Ninkasi
Sign in to saveNinkasi was the Mesopotamian goddess of beer and brewing. It is possible that in the first millennium BC she was known under the variant name Kurunnītu, derived from a term referring to a type of high quality beer. She was associated with both positive and negative consequences of the consumption of beer. In god lists, such as the An = Anum list and the Weidner god list, she usually appears among the courtiers of the god Enlil, alongside deities such as Ninimma and Ninmada. She could also be paired with Siraš, a goddess of similar character, who sometimes was regarded as her sister. A possible
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Mesopotamian
- Deity.name
- Ninkasi
- Deity.deity_of
- Goddess of beer
- Deity.other_names
- dKAŠ.DIN.NAM (Kurunnītu?)
- Deity.symbol
- possibly a cup
- Deity.parents
- Enki and Ninti
- Deity.children
- Meḫuš, Mekù, Ememete, Kitušgirizal, Nušiligga, possibly Ninmada
- Deity.siblings
- Siraš
- Deity.cult_center
- Nippur
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- tutelary spirit
- Native language
- Akkadian
Show 4 more facts
- name in native language
- 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒅗𒋛
- Commons category
- Ninkasi
- worshipped by
- Sumerian religion
- domain of saint or deity
- alcohol
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~14 min read
Encyclopedic overview
12 sectionsContents
- Name
- Character
- Worship
- Associations with other deities
- Literature
- ''Hymn to Ninkasi''
- Other texts
- Modern relevance
- References
- Bibliography
- See also
- External links
Ninkasi was the Mesopotamian goddess of beer and brewing. It is possible that in the first millennium BC she was known under the variant name Kurunnītu, derived from a term referring to a type of high quality beer. She was associated with both positive and negative consequences of the consumption of beer. In god lists, such as the An = Anum list and the Weidner god list, she usually appears among the courtiers of the god Enlil, alongside deities such as Ninimma and Ninmada. She could also be paired with Siraš, a goddess of similar character, who sometimes was regarded as her sister. A possible association between her and the underworld deities Nungal and Laṣ is also attested, possibly in reference to the possible negative effects of alcohol consumption.
A number of works of Mesopotamian literature refer to Ninkasi, for example the myths Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave and Lugalbanda and the Anzud Bird. A hymn dedicated to her, known simply as the Hymn to Ninkasi, is also known. It is commonly discussed and quoted in modern literature.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Ninkasi” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.