Ninsun
Sign in to saveAlso known as Nininsina, Gula, Ninisi
Ninsun (also called Ninsumun, cuneiform: dNIN.SUMUN2; Sumerian: Nin-sumun(ak) "lady of the wild cows") 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.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Mesopotamian
- Deity.name
- Ninsun
- Deity.god_of
- Goddess of wild cows, mother of Gilgamesh
- Deity.other_names
- Ninsumuna
- Deity.image
- Bas-relief of Ninsun-AO 2761-IMG 7786-gradient.jpg
- Deity.caption
- Relief with an inscription mentioning Ninsun. Louvre Museum.
- Deity.cult_center
- KI.KALki, Uruk, Ur, Lagash
- Deity.abode
- Egalmah in Uruk (according to Epic of Gilgamesh)
- Deity.animals
- wild cow
- Deity.parents
- Anu and Urash (possibly)
- Deity.consort
- Lugalbanda
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Bas-relief of Ninsun-AO 2761-IMG 7786-gradient.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Ninsuna
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~16 min read
Article
19 sectionsContents
- Character
- Associations with other deities
- Parentage and marriage
- Gilgamesh
- Other children
- Gula
- Duttur and Dumuzi
- Worship
- Third millennium BCE
- Later attestations
- Mythology
- Marriage of Ninsun and Lugalbanda
- Gilgamesh myths
- Dream interpretation
- Intercession with Shamash
- Ninsun and Enkidu
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
Ninsun (also called Ninsumun, cuneiform: dNIN.SUMUN2; Sumerian: Nin-sumun(ak) "lady of the wild cows") 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.
The degree of Ninsun's involvement in Gilgamesh's life varies between various versions of the Epic. She only plays an active role in the so-called "Standard Babylonian" version, in which she advises her son and interprets his dreams, petitions the sun god Shamash to protect him, and accepts Enkidu as a member of her family. In the Old Babylonian version her role is passive, with her actions being merely briefly discussed by Shamhat, while a Hittite translation of the text omits her altogether. She is additionally present in older Sumerian compositions, including Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven, as well as a poorly preserved and very early myth describing her first meeting with Lugalbanda and their marriage.