Aya | |
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Other names | Ayu-Ikalti, [1] Nin-Aya, [2] Sherida, Ninkar, Sudaĝ, Sudgan [3] |
Major cult center | Sippar, Larsa |
Personal information | |
Spouse |
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Children | Mamu, Kittum, Ishum |
Aya was a Mesopotamian goddess associated with dawn. Multiple variant names were attributed to her in god lists. She was regarded as the wife of Shamash, the sun god. She was worshiped alongside her husband in Sippar. Multiple royal inscriptions pertaining to this city mention her. She was also associated with the Nadītu community inhabiting it. She is less well attested in the other cult center of Shamash, Larsa, though she was venerated there as well. Additional attestations are available from Uruk, Mari and Assur. Aya was also incorporated into Hurrian religion, and in this context she appears as the wife of Shamash's counterpart Šimige.
Aya's name was written in cuneiform as d a-a (𒀭𒀀𒀀). [3] [4] It is sometimes romanized as Aia instead. [5] It has Akkadian origin [6] and means "dawn". [7] Sporadically it could be prefixed with the sign NIN, [2] with the variant form Nin-Aya attested in a dedicatory inscription of Manishtushu [8] and in an offering list from Mari. [9] NIN was a grammatically neutral title well attested as a part of theonyms, and in this context can be translated as "queen" or "mistress". [10] It has been suggested that in Aya's case, it was used as a sumerogram representing the term "Lady". [9] In Hurrian sources Aya was referred to as "Ayu-Ikalti". [1] This form of the name was derived from the phrase Aya kallatu, [11] "Aya the bride". [12]
Multiple additional names of Aya are attested in god lists. [3]
Sherida (𒀭𒂠𒉪𒁕; d ŠÈ.NIR-da, also dŠÈ.NIR, Šerida or Šerda [13] ) could function as a Sumerian equivalent of Aya's primary name. [6] It has been suggested that it was a loanword derived from Akkadian šērtum, "morning". [14] However, this proposal is not universally accepted. [13]
The name Sherida is already attested in the Early Dynastic god lists from Fara and Abu Salabikh. [13] Additionally, the theophoric name Ur-Sherida is known from Lagash [14] and Ur. [13] Gebhard J. Selz notes that if the assumption that it was an Akkadian loanword is accepted, she would be one of the earliest deities bearing names of Akkadian origin to be integrated into the pantheons of Sumerian-speaking areas. [14] [lower-alpha 1] The name Sherida appears for the last time in cultic context in sources from Sippar and Larsa from the Old Babylonian period. [17]
Sudaĝ (dsud-áĝ or dsù-da-áĝ [18] ), "golden yellow shine" or "golden yellow shining rock/metal", [19] is attested as a name of Aya in multiple god lists, including An = Anum (tablet III, line 131) and its Old Babylonian forerunner. [20] A further name present in the same source, Sudgan (tablet III, line 130), might have a similar meaning ("light", "glow"). [21] Ninsudaĝ (dnin-BU-áĝ, interpreted as dnin-sud4-áĝ), attested in the Early Dynastic god list from Fara and possibly in the Old Babylonian god list from Mari, might be a further variant of the name, though the reading is ultimately uncertain in this case. [18]
Due to similarity of the names Sudaĝ and Sud, the tutelary goddess of Shuruppak equated with Ninlil, the latter appears in the role Ishum's mother in a single myth. [22] However, according to Manfred Krebernik Sud and Sudaĝ were only confused with each other rather than conflated or syncretised. [20]
Ninkar or Ninkara (from kár, "to light up") was one of the names of Aya according to An = Anum (tablet III, line 126). [23] However, this theonym initially referred to a separate deity, [24] presumably considered to be the goddess of daylight. [25] In the oldest available sources her name was written as dnin-kar, while dnin-kár(-ra) first attested in the Ur III period is presumed to be a later variant. [26] She is mentioned in one of the Early Dynastic Zame Hymns from Abu Salabikh. [25] It is also known that a temple dedicated to her existed in Lagash. [26] She is additionally attested in the theophoric name Ur-Ninkar, one of whose bearers might have been a deified king of Umma. [24]
