Mother goddess, goddess of fertility, mountains, and rulers
Akkadian cylinder seal impression depicting a vegetation goddess, possibly Ninhursag, sitting on a throne surrounded by worshippers (circa 2350–2150 BC)
Symbol
Omega-like symbol
Personal information
Siblings
Enlil,[1] Enki,[2] Adad[2]
Consort
Šulpae
Enlil (only in Lagash and other early traditions)
Enki (only in Enki and Ninhursag through syncretism with Damgalnuna)
Children
Ashgi, Panigingarra, Lisin, Egime, and Lillu (with Šulpae)
fifteen other children, consisting of Atugula, Atutur, Ninšar, NIG-gumaḫa, Burukaš, Zarzaru, Zurmuzarmu, Nin-BUR.SAL, Šazumaḫ, Ušumšasu, Naĝaršaga, Anmea, Amaea, UR-guru, Urra, and Amaniranna
Ninurta (only in Lagash and other early traditions)
Equivalents
Elamite equivalent
Kiririsha
Syrian equivalent
Shalash
Hittite equivalent
Ḫannaḫanna
Ugaritic equivalent
Athirat
Part of a series on
Ancient Mesopotamian religion
Religions of the ancient Near East
Anatolia
Ancient Egypt
Mesopotamia
Babylonia
Sumer
Iranian
Semitic
Arabia
Canaan
Primordial beings
Tiamat and Abzu
Lahamu and Lahmu
Kishar and Anshar
Mummu
Seven gods who decree
Four primary
Anu
Enlil
Enki
Ninhursag
Three sky gods
Inanna/Ishtar
Nanna/Sin
Utu/Shamash
Other major deities
Adad
Dumuzid
Enkimdu
Enmesharra
Ereshkigal
Ki
Kingu
Geshtinanna
Lahar
Marduk
Nergal
Ninurta
Šulpae
Minor deities
Agasaya
Anunnaki
Asaruludu
Ashnan
Ashgi
Bel
Dumuzi-abzu
Enbilulu
Erra
Erragal
Gibil
Hendursaga
Igigi
Isimud
Išum
Kajamanu
Lahar
Laṣ
Lisin
Lugala'abba
Mami/Nintu
Mamitu
Maštabba
Nabu
Namtar
Nanshe
Nindara
Ninmarki
Nisaba
Ninazu
Ningal
Ningirida
Ningirima
Ninkasi
Ninkilim
Ninlil
Ninmug
Ninšar
Ninsikila
Ninšubur
Ninsun
Nuska
Paniĝinĝarra
Sarpanit
Shul-utula
Šubula
Šulpae
Tišpak
Uttu
Demigods and heroes
Adapa
Enkidu
Enmerkar
Gilgamesh
Lugalbanda
Shamhat
Siduri
Atra-Hasis
Ziusudra
Apkallu (seven sages)
Spirits and monsters
Udug
Lamassu/Shedu
Asag
Edimmu
Siris
Anzû
Ušum
Bašmu
Mušmaḫḫū
Ušumgallu
Seven-headed serpent
Humbaba
Hanbi
Kur
Lamashtu
Lilu
Pazuzu
Rabisu
Tales
Mythology
An = Anum
Atra-Hasis
Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta
Enūma Eliš
Epic of Gilgamesh
Terms
Dingir
Sukkal
v
t
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Ninḫursaĝ (Sumerian: 𒀭𒎏𒄯𒊕Ninḫarsang; DNIN-ḪAR.SAG̃) sometimes transcribed Ninursag,[3]Ninḫarsag,[4][5][6][7][8] or Ninḫursaĝa,[9] also known as Damgalnuna or Ninmah, was the ancient Sumerian mother goddess of the mountains, and one of the seven great deities of Sumer. She is known earliest as a nurturing or fertility goddess. Temple hymn sources identify her as the "true and great lady of heaven"[This quote needs a citation] (possibly in relation to her standing on the mountain) and kings of Lagash were "nourished by Ninhursag's milk".[This quote needs a citation] She is the tutelary deity to several Sumerian leaders.
Her most well known myths are Enki and Ninhursag describing her dealings with Enki resulting from his sexual exploits, and Enki and Ninmah a creation myth wherein the two deities compete to create humans. She is referenced or makes brief appearances in others as well, most notably as the mother of Ninurta in the Anzu Epic.
^Steinkeller 2019, p. 988.
^ abKrebernik 1997, p. 507.
^Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Ninhursag". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May 2018, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ninhursag. Accessed 28 April 2022.
the Gods, "If I bring Ninhursag before thee, what shall be my reward?" Ninhursag's sacred fox then fetches the goddess. Ninhursag relents and takes Enki's...
Ki. Samuel Noah Kramer identifies Ki with the Sumerian mother goddess Ninhursag, stating that they were originally the same figure. The oldest of the...
worshipped. These are the seven deities: Enlil Enki Inanna Nabu Nanna-Suen Ninhursag Utu At various times, a single god in Babylonian cities was assigned a...
god of wind and storm, AnKi Enki, the god of water and human culture, Ninhursag, the goddess of fertility and the earth, Utu, the god of the sun and justice...
Early Dynastic Umma. She appears in multiple myths, such as Enki and Ninhursag and Enki and the World Order. Uttu's name was written TAG×TÙG, with the...
Aruru, a Mesopotamian goddess of vegetation at some point conflated with Ninhursag Aruru (Keroro Land), a character in the anime and manga Sgt. Frog Aruruu...
goddesses, Nut and Hathor, with the earth gods, Osiris and Geb. Ki and Ninhursag are Mesopotamian earth goddesses. Asase Yaa, the goddess of the harsh...
Sumerian creation myth. Dilmun was described in the saga of Enki and Ninhursag as pre-existing in paradisiacal state, where predators do not kill, pain...
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...
Gilgamesh, "mighty in strength". The Sumerian myth of Enki and Ninmah (Ninhursag) states that humans were fashioned from clay to serve the gods (see Enki...
that Ninlil or Belit Ilani had seven different names (such as Nintud, Ninhursag, Ninmah, etc.) for seven different localities. He also discussed the location...
mourns the death of one of her sons, for which she blames her mother Ninhursag. Both female and male version of Lisin also appears in other similar texts...
Ninurta's Return to Nippur (Angim), though other goddesses, such as Nintur, Ninhursag or Dingirmah are attested in this role too. She was also practically without...
according to the Hymn to Ninkasi, she was raised by Ninhursag rather than by her mother. Ninhursag was generally not associated with raising children otherwise...
sheets of copper, Temple of Ninhursag at Tell al-'Ubaid, Iraq, c. 2500 BC Room 56 - Statue of Kurlil, from the Temple of Ninhursag in Tell al-'Ubaid, southern...
Earth, Earth talked with Heaven." The content of the text deals with Ninhursag, described by Bendt and Westenholz as the "older sister of Enlil." The...
these two cities, he was eventually replaced in this role by his mother Ninhursag, locally known under the name Digirmah. He is mostly attested in sources...
Kishar and Anshar Mummu Seven gods who decree Four primary Anu Enlil Enki Ninhursag Three sky gods Inanna/Ishtar Nanna/Sin Utu/Shamash Other major deities...