Mesopotamian Mythology · deity

Ninlil

Ninlil
also: Ninlil · Ningal
deitythe moon (as consort of Enlil)the 'light' of Enlilattested

The consort of Enlil; in some accounts she is the moon-goddess (or the 'light' of Enlil). She is the mother of Nanna (the moon god).

Ninlil, consort of Enlil, after a mural from Susa — Ninlil
Ninlil · Paul Bedson · undated · Louvre Museum · Public domain
The account

Who they are


Ninlil is the consort of Enlil [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗. In some accounts, she is the moon-goddess (or the 'light' of Enlil) [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗. She is the mother of Nanna (the moon god) [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗. Ninlil's myth: in one Sumerian text, Enlil seduces Ninlil (while she is in the underworld), and she bears Nanna (the moon) there [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗. Ninlil is the 'light' of Enlil — the moonlight that follows the storm-god [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
Worth knowing
  • The consort of Enlil [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
  • The mother of Nanna (the moon god) [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
  • In one myth, Enlil seduces her in the underworld [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
Uncertainties & variants
  • Ninlil's 'moon' role is debated: in some accounts she is the moon-goddess, in others she is simply Enlil's consort [S5]S5 · etcl.mca.edu — Electronic Text Corpus of cuneiform (transliterations + translations)corpus (Sumerian/Akkadian texts)corpusOpen source ↗.
Relationships (3)

Connections


Family & kinship

PARENT_OFNanna (Sin) — Ninlil (with Enlil) is the parent of Nanna.[S5]

Partners

PARTNER_OFEnlil — Enlil and Ninlil are a 'pair'.[S5]

Creation

CREATEDEnlil — (Mythic) In one text, Enlil seduces Ninlil (in the underworld) and she bears Nanna there.[S5]
Local graph

Their corner of the divine world


View
hierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side
Overlays
FocusNinlilMesopotamian
MESOPOTAMIAN · 19♥♥♥♥♥Tablets of Dest…Apsu (the primeval …Antu (Anatum)An (the heavens)EreshkigalNergal (Ereshkigal'…Ki (the earth)KinguNergalNingalNinhursagNinlilTiamatEnki (Ea)EnlilMardukNabuNanna (Sin)Inanna (Ishtar)Utu (Shamash)
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  • parentage
  • marriage ♥

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Artworks

Depictions

Ninlil, consort of Enlil, after a mural from Susa — Ninlil
Ninlil · Paul Bedson · undated · Louvre Museum · Public domain
Ninlil · undated
Bead dedicated to Ninlil by Kurigalzu I or II — Bead dedicated to Ninlil by Kurigalzu I or II
Bead dedicated to Ninlil by Kurigalzu I or II · Babylonian · 1595 · Wikimedia Commons (institution in source file) · CC0
Bead dedicated to Ninlil by Kurigalzu I or II · 1595
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