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En-lil

En-lil

9.9
A Sumerian god of the air who is king of the gods in ancient Mesopotamia
  • proper noun
  • Literature
: Enlil
  • En-lil is often depicted as the god of the air in ancient Sumerian texts.

Examples

  • In Sumerian mythology, En-lil is revered as the god of the air.

  • The temple of En-lil at Nippur was a major religious center in Sumer.

  • En-lil was considered a supreme deity in ancient Sumerian religion.

  • Prayers and hymns were often dedicated to En-lil by the priests of Mesopotamia.

  • Many temples were built in honor of En-lil throughout ancient Mesopotamia.

  • Worshippers offered sacrifices to En-lil, the king of the Sumerian gods.

  • The Sumerians believed that En-lil controlled the winds and weather.

Synonyms

Enlil
vsEn-lil
  • Literature
1 9.9

A Sumerian god who rules the air and leads other gods

is the hyphenated form with identical meaning used in some texts

Surface Forms

En-lil main

Etymology

The name En-lil comes from old Sumerian parts: En meaning 'lord' and lil meaning 'wind' or 'air'. So En-lil is the 'lord of the wind', which helps explain why he was the god of the air in ancient Sumerian belief.