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| Keywords: Ashur god.jpg Assyrian feather-robed archer figure superimposed over a winged sun symbol http //www sacred-texts com/ane/mba/mba20 htmhttp //www sacred-texts com/ane/mba/img/33400 jpg Myths of Babylonia and Assyria by Donald A Mackenzie 1915 <blockquote> Ashur was not a goat of heaven but a bull of heaven like the Sumerian Nannar Sin the moon god of Ur Ninip of Saturn and Bel Enlil As the bull however he was like Anshar the ruling animal of the heavens; and like Anshar he had associated with him six divinities of council Other deities who were similarly exalted as high heads at various centres and at various periods included Anu Bel Enlil and Ea Merodach Nergal and Shamash A symbol of the first three was a turban on a seat or altar which may have represented the world mountain Ea as the world spine was symbolized as a column with ram's head standing on a throne beside which crouched a goat fish Merodach's column terminated in a lance head and the head of a lion crowned that of Nergal These columns were probably connected with pillar worship and therefore with tree worship the pillar being the trunk of the world tree The symbol of the sun god Shamash was a disc from which flowed streams of water; his rays apparently were fertilizing tears like the rays of the Egyptian sun god Ra Horus the Egyptian falcon god was symbolized as the winged solar disc It is necessary to accumulate these details regarding other deities and their symbols before dealing with Ashur The symbols of Ashur must be studied because they are one of the sources of our knowledge regarding the god's origin and character These include 1 a winged disc with horns enclosing four circles revolving round a middle circle; rippling rays fall down from either side of the disc; 2 a circle or wheel suspended from wings and enclosing a warrior drawing his bow to discharge an arrow; and 3 the same circle; the warrior's bow however is carried in his left hand while the right hand is uplifted as if to bless his worshippers These symbols are taken from seal cylinders An Assyrian standard which probably represented the world column has the disc mounted on a bull's head with horns The upper part of the disc is occupied by a warrior whose head part of his bow and the point of his arrow protrude from the circle The rippling water rays are V-shaped and two bulls treading river-like rays occupy the divisions thus formed There are also two heads--a lion's and a man's--with gaping mouths which may symbolize tempests the destroying power of the sun or the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates Jastrow regards the winged disc as the purer and more genuine symbol of Ashur as a solar deity He calls it a sun disc with protruding rays and says To this symbol the warrior with the bow and arrow was added--a despiritualization that reflects the martial spirit of the Assyrian empire </blockquote> Transferred from http //en wikipedia org en wikipedia 2007-04-29 Original uploader was Šarukinu at http //en wikipedia org en wikipedia PD-US; PD-ART PD-US PD-art original upload log page en wikipedia Ashur_god jpg 2007-04-29 23 24 Šarukinu 359×260× 35244 bytes <nowiki>A stone relief depicting the Assyrian god Ashur </nowiki> Archaeological objects Mythology Assyrian people Ashur god | ||||