Manfred Krebernik assumes that in texts from Ebla, the name Ninkar also refers to the spouse of a sun deity, who he assumed was seen as male in this city. [27] Alfonso Archi instead concludes that the Eblaite sun deity was primarily female based on available lexical evidence. [28] Joan Goodnick Westenholz proposed that Ninkar in Eblaite texts should be interpreted as Ninkarrak rather than the phonetically similar but less well attested Mesopotamian Ninkar. [29] She points out occasional shortening of Ninkarrak's name to "Ninkar" is known from Mesopotamian sources. [30] The identification of Eblaite Ninkar with Ninkarrak is also accepted by Archi. [28]
Further names of Aya attested in An = Anum include Nin-mul-guna ("lady colorful star"; tablet III, line 132) [31] and Nin-ul-šutag (𒀭𒎏𒌌𒋗𒋳; "lady delighted with charm"; tablet III, line 134, the end of the Aya section). [32] Paul-Alain Beaulieu additionally proposes that Belet Larsa ("Lady of Larsa") known from a number of Neo-Babylonian letters might be identical with Aya. [33]
Aya was considered the personification of dawn. [7] She was associated with morning light and the rising sun. [6] She was called the "morning-maker" [12] Her other primary function was that of a divine bride, as exemplified by her epithet kallatum ("bride", "daughter-in-law"), and in this capacity she was regarded as epitome of beauty and charm. [12] She was also commonly invoked to intercede with her husband Shamash on behalf of worshipers. [7] This function is also well attested for other spouses of popular deities, such as Ninmug and Shala, the wives of Ishum and Adad, as well as for Inanna's sukkal Ninshubur. [34]
The astronomical compendium MUL.APIN states that Aya was associated with the constellation Ewe, [35] typically represented by the sumerogram mulU8, though a source referring to it with the phonetic Akkadian translation, mulImmertu, is known too. [36] It might have corresponded to the northeastern section of the constellation Boötes. [37] However, ultimately its identification remains uncertain. [38]
In Mesopotamian art Aya was commonly depicted frontally. [6] Many depictions highlighted her beauty and sexual charm. [39] On seals from Sippar she was often depicted wearing a type of garment which exposed her right breast, meant to emphasize her qualities as a charming and attractive bride. [39] Ishtar and Annunitum (who in Sippar functioned as a separate goddess, rather than an epithet) were depicted similarly. [39] The existence of an emblem representing Aya is mentioned in texts from Sippar, but no descriptions of it are known. [40]
As the wife of Shamash, Aya was regarded as the daughter-in-law of his parents Suen and Ningal and sister-in-law of his sister Ishtar. [12] Their daughters were Mamu (or Mamud), the goddess of dreams [41] and Kittum, the personification of truth. [3] According to Joan Goodnick Westenholz another deity considered to be their child was Ishum. [22]
In Hurrian sources Aya was also viewed as the spouse of a sun god, Šimige. [1] A trilingual Sumero-Hurro-Ugaritic edition of the Weidner god list from Ugarit attests the equivalence between Shamash (Utu), Šimige and the local sun goddess Shapash (Šapšu). [42] Apparently to avoid the implications that Shapash had a wife, the scribes interpreted the name of Aya, present in the Mesopotamian original, as an unconventional writing of Ea, with his Hurrian name Eyan corresponding to it in the Hurrian column and local craftsman god Kothar-wa-Khasis in the Ugaritic one. [43]
A single god list dated to the Middle Babylonian period or later equates Lahar with Aya and explains that the former should be understood as "Aya as the goddess of caring for things" (da-a šá ku-né-e), though Wilfred G. Lambert noted this equation is unusual, as Lahar was consistently regarded as male otherwise, and the evidence for connections between both goddesses and mortal women with herding sheep, a sphere of life he was associated with, is limited. [4]
Aya was already worshiped in the Early Dynastic period. [12] While she is overall less well attested in textual record than major goddesses such as Ishtar, Nanaya, Ninlil or Ninisina, it is nonetheless assumed that she was a popular target of personal devotion, [44] as she appears commonly in personal names and on seals, especially in the Old Babylonian period. [12] In personal letters she is attested with frequency lesser only than Ishtar. [45]
Aya was worshiped in Sippar in the temple of Shamash, known under the ceremonial name Ebabbar . [46] [lower-alpha 2] They are the divine couple most often invoked together in seal inscriptions from this city, followed by Adad and Shala and Enki and Damkina. [48] In legal texts, Aya often appears as a divine witness alongside her husband, their daughter Mamu and Shamash's sukkal Bunene. [48] [lower-alpha 3]
