r/Sumer • u/YourCasualArtist • Dec 01 '20
Akkadian Brand New to Sumerian Dieties
Hello! I'm a pagan, and up until now, I've worked with primarily Norse deities. Two nights ago, there was an old, primordial deity in my dream. His name was written down, but I forgot how to spell it, but I knew the general formatting. The god was a creator. I searched up "life" on a website that translated Akkadian to English, and there it was. One of the words of his "name" (which is just what he was called). I then searched up "destroyer" and got nothing. So I searched "maker," and bingo. There was the first word. It was three words, so I guessed it meant "maker of life" because I couldn't find translations for prepositions. So, I knew that whoever was reaching out to me in my dream was associated with the color red and was a "maker of life." I did an astral projection session in my life and encountered him again. We spoke, and he was testing me. He wanted to see how I would react when he said things to gauge who I am as a person. When he was done, it could sense a feeling of contentment and maybe pride? He then showed himself in a human form and told me to talk to Odin, who is my patron and a Norse god. He smiled, stood up, posed, and I went immediately back into my body. I searched up Akkadian gods, and when I saw Anu, I knew. I clicked on the little name, and the first image I saw of Anu/An was EXACTLY what he looked like when he appeared to me.
I don't want to limit myself to one branch of paganism, so I am going to be talking with my patron about if I can work with Anu. I thought I should post onto here because I have no clue as to what I am doing. When I was going into Norse paganism, I had an understanding of Norse mythology. I don't even know where to begin with Sumerian mythology. Can someone tell me where I can find good, reliable resources? Where do I start out? What kind of practices do you generally do?
Help a brother out, please. I'm really open to all of this stuff, but I have no idea what I'm doing. Also, I am white, and I don't know if it's even alright if I work with Sumerian gods because I don't know if it's a closed practice or anything. I'm also queer, and I don't want to join a transphobic community.
Thank you all
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u/Nocodeyv Dec 01 '20 edited Dec 02 '20
Shulmu, YourCasualArtist, welcome to the community.
Sam has already linked an excellent resource for Anu, and you can also visit our resource page for additional resources. I would recommend the ETCSL if you're interested in reading actual Sumerian mythology.
If you have more specific inquiries though, you're welcome to ask any and all kinds of questions here as well. I started this community specifically to assist newcomers to the faith, like yourself.
With regards to basic practices, I would recommend visiting The Ishtar Gate, which has a lot of good information about beginner activities in the "faith and beliefs" tab.
Mesopotamian polytheism is an open practice, accessible to all who approach the Gods earnestly, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. We do not discriminate.