Religion and Humanity in Mesopotamian Myth and Epic

Religion and Humanity in Mesopotamian Myth and Epic
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date: 22 December 2022
Keywords
: 
Mesopotamia
, 
literature
, 
myth
, 
epic
, 
Enki
, 
Inanna
, 
heroes
, 
legends
, 
ancient
, 
religion
, 
Adapa
, 
humanity
, 
deities
, 
creation
, 
love
Subjects
: 
Ancient Religion, Myth and Legend
Religion was a central and dynamic aspect of ancient Mesopotamian life, culture, and identity. 
Religious ideas, imagery, and meaning permeated every aspect of daily life, and so it is not 
surprising to find that religion and religious figures are a common feature of narrative literature. 
While deities and supernatural creatures often have a prominent role in literature, Mesopotamian 
narrative is not only concerned with theistic matters, but also with what it means to be human. 
The human condition in Mesopotamian myths and epics is measured against the supernatural, 
but also against animals. Theistic and human figures in literature share many qualities, yet they 
are also presented as inhabiting a clearly defined hierarchy, with the deities always on the top tier 
of the universal societal order. Deities and humans are compared and associated with nonhuman 
inhabitants of the natural world, yet often in ways that enhance rather than decrease the 
hierarchical distance between humans and the divine. Heroes of epic literature, along with 
Mesopotamian kings, inhabit a kind of in-between space that touches upon the divine world 
while coinciding with the human sphere.
Generally, the relations between humans and the divine in literature show reciprocity. Humans 
and deities interact with one another, and the actions of either group can prove to be of benefit to 
the other—although the human/divine relationship is not always presented harmoniously in 
literature. The quality of the relationship between humans and deities is of critical importance for 
the survival of the mortals and also for the contentment and happiness of divine beings.