(6) MIDDLE EASTERN – BABYLO-SUMERIAN

 

Dare I say it – the ur-mythology!

The mythology, that is, of the long-standing and predominant civilization in the ancient Middle East that shaped so much of their successors in civilization and mythology – the states of Mesopotamia.

By the states of Mesopotamia, I am referring to the fluctuating city-states or states collectively best known to history as Sumer and Babylon, with the latter’s imperial franchise having at least one reboot as the neo-Babylonian empire. That also includes the other empires that bubbled up from that area such as the Akkadian empire and Assyrian empire (which also rebooted itself as neo-Assyrian empire). The political history is long and messy, although much of the mythology or religion stays the same, albeit with different names – what might be called the classical mythology of the region, which I’ll dub Babylo-Sumerian. Yes I know Sumer preceded Babylon, but Babylo-Sumerian just sounds better.

Indeed, this entry is intended to be representative of ancient Middle Eastern mythologies in general, including the various so-called Canaanite mythologies which we mostly know as the bad guys in the Bible (although the Assyrians and Babylonians also feature prominently as bad guys there, particularly the latter)

But to return to the selection of Sumerian and Babylonian mythology for this entry. Yes – it’s not quite as funky as a certain other neighboring mythology with its animal-headed gods, but it does have some interesting features – two in particular. The first is the epic of Gilgamesh and his quest for eternal life, notable as the first epic of a mythic hero in writing. The second is the slinky goddess to rival other slinky goddesses in mythology – Ishtar, Babylonian goddess of love and war (or her Sumerian counterpart Inanna) and her most famous myth, her epic strip-teasing descent into the underworld.

There are also other features of interest – various other deities (Marduk in our feature image for example), Tiamat the primordial goddess-dragon of chaos (best known to Dungeons and Dragons players as a supreme evil dragon goddess) and various stories recycled in the Bible, notably the Flood (and the Sumerian Noah, Utnapishtim, who features in the epic of Gilgamesh).

Oh – and a certain god who became the demon antagonist of The Exorcist film, which I know better than to name here (or anywhere) because that’s just tempting fate.

 

SACRED SPACE & CHTHONIC BLUES

 

When the concept and very word of paradise itself originates from the ancient Middle East – Persia in particular – then you know its mythology ranks highly for sacred spaces and mythic worlds, even more so for its enduring influence for the paradises and underworlds of other mythologies.

Speaking of underworlds, the Mesopotamian underworld was equally as influential as Persian paradise, not least for the descent of Inanna or Ishtar into it.

 

APOCALYPSE HOW

 

Middle Eastern mythology – particularly Persian mythology – had an apocalypse, the final triumph of the supreme good divine being Ahura Mazda over the evil destructive divine force Angra Mainyu, that was highly influential on the apocalypse of other mythologies, especially my top mythology.

 

EQUAL RITES

 

Middle Eastern mythology seems mostly masculine with one fundamental exception – Inanna or Ishtar, a divine female figure that influenced or inspired similar divine female figures throughout the ancient Middle East and beyond, extending to my two top entries.

 

DIVINE COMEDY

 

There’s some divine comedy or tricksters but Middle Eastern mythology seems mostly serious.

 

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS

 

Sadly, we’ve now moved to a mythology or mythologies which mostly faded away in the twilight of their gods, but for their cultural impact or influence, mostly on other mythologies.

 

RATING: 4 STARS****
A-TIER (TOP TIER)