Uttu

Uttu in Sumerian mythology is the goddess of weaving and clothing. She is both the child of Enki and Ninkur, and she bears seven new child/trees from Enki, the eighth being the Ti (Tree of "Life", associated with the "Rib"). When Enki then ate Uttu's children, Ninhursag cursed him with eight wounds and disappears. Uttu in Sumerian means "the woven" and she was illustrated as a spider in a web. She is a goddess in the pantheon.

She is sometimes mistaken for Sumerian Utu, the male solar deity.

Uttu in modern literature

Author Anita Diamant tells the story of Uttu, the daughter of Nanna, god of the moon, and of Ninhursag, the mother of the plains, through Bilhah, the daughter of Laban, in her book The Red Tent.

Family tree

Abzū

Mummu

Tīama

Laḫmu

Laḫamu

Anšargal

Kišargal

An

Ninḫursaĝ

Enki born to Namma

Ninkikurga born to Namma

Nidaba born to Uraš

Ḫaya

Ninsar

Ninlil

Enlil

Ninkurra

Ningal maybe daughter of Enlil

Nanna

Nergal maybe son of Enki

Ninurta maybe born to Ninḫursaĝ

Baba born to Uraš

Uttu

Inanna possibly also the daughter of Enki, the daughter of Enlil, or the daughter of An

Dumuzid maybe son of Enki

Utu

Ninkigal married Nergal

Meškiaĝĝašer

Lugalbanda

Ninsumun

Enmerkar

Gilgāmeš

Urnungal

References

Diamant, A. (1997). The red tent (pp. 79–80). New York: St. Martin's Press.