L: (22e) Nintu / Ninhursag;
    
R: (22f) Anu

    Some of our oldest writings are hymns and prayers to the goddess. From the 19th century BC, this prayer to Nana is one example: “Hear O ye regions, the praise of Queen Nana; Magnify the Creatress; exalt the dignified; exalt the Glorious One; draw nigh to the Mighty Lady.” – Sumer, Nineteenth Century BC. (26)

    In summarizing the Sumerian creation story, Stephen Langdon writes: “Thus beyond all doubt the Nippurian school of Sumerian theology originally regarded man as having been created from clay by the great mother goddess.” Professor Kramer writes: “In a tablet which gives a list of Sumerian gods the goddess Nammu, written with the ideogram for ‘sea’ is described as ‘the mother who gave birth to the heaven and earth’.” (27)

    Part of a Clay Creation of Man myth is reproduced here, and we can see that the Creatress is a potter who fashions mankind out of clay:
“[…they kis]sed her feet,
[saying: The creatress of mankind] we call thee;
[The mistr]ess of all the gods be thy name!”
[They went] to the House of Fate,
[Nin]igiku-Ea [and] the wise mama (Ea: the god of earth and water. Mama or mami: the Mother Goddess).
[Fourteen mother]-wombs were assembled
To tread upon the clay before her.
[….] Ea says, as he recites the incantation.
[…] she drew upon her clay.
[Fourteen pie]ces she pinched off; seven pieces she placed on the right,
[Seven pie]ces she placed on the left; between them she placed a brick.
Ea was kneeling on the matting; he opened its navel. (28)