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Reddit mentions of The Literature of Ancient Sumer

Sentiment score: 2
Reddit mentions: 3

We found 3 Reddit mentions of The Literature of Ancient Sumer. Here are the top ones.

The Literature of Ancient Sumer
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Found 3 comments on The Literature of Ancient Sumer:

u/FeralHousewife · 8 pointsr/mildlyinteresting

Dude, did you just call Inana a bitch?! Not cool man, not cool. I'll have you know she is as graceful and beautiful as a swift goat! Can't possibly compare her to a dog.

u/WedgeHead · 5 pointsr/AskHistorians

The Loeb Classical Library mentioned already is ideal for the Greco-Roman world.

Literature from Ancient Mesopotamia is, for the most part, a bit older than you are looking for since the conventional date for the composition of the Iliad is 725 BCE and most Mesopotamian stuff was well before that date, but there is much, much more stuff in cuneiform sources than in other ancient languages.

For Akkadian literature see Foster, Before the Muses.

For the even older, Sumerian literature, see Black, The Literature of Ancient Sumer, most of which is available online on the authors' website: ETCSL.

For a broad survey of all the materials, in various languages, from all periods of the Ancient Near East (including Egypt) see Hallo, The Context of Scripture - 3 vols.

For China see De Bary, Sources of Chinese Tradition - volume 1.

u/Nocodeyv · 4 pointsr/mythology

Mesopotamian mythology (including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians) is actually one of the better documented mythologies of the ancient world. Despite the preponderance of "ancient alien" nonsense out there, a plethora of scholarly books exist on the subject, as well as websites curated by academic groups.

  • ORACC

    ORACC is an excellent place to start if you're interested in the major deities of Mesopotamia. Each entry contains historical information (cult centers, earliest attestation, etymology, etc), and well as mythology (genealogical, function in pantheon, etc). The entries are sourced, so you can follow up any queries you may have.

  • ETCSL

    The ETCSL is a collection of Mesopotamian mythology in easy-to-digest format. Most of the material on here was written during the Old Babylonian period (c. 1800 BCE) but is based on earlier traditions found in the Akkadian and Ur-III periods (c. 2300-2000 BCE). A print-version of many of the myths contained on the webpage can be found on Amazon here.

  • SEAL

    SEAL operates much the same as the ETCSL, only it is focused exclusively on literature from the Akkadian empire (c. 2350 BCE). If you follow the "corpus" link you'll be taken to the entire collection of texts SEAL has available for browsing.

    There are other such collections, similar to ETCSL and SEAL that are available online, but these are good starting points if you don't yet have your feet wet regarding the subject matter. You should also, if you're interested, explore print-material as well. Much of Mesopotamia's core research is published in book format, by professors and archaeologists who're still working on dig-sites or in universities.

    A few names and texts to consider:

  • History Begins at Sumer
  • The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character

    Samuel Noah Kramer, who published the above, provides an excellent introduction to Sumerian culture and mythology. His books are easily readable and often times serve as most people's introductions to Mesopotamia.

  • Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia

    Jean Bottéro's masterwork has been translated, but is approachable and easy to read. This volume explores the emotional and psychological connection of the Mesopotamian people to their religion.

  • The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion
  • The Harps That Once: Sumerian Poetry in Translation

    Thorkild Jacobsen is one of the best translators of Mesopotamian material. These two books present dozens of myths, cult songs, and other works for the reader, while also exploring the patterns and motifs present in Mesopotamian religion across its 3000+ year history.

    There are other works I could recommend, but I don't want to overwhelm you with options. If you're interested, I also run the subreddit /r/Sumer, which is dedicated to reconstructing the religious beliefs and practices of the Mesopotamian people. It isn't the most active of places, but I'm still trying to get it off the ground. Feel free to join us over there if you wish.