Anu

Anu was the king of all Sumerian Gods Easily comparable with Zeus, he was the god of heaven, constellations, sky, and spirits. Gave judgment on the dead who had committed crimes in life.

Sumerians believed he created the stars to slay the wicked.

Enlil

God of breath, wind, and air. Sumerian religious texts say he was banished to the underworld after raping the goddess Ninlil. Fathered several under-world deities

Despite being kicked out of the realm of the gods (a.k.a. Dilmun) he was believed to be the only god who could reach Anu

Inanna

Inanna is the goddess of love and sexual desire. However, it is important to distinguish that she was not the goddess of marriage. Associated with extramarital affairs.

Also known to treat her lovers poorly, and cause confusion and chaos to those who disobey her

Enki

Often depicted with the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flowing from his shoulders, as these were essential to life in Mesopotamia

Enki was the god of wisdom and magic, and known as the shaper of the world. As the shaper of the world, he was also known as the god of life and replenishment

Ereshkigal

Goddess of the underworld, comparable with Hades in Greek mythology She was the only immortal with power in the underworld. No others could issue judgment in her land

Referenced in The Descent of Ishtar as Ishtar's sister, who traps Ishtar in the underworld.

Sumerian Creation Myth

The gods Anu, Enlil, Enki, and Ninhursanga have created people and given the animals a place to live and procreate They also founded the first cities Shortly after the creation of the world a flood destroys most of life on earth, very similar to the tale of Noah's ark in the modern bible.

Sumerian Creation Myth (cont.)

In this idea of creation, Enki tells Ziud-sura, a king of the time, of the impending flood. He build a large boat and floats the flood for 7 days and nights, and is granted immortality for saving the seed of man.

The tablet that tells the Sumerian belief of creation is very worn, and the story has been pieced together but what remains

The Sumerian After Life

The dead were also depicted to have the wings of birds

Sumerians believe the after life was very dismal. The dead ate clay and dust, and wandered through the underworld deaf and blind.

Despite never gaining much from it, the dead slaved for clay to eat

Sumerian Temples of Worship

Beginning as small, one-room structures, sumerian religious temples became larger over time. By the time the civilization was coming to a close, these structures were large political centers

Temples were usually denoted to specific gods, with several in any large city.

In Conclusion

The Sumerians religion played a huge part in their every day lives, as in any society. However, most of the information on this religion has been lost over thousands of years, because the majority of it was passed through oral tradition. This is likely what led to the Greek and Roman mythologies so well known today, and the similarities between the ideas are easily observed in the behavior of the gods and what each god represented.