TAMMUZ
Akkadian Agriculture God
Akkadian Agricultural God of Seasonable Vegetables
He regulates the seasons and symbolizes Death and Rebirth in nature. Somewhat reluctantly, it appears.
Every summer, when his powers are strongest, when the flowers are blooming and the harvests are looking great, he collapses from heat exhaustion and dies. His soul flees to the Underworld where it’s nice and cool, leaving the world’s vegetation to fend for itself.
The resulting desolation causes much misery as plants decay and winter sets in. So his mourning wife Ishtar nips down to the nether regions to rescue him. Which is such a complicated and arduous task that it always takes six months and by the time they reappear, spring is right on schedule.
Tammuz, the son of Ea, had many cults and festivals in his honor, and also spread himself around Mesopotamia under the names Dumuzi and Damu.
Tammuz Facts and Figures
Name: Tammuz
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names:
Gender: Male
Type: God
Area or people: Akkadia
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present
Role:
In charge of: Agriculture and Farming
Area of expertise: Agriculture, Farming
Good/Evil Rating: Unknown at present
Popularity index: 5856
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Article last revised on September 26, 2018 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders
References: Coming soon.