Religion and Humanity in Mesopotamian Myth and Epic

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Religion and Humanity in Mesopotamian Myth and Epic
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Religion and Humanity in Mesopotamian Myth and Epic
Louise Pryke, University of Sydney
https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.247
Published online: 05 August 2016
Summary
Concepts of religion and humanity form an integral component of Mesopotamian narrative literature, and these 
ideas are evidenced in the frequent exploration of themes involving mortality and immortality, power and 
authority, and creation and destruction. Through the use of plot, characterization, literary themes and techniques, 
and also structure, Mesopotamian myths and epics transmit religious ideas and beliefs, as well as informing on 
cultural identity and meaning. In both oral and written transmission, storytelling is a powerful medium for 
exploring ancient theology.
Religious ideas are expressed in a wide array of Mesopotamian literary works, and while some features, such as the 
polytheistic view of the divine hierarchy, remain generally constant, different texts and “genres” show changes in 
focus and in the perception of the divine and the human. While deities and supernatural creatures have a 
prominent role in literature, Mesopotamian myth is not only concerned with theistic matters, but also with what it 
means to be human.
It is often observed in modern scholarly works that humans, in the Babylonian Flood narrative of Atrahasis, and the 
creation myth of Enuma Elish, were born to serve the gods and perform their menial tasks. This is undoubtedly an 
important observation for the analysis of humanity and religion, yet the presentation of human/divine relations as 
one of simple subjection gives a misleading and superficial impression of the interaction between the mortal and 
divine spheres, one that is at odds with the subject’s complexity, variety, and subtlety.
Myths and epics provide a multifaceted picture of a number of different types of relationships between gods and 
humans: even in the narrative of Atrahasis, individual deities interact with humans in different ways; there is no 
“one size fits all” divine connection in Mesopotamian literature. Despite a rigid hierarchy in favor of the divine, these 
relationships are frequently close, involving strong emotional bonds. The human/divine connection is not solely 
beneficial to either party, but reciprocal and often mutually rewarding. At the same time, the relations between 
humans and deities can be destructive and damaging—with the harm most often depicted to occur on the human 
side, possibly because of the vulnerability offered by mortality and the lack of supernatural abilities. Humanity is 
reflected in the anthropomorphic representations of deities and also the sociomorphism of their family-oriented 
community structure. For heroes of epic literature, the divine connection can be perilous, but also rewarding. The 
success of heroes in accessing divine support is frequently (but not exclusively) linked to the morality of their 
actions.
Religion and humanity in literature concern not only deities’ interactions with humans, but also how the authors of 
literature conceptualized and gave meaning to the human condition. It is clear from Mesopotamian literature that 
close, positive relationships with the divine were important for survival and success during the human lifespan (and 
even beyond), yet at the same time, the answer to questions of finding meaning in mortal existence is at times 
presented in very human terms. Love, alongside shared human achievements and experiences, is presented in 
several literary sources as essential for giving meaning to the human condition.
Louise Pryke, University of Sydney

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