Kur- Sumerian Mythology First Ever Dragon
In Sumerian mythology, Kur is a monstrous dark dragon with a scaly body
and massive wings. Kur, as a word, can also refer to a variety of
other things. However, the cuneiform sign of kur historically
means "mountain" but came to refer to "land" in general and as a
determiner is placed before the name of a state or kingdom. The Assyrian
pronunciation is 'mat'. The dark dragon of Kur personifies the home of
the dead. According to history, Ereshkigal spoke to Kur when she found
him isolated in the Underworld. Quotes - "I am not afraid of you. Of
any of you" she said out loud, and she meant it. "You are my half
brother, Kur, and so are the dark little ones. And somehow I feel there
is beauty within you all, even if you and others don’t have eyes to see.
But I have. Dive into your essence, brother, search for the seed that
brought you, me and all into being. I also came from that seed. There
you will find what unite us, what make us One of a Kind with the One who
is All Kinds".
In
Sumerian mythology, the
Kur is considered the very first ever dragon. How you are all probably
wondering how could one find the very first dragon? Well you must remember
that each of the dragons that I have posted of my Love for the Dragon! has come from
many different cultures and counties. So everyone has their own opinion on which dragon
is considered the first dragon. In this Post I found in the
Sumerian Mythology, and they
are referred to
the Zagros mountains. Although
the word for earth was
Ki. Then
Kur came to also mean land, and Sumer itself. was called 'Kur-gal' or Great Land". 'Kur-gal' also means Great Mountain.
A second and more popular meaning of the word Kur was 'underworld' or the world under the earth.
Kur was sometimes the home of the dead. It is possible that the flames on escaping gas plumes in parts of the Zagros mountains, which I have mention early in the post would have given those mountains a meaning not entirely consistent with the primary meaning of the mountains and an abode of a God.
The eastern mountains as an abode of the God, is popular in Ancient Near Eastern Mythology.
So it is liking that the name Kur with the modern day Kurds who are the predominant ethnicity inhabiting much of the
Zagros mountain range. So the Hennerbichler believed the term Kurd and the similar ethnic labels to have been derived from the Sumerian word '
Kur', which meant mountain.
I know you are wondering where this is going? and where is the first dragon Kur? but just bare with me
the
Sumerian mythology and all the ancient history has to go together to make since. I myself when I first did this post once before had to re due it a couple of times before I could post it. until I was sure I understood it myself. The Kur is almost like an identical with the Great Land, which is the Underworld, thus the ruler of the Underworld is Ereshkigal 'Goddess of The Great Land'. In later Babylonian myth Kur is possibly an Anunnaki, brother of Ereshkigal, Enki and Enlil. In the Enuma Elish in Akkadian Tablets from the first millennium BC. Kur is part of the retinue of Tiamat and seems to be a snakelike dragon. In one story the slaying of the great serpent Kur results in the flooding of the Earth. A first millennium BC. which shows a fire-spitting winged dragon and a nude woman between its wings pulling the chariot of the God who subdued the Kur. There were only small details of the myths ending to the
KUR, but they say that they are inscribed and still are in the ruins of Sumer. The briefy story runs as follows in the version in the ruins of Sumer.
After heaven and earth had been separated, An, the heaven-god,
carried off the heaven, while Enlil, the air-god, carried off the earth.
It was then that the foul deed was committed. The goddess Ereshkigal
was carried off violently into the nether world, perhaps by Kur itself.
Thereupon Enki, the water-god, whose Sumerian origin is uncertain, but
who toward the end of the third millennium B. C. gradually became one of
the most important deities of the Sumerian pantheon, set out in a boat,
in all probability to attack Kur and avenge the abduction of the
goddess Ereshkigal. Kur fought back savagely with all kinds of stones,
large and small. Moreover it attacked Enki's boat, front and rear, with
the primeval waters which it no doubt controlled. Here our brief
prologue passage ends, since the author of "Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the
Nether World" is not interested in the dragon story primarily but is
anxious to proceed with the Gilgamesh tale. And so we are left in the
dark as to the outcome of the battle.
In the second Verizon of the Kur- it kinda goes like so- In which the Babylonian 'Epic of Creation'.
The Hero of the tale is Ninurta, the warrior-god, who was conceived by the Sumerians as the son of Enlil, the air god. After a hymnal introduction the story begins with an address to Ninurta by Sharur, his personified weapon. For some reason not stated in the text as yet. Sharur has set its mind against Kur. In its speech, therefore, which is full of phrases extolling the heroic qualities and deeds of Ninurta, it urges Ninurta to attack and destroy Kur.
Ninurta sets out to do as bidden. At first, however be seems to have met more than this match and he 'flees like a bird' . Once again however, Sharur addresses him with reassuring and encouraging words. Ninurta now attacks Kur fiercely with all the weapons at his command and Kur however a serious calamity overtakes the land. The primeval waters which Kur had held in check rise to the surface and as a result of their violence no fresh water could reach the fields and gardens.
The gods of the land who 'carried the pickaz and the basket, ' that is , who had charge of irrigating the land and preparing it for cultivation, are desperate. The Tigris waters do not rise , the river carries no good water.
Famine was severe, nothing was produced, the small rivers were not cleaned, the dirt was not carried off.
On the steadfast fields no water was sprinkled, there was not digging of ditches,
In all the lands there were no crops, only weeds grew. Thereupon the lord sets his lofty mind,
Ninurta, the son of Enlil, brings brings great things into being.
He sets up a heap of stones over the dead Kur and heaps it up like a great wall in front of the land. These
stones hold back the "mighty water" and as a result the waters of the lower regions rise no longer to the
surface of the earth. As for the waters which had already flooded the land, Ninurta gathers them and leads
them into the Tigris, which is now in a position to water the fields with its overflow.
Sumerian Mythology
The link is for you all to show where I got most of my info.
I found this to be a very interesting about the Sumerian Mythology of the Kur,but it can be a bit confusing at
times too. As I had to find a couple different references to do this post. I did find link that was quite useful. In it all it was more of gods and goddess than that of a dragon Kur, but I do hope you all find this post interesting even though;
You have to decide for yourselves what you what to believe in this would. For me I believe there is alot around us that we cant see. but myself I have felt and sensed it around me the older I get.
The Magic is there! My friends and Followers you just have to want to let it in!
Love You All! YOUR WENDY!
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life♥´Magic Surrounds Us ☆҉☆ƸӜƷ ♪♫♪♫♪❤❤
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