Page 73 - DILMUN 13_Neat

DIIMUN

noticeble in ١١١١'5 festivals ٠٠٠ this rclationship bctwcen ١a١ a١d gods, started in ancient
cultures, wh١e١١a١ began asing his plysical powcrs as an offering to dcities and as ١ ncthod
of worshipping'.

'The best example of known ١cicnt bull-gn١es is fronm the 'W٨١١-pi١ting of bull sport
from the palace of Knosse;٩',١ fond the best rcfcrcnce ١o it in, "Guide t‫ ﻥ‬Cretan
٨ntiquitie;'', '٠T١١e ٧cll-k١٥w١٦ Minoan bull-ganes, obviously ١ cciting ١d dngcrous
sport, a٢٥ oftcn rcprcsented in art٠ They demndcd long ١d vigorous tr١ining ١s w٥ll as
cxccptional acrobaticagility .،٠١o wcapons wcre involved in the game -it was ١ot ‫ ﺍ‬fight
nd thc bull was not hurt ٠٠٠ These games scem to havc involvcd somc kind of ritual contest
or ordeal, or١y have bcen conncctcd with mgic or fcrtility rites ..٠ Sonme scholars considcr
them to hbe mere secular sports, probably practiscd on days of rcligious fcstivalg'5 T١١e final
point about bull-ganes in Cretc is that, "٠٠. both ١c١ and woncn ar٥ taking part in this
conteg٤'

There are a few important points which nced an cxplanation before wc go into the
bull-gane fcstival in Diln. Firstly, the importance of the bull in mythology, sccondly, the
identity of Moon-god, Nana, thirdly, rclations if any betwcen thc bull and Nana.

Firstly, the position of the bull in Mesopotamian myth. '٠The major dcities of the older
Mesopotamian pantheon prove, on closcr inspection, to be powers in phenonmena or
activities of primary econonic importance to their worshippers? «... and numerous powers
bchind the bovine form are supreme'8, "٠٠٠ also means, of course, that they differ in
character from region to region as natural conditions give prominance now to one, now to
another type of economy'2, "through the nmarshlands along the Euphrates from Kiabring
over Ur up to Uruk runs the country of the o herdsman' ١٧ ٨;٤Ur we find Nanna, the
Moon-god, envisaged by the herdsman as a frisky young bull with gleaming horns, graing in
the heavenly pastureg??١!

Second, the Moon-god, Nanna, was the major astral deity of the Sunmerians, born of
Enlil, the Air-god, and his wife Ninlil, the Air-goddess ... Nanna, the Moon-god, and his
wife Nigal are the parents of Utu, the Sun-‫ﺞﻧ‬a."a,Na٨٨a, as most of Mesopotamian deities
had more than one name, Nanna seems to refer sepcifically to the full moon, Su-en, as the
crescent, and yet a third name, As-im-Babbar, as the new ligh?l9, His most interesting title
which, "٠٠٠ was regularly given the name of (father), he is typically (Father Nanna)'l«

3. lbid, pp, 4142.
4. Crete, pp. 152-153.
5. Guide to Crete Antiquities, Page 32.
6. Herakleion Museum and Archaeological sites, Page 43.
7. Toward the image, Page 6.
8. lbid, Page 7.
9. lbid, Page ٦‫ﺭ‬.
10. ١bid, Page 7.
11٠ lbid, pp 78.
12. Sumerian Mtyhology, Page 41.
13, lbid, Page ٩1.
14. The Teasures of Darkness, Page 21

84