In the Sargonic period, Manishtushu dedicated a mace head to Aya in this city. [8] Hammurabi of Babylon referred to himself as the "beloved of Aya" in an inscription [50] commemorating the construction of new walls of Sippar in the twenty fifth year of his reign. [5] He also mentioned Aya in an inscription commemorating the construction of a canal named after her, Aya-ḫegal, "Aya is abundance". [5] Samsu-iluna called himself the "beloved of Shamash and Aya" and both renovated the Ebabbar and built walls around Sippar. [51] It has also been noted that the Naditu community from this city were particularly closely associated with Aya, as evidenced by the fact that they addressed her as their mistress, commonly took theophoric names invoking her, and exclusively swore oaths by her. [52] They were a class of women closely associated with Shamash. [53] Their existence is particularly well attested in the Old Babylonian period, [54] and it has been argued that the institution first developed around 1880 BCE, during the reign of Sumu-la-El of Babylon. [55] Naditu lived in a building referred to as gagûm, conventionally translated as "cloister," [54] and Tonia Sharlach notes they can be compared to medieval Christian nuns. [56] They are sometimes described as "priestesses" in modern literature, but while it is well attested that they were considered to be dedicated to a specific deity, there is little evidence for their involvement in religious activities other than personal prayer, and it is not impossible they were understood as a fully separate social class. [57]
It has been argued that in contrast with her position in Sippar, Aya was less prominent in the other city associated with Shamash, Larsa, where she does not appear in official lists of offerings. [12] It is assumed that his temple in this city, which also bore the name Ebabbar, was nonetheless also dedicated to her. [58] Some references to her are also present in texts from the Neo-Babylonian period, with one text mentioning the priests from Larsa sent jewelry of Aya and of the "divine daughter of Ebabbar" to Uruk for repairs. [59] References to a "treasury of Shamash and Aya" are known too. [60]
While Aya was not worshiped in Neo-Babylonian Uruk, she appears in ritual texts from this city from the Seleucid period. [61] Julia Krul suggests that her introduction into the local pantheon reflected a broader phenomenon of incorporating spouses, children and servants of deities already worshiped locally (in this case Shamash) into it. [62] She was celebrated during the New Year festival. [63] In this context she appears alongside Shamash and Bunene. [64]
A house of worship dedicated to Aya, the Edimgalanna ("house, great bond of heaven"), is mentioned in the Canonical Temple List, but its location is unknown. [65]
Aya was worshiped in Mari in the Old Babylonian period. [66] She appears in theophoric names of women from this city with comparable frequency to Shamash and Dagan, the head god of the region, though less commonly than Annu, Ishtar, Išḫara, Kakka (regarded as a goddess in this city), Mamma and Admu. [67] Examples include Aya-lamassi, Aya-ummi and Yatara-Aya. [68]
A sanctuary dedicated to Aya, Eidubba ("house of storage bins") existed in Assur in Assyria. [69]
Aya was among Mesopotamian deities incorporated into Hurrian religion. [1] She is attested in the kaluti (offering lists) focused on Ḫepat and her circle. [70] She is one of the Hurrian deities depicted in the Yazılıkaya sanctuary, where a relief of her can be seen in a procession of goddesses, between Nikkal and a figure who might represent Šauška. [71] She is also attested in the itkalzi rituals. [72]
Buduhudug, a mythical mountain where the sun was believed to set, was regarded as "the entrance of Shamash to Aya" (nēreb dŠamaš <ana> dAya) - the place where they were able to reunite each day after Shamash finished his journey through the sky. [73] [74]
In the "Standard Babylonian" version of the Epic of Gilgamesh , Ninsun during her prayer to Shamash asks Aya three times to intercede on behalf of her son Gilgamesh to guarantee his safety both during the day and the night. [75] Ninsun states that the optimal time for Aya to appeal to her husband is right after sunset, when he returns home from his daily journey. [76]
