, served as both the spiritual and temporal  
leader.  The temples were places where craftsmen would practice their
trades and where surplus food would be stored and distributed.  
     The Jemdat Nasr period lasted from 3200 BCE to 2900 BCE.  It was not
particularly remarkable and most adequately described as an extension and
slowing down of the Uruk period.  This is the period during which the
great flood is supposed to have taken place.  The Sumerians' account of
the flood may have been based on a flooding of the Tigris, Euphrates, or
both rivers onto their already marshy country.
     The Early Dynastic period ran from 2900 BCE to 2370 BCE and it is this
period for which we begin to have more reliable written accounts although
some of the great kings of this era later evolved mythic tales about them
and were deified.  Kingship moved about 100 miles upriver and about 50
miles south of modern Bahgdad to the city of Kish.  One of the earlier
kings in Kish was Etana who "stabilized all the lands" securing the First
Dynasty of Kish and establishing rule over Sumer and some of its 
neighbors.  Etana was later believed by the Babylonians to have rode to
heaven on the back of a giant Eagle so that he could receive the "plant of
birth" from Ishtar (their version of Inanna) and thereby produce an heir.
     Meanwhile, in the south, the Dynasty of Erech was founded by
Meskiaggasher, who, along with his successors, was termed the "son of
Utu", the sun-god.  Following three other kings, including another Dumuzi,
the famous Gilgamesh took the throne of Erech around 2600 BCE and became in
volved in a power struggle for the region with the Kish Dynasts and with
Mesannepadda, the founder of the Dynasty of Ur.  While Gilgamesh became a
demi-god, remembered in epic tales, it was Mesannepadda who was eventually
victorious in this three-way power struggle, taking the by then 
traditional title of "King of Kish".
     Although the dynasties of Kish and Erech fell by the wayside, Ur
could not retain a strong hold over all of Sumer.  The entire region was
weakened by the struggle and individual city-states continued more or less
independent rule.  The rulers of Lagash declared themselves "Kings of
Kish" around 2450 BCE, but failed to seriously control the region, facing
several military challenges by the nearby Umma.  Lugalzagesi, _ensi_ or
priest-king of Umma from around 2360-2335 BCE, razed Lagash, and conquered
Sumer, declaring himself "king of Erech and the Land".  Unfortunately for
him, all of this strife made Sumer ripe for conquest by an outsider and
Sargon of Agade seized that opportunity.
     Sargon united both Sumer and the northern region of Akkad - from
which Babylon would arise about four hundred years later - not very far
from Kish.  Evidence is sketchy, but he may have extended his realm from
the Medeterranian Sea to the Indus River.  This unity would survive its
founder by less than 40 years.  He built the city of Agade and established
an enormous court there and he had a new temple erected in Nippur.  Trade
from across his new empire and beyond swelled the city, making it the
center of world culture for a brief time.  
     After Sargon's death, however, the empire was fraught with rebellion.
Naram-Sin, Sargon's grandson and third successor, quelled the rebellions
through a series of military successes, extending his realm.  He declared
himself 'King of the Four corners of the World' and had himself deified.
His divine powers must have failed him as the Guti, a mountain people,
razed Agade and deposed Naram-Sin, ending that dynasty.
     After a few decades, the Guti presence became intolerable for the
Sumerian leaders.  Utuhegal of Uruk/Erech rallied a coalition army and
ousted them.  One of his lieutenants, Ur-Nammu, usurped his rule and
established the third Ur dynasty around 2112 BCE.  He consolidated his
control by defeating a rival dynast in Lagash and soon gained control of
all of the Sumerian city-states.  He established the earliest known
recorded law-codes and had constructed the great ziggurat of Ur, a kind of
step-pyramid which stood over 60' tall and more than 200' wide.  For the
next century the Sumerians were extremely prosperous, but their society
collapsed around 2000 BCE under the invading Amorites.  A couple of
city-states maintained their independence for a short while, but soon they
and the rest of the Sumerians were absorbed into the rising empire of the
Babylonians.  (Crawford pp. 1-28; Kramer 1963 pp. 40-72)

  Culture

     Seated along the Euphrates River, Sumer had a thriving agriculture
and trade industry.  Herds of sheep and goats and farms of grains and
vegetables were held both by the temples and private citizens.  Ships
plied up and down the river and throughout the Persian gulf, carrying
pottery and various processed goods and bringing back fruits and various
raw materials from across the region, including cedars from the Levant.
     Sumer was one of the first literate civilizations leaving many
records of business transactions, and lessons from schools.  They had
strong armies, which with their chariots and phalanxes held sway over
their less civilized neighbors (Kramer 1963, p. 74).  Perhaps the most 
lasting cultural remnants of the Sumerians though, can be found in their
religion.

