Dumuzi: Sumerian God of Shepherds and Fertility

Photograph of Dumuzi and Inanna by Applejuice under this license, unmodified

From your guys’ suggestions for this month’s myth pick, I went ahead and chose to discuss the Sumerian god named Dumuzi with you.

Personally, I’m a huge fan of Sumerian mythology, and Mesopotamian mythology in general. It’s incredibly interesting and seems to have several parallels with Christianity. I hope to delve into Sumerian mythos in future books/series, but for now, let’s just talk about Dumuzi!

Dumuzi, who is sometimes referred to as Dumuzid or Tammuz, was the ancient Sumerian/Mesopotamian god associated with farmers, shepherds, plants, and fertility.

He was married to the Queen of Heaven, Inanna/Ishtar. She was the goddess of love and war, and is considered the Sumerian equivalent of Venus/Aphrodite and Minerva/Athena.

Dumuzi’s sister Geshtinanna was a goddess of fertility, agriculture, and dreams. Dumuzi and his sister play roles in one of my favorite Mesopotamian myths, “Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld.”

For now, I'm just going to recount the most important details of "Inanna's Descent," but I promise I'll dive deeper into the story in another post. Like I said, it's my favorite.

Photograph of demons torturing Dumuzi, public domain

In "Inanna's Descent," Dumuzi’s wife, Inanna, goes to the Underworld, which her sister Ereshkigal rules. Inanna travels there to attend the funeral of Ereshkigal’s husband. However, as Inanna passes through the gates of the Underworld, Ereshkigal strips Inanna of her power, kills her, and traps her there.

Inanna is eventually rescued by the other gods, but Ereshkigal asserts that someone must take her place if she is to leave. As Inanna and her rescuers search for a proper replacement, Inanna cannot choose one, as everyone is properly mourning her.

However, when Inanna sees Dumuzi, he is wearing lavish clothing and is being entertained by slave girls. Because Dumuzi did not properly mourn Inanna, she calls on the demons to drag him down to the Underworld and take her place.

As time passes, Inanna regrets the decision, and she allows Dumuzi to spend six months out of the year with her. During those six months, Dumuzi’s sister Geshtinanna takes his place in the Underworld. This is how the ancient Sumerians explain the seasons, similarly to the Greeks with the Demeter/Hades/Persephone myth.

I hope you enjoyed May 2021’s Myth of the Month!