Shamash, also known as Utu was the ancient Mesopotamian sun god. He was believed to see everything that happened in the world every day, and was therefore responsible for justice and protection of travelers. As a divine judge, he could be associated with the underworld. Additionally, he could serve as the god of divination, typically alongside the weather god Adad. While he was universally regarded as one of the primary gods, he was particularly venerated in Sippar and Larsa. The moon god Nanna (Sin) and his wife Ningal were regarded as his parents, while his twin sister was Inanna (Ishtar). Occasionally other goddesses, such as Manzat and Pinikir, could be regarded as his sisters too. The dawn goddess Aya (Sherida) was his wife, and multiple texts describe their daily reunions taking place on a mountain where the sun was believed to set. Among their children were Kittum, the personification of truth, dream deities such as Mamu, as well as the god Ishum. Utu's name could be used to write the names of many foreign solar deities logographically. The connection between him and the Hurrian solar god Shimige is particularly well attested, and the latter could be associated with Aya as well.
Ningal was a Mesopotamian goddess regarded as the wife of the moon god, Nanna/Sin. She was particularly closely associated with his main cult centers, Ur and Harran, but they were also worshiped together in other cities of Mesopotamia. She was particularly venerated by the Third Dynasty of Ur and later by kings of Larsa.
Ninšar was a Mesopotamian goddess commonly associated with the preparation of meat. The reading of her name remains uncertain, and its possible etymology appears to be unrelated to her role in the Mesopotamian pantheon. She was chiefly worshiped in Nippur, though her original cult center was the settlement AB.NAGAR.
Ninsun was a Mesopotamian goddess. She is best known as the mother of the hero Gilgamesh and wife of deified legendary king Lugalbanda, and appears in this role in most versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh. She was associated with Uruk, where she lives in this composition, but she was also worshiped in other cities of ancient Mesopotamia, such as Nippur and Ur, and her main cult center was the settlement KI.KALki.
Damgalnuna, also known as Damkina, was a Mesopotamian goddess regarded as the wife of the god Enki. Her character is poorly defined in known sources, though it is known that like her husband she was associated with ritual purification and that she was believed to intercede with him on behalf of supplicants. Among the deities regarded as their children were Nanshe and Asalluhi. While the myth Enki and Ninhursag treats her as interchangeable with the goddess mentioned in its title, they were usually separate from each other. The cities of Eridu and Malgium were regarded as Damgalnuna's cult centers. She was also worshiped in other settlements, such as Nippur, Sippar and Kalhu, and possibly as early as in the third millennium BCE was incorporated into the Hurrian pantheon. She appears in a number of myths, including the Enūma Eliš, though only a single composition, Damkina's Bond, is focused on her.
Nanaya was a Mesopotamian goddess of love closely associated with Inanna.
Ninti was a Mesopotamian goddess worshiped in Lagash. She was regarded as the mother of Ninkasi. She also appears in the myth Enki and Ninhursag as one of the deities meant to soothe the eponymous god's pain. In this text, her name is reinterpreted first as "lady rib" and then as "lady of the month" through scribal word play.
Shara was a Mesopotamian god associated with the city of Umma and other nearby settlements. He was chiefly regarded as the tutelary deity of this area, responsible for agriculture, animal husbandry, and irrigation, but he could also be characterized as a divine warrior. In the third millennium BCE, his wife was Ninura, associated with the same area, but later, in the Old Babylonian period, her cult faded into obscurity, and Shara was instead associated with Usaḫara or Kumulmul. An association between him and Inanna is well attested. In Umma, he was regarded as the son of Inanna of Zabalam and an unknown father, while in the myth Inanna's Descent to the Underworld, he is one of the servants mourning her temporary death. He also appears in the myth of Anzû, in which he is one of the three gods who refuse to fight the eponymous monster.
