Last Update: 8 January 2004
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Kur / Asag / Asakku v Ninurta
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Region: Akkadia, Sumeria
Time Period: Unknown
References in Literature: Lugal-e hymn series, "The Feats and Exploits of Ninurta" and "Inanna and Ebih"
Sources: Python: A Study of Delphic Myth and Its Origins, pg 166-167, Illiana, RichEast, Circle of the Dragon, Biopark

Notes:
  • Often compared with Tiamat
  • Name means "mountain" or "land"
  • Ninurta's father is the god Enlil, who produced the dragon that went after Ninurta.
  • Ninurta vs Kur is very similar (same as?) Ninurta vs Asag.
  • Ninurta put the dragon on the Gate of Splendor in Sugalam as a trophy.
  • Biopark tells us that "the first written commentary, found on clay tables, uses the names of Asag, a monster / dragon (sometimes names as Kur) and Ninurta, a god / hero."
Tale 1:

In short: His defeat results in the waters of Adzu to release, causing an unclean flood and the hero piled rocks on his body to stop the water. The water is then redirected to the Tigris River.

From the 79 tablets and fragments found and reconstructed:
Ninurta is the hero and his weapon is called Sharur and it takes on a life of its own. Eventually, Sharur talks Ninurta into attacking the dragon Kur (for reasons unknown), and Ninurta does go after the dragon. But he's sent back, beaten.

Sharur again convinces Ninurta to go to battle and he does. He defeats the dragon Kur.

But on his death, the primal waters of the water rise to the surface, flooding fields and farms and no fresh water can get to the crops. The gods of cultivating became desperate and turned to Ninurta.

Ninurta then took many large rocks and boulders, placing them on Kur's body until a massive dam was built and the primal waters stopped flowing. Ninurta gathered the water that was already on the surface and took them to the Tigris which, upon overflowing, watered the land with fresh and clean water.

Tale 2: "Inanna and Ebih"

In this tale, Inanna is a self-glorifying goddess of love, battle and strife, and Kur-slayer. Ebih is the mountain/land version of Kur in the NE district of the land.

The short-short version is that Kur, or rather Ebih, would not submit to Inanna or glorify her virtuous nature so she took all her weapons and warring means and battled against him, destroying him. Then she stood on his corpse and glorified herself.

Tale 3:

Ninurta, in the Return of Ninurta to Nippur, ... is the one who 'wields the 7-headed mace which slays the 7-fanged serpent." (Source: "CT 13.33-34 and Ezekiel 32: lion-dragon myths")

Related Tales:

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