Ancient Sumerians are among the mystifying and divisive civilizations that continue to confound us now. Their civilisation, which seemed to emerge out of thin air during the Stone Age, demonstrated sophisticated expertise in the organization as well as the economic and social stability of its residents. The oldest written language, the division of time into minutes and seconds, the development of great towns, the invention of the wheel, the actual establishment of trade, and don't forget beer are just a few of the amazing inventions ascribed to them.
In fact, the Sumerian civilisation was so prosperous that by the fourth millennium BC, more than ten city-states had already been founded. Their traditions, values, and religious rituals served as the model for succeeding cultures and have been woven into many of our modern behaviors—some of which may surprise you. Here are some of the most bizarre things known about the ancient Sumerians.
10 Firm Belief in Vampires
Who thought that a fantastic vampire narrative actually existed? Everyone enjoys a good vampire story. The Ekimmu and the Utukku were two categories of demons that the ancient Sumerians believed relished the taste of blood or human life energy.
When it comes to today's conventional vampire lore, the Ekimmu are the angered souls of the dead who remained unburied, hunting the soil and sleeping exclusively beneath the ground. On the other hand, the Utukku were the ghosts of the dead who had been buried without being remembered by their loved ones or having sacrifices placed at their tombs.
Because of this, the Utukku would immediately return from the afterlife to harm everyone and everything they came into contact with, always looking for food from their victims. Similar to the vampires of Eastern Europe, the Utukku is a relentless predator that is nearly impossible to eradicate. One of the Sumerian legends describes a Utukku named Ea-Bani who met Gilgamesh and ultimately became his buddy, despite the fact that they were nasty and psychotic.
9 Legends & Tales of Werewolves
Researchers discovered the earliest surviving narrative of humans turning into wolves in cuneiform script on 12 clay tablets at Nineveh (now Kuyunjik) in 1853, one of the oldest stories ever recorded in history (dating back to 2100 BC). The tale, referred known as the Epic of Gilgamesh, is about Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk, who is being chased by the goddess Ishtar. He declines her overtures though, warning her of the dreadful destiny of her previous lovers, whom she turned into wolves.
There is consensus among academics that the Sumerian culture included a werewolf belief system. In fact, King Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled from roughly 605 to 562 BC, may very likely have met his end as a result of the widespread belief in werewolves. He destroyed the First Temple in Jerusalem and built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the first seven wonders of the world. According to the biblical book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar suffered from a terrible form of depression that progressed over the course of seven years to a complete madness. He thought he had experienced lycanthropy during this time, a condition better known today as turning into a wolf.
8 Sumerians Were “Flat-Earthers”
The skies were seen by the Sumerians as a series of three domes covering a flat earth. A variety of rare and expensive stone kinds were used to create each dome. It was thought that the stars lived in the lowest or first dome, which was composed of jasper. The Igigi, also known as the "gods of the heavens," resided in the second dome, which was constructed of saggilmut stone. The "god of the sky"—An—was personified in the third and largest dome, which was constructed out of luludntu stone.
Similar associations were made between several deities and the heavenly bodies. They thought Venus to be the goddess of sex, love, and battle, Inanna. The moon represented Nanna, their father, while the sun represented the deity of justice, her brother Utu. Since the sky were created only for the gods, ordinary people could never enter heaven. A person's soul would not go to heaven, but to Kur (later called Irkalla), the underworld located far below the earth's surface.
7 Sumerian Tablets Mirror the Bible’s Creation Story
There are origin stories for the world in almost every civilization on the planet. In fact, many academics believe that the genesis narrative found on the surviving Sumerian cuneiform tablets is summarized and condensed in the Bible. The gods, according to Sumerians, predated the creation of the world as we know it.
Sadly, very little Sumerian literature from the third millennium BC currently exists, although it does mention a time before the gods when just An (Heaven) and Ki (Earth) existed. There was no moon or sun at this time, and everything was pitch-black. Although the soil was lush and covered in water, there was no life or vegetation on it.
It appears that the contents of the ancient cuneiform tablets coincide with some of the Egyptian theories on the origins of life on earth because of the striking similarities between the characters discovered on the Sumerian cuneiform tablets and those found on Egyptian hieroglyphs. Only roughly 60,000 of the more than 500,000 cuneiform tablets that have been discovered so far have had their meanings interpreted and made public.
6 Built the First Pyramids
The only nearby civilisation with step pyramids that were essential to its religious and social life was Sumerian. Around 2200 BC, ziggurats first arose. These amazing pyramid-like structures were square or rectangular, had no internal chambers, and were roughly 52 meters (170 feet) tall. Ziggurats frequently had sloping sides and garden paths. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was one of them. Ziggurats were the world's earliest step-pyramids, despite the fact that they may not be as well-known as the Giza pyramids.
