Ashnan and Human Creation in Sumerian Mythology

This myth, often called the myth of Ashnan (Nisaba)

describes the early appearance of the great gods on the mountain of heaven and earth when nothing had yet been created.

neither the lesser gods nor animals like the ewe, nor grains like barley.

 In that primordial time, humans knew nothing, and it seems to us that they were created on the sacred hill of the universe (An-Ki) .

before the separation of the sky from the earth, in other words, before the appearance of the gods.

 Humans appeared like the universe from the primordial watery abyss, but they appeared as animals walking on their hands and feet.

Enlil with the plow, Haia the barley god, Nisaba the goddess of grain, Ninlil goddess

Here is an excerpt from this myth

After on the mountain of heaven and earth,

An (the heaven-god) had caused the Anunnaki (his followers) to be born

Because the name Ashnan (the grain-goddess) had not been born, had not been fashioned,

Because Uttu (the goddess of plants) had not been fashioned,

Because to Uttu no temenos had been set up,

Uttu, Enki‘s daughter, Goddess of Weaving

There was no ewe, no lamb was dropped,

There was no goat, no kid was dropped,

The ewe did not give birth to its two lambs,

The goat did not give birth to its three kids.

Because the name of Ashnan, the wise, and Lahar (the cattle-god), 

The Anunnaki, the great gods, did not know,

The . . . grain of thirty days did not exist,

The . . . grain of forty days did not exist,

The small grains, the grain of the mountain, the grain of the pure living creatures did not exist.

Because Uttu had not been born, because the crown (of vegetation?) had not been raised,

Because the lord . . . had not been born,

Because Sumugan, the god of the plain, had not come forth,

Like mankind when first created, 

They the Anunnaki knew not the eating of bread,

Knew not the dressing of garments,

Ate plants with their mouth like sheep,

Drank water from the ditch.

In those days, in the creation chamber of the gods,

In their house Dulkug, Lahar and Ashnan were fashioned;

The produce of Lahar and Ashnan,

The Anunnaki of the Dulkug eat, but remain unsated;

In their pure sheepfolds milk, . . ., and good things,

The Anunnaki of the Dulkug drink, but remain unsated;

For the sake of the good things in their pure sheepfolds,

Man was given breath.

Enki in the Abzu to fashion replacement workers

In those days Enki says to Enlil:

"Father Enlil, Lahar and Ashnan,

They who have been created in the Dulkug,

Let us cause them to descend from the Dulkug."

At the pure word of Enki and Enlil,

Lahar and Ashnan descended from the Dulkug.

For Lahar they (Enlil and Enki) set up the sheepfold,

Plants, herbs, and . . . they present to him;

For Ashnan they establish a house,

Plow and yoke they present to her.

Lahar standing in his sheepfold,

A shepherd increasing the bounty of the sheepfold is he;

Ashnan standing among the crops,

A maid kindly and bountiful is she

Abundance of heaven . . . ,

Lahar and Ashnan caused to appear,

In the assembly they brought abundance,

In the land they brought the breath of life,

The decrees of the god they direct,

The contents of the warehouses they multiply,

The storehouses they fill full.

In the house of the poor, hugging the dust,

Entering they bring abundance;

The pair of them, wherever they stand,

Bring heavy increase into the house;

The place where they stand they sate, the place where they sit they 

supply, 

They made good the heart of An and Enlil.

But then Lahar and Ashnan drank much wine and so they began to 

quarrel in the farms and fields. In the arguments which ensued, each 

deity extolled its achievements and belittled those of its opponent. 

Finally Enlil and Enki intervened, but the end of the poem which 

contains their decision is still wanting.

Thus, the gods of the ewe and barley (Lahar and Ashnan) descended from the sacred hill to the earth, bringing with them humans who went along. 

The gods had created cattle and grain and created humans along with them. They found that the gods were still struggling to obtain their food and drink, so they sent the cattle, grain, and humans to earth so that humans could benefit from them and, in turn, serve the gods who needed servants.

The myth illustrated how humans were initially animals walking on all fours and did not eat bread because they did not know how to make it. 

They were naked because they did not know about clothing. Their food was grass like that of animals, and they drank water from the channels, while the ewe ate barley and drank sweet water but never felt full or quenched. 

Therefore, they descended to earth to teach humans these things and make them perform these tasks instead of the gods.