Welcome
to The Many Coloured House, a blog about
ancient and medieval history. Within these walls you'll find posts
revealing the stories, myths, customs, and wisdom from the ancient world, as well as archaeological news and book reviews.
What
is Egunnu: The Many Coloured House?
Egunnu is the
Sumerian name for the temple of the goddess Geštinanna in the ancient city of Nippur. In English, Egunnu means: The
Many Coloured House.
Geštinanna
is a mother goddess, an agricultural goddess, an underworld goddess, and a
goddess of knowledge, all rolled into one. In myth, she tried to
prevent her negligent brother, Dumuzi, from being dragged to the
underworld, but failed in her efforts. Out of love for him, she
agreed to share his time in the underworld, allowing him to spend
some of the year on the surface. During the summer, she graces
the hills surrounding Sumer with grape vines. In winter she
descends into darkness to replace Dumuzi in the underworld. There,
she is the scribe of the Queen of the Underworld, and keeps the
tablet that describes the life and death of mortals.
The
Many Coloured House is also a euphemism for a library. With
its walls covered by a rainbow of books, libraries are places of
learning, achievement, and grace for all people, and a refuge from
the noise of the world.
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