  Religion

    The religion of the ancient Sumerians has left its mark on the
entire middle east.  Not only are its temples and ziggurats scattered 
about the region, but the literature, cosmogony and rituals influenced 
their neighbors to such an extent that we can see echoes of Sumer in 
the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition today.  From these ancient 
temples, and to a greater extent, through cuneiform writings of 
hymns, myths, lamentations, and incantations, archaeologists and 
mythographers afford the modern reader a glimpse into the religious 
world of the Sumerians.
    Each city housed a temple that was the seat of a major god in the
Sumerian pantheon, as the gods controlled the powerful forces which often
dictated a human's fate.  The city leaders had a duty to please the
town's patron deity, not only for the good will of that god or goddess,
but also for the good will of the other deities in the council of
gods.  The priesthood initially held this role, and even after secular
kings ascended to power, the clergy still held great authority through
the interpretation of omens and dreams.  Many of the secular kings claimed
divine right; Sargon of Agade, for example claimed to have been chosen by
Ishtar/Inanna. (Crawford 1991: 21-24)
    The rectangular central shrine of the temple, known as a 'cella,' had
a brick altar or offering table in front of a statue of the temple's
deity.  The cella was lined on its long ends by many rooms for priests
and priestesses.  These mud-brick buildings were decorated with cone
geometrical mosaics, and the occasional fresco with human and animal
figures.  These temple complexes eventually evolved into towering
ziggurats. (Wolkstein & Kramer 1983: 119)
    The temple was staffed by priests, priestesses, musicians, singers,
castrates and hierodules.  Various public rituals, food sacrifices, and
libations took place there on a daily basis.  There were monthly feasts
and annual, New Year celebrations.  During the later, the king would be
married to Inanna as the resurrected fertility god Dumuzi, whose exploits
are dealt with below.
    When it came to more private matters, a Sumerian remained 
devout.  Although the gods preferred justice and mercy, they had also
created evil and misfortune.  A Sumerian had little that he could do
about it. Judging from Lamentation records, the best one could do in
times of duress would be to "plead, lament and wail, tearfully confessing
his sins and failings."  Their family god or city god might intervene on
their behalf, but that would not necessarily happen.  After all, man was
created as a broken, labor saving, tool for the use of the gods and at
the end of everyone's life, lay the underworld, a generally dreary
place. (Wolkstein & Kramer 1983: pp.123-124)

II. What do we know about Sumerian Cosmology?

    From verses scattered throughout hymns and myths, one can compile a
picture of the universe's (anki) creation according to the Sumerians.  The
primeval sea (abzu) existed before anything else and within that, the
heaven (an) and the earth (ki) were formed.  The boundary between heaven
and earth was a solid (perhaps tin) vault, and the earth was a flat
disk.  Within the vault lay the gas-like 'lil', or atmosphere, the
brighter portions therein formed the stars, planets, sun, and
moon.  (Kramer, The Sumerians 1963: pp. 112-113)  Each of the four major
Sumerian deities is associated with one of these regions.  An, god of
heaven, may have been the main god of the pantheon prior to 2500 BC.,
although his importance gradually waned.  (Kramer 1963 p. 118)  Ki is
likely to be the original name of the earth goddess, whose name more
often appears as Ninhursag (queen of the mountains), Ninmah (the exalted
lady), or Nintu (the lady who gave birth).  It seems likely that these two
were the progenitors of most of the gods.
     According to "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld", in the first days  
all needed things were created.  Heaven and earth were separated.  An took
Heaven, Enlil took the earth, Ereshkigal was carried off to the 
netherworld as a prize, and Enki sailed off after her.

