Mesopotamian mythology

Body of traditional stories and beliefs found in the ancient empires of Sumeria, Babylon, and Assyria. Babylonian and Assyrian traditions, concerning an extensive pantheon, drew partly on Sumerian mythology which covered the creation of the world, the organization of the universe, and the complicated relations and conflicts between the gods. Chief deities were Enlil, Sumerian god of the earth and air; Ea, the Babylonian water god; his son Marduk, god of magic; and the Assyrian war goddess Ishtar.

The defeat by Marduk of the monster Tiamat led to creation out of chaos and his elevation as the leader of the pantheon. Other myths deal with the theft of the Tablet of Destinies; the destruction of the Plague god; and the Flood, a theme of the story of Atra-hasis (biblical Noah) and The Epic of Gilgamesh.

The early polytheism (worship of many gods) of Mesopotamian mythology displayed many features of totemism (kinship with an animal, plant, or object) and animism (belief that everything harbours a soul or spirit). There was also a widely distributed system of pillar worship, and each high place and mountain possessed its special deity. Gods and their behaviour were to a great extent conceived in the human image, and theological enquiry is reflected in the mythological material.