The Divine Monster Anzû is a common element through Mesopotamian art, writing and culture. Here he steals the Tablet of Destinies from the god Enlil of Nippur, and is pursued by angry agriculture god Ninurta, son of Enlil, waving lightning bolts.
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The mother of Anzû is Sirius, Goddess of Beer along with her sister Ninkasi, who embodies both the positive and negative qualities of beer consumption. She's worshipped at Elba in Syria and the Sumerian city Nippur, the same place Enlil holds sway.
The power of Enlil is challenged in myth and history. When Nippur is sacked in the 3rd millennium BCE, the people are quick to change their patron god and adopt the national god Marduk instead.
In Mesopotamian art Anzû appears as a gigantic bird who can breathe fire and water. He can also take the form of a lion-headed eagle, much like a Gryphon or Griffin which is an eagle-headed lion.
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He may be posed clutching other creatures in his claws, a symbol of dominance. Either way, in Anzû are found strong, radiant qualities common to both creatures. He's ferocious, a dominant power embodying the might of the Sun itself.
Known also as the Divine Storm-Bird, Anzû personifies the southern wind and thunder clouds. While the gods of the dominant ideology have come and gone, Anzû lingers, as a demon god, an early form of the God Abu, the quintessential antagonist throughout the centuries.
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In the myths of Mesopotamia the Tablet of Destinies is thought to be a clay tablet inscribed with cuneiform writing and cylinder seal impressions. It functions as a legal document, giving the god Enlil supreme authority as King of the Universe.
Stealing it divests Enlil of his power to rule. There are several versions of the Tablet of Destinies story. In one version Enki the god of water, crafts and creation is the owner of the tablet, stolen by the Bird Monster Imdugud (Sumerian version of Anzû).
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In one story, the Goddess Tiamat, deity of Chaos and the Sea, gives the tablet to Kingu, her son and consort, and transfers power of her armies to him. According to one text, the hero god Marduk kills the bird monster; in another, it dies by Ninurta's arrows. The magical tablet always returns to Enlil.
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