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Nannar (Sumerian: NANNA / Ε EΕ .KI β€” "Moon God")

Sumerian name: NANNA / Ε EΕ .KI

Nannar (Sumerian: Nannar or Suen; Akkadian: Sin; "Lord of Heaven") was the god of the moon in the Mesopotamian pantheon. In Zecharia Sitchin's Anunnaki narrative, Nannar was the firstborn son of Enlil and the father of Utu (the Sun God) and Inanna (the Goddess of Love and War).

Role in the Anunnaki Hierarchy

Attribute Detail
Father Enlil
Mother Ninlil
Consort Ningal
Children Utu, Inanna
Domain Ur, the Moon, timekeeping
Sacred Number 30
Symbol The crescent moon, the bull

Nannar was one of the most beloved and widely worshiped gods in Mesopotamia. His primary temples were at Ur (the E-gish-shir-gal) and at Harran.

Sitchin's Interpretation

Sitchin portrayed Nannar as the timekeeper of the Anunnaki:

  1. The Timekeeper β€” Nannar regulated the lunar calendar, which was the basis of Sumerian timekeeping
  2. Lord of Ur β€” Nannar was the patron deity of Ur, one of the most important Sumerian cities
  3. The Generational Bridge β€” As Enlil's firstborn, Nannar represented the transition from the first generation of Anunnaki leadership (Enlil, Enki) to the second (Utu, Inanna)
  4. The Journey β€” Nannar was said to travel across the sky in a "boat" (the crescent moon), which Sitchin interpreted as a spacecraft or celestial observation platform

The Moon God's Authority

Nannar's role as the moon god was crucial in a culture that measured time by lunar cycles. The month (iti in Sumerian) was defined by the phases of the moon. The Sumerian calendar was lunisolar β€” based on lunar months with periodic adjustments to align with the solar year.

Nannar's Children

Nannar's two most famous children had very different fates:

  • Utu (Shamash) β€” The sun god, a reliable administrator who controlled the Sippar spaceport
  • Inanna (Ishtar) β€” The goddess of love and war, an ambitious and unpredictable force who often challenged authority

Cuneiform Evidence

The name NANNA (π’€­π’‹€π’† , also written Ε EΕ .KI) is well attested in Sumerian and Akkadian texts. Nanna (Akkadian: Sin) was the moon god and one of the most widely worshipped deities throughout Mesopotamian history.

  • CDLI Corpus: NANNA β€” Browse tablets mentioning Nanna/Sin
  • Key tablet: Numerous economic and religious tablets from Ur, Nanna's primary cult city, document his worship. The Gudea cylinders and the Ur-Nammu code both invoke Nanna as the patron deity of Ur.
  • Nanna tablet A Sumerian administrative tablet from Ur referencing Nanna, the moon god and patron of the city of Ur. (CDLI P346038)

See Also

  • Enlil β€” Nannar's father
  • Utu β€” Nannar's son
  • Inanna β€” Nannar's daughter
  • Ur β€” Nannar's primary city
  • Charran β€” Nannar's northern cult center
  • Calendar β€” Calendrical systems
  • NΓ‰RU β€” Time measurement

Sources

  • Sitchin, Z. (1976). The 12th Planet.
  • Sitchin, Z. (1985). The Wars of Gods and Men.
  • Sitchin, Z. (1993). When Time Began.
  • Kramer, S. N. (1963). The Sumerians.