Ninshubur
Encyclopedia
Also known as Ninshubar, Nincubura or Ninšubur, Ninshubur was the sukkal or second-in-command of the goddess Inanna
in Sumerian mythology. A goddess in her own right, her name can be translated as 'Queen of the East', and she was said to be a messenger and traveller for the other gods. As Inanna was associated with the planet Venus
, Ninshubur was said to be associated with Mercury
, as Venus and Mercury appear together in the sky.
Ninshubur accompanied Inanna as a vassal and friend throughout Inanna's many exploits. She helped Inanna fight Enki's demons after Inanna's theft of the sacred me
. Later, when Inanna became trapped in the Underworld, it was Ninshubur who pleaded with Enki
for her mistress's release. Though described as an unmarried virgin, in a few accounts Ninshubur is said to be one of Inanna's lovers. In later Akkadian mythology, Ninshubur was male. In "A hymn to Nergal" Ninshubur appeared as the minister of the underworld http://www-etcsl.orient.ox.ac.uk/section4/tr4152.htm.
Due to similarities between the two, some believe the later Hermes
to have been based in part on Ninshubur.http://www.peninsula.starway.net.au/~bernard/chapter8.html
Inanna
Inanna, also spelled Inana is the Sumerian goddess of sexual love, fertility, and warfare....
in Sumerian mythology. A goddess in her own right, her name can be translated as 'Queen of the East', and she was said to be a messenger and traveller for the other gods. As Inanna was associated with the planet Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
, Ninshubur was said to be associated with Mercury
Mercury (mythology)
Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
, as Venus and Mercury appear together in the sky.
Ninshubur accompanied Inanna as a vassal and friend throughout Inanna's many exploits. She helped Inanna fight Enki's demons after Inanna's theft of the sacred me
Me (mythology)
In Sumerian mythology, a me or ñe or parşu is one of the decrees of the gods foundational to those social institutions, religious practices, technologies, behaviors, mores, and human conditions that make civilization, as the Sumerians understood it, possible...
. Later, when Inanna became trapped in the Underworld, it was Ninshubur who pleaded with Enki
Enki
Enki is a god in Sumerian mythology, later known as Ea in Akkadian and Babylonian mythology. He was originally patron god of the city of Eridu, but later the influence of his cult spread throughout Mesopotamia and to the Canaanites, Hittites and Hurrians...
for her mistress's release. Though described as an unmarried virgin, in a few accounts Ninshubur is said to be one of Inanna's lovers. In later Akkadian mythology, Ninshubur was male. In "A hymn to Nergal" Ninshubur appeared as the minister of the underworld http://www-etcsl.orient.ox.ac.uk/section4/tr4152.htm.
Due to similarities between the two, some believe the later Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
to have been based in part on Ninshubur.http://www.peninsula.starway.net.au/~bernard/chapter8.html