Ashnan- Mesopotamian GodDeity"Goddess of Grain"
Also known as: Ašnan
Description
Created in the gods' own chamber to feed the divine assembly, Ashnan personified grain itself: every loaf, every jar of beer, every temple offering. When she and Lahar the cattle god grew drunk and quarreled over which was more vital to civilization, Enlil and Enki decreed that neither could be spared.
Mythology & Lore
Origins
An, Enlil, and the great gods created Ashnan and Lahar in the creation chamber of Dulkug, the sacred mound. Ashnan was grain. Lahar was cattle. Together they would feed the divine assembly. But the gods produced more than they consumed. This abundance led to the creation of humanity: beings to cultivate grain and tend cattle, and offer the surplus back to heaven.
The Dispute with Lahar
Ashnan and Lahar quarreled over which was more vital. Ashnan boasted of bread that sustains life and beer that gladdens hearts. Lahar retorted that without cattle there would be no plowing to plant Ashnan's grain, no wool to clothe humanity. The debate grew heated. Both deities grew increasingly drunk on beer.
Enlil and Enki intervened to render judgment. Neither grain nor cattle was superior. Both were indispensable.
Relationships
- Associated with