The first ziggurat step pyramid was built more than 400 years before the first step pyramid in Egypt, despite the fact that the Sumerian culture invented nearly everything that supports civilization as we know it today. Tepe Sialk is a location in the middle of Iran, near to Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea. Tepe Sialk is the earliest ziggurat in Iran, though there are other ones as well. Although it is debatable, many academics hold the controversial view that the step pyramids and the pyramids were constructed by the same individuals. They contend that such an invention, which not only called for the cutting-edge engineering abilities of the time but also represented the distinct belief systems, would have been improved and repeated over time.
5 Bloodthirsty Warriors
The city-states of Sumer were constantly at battle with one another over territory, resources, and water. Alliances came and went, but until Eannatum of Lagash rose to power and effectively united all of Sumer's city-states under his reign, each state had its own independent kings. Up to the arrival of Sargon the Great in around 2234 BC, the first Sumerian empire was still in existence. Sargon of Akkad, a military genius who we'll see again later, employed both chariots and infantry. His chariot soldiers would utilize both bows and arrows and spears, whereas the infantry forces were armed with lethal combinations of swords, spears, clubs, maces, and slings.
The city-states of Sumer engaged in conflict on a nearly daily basis, which sparked the invention of military innovations that were unmatched. One of the most important military developments in ancient times was the development of the chariot. A minimum of four onagers were required to pull the Sumerian chariot, which normally had four wheels. An important element was the virtually perfect control the Sumerians' onagers provided by pulling their reins through rein rings fastened to the chariot itself while controlling them with rings through their nostrils.
4 Their First Female Ruler Became a Deity
The sole monarch of the Sumerians, Kubaba (also known as Kug-Baba or Kubau), ascended to the throne in 2500 BC. She is claimed to have ruled for a century, which was marked by expansion and concord. Her name can be found in the Sumerian King List, which lists the accomplishments of all Sumerian kings. Puzur-Suen, her son, succeeded her as ruler. Without getting into too much detail, the Annunaki gods were supposed to have approved of Kubaba's authority over ancient Sumerian citizens, which was noteworthy on its own. The Anatolian and Hurrian cultures deified and venerated her after she passed away.
Significantly, Kubaba's history before to becoming queen appears to have taken an intriguing turn. Scholars believe that Kubaba may have been a bar keeper because in ancient times, such a position was very respectable and only a few women really held one. Only one statue of her is still standing today.
3 Was Moses a Famous Sumerian?
The Akkadian Sargon the Great, who eventually came to dominate all of Sumer's city-states after defeating their forces in roughly 2334 BC, has a mysterious past. One narrative claimed that he was the secret child of a high priestess who placed him in a basket and dumped him in a river; this account is quite similar to the Old Testament story of Moses. He was a gardener's son who finally rose to the position of king's cupbearer, according to Sumerian traditions.
However, it appears that the cuneiform tablets have provided us with the most information about his life and support both of the other theories. One inscription, titled "The Legend of Sargon," claims that he was the illegitimate offspring of a changeling, who could either be the goddess Inanna or a high-priestess. The youngster was placed in a basket and cast into the Euphrates River since his mother had to conceal her pregnancy and could not risk being exposed by rearing the child. His mother lined the basket with tar to keep him warm, and she carried him down the river until a man named Akki, the gardener for Ur-Zababa, King of the City of Kish, came upon him.
2 And Also Noah?
There are stories about the Great Flood in many different religions and cultures around the world. Although the Bible is where we learn about Noah and his Ark, ancient Mesopotamian cultures and civilizations are where the story's roots can be found.
One of the world's oldest known written stories, The Epic of Gilgamesh has a history of about 5,000 years. It tells the story of Utnapishtim, a man who received a warning that angry gods were about to unleash a flood. He starts building a big boat right away, fortifies it with pitch and tar, and just in time packs his family, animals, and a variety of seeds into it. Utnapishtim, like Noah, sends a bird into the wild to search for dry land after many days of storms and rain.
After the translation of various old cuneiform tablets, it was determined in the 19th century that the Mesopotamian Flood mythology is the oldest in existence. Since the Hebrew and Mesopotamian tales are so similar, it is generally believed that Mesopotamia is where the narrative first appeared. The Mesopotamian version really gives us details that could not possibly have come from the original Hebrew account.
1 Was Gilgamesh’s Father a Demon?
A real king served as the inspiration for the myths, tales, and traditions of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is thought to have governed Uruk sometime about 2500 BC. Additionally, he appears in the Sumerian King List. Many stories and legends about his accomplishments and exploits developed over many generations, inspiring the creation of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
He might, however, have been much more than just a man. Gilgamesh's father was in fact a Lillu-demon, according to a text dated 2400 BC. The other three were Ardat Lilli, a female vampire demon who preyed on males at night, and Irdu Lilli, a male vampire demon who preyed on women at night. This Lillu was one of four demons that belonged to the vampire category; the others were known as Lilitus, the female vampire demon (which eventually became Lilith in the Hebrew legend). Lilitu was viewed as a magnificent yet sexually perverse vampire, similar to some literary representations that have appeared over the past few decades. The Babylonians and the Hebrews gradually embraced the diverse versions of these traditions, and subsequently, related legends spread throughout the world.