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Sukkal was a term which could denote both a type of official and a class of deities in ancient Mesopotamia. The historical sukkals were responsible for overseeing the execution of various commands of the kings and acted as diplomatic envoys and translators for foreign dignitaries. The deities referred to as sukkals fulfilled a similar role in mythology, acting as servants, advisors and envoys of the main gods of the Mesopotamian pantheon, such as Enlil or Inanna. The best known sukkal is the goddess Ninshubur. In art, they were depicted carrying staves, most likely understood as their attribute. They could function as intercessory deities, believed to mediate between worshipers and the major gods.
Annunitum was a Mesopotamian goddess associated with warfare. She was initially an epithet of Ishtar of Akkad exemplifying her warlike aspect, but by the late third millennium BCE she came to function as a distinct deity. She was the tutelary goddess of the cities of Akkad and Sippar-Amnanum, though she was also worshiped elsewhere in Mesopotamia.
Ašratum was a Mesopotamian goddess of Amorite origin. She was regarded as the wife of the god Amurru. Her name is a cognate of Ugaritic Athirat, but despite likely sharing the same origin these two goddesses occupied different positions in the respective pantheons.
Bizilla was a Mesopotamian goddess closely associated with Nanaya and like her sometimes listed alongside courtiers of Inanna. However, she is also attested in connection with Ninlil, and it is assumed that she was viewed as the sukkal of this goddess in Ḫursaĝkalama near Kish.
Ninmug or Ninmuga was a Mesopotamian goddess. She was associated with artisanship, especially with metalworking, as evidenced by her epithet tibira kalamma, "metalworker of the land." She could also be regarded as a goddess of birth and assistant of Ninmah, most likely because the fashioning of statues of deities and the birth of children could be described with the same terms in Sumerian texts. Her main cult centers were Kisiga, whose location remains uncertain, and Adab.
Mamu was a Mesopotamian goddess associated with dreams. She was regarded as the daughter of the sun god Shamash (Utu) and could herself be called the "Utu of dreams". References to male Mamu are also known, though it has been proposed that they only represent a late change of gender attested for a number of other originally female deities as well.
Šassūrātu were a group of Mesopotamian goddesses regarded as the assistants of Ninmah. Their name can be translated as "midwives" and they were considered to be tutelary goddesses of pregnant women. They appear in the myth Enki and Ninmah, where they receive individual names, as well as in a late version of Atrahasis.
Nin-MAR.KI was a Mesopotamian goddess. The reading and meaning of her name remain uncertain, though options such as Ninmar and Ninmarki can be found in literature. In the past the form Ninkimar was also in use. She was considered the divine protector of cattle, and additionally functioned as an oath deity. She might have been associated with long distance trade as well. It is possible that in art she was depicted in the company of birds, similar to her mother Nanshe. Other deities associated with her include other members of the pantheon Lagash, such as Dumuzi-abzu and Hendursaga.
Aruru was a Mesopotamian goddess. The origin of her name is presently uncertain. While initially considered an independent deity associated with vegetation and portrayed in hymns as violent, she eventually came to be viewed as analogous Ninhursag. Her name could also function as an epithet of goddesses such as Nisaba and Ezina-Kusu. She was often called the older sister of Enlil. Her cult centers most likely were the cities of Kesh, Adab and Irisaĝrig. She appears in a number of literary texts, some of which preserve information about her original character. She is also present in the Epic of Gilgamesh, which portrays her as the creator of Enkidu.
Epithets of Inanna were titles and bynames used to refer to this Mesopotamian goddess and to her Akkadian counterpart Ishtar. In Mesopotamia, epithets were commonly used in place of the main name of the deity, and combinations of a name with an epithet similar to these common in ancient Greek religion are comparatively uncommon. Inanna had more titles than any other Mesopotamian deity. They pertained to her associations with specific cities or areas, such as Uruk, Zabalam, Akkad, Nineveh, or the Sealand. Others instead highlighted her specific roles, for example, that of an astral goddess personifying the planet Venus—or that of a war deity. In some cases, her individual epithets eventually developed into separate deities.
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