Meaning & History
Nanna 2 is the name of the ancient Sumerian moon god, one of the principal deities in the Sumerian pantheon. The meaning of his name is unknown, as it predates significant linguistic records, but it is closely tied to his role as the lunar deity. Nanna was the son of Enlil, the god of wind and storms, and the husband of Ningal, a goddess of reeds and the moon. He was particularly worshipped in the city of Ur, where his main temple, the Ekishnugal, stood as a center of religious life. His symbol, the crescent moon, appears frequently in Mesopotamian art and seals. As the moon, Nanna was also associated with wisdom and the measurement of time, guiding the calendar and celestial cycles.
Etymology and Family
While the exact etymology of "Nanna" remains obscure, linguistic scholars note that his name may have connections to Semitic roots meaning "light" or "illumination," reflecting his luminous aspect. His lineage traces through the Sumerian cosmogony: he was born from Enlil, whose name means "lord wind" (from en 'lord' and lil 'wind'), and thus belonged to the second generation of gods following the sky god An (Religious Significance and Worship Nanna held a vital role in Sumerian religion not only as a god of the moon but also as the father of two major deities: Utu, the sun god, and Inanna (later known as Ishtar), the goddess of love and war. His midnight journeys across the heavens shed light on the world during darkness, and his phases were seen as signs of cosmic order. In the laws of Hammurabi, Nanna is invoked as a deity of justice. Devotion to Nanna persisted through Mesopotamian history, with Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians adopting and adapting his cult. He was often syncretized with the Akkadian god Suen (or Sin), and in later periods, the two names were used interchangeably.Related Names