Modern Day Iraq And Kuwait - 1107 Words

People often complain about having to acknowledge religious practices, whether it be going to a religious gathering every week or interrupting their busy schedule to observe daily rituals. Most commonly, these people are monotheistic. Now, imagine having not one, but thousands of gods to appease. That’s quite a lot of worshipping to do, right? Well, it was a reality for many people for centuries in the Mesopotamian area (most of modern day Iraq and Kuwait.) The ancient Mesopotamian religion had over 2,000 gods, but only one was at the head of them all. Well, three. Maybe four depending on who you ask. Mesopotamian religion lasted centuries, and during those times the circumstances changed. The flux in power between city-states led to a†¦show more content†¦The sky would be the largest and most magnificent forces of nature the Mesopotamian people had contact with. An’s other symbol is the bull, which is traditionally a symbol for male virility and strength; two virtues that would be valued in a progenitor god. Thorkild Jacobsen ties these two symbols together with an apt comparison between the tremendous thunderclouds and the bull. The thunderclouds size are reminiscent of the bull’s strength, and their thunder calls to mind the bellows of the bull. An’s symbols also work together to show off his main role in the Mesopotamian mythos: the divine progenitor. Kathryn Stevens points out that â€Å"many deities are described as his children in one context or another.† An not only creates many gods and other spirits, but also â€Å"engendered trees, reeds, and all other vegetation,† (Jacobsen 95.) This makes sense considering An’s relation to the sky, whose life giving rains bring about plant life. An’s other role is a natural extension of his first. As the father of the gods, he is also the highest authority in heaven and earth. In the Sumerian poem Inanah and Ebih, his authority amongst the gods is ful ly displayed when Inana says â€Å"An has made me terrifying throughout heaven,† (Stevens.) As chief and father of all gods, An earns his status of the bull of the heavens. An’s word is law. Well, it is until the next deity comes into the picture. The second supreme god, Enlil, is often