Ellil

Ellil, also transliterated Enlil, is a major god in Sumerian and Akkadian mythology. He is the god of air, wind, and storms, and one of the principal deities of the Mesopotamian pantheon. In early Mesopotamian religion he held a preeminent position as the ruler of the earth and atmosphere and as a deity who decrees destinies and maintains order. In the Akkadian and Babylonian periods his status remained among the highest, though the rise of Marduk as chief god diminished Enlil’s exclusive primacy.

Ellil’s cult center was the city of Nippur, where his temple complex, including the main sanctuary Ekur, was located. He was traditionally associated with kingship, agricultural cycles, and the enforcement of cosmic and social order. His consort is Ninlil, and their offspring is commonly identified with Ninurta in later traditions, among others. Iconography typically depicts him with regal attributes such as a horned crown symbolizing divinity.

In Mesopotamian myth, Ellil appears as a powerful, sometimes stern arbiter who can bestow or withdraw favor and who may authorize dramatic acts affecting humanity. He features in creation and flood narratives, including the Atrahasis epic, where his decree of a flood to curb the human population is central, and in other myths where divine decisions shape human fate.

Over time, Ellil remained a foundational figure in the Mesopotamian religious memory, even as worship diversified and other gods rose to prominence in different city-states.