Apsu (the primeval freshwater)
The primeval freshwater, the 'deep' beneath the earth; in the Atrahasis and Enuma Elish, Apsu is the god of the fresh water who is slain (in Atrahasis) or overthrown (in Enuma Elish).
Who they are
- The primeval freshwater, the 'deep' beneath the earth [S3]S3 · AtrahasisOld Babylonian c. 17th c. BCEtextOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
- Slain in the Atrahasis (by Enki) and the Enuma Elish (by Ea) [S1]S1 · Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic)Old Babylonian version c. 18th c. BCE; standard form c. 1100-1000 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S3]S3 · AtrahasisOld Babylonian c. 17th c. BCEtextOpen source ↗.
- One of the two primeval waters (with Tiamat) [S3]S3 · AtrahasisOld Babylonian c. 17th c. BCEtextOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
- Apsu's 'slaying' in the Atrahasis is the creation-of-humanity story: humanity is made from Apsu's flesh/blood to relieve the gods of their labor [S3]S3 · AtrahasisOld Babylonian c. 17th c. BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Connections
Partners
Conflict & enmity
Their corner of the divine world
- parentage
- marriage ♥
far = primordials · medium = all · close = detail — scroll/pan, click a deity to focus
1 story
The Sumerian Creation (An and Ki)
In Sumerian cosmology, An (the sky) and Ki (the earth) are the first pair — the 'parents' of the world. From their union (or from the separation of heaven and earth), the gods and the world emerge [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗. The 'Apsu' (the fresh water) and the 'Tiamat' (the salt water) are the two primeval waters [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.