The Sumerian Seven: The Top-Ranking Gods in the Sumerian Pantheon

The Sumerian religion was polytheistic in nature, and the Sumerians worshipped a great number of deities. These deities were anthropomorphic beings, and were meant to represent the natural forces of the world. Some of these deities also had their counterparts in the religion of other Mesopotamian peoples. It has been estimated that the deities in Sumerian pantheon numbered in the hundreds or even in the thousands. Nevertheless, some gods and goddesses feature more significantly in the religion of Sumer, and thus may be considered to be the main deities of the Sumerian pantheon.

The Sumerian Pantheon. (Fredsvenn)

An: First Sumerian Lord of the Heavens

The most important god in the Sumerian pantheon is An (known also as Anu to the Akkadians). An was believed to be a sky god, and was initially regarded to be the Lord of the Heavens, or the supreme deity of the Sumerian pantheon. Later on, An’s leadership role was either shared or taken over by other gods. Nevertheless, he retained his importance, and continued to be revered. For example, when other deities rose to prominence, they are said to have received the anûtu (which may be translated as the ‘An power’), thus showing that An’s exalted status was maintained even though he had been replaced by another god as supreme deity.