III. What Deities did they worship?

Nammu
    Nammu is the Goddess of the watery abyss, the primeval sea.  She may
  be the earliest of deities within Sumerian cosmology as she gave birth to 
  heaven and earth.  (Kramer 1961 p. 39)  She is elsewhere described both 
  as the mother of all the gods and as the wife of An">An.  (Kramer 1961 
  p. 114)  She is Enki">Enki's mother. She prompts him to create servants 
  for the gods and is then directed by him on how, with the help of 
  Nimmah/Ninhursag to create man. (Kramer 1963 p. 150; Kramer 1961 p. 70)

  A. The Primary Deities - It is notable that the Sumerians themselves 
   may not have grouped these four as a set and that the grouping has been 
   made because of the observations of Sumerologists.  

An
    An, god of heaven, may have been the main god of the pantheon prior to 
  2500 BC., although his importance gradually waned. (Kramer 1963 p. 118) 
  In the early days he carried off heaven, while Enlil">Enlil carried away 
  the earth. (Kramer 1961 p. 37-39)  It seems likely that he and Ki/Ninhursag 
  were the progenitors of most of the gods.  although in one place Nammu is 
  listed as his wife. (Kramer 1961 p. 114)  Among his children and followers 
  were the Anunnaki.  (Kramer 1961 p. 53) His primary temple was in Erech.  
  He and Enlil give various gods, goddesses, and kings their earthly regions 
  of influence and their laws. (Kramer 1963 p. 124) Enki seats him at the 
  first seat of the table in Nippur at the feast celebrating his new house 
  in Eridu.  (Kramer 1961 p. 63)  He hears Inanna's complaint about Mount 
  Ebih (Kur?), but discourages her from attacking it because of its fearsome 
  power.  (Kramer 1961 pp. 82-83)  After the flood, he and Enlil make Ziusudra 
  immortal and make him live in Dilmun.  (Kramer 1961 p. 98) 
  (See also Anu, his Babylonian analog, in the Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ.)

Ninhursag (Ki, Ninmah, Nintu)
    Ki is likely to be the original name of the earth goddess, whose name
  more often appears as Ninhursag (queen of the mountains), Ninmah (the
  exalted lady), or Nintu (the lady who gave birth).  (Kramer 1963
  p. 122)  Most often she is considered Enlil's sister, but in some
  traditions she is his spouse instead.  (Jacobsen p.105)  She was born,
  possibly as a unified cosmic mountain with An, from Nammu and shortly
  thereafter, their union produced Enlil.  (Kramer 1961 p. 74)  In the
  early days, as Ki, she was separated from heaven (An) and carried off by
  Enlil.  (Kramer 1961 pp. 37-41)  It seems likely that she and An were
  the progenitors of most of the gods.  She later unites with Enlil and 
  with the assistance of Enki they produce the world's plant and animal life.  
  (Kramer 1961 p. 75)

  "Enki and Ninhursag" 
    In Dilmun, she (as Nintu) bears the goddess Ninsar from Enki, who in
  turn bears the goddess Ninkur, who in turn bears Uttu, goddess of
  plants.  Uttu bore eight new trees from Enki.  When he then ate Uttu's
  children, Ninhursag cursed him with eight wounds and dissapears.  After
  being persuaded by Enlil to undo her curse, she bore Enki eight new
  children which undid the wounds of the first ones.  (Kramer 1963
  pp. 147-149; Kramer 1961 pp. 54-59)

  Enki seats her (as Nintu) on the big side of the table in Nippur at the feast 
  celebrating his new house in Eridu. (Kramer 1961 p. 63) 

  "Enki and Ninmah" 
    She is the mother goddess and, as Ninmah, assists in the creation of
  man.  Enki, having been propted by Nammu to create servants for the
  gods, describes how Nammu and Ninmah will help fashion man from 
  clay.  Prior to getting to work, she and Enki drink overmuch at a 
  feast.  She then shapes six flawed versions of man from the heart of
  the clay over the Abzu, with Enki declaring their fates.  Enki, in turn
  also creates a flawed man which is unable to eat.  Ninmah appears to
  curse him for the failed effort.  (Kramer 1963 pp. 149-151; Kramer 1961
  pp. 69-72) 
  (See also Aruru, her Babylonian analog in the Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ)

