Dreams and dream meanings are a large part of the spiritual life of ancients. Oneiromancy or dream interpretation clarifies the dream. It's practiced in ancient Mesopotamian and other religions.
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Dreams bring messages or advice from the Gods, secret or sacred knowledge, warnings and revelations of the future. Oneiromancy is considered a spiritual science.
Mamu is the Sumerian Goddess of Dreams. Her name is also a class of dreams. In Mesopotamian spirituality there are two types of dreams. The noun mamu refers specifically to prophetic or meaningful dreams. Mašĝi refers to all dreams.
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A person invokes Mamu to bring meaningful dreams. The goddess of dream interpretation itself is Nanshe. She's also goddess of marshes, animals and justice.
The practice of dream interpretation crosses borders of time, space and culture. It belongs to the collective unconscious, a place of universal understanding.
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Like exorcism (expulsion of demons) and ornithomancy (divination by activities of birds), oneiromancy is a dedicated discipline. Dream interpretation a popular practice through ancient Sumer, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia up to modern times.
In Mesopotamian tradition dream interpreters may be temple priests, spiritual or dream specialists and doctors to gain insight into the particular demon causing illness. This is especially significant in the case of nightmares by the patient.
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Dream interpretation appears in such Mesopotamian literature as the famous Epic of Gilgamesh from the second millennium BCE, and the Akkadian epic Atra-hasis of c.1800 BCE.
The Iškar Zaqīqu or the Assyrian Dream Book is a collection of works relevant to understanding and encouraging prophetic dreams. The 'handbook' is made of eleven clay tablets inscribed in Akkadian, the official language of trade, communication and commerce.
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According to the text, visions from dreams came in three types:
messages from a deity
reflections of the dreamer’s state of mind or health
prophetic dreams
The šā’ilu “questioner” or dream diviner runs a professional practice. Dream interpreters can be obtained from among various Mesopotamian spiritualists, demonologists, healers and diviners. They include:
ašipu - exorcist
bārû - diviner
ṭupšarru - astrologer
muhhûm - ecstatic
raggimu - prophet; or ragintu - prophetess
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The symbolism of a dream may be described through puns, homonyms or onomatopoeia. For example
“If a man dreams he is eating a raven (arbu); he will have income (irbu),” "If a man dreams he is eating human flesh (šēru); then he will have great riches (šarû)” and “If (someone) has given him miḫru-wood he shall have no rival (māḫiru).”
Mirhu is equated with the fir tree and also the verb "to anoint". Tree resin is often used in rituals, incense, medicine and magic.
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Because dreaming happens at night, dreams are considered linked to the Underworld. The Mesopotamian Underworld, Kur, is ruled by ethereal Queen Ereshkigal.
It's populated by old gods, "dying gods" such as Dumuzid; various demons; wandering dead, and vegetation gods such as Abu. Deities of ground water, fire, mineral springs, fate and magic are often found in the Underworld.
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Entities of the night also live in, or pass through the Underworld, including the Moon God Sin (Suen, Nanna). Sin is connected to oracles and oracular powers.
A number of portal gods also call the Underworld home. The deceased must pass through seven portals before reaching the palace of Ereshkigal. Various attendants, scribes, servants and sukkals inhabit Kur.
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Many of these can relay messages from Overworld Gods. For instance the disease demon Namtar, sukkal of Ereshkigal, could appear in a dream to warn the dreamer of an illness, injury or murder. He might be sent by the tutelary deity or 'guardian angel' of the dreamer.
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