Enki

god in Sumerian mythology

Enki or Ea is the Sumerian god of water and knowledge. He was either the son or brother of the sky god Anu. His Greek name was Aos.[1] Enki was said to have created the Tigris and Euphrates rivers by masturbating.

Enki on the Adda Seal, pouring water. Enki is best known today as the zodiac sign of Aquarius, with the goat-fish symbolizing him as Capricornus.

The planet Mercury was thought to be Enki,[2] but Enki was also shown as a constellation of a man pouring water. He was also associated with the goat-fish, a mythological creature with the head of a goat but the body of a fish. Enki became the Western zodiac sign of Aquarius, while his goat-fish became the sign of Capricorn (Capricornus).[3]

References

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  1. Langdon, S. (1918). "The Babylonian Conception of the Logos". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: 433–449. ISSN 0035-869X.
  2. Black, Jeremy A.; Green, Anthony; Rickards, Tessa (1992). Gods, demons, and symbols of ancient Mesopotamia: an illustrated dictionary. British Museum. London: Published by British Museum Press for the Trustees of the British Museum. ISBN 978-0-7141-1705-8.
  3. Thurston, Hugh A.; Thurston, Hugh (1996). Early astronomy. Springer study edition (1. ed., 1. softcover printing ed.). New York Berlin Heidelberg: Springer. ISBN 978-0-387-94822-5.