Enlil
    An and Ki's union produced Enlil (Lord of 'lil').  Enlil was the
  air-god and leader of the pantheon from at least 2500 BC, when his
  temple Ekur in Nippur was the spiritual center of Sumer (Kramer 1961
  p. 47).  In the early days he separated and carried off the earth
  (Ki) while An carried off heaven.  (Kramer 1961 p. 37-41)   He assumed
  most of An's powers.  He is glorified as "'the father of the gods, 'the
  king of heaven and earth,' ' the king of all the lands'".  Kramer
  portrays him as a patriarchal figure, who is both creator and
  disciplinarian.  Enlil causes the dawn, the growth of plants, and bounty
  (Kramer 1961 p. 42).  He also invents agricultural tools such as the
  plow or pickaxe (Kramer 1961 pp 47-49).  Without his blessings, a city 
  would not rise (Kramer 1961 pp. 63, 80)  Most often he is considered Ninlil's 
  husband, with Ninhursag as his sister, but some traditions have Ninhursag as 
  his spouse.  (Jacobsen p.105)   

  "Enlil and Ninlil" 
    He is also banished to the nether world (kur) for his rape of Ninlil,
  his intended bride, but returns with the first product of their union,
  the moon god Sin (also known as Nanna). (Kramer, Sumerians
  1963: pp.145-147).  Ninlil follows him into exile as his wife.  He
  tells the various underworld guardians to not reveal his whereabouts and
  instead poses as those guardians himself three times, each time
  impregnating her again.  It appears that at least on one occasion Enlil
  reveals his true self before they unite.  The products of these unions
  are three underworld deities, including Meslamtaea (aka. Nergal) and
  Ninazu.  Later, when Nanna visits him in Nippur, he bestows Ur to him
  with a palace and plentiful plantlife.  (Kramer 1961 p. 43-49)  Enlil is
  also seen as the father of Ninurta (Kramer 1961 p. 80).

  "Enki and Eridu"
    When Enki journeys to Enlil's city Nippur in order for his own city,
  Eridu to be blessed.  He is given bread at Enki's feast and is seated
  next to An, after which Enlil proclaims that the Anunnaki should praise
  Enki. (Kramer 1961 pp. 62-63) 

  "The Dispute between Cattle and Grain"
    Enlil and Enki, at Enki's urging, create farms and fields for the
  grain goddess Ashnan and the cattle goddess Lahar.  This area has places
  for Lahar to take care of the animals and Ashnan to grow the crops.  The
  two agricultural deities get drunk and begin fighting, so it falls to
  Enlil and Enki to resolve their conflict - how they do so has not been
  recovered.  (Kramer 1961 pp. 53-54; Kramer 1963 pp. 220-223)

  "The Dispute between Emesh and Enten" 
    Enlil creates the herdsman deity Enten and the agricultural deity
  Emesh. He settles a dispute between Emesh and Enten over who should be
  recognized as 'farmer of the gods', declaring Enten's claim to be
  stronger.  (Kramer 1961 p. 49-51).

  "Enki and Ninhursag" 
    He helps Enki again when he was cursed by Ninhursag.  Enlil and a fox
  entreat her to return and undo her curse. (Kramer 1961 p. 57)

  "Enki and the World Order" 
    The "me" were assembled by Enlil in his temple Ekur, and given to Enki
  to guard and impart to the world, beginning with Eridu, Enki's center of
  worship.  (Kramer 1963 pp. 171-183)

  "Inanna's Descent to the Nether World" 
    Enlil refuses Ninshubur's appeal on behalf of his [grand-]daughter,
  Inanna to help rescue her from Ereshkigal in the underworld. (Kramer
  1961 pp. 86, 87, 89, 93)

  "Ziusudra" 
    After the flood, he and An gave Ziusudra eternal life and had him live
  in Dilmun. (Kramer 1961 p. 98)

  "Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Netherworld" 
    When Gilgamesh looses his "pukku" and "mikku" in the nether world, and
  Enkidu is held fast there by demons, he appeals to Enlil for 
  help.  Enlil refuses to assist him.  (Kramer 1961 p. 35-36) 
  (See also his Babylonian analog Ellil in the Assyro-Babylonian Mythology
  FAQ)

