Nanaya

The Kudurru (stele) of King Meli-Shipak II (1186–1172 BCE). Nanaya, seated on a throne, is being presented the daughter of the king, Hunubat-Nanaya. Kassite period limestone stele, The Louvre.

This article is about the Mesopotamian goddess; for the Telugu author see Nannayya. For the Tsukihime character, see Shiki Nanaya.

Nanaya (Sumerian 𒀭𒈾𒈾𒀀, ^DNA.NA.A; also transcibed as Nanâ, Nanãy or Nanãya; in Greek: Nαναια or Νανα; Aramaic: ננױננאױ) is the canonical name for a goddess worshipped by the Sumerians and Akkadians, a deity who personified "voluptuousness and sensuality". Her cult was large and was spread as far as Syria and Iran. She later became syncretised with the Babylonian Tashmetum.

References

• Encyclopedia of Gods, Michael Jordon, Kyle Cathie Limited, 2002
• Westenholz, Joan Goodnick (1997). "Nanya: Lady of Mystery". In I.L. Finkel and M.J. Geller. Sumerian Gods and their Representations. Cuneiform Monographs. 7. Groningen: Styx Publications. pp. 57–84. ISBN 90-56930052. 

See also

• A tigi to Nanaya for Išbi-Erra (Išbi-Erra C), translation at The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature