ENLIL

ENLIL. – Second god of the Mesopotamian divine triad, composed of Anu, god of the sky, E., and Ea, god of the water. He was the principal god of the Sumerians, in the center of whose land stood the city of Nippur with its famous sanctuary. He was venerated as god of the earth and of the storm: indeed, his Sumerian name has the meaning “lord of the wind.” His son was Nimurta, who was also greatly worshipped by the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Many episodes of E.’s life were recounted in mythological narratives, which emphasized especially his character as the god who punished human misdeeds: he was said to have caused the universal flood.

Giuseppe Furlani