Definition

Noun 1. A primordial deity in Mesopotamian mythology: Anshar is a god from the Babylonian creation epic Enuma Elish. He is a personification of the sky, specifically the horizon or the "totality of the upper world," and is considered the father of the gods. 2. The father of the sky god Anu: In the Babylonian pantheon, Anshar is the father of Anu (god of the heavens) and the grandfather of Enlil and Ea (Enki).

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • In the Enuma Elish, Anshar and his sister Kishar are the second pair of primordial gods.
  • The myth states that Anshar sent several gods to battle the chaos monster Tiamat before finally choosing Marduk.
  • Scholars note that Anshar was later identified with the Assyrian national god Ashur.

Advanced Usage

• "The circle of Anshar": A poetic or mythological reference to the entire sky or celestial dome.
  • The stars were all contained within the circle of Anshar.

Variants and Related Words

• Kishar (noun): The sister and consort of Anshar in Babylonian myth, representing the "totality of the lower world" or the earth horizon.
• Ashur (noun): The chief god of the Assyrians, with whom Anshar was syncretized (identified as the same deity).
• Primordial (adjective): Existing at or from the beginning of time.

Synonyms

• Sky-father: A descriptive term for a primordial god representing the heavens.
• Progenitor: An ancestor or originator.

Notes on Meaning

• Mythological Context: The meaning of "Anshar" is almost exclusively confined to discussions of ancient Mesopotamian (Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian) religion, mythology, and cosmology.
• Etymology: The name comes from the Sumerian language, where "An" means "heaven/sky" and "shar" implies a totality or whole, hence "the whole of heaven" or "the horizon of the sky."

Noun

1. the Babylonian father of the gods; identified with Assyrian Ashur; in Sumerian the name signifies `the totality of the upper world'