Enki
    Enki is the son of Nammu, the primeval sea.  Contrary to the
  translation of his name, Enki is not the lord of the earth, but of the
  abzu (the watery abyss and also semen) and of wisdom.  This
  contradiction leads Kramer and Maier to postulate that he was once known
  as En-kur, lord of the underworld, which either contained or was
  contained in the Abzu.  He did struggle with Kur as mentioned in the
  prelude to "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Underworld", and presumably was
  victorious and thereby able to claim the title "Lord of Kur" (the
  realm).  He is a god of water, creation, and fertility.  He also holds
  dominion over the land.  He is the keeper of the "me", the divine
  laws. (Kramer & Maier Myths of Enki 1989: pp. 2-3) 

  "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Underworld" 
    Enki sails for the Kur, presumably to rescue Ereshkigal after she was
  given over to Kur.  He is assailed by creatures with stones.  These
  creatures may have been an extension of Kur itself. (Wolkstein and
  Kramer p. 4; Kramer 1961 p. 37-38, 78-79)  

  "Enki and Eridu"
    Enki raises his city Eridu from the sea, making it very lush.  He
  takes his boat to Nippur to have the city blessed by Enlil.  He throws a
  feast for the gods, giving Enlil, An, and Nintu special attention. After
  the feast, Enlil proclaims that the Anunnaki should praise Enki. (Kramer
  1961; pp. 62-63) 

  "Enki and the World Order" 
    The "me" were assembled by Enlil in Ekur and given to Enki to guard
  and impart to the world, beginning with Eridu, his center of
  worship.  From there, he guards the "me" and imparts them on the
  people.  He directs the "me" towards Ur and Meluhha and Dilmun,
  organizing the world with his decrees. (Kramer 1963 pp. 171-183)
   
  "The Dispute between Cattle and Grain" 
    Enlil and Enki, at Enki's urging, create farms and fields for the
  grain goddess Ashnan and the cattle goddess Lahar.  This area has places
  for Lahar to take care of the animals and Ashnan to grow the crops.  The
  two agricultural deities get drunk and begin fighting, so it falls to
  Enlil and Enki to resolve their conflict - how they do so has not been
  recovered.  (Kramer 1961 pp. 53-54; Kramer 1963 pp. 220-223)

  "Enki and Ninhursag" 
    He blessed the paradisical land of Dilmun, to have plentiful water and
  palm trees.  He sires the goddess Ninsar upon Ninhursag, then sires
  Ninkur upon Ninsar, finally siring Uttu, goddess of plants, upon
  Ninkur.  Uttu bore eight new types of trees from Enki.  He then consumed
  these tree-children and was cursed by Ninhursag, with one wound for each
  plant consumed.  Enlil and a fox act on Enki's behalf to call back
  Ninhursag in order to undo the damage.  She joins with Enki again and 
  bears eight new children, one to cure each of the wounds.  (Kramer 1963
  pp. 147-149; Kramer 1961 pp. 54-59)  

  "Enki and Ninmah: The Creation of Man" 
    The gods complain that they need assistance.  At his mother Nammu's
  prompting, he directs her, along with some constructive criticism from
  Ninmah (Ninhursag), in the creation of man from the heart of the clay
  over the Abzu.  Several flawed versions were created before the final
  version was made.  (Kramer 1963 pp. 149-151; Kramer 1961 pp. 69-72)

  "Inanna's Descent to the Nether World" 
    He is friendly to Inanna and rescued her from Kur by sending two
  sexless beings to negotiate with, and flatter Ereshkigal.  They gave her
  the Food of Life and the Water of Life, which restored her. (Wolkstein
  and Kramer pp. 62-64) 

  "Inanna and Enki" 
    Later, Inanna comes to Enki and complains at having been given too
  little power from his decrees. In a different text, she gets Enki drunk
  and he grants her more powers, arts, crafts, and attributes - a total of
  ninety-four "me".  Inanna parts company with Enki to deliver the "me" to
  her cult center at Erech.  Enki recovers his wits and tries to recover
  the "me" from her, but she arrives safely in Erech with them. (Kramer &
  Maier 1989: pp. 38-68) 
  (See also his Babylonian analog, Ea, in the Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ)


III B. The Seven Who Decreed Fate
    In addition to the four primary deities, there were hundreds of
others.  A group of seven "decreed the fates" - these probably included
the first four, as well as Nanna, his son Utu, the sun god and a god of
justice, and Nanna's daughter Inanna, goddess of love and war.

Nanna (Sin, (Suen), Ashgirbabbar)
    Nanna is another name for the moon god Sin.  He is the product of
  Enlil's rape of Ninlil.  (Kramer, 1963, pp. 146-7.) He travels across
  the sky in his gufa, (a small, canoe-like boat made of woven twigs and
  tar), with the stars and planets about him. (Kramer 1961 p. 41)  Nanna
  was the tutelary deity of Ur (Kramer 1963 p. 66), appointed as king of
  that city by An and Enlil.  (Kramer 1963 pp. 83-84)  He journeyed to
  Nippur by boat, stopping at five cities along the way.  When he arrived
  at Nippur, he proffered gifts to Enlil and pleaded with him to ensure
  that his city of Ur would be blessed, prosperous, and thus, not be
  flooded.  (Kramer 1963 pp. 145-146, Kramer 1961 pp. 47-49)  Nanna was
  married to Ningal and they produced Inanna and Utu.  (Wolkstein and
  Kramer pp. 30-34; Kramer 1961 p. 41)  He rests in the Underworld every
  month, and there decrees the fate of the dead.  (Kramer 1963 p. 132,
  135, 210)  He refuses to send aid to Inanna when she is trapped in the
  underworld.  (Kramer 1963 pp. 153-154)  He established Ur-Nammu as his
  mortal representative, establishing the third Ur dynasty.  (Kramer 1963
  p. 84)

Utu
    Utu is the son of Nanna and Ningal and the god of the Sun and of
  Justice.  He goes to the underworld at the end of every day setting in
  the "mountain of the west" and rising in the "mountain of the
  east".  While there decrees the fate of the dead, although he also may
  lie down to sleep at night.  (Kramer 1963 p. 132, 135; Kramer 1961
  pp. 41-42)  He is usually depicted with fiery rays coming out of his
  shoulders and upper arms, and carrying a saw knife.  (Kramer 1961
  p. 40)  When Inanna">Inanna's _huluppu_ tree is infested with unwelcome
  guests, he ignores her appeal for aid.  (Wolkstein and Kramer
  pp. 6-7) He tries to set her up with Dumuzi, the shepherd, but she
  initially rebuffs him, preferring the farmer. (Wolkstein and Kramer
  pp. 30-33)  He aided Dumuzi in his flight from the galla demons by
  helping him to transform into different creatures.  (Wolkstein and
  Kramer pp. 72-73, 81)  Through Enki's orders, he also brings water up
  from the earth in order to irrigate Dilmun, the garden paradise, the 
  place where the sun rises.  (Kramer 1963 p. 148)  He is in charge of the
  "Land of the Living" and, in sympathy for Gilgamesh, calls off the seven
  weather heroes who defend that land.  (Kramer 1963 pp. 190-193)  He
  opened the "ablal" of the Underworld for the shade of Enkidu, to allow
  him to escape, at the behest of Enki.  (Kramer 1963 p. 133; Kramer 1961
  p. 36) 
  (See also his Babylonian analog, Shamash, in the Assyro-Babylonian
  Mythology FAQ)

Inanna
    Nanna and Ningal's daughter Inanna, goddess of love and war.  

  "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Underworld" 
    A woman planted the huluppu tree in Inanna's garden, but the
  Imdugud-bird (Anzu bird?) made a nest for its young there, Lilith (or
  her predecessor, a lilitu-demon) made a house in its trunk, and a
  serpent made a home in its roots.  Inanna appeals to Utu about her
  unwelcome guests, but he is unsympathetic.  She appeals to Gilgamesh,
  here her brother, and he is receptive.  He tears down the tree and makes
  it into a throne and bed for her.  In return for the favor, Inanna 
  manufactures a "pukku" and "mikku" for him.  (Wolkstein and Kramer pp. 5-9)

  "Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven" 
    Later, Inanna seeks out Gilgamesh as her lover.  When he spurns her
  she sends the Bull of Heaven to terrorize his city of Erech.  (Kramer

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