06 p3 The Anunnaki, Igigi, and the Younger Gods (gods and the heroes of the Babylonians)
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This article is from the Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ, by Christopher B. Siren cbsiren@hopper.unh.edu with numerous contributions by others.
06 p3 The Anunnaki, Igigi, and the Younger Gods (gods and the heroes of the Babylonians)
Marduk - son of Ea and Dumkina. He supplants the other Babylonian
deities to become the central figure of their pantheon. He is a "King
of the Igigi" He often works with and asks questions of his father. He
has fifty names many of which are those of other deities whose
attributes he usurped. He was of proud form and piercing stare, born
mature, powerful, and perfect and superior. He has four eyes, four
ears, and emits fire from his mouth when he speaks. He is also gifted
in magic.
Anu gave him the four winds to play with. When Anu's peace mission to
Tiamat fails, Ea urges him into action. He goes before Anshar and the
divine assembly and declares that he will defeat Tiamat and lay her head
at his feet, but that the assembly must promise that he should be the
one to fix fates and more or less assume the role of the leader of the
pantheon. Anshar, Lahmu, Lahamu, and Anu find him a shrine and Anu
instills upon him the Anu-power in which, his word decrees fate. He is
proclaimed king and invested with the scepter, throne, and staff-of-
office. He is given an unfaceable weapon, the flood-weapon. He takes a
bow and arrow and mace. He puts lightning in front of him, marshals his
winds, makes a net to encircle Tiamat, fills his body with flame. He
rides his storm-chariot driven by Slayer, Pitiless, Racer, and Flyer,
poison-toothed, tireless steeds. He had a spell on his lips and an anti-
toxin in his hand. He led the gods to battle. (P.251-252 Dalley)
Qingu's strategy confused him. Tiamat tried to enspell him and wheedled
at him. Marduk reproaches her and calls her out for single combat. She
looses her temper and they fight. He unleashes his weapons at her,
distended her body with winds, shot her in the belly with an arrow,
split her in two and slit her heart. He defeats the rest of her forces
and retrieves the Tablet of Destinies.
He smashed Tiamat's skull to herald her death. He made half of her
skin the roof of the sky. He leveled Apsu, measured it and established
numerous shrines for many of the gods. He set up stands for the gods,
constructed the heavens and regulated the year, giving Shamash some
dominion over the months and the year. He made the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers from Tiamat's eyes and made mountains from her udders. He
smashed the weapons of Tiamat's army and put images of them at the gates
to the underworld. He set up his temple at Esharra and his seat in
Babylon. The gods honored him as king. He put blood and bones together
as and made early man to bear the work of the gods, as in Atrahasis.
For Qingu's part in the war he was made to provide the blood for the
creation of man. He divided the Anunnaki and placed 300 to guard the
sky, and six hundred to dwell in heaven and earth. He had them create
Babylon building the Esagalia temple and a high ziggurat. Anshar gave
him many new names: 1. Asarluhi, 2. Marduk, 3. The Son, The Majesty of
the Gods, 4. Marukka, 5. Mershakushu, 6. Lugal-dimmer-ankia (King of
heaven and earth), 7. Bel, 8. Nari-lugal-dimmer-ankia, 9. Asarluhi, 10.
Namtila, 11. Namru, 12. 'Asare, 13. Asar-alim, 14. Asar-alim-nuna, 15.
Tutu, 16. Zi-ukkina, 17. Ziku, 18. Agaku, 19. Shazu, 20. Zisi, 21.
Suhrim, 22. Suhgurim, 23. Zahrim, 24. Zahgurim, 25. Enbilulu, 26.
Epadun, 27. Gugal, 28. Hegal, 29. Sirsir, 30. Malah, 31. Gil, 32.
Gilima, 33. Agilima, 34. Zulum, 35. Mummu, 36. Zulum-ummu, 37. Gizh-
numun-ab, 38. Lugal-ab-dubur, 39. Pagal-guena, 40. Lugal-Durmah, 41.
Aranuna, 42. Dumu-duku, 43. Lugal-duku, 44. Lugal-shuanna, 45. Iruga,
46. Irqingu, 47. Kinma, 48. Kinma, 49. E-sizkur, 50. Addu, 51. Asharu,
52. Neberu, 53. Enkukur. He becomes a firm lawgiver and judge who, when
angered is not stoppable. Later he becomes somewhat negligent and Erra
challenges him by preparing to attack his people in Babylon. He
responds to the challenge by saying that he already killed most of the
people in the flood and would not do so again. He also states that no-
one would be in control of things if he got off of his throne to work up
a flood, to which Erra volunteers to run things from Marduk's throne.
Bel - Cleverest of the clever and sage of the gods, he is the child
of Ea and Dumkina. This name (meaning 'lord') is most likely referring
to Marduk.
Ashur (A-sir, Arusar, A-shar, Assur) - god of Assyria and war. He
is a "King of the Igigi"
Symbol: winged disk enclosing upper body, while he shoots an
arrow.
Shullat - Shamash's servant
Papsukkal - vizier of the Great Gods, son of Sin. While Ishtar was
in the Underworld, he became gloomy and informed Sin and Ea of this
plight.
Hanish - the weather god's servant
Adad (the Canaanite Hadad, the Hurrian Teshub, Canaanite/Egyptian
Resheph, Rimmon) - a storm god, Anu's son. He holds a lightning bolt in
his right hand and an axe in his left. He is partially responsible for
the flood. He despairs and will not attack Anzu after Anzu has stolen
the Tablet of Destinies from Ellil.
Sacred number: 6
Sacred animal: Bull
Shara - Anu and Ishtar's son. He despairs and will not attack Anzu
after Anzu has stolen the Tablet of Destinies from Ellil.
Nin-ildu - the carpenter god. He carries the pure axe of the sun.
Gushkin-banda - creator of god and man, goldsmith god.
Nin-agal - 'lord strong-arm' patron god of smiths. He chews copper
and makes tools.
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