Enki is an ancient Sumerian primary god worshiped for over 3000 years. He's among the first deities to emerge in Sumerian myth. Enki is a god of water, music, artisans, craftspeople, wisdom, creation, medicine and sometimes mischief.
Enki (Ea) is the God of Water, specifically groundwater or subterranean fresh water. Despite his connection with water his name means "Lord of the Earth."
He dwells in the Abzu, the waters of Creation. In Sumerian and Akkadian myth the Abzu is the primeval freshwater sea from which all life emerges. It exists between the Underworld and the realm of mortals.
The Abzu is personified only once. In the Sumerian creation story Abzu is the consort of the Chaos Sea Queen, Tiamat. At his death through the betrayal of their children, the enraged Tiamat gives birth to several monsters who are battled by Marduk in the Enuma Elish.
Enki is the son of the oldest known god Anu, who appears in Sumerian mythology c. 4000 BCE. This makes Enki a member of the Annunaki, a generation of the Old Gods, the primordial pantheon of Mesopotamian mythology.
The Annunaki are descendants of An (Sky) and Ki (Earth). They include the Great Mountain Goddess Ninhursag. The oldest of the Annunaki is Enlil, Lord of the Winds.
The children of Enki are
Marduk, hero god king; some suggest Marduk is initially of the Igigi
Ninsar, goddess associated with preparation of meat
Ninkurra, goddess(es) of the arts, as one or a group
Uttu, goddess of weaving
Nintl, goddess of Lagash; healing goddess
Adapa, a divine sage
Nanshe, goddess of nature, marshes, dream interpretation, justice
He has a spousal connection to Great Mountain Mother Ninhursag in the city of Lagash, but not elsewhere. Her usual consort is the Disease Demon Deity Shulpae. The sukkal or attendant of Enki is the two-faced messenger god Isimud.
Divine benefactor of humanity, Enki helps humans survive the Great Flood. The Flood itself is caused by the God Enlil, who can't sleep because the humans make too much noise.
Several myths surround his activities. In Enki and the World Order, he organizes "in detail every feature of the civilized world." In Inanna and Enki, he's the holder of the sacred mes, tablets of divine power, concerning all aspects of human life.
Enki relates the planet Mercury. His day is Wednesday. His sacred number, a number accorded each god in writing, is 40. Enki is an ancestor of scribe god Nabu.
Enki is associated with the stone jasper. His symbols include the goat, fish, goat-fish and chimera. A chimera has the front of a lion, the middle of a goat, including head and horns, and tail of a snake ending in the serpent's head.
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