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Dumuzi

Dumuzi, also known as Dumuzid in Sumerian and Tammuz in Akkadian, is a major figure in Mesopotamian mythology. He is a shepherd god associated with fertility, vegetation, and the pastoral way of life, and he serves as the husband of the goddess Inanna (Ishtar). The name Dumuzi is Sumerian, often linked to meanings such as “true son,” while Tammuz is the Akkadian form; etymology is debated.

In the mythic cycle surrounding Inanna, Dumuzi’s fate is tied to the seasonal cycle of growth and

Cult and ritual practice associated with Dumuzi centered on Uruk and other Mesopotamian centers. He is linked

Legacy: Dumuzi’s cultal figure was later identified with Tammuz in broader Mesopotamian and Near Eastern religious

decline.
In
some
versions,
Inanna
descends
to
the
Underworld;
Dumuzi
is
slain
or
taken
there
in
her
stead.
His
sister
Geshtinanna
mourns
him,
and
Inanna’s
return
to
the
heavens
corresponds
with
Dumuzi’s
annual
residence
in
the
underworld
for
part
of
the
year,
a
motif
used
to
explain
winter
and
the
return
of
spring.
The
Lament
for
Dumuzi
is
a
key
text
conveying
mourning
for
his
death,
while
the
Descent
of
Inanna
is
closely
connected
to
the
goddess’s
own
journey.
to
a
sacred
marriage
rite
with
Inanna,
which
in
some
traditions
was
performed
by
a
king
or
priest-king
as
a
symbolic
union.
The
death
and
renewal
of
Dumuzi
symbolized
fertility,
agricultural
abundance,
and
the
changing
seasons
within
the
religious
imagination
of
Mesopotamia.
traditions.
The
name
Tammuz
also
appears
in
the
Hebrew
Bible
in
reference
to
a
cult
deity
worshiped
by
some
communities,
reflecting
the
wider
cultural
footprint
of
the
figure.