Serpents In Mesopotamian Mythology

Serpents,serpent monsters,and deities with serpent association play a meaningful and various role in Mesopotamian mythology.This dissertation collects 34 serpent-related mythological roles,divides them into three historical periods,and makes a detailed description about them with textual and pictorial analysis.It shows that with the passage of time,the serpentine characters on deities themselves moved to their surroundings,such as their animals and symbols,not on their appearance any more.Since Sumerian period sets the foundation of Mesopotamian religion,most snake-related gods and monsters appeared during this period.In the later periods of Babylon and Assyria,the name of many serpent gods and monsters changed,and many mythological texts were adapted.In the Babylonian period,the important Babylonian creation myth Enuma Elis was created,by the myth,Marduk,the god associated with serpent,rose in status in Mesopotamian pantheon.In Assyrian Period,the status of Marduk was replaced by Assur.The Characteristics of serpents,serpent monsters and serpents deities in these three historical periods are highly consistent,and they play both positive and negative roles in mythology.They can bring troubles and disasters,cause illness and death,and many serpent deities are associated with the nether world.However,at the same time they have the function of healing,giving protection of people and houses and they are the symbols of vitality,fertility,justice and order.The meaningful duality of serpents,serpent-related deities in the mythology is closely related to the ancient Mesopotamian perception of snakes and gods.In their eyes,snakes are a kind of powerful,terrifying,unpredictable creature that may have the ability of immortality.Ancient people regarded the habit of shedding skin of snakes as the power of rejuvenation.And the gods that dominate human beings destinies are also immortal and fearful.They bring diseases,disasters and death to people whenever they want.Ancient Mesopotamian perception of gods is so close to that of a serpent,maybe that would be the reason of the characteristics of the serpent appear in a large number of important gods.Various serpent deities and monsters play a significant role in Mesopotamian mythology that even the serpent become the symbol and representative of the gods.