Anu

Anu
Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Anu
Type	Sky god
Deity of	God of the sky, heavens, and kingship
Abode	Heaven
Consort	Antu
Parents	Anshar and Kishar (in Enūma Eliš)
Children	Enlil, Enki, Inanna, Nanna, Utu, and others
Cult center	Uruk, Der
Region	Mesopotamia
Equivalent1 type	Sumerian
Equivalent1	An

Anu. Anu (also known as An) was the supreme sky god and primordial king of the gods in the Mesopotamian pantheon, a central figure whose authority underpinned the cosmic and social order of Ancient Babylon. As the father of many major deities and the source of divine kingship, his veneration was fundamental to Babylonian theology and royal ideology. Although his active cult diminished over time, his conceptual role as the distant, ultimate authority remained a cornerstone of Babylonian mythology and cosmology.

Role in Mesopotamian Religion

In the religious framework of Ancient Babylon, Anu occupied the highest tier of the divine hierarchy. He was primarily the god of the sky and the heavens, embodying the overarching cosmic authority from which all other powers were derived. His most critical function was granting the divine right to rule, known as the me or divine decrees, to both gods and mortal kings. This made him the ultimate source of kingship, a concept explicitly detailed in texts like the Sumerian King List and the Babylonian creation epic, the Enūma Eliš. In this epic, Anu is born from the primordial gods Anshar and Kishar and later begets the storm god Enlil, who executes his will on earth. While often depicted as a remote, otiose deity, his sanction was required for major decisions, such as the appointment of other gods to their domains or the authorization of cosmic battles, as seen in the myth of Anzû and the Tablet of Destinies.

Depiction and Iconography

Direct visual representations of Anu are relatively rare in Babylonian art, reflecting his abstract and distant nature. When depicted, he is typically shown as a bearded, regal figure wearing the distinctive horned crown (polos), the quintessential symbol of divinity in Mesopotamia. He often holds a staff or scepter, emblematic of his sovereign authority. His primary symbol was the simple sign for "heaven" or "god" (the DINGIR sign) in Cuneiform script. Scenes of divine assembly, such as those on boundary stones (kudurru), sometimes show him presiding over other deities. The Burney Relief, though its subject is debated, is often associated with a goddess like Ereshkigal or Lilith, but it exemplifies the artistic style for high deities that would apply to Anu's conceptual portrayal. His celestial association was also represented by the star, an icon used for many high gods.

Cult Centers and Worship

The primary cult center dedicated to Anu was the city of Uruk, where his main temple was the Eanna (initially dedicated to him before becoming associated with Inanna). Another significant center was the city of Der in the east. However, by the Old Babylonian period, his active, popular worship had significantly declined in favor of more active gods like Marduk, the patron deity of Babylon. Worship of Anu became largely theological and state-oriented. Rituals focused on the king, who served as the intermediary between Anu's heavenly authority and the people. Major festivals, such as the Akitu or New Year festival, involved rites that reaffirmed the king's mandate received from Anu and the divine assembly. Offerings and prayers to Anu were conducted to legitimize royal decrees and military campaigns, ensuring their divine sanction.

Anu in Babylonian Cosmology

Anu's domain was the highest of the three cosmic levels in Babylonian cosmology, known as the "Three Heavens." His realm, simply called Anu's Heaven, was the uppermost heaven, a place of perfect order and the abode of the highest gods. Beneath it were the middle heaven of the Igigi (celestial gods) and the visible sky associated with atmospheric phenomena. This tripartite structure is outlined in cosmological texts and reflected in the design of temples like the ziggurat, which were seen as bridges between earth and Anu's heavenly abode. The Babylonian Map of the World conceptually places his rule at the periphery of the known world, encircling the terrestrial realm. His fixed, orderly heaven stood in contrast to the chaotic Apsû (the freshwater abyss) and the netherworld of Irkalla, over which he held ultimate sovereignty.

Relationship to Other Deities

Anu stood at the head of a complex divine family, often called the Anunnaki or "offspring of Anu." His consort was the goddess Antu (or Ki, earth). Among his many children were the most powerful active gods: Enlil (god of wind and earth), Enki (god of wisdom and water), and the sun god Utu. He was also considered the father of Inanna (Ishtar), the goddess of love and war, and the moon god Nanna (Sin). This paternal role established a clear line |Sin). In the Babylonian theology, the the Mard, the Babylonian theology, the divine). Inanna). The Marduk, the divine). Inanna (mythology) and the divine In the divine In the divine In the divine In the divine In the divine In the divine assemblyMard the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the Inscription and the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the divine the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the In the god of the god of the god of the god of the god)|god the god the god the god of the god) and the god of the god of the god) and the god of the god) and the god) and the god of the god the god of the god of the god of the god) and the god) and the god) god) and the god) god|god the god the god the god the god) and the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god of the sky the god the god the god the god of the god the god of) the god the god the god the god the god of the god the god the god the god|god the god|god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god of the god the god the god|the god the god the god the god the god|the god|the god the god|the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the Sky god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god theogony the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god theog the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god of the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god of the god the god theogony the god the god theocracy the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the the the the the god the the god the theocracy the god the god the god the the god the god the god the god the god the the the the god the god the the the god the the god the god the god the god the the the god the the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god)| the god the god the god the god the god the the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god the god