DOI: 10.33469/oannes.1955528 ISSN: 2667-7059

Mythological Continuity Between Ninurta and Marduk in the Ancient Mesopotamian Chaoskampf Tradition

Yeşim Dilek
Show PDF Cite
The motif of the War of Chaos (Chaoskampf) is a widespread mythological concept that serves as the ultimate justification for all royal actions and forms the basis of all military operations. Each of the heroic tales about warrior gods in Mesopotamia references the poems that came before it and forms a coherent group within a historical context. Indirect references are embedded in these tales, showing how a god is recognized by demonstrating his power and how a hero, using allusive devices to prove his superiority over his ancestors, essentially amplifies the power of one or more gods. The god Ninurta is the earliest hero of the chaoskampf myth, which expresses the battle against chaos in Mesopotamia, his struggle against mountains, monsters, and demons forms the cornerstone of his mythology. It is particularly noteworthy that the Babylonian god Marduk, in the 2nd millennium BCE, rose to equal rank with Ninurta’s father Enlil, yet incorporated Ninurta’s warlike qualities and heroic deeds into his own persona. Among Ninurta’s tales of battling chaos, the most significant are the Lugal-e and Anzu Epic. Another major work featuring this deity as the hero is Angim, which recounts his journey following his victory over the demon Asag. The themes and motifs of these three mythological stories contain certain elements that foreshadow Marduk, who later became the chief god of Babylon. The aim of this study is to examine the reflections of Marduk and Enuma Eliš within the framework of these three mythological stories belonging to Ninurta.

More from our Archive