Sumerian Mythology (Paperback)

~ Samuel Noah Kramer (Author) "The science of comparative mythology, like almost all the sciences, exact and inexact, is largely a product of the nineteenth century; its origin and development..." (more)
Key Phrases: following groups form, thy boxwood, thy good lapis lazuli, University Museum, Museum of the Ancient Orient, Inanna's Descent (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A real addition to the body of world mythology."—American Anthropologist

"No people has contributed more to the culture of mankind than the Sumerians, and yet it has been only in recent years that our knowledge of them has become at all accurate or extensive. [This book is] our first authoritative sketch of the great myths of the Sumerians, their myths of origins, of creation, the nether world, and the deluge. The book . . . makes entrancing reading and for the general reader it opens up a whole new vista undreamed of before."—Theophile J. Meek

Product Description

Book Description:

"The Sumerians were a non-Semitic, non-Indo-European people who lived in southern Babylonia from 4000-3000 B.C.E. They invented cunieform writing, and their spiritual beliefs influenced all successive Near Eastern religions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They produced an extensive body of literature, among the oldest in the world. Samuel Noah Kramer spent most of his life studying this literature, by piecing together clay tablets in far-flung museums. This short work gives translations or summaries of the most important Sumerian myths." (Quote from sacred-texts.com)

Table of Contents:

Publisher’s Preface; Preface; Introduction; The Scope And Significance Of Sumerian Mythology; Myths Of Origins ; Myths Of Kur; Miscellaneous Myths; References And Notes; Supplementary Notes; Endnotes

About the Publisher:

Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, Esoteric and Mythology. www.forgottenbooks.org

Forgotten Books is about sharing information, not about making money. All books are priced at wholesale prices. We are also the only publisher we know of to print in large sans-serif font, which is proven to make the text easier to read and put less strain on your eyes. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press; Revised edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812210476
• ISBN-13: 978-0812210477
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #173,481 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Out of date but still worth reading, February 25, 2002

By	ilmk "ilmk" (UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Any piece of scholarship that has a preface that baldly states that quite a bit of the following translations are wrong immediately throws out warning signals.
However, this is quite a useful handbook, even if the author pointedly tells the reader that "History begins at Sumer" is more accurate. It has that touch that encompasses all ancient historical secondary sources written in the early part of the twentieth century - a narrative style, whereby it is just as important to provide both a description of actions and a background of the people and methods that got the several thousand clay tablets translated.
Given today's somewhat dry "facts, facts, facts" attitude of most ancient historians, it is most refreshing because understanding those who compiled the work gives a better understanding of the translation.
The book excellently gives a rundown of the pantheon of Sumerian Gods, the acculturation of Sumerian mythology into Semitic and translates a goodly portion (sometimes inaccurately as the preface warns!) of the tablets.
Whilst any serious Sumerian scholar must move on to latter translations and works, this is a good starting point, particularly for those wanting to see a 'decipherment' in progress.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars unsatisfied, May 26, 2007

By	A. Biddle (Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

while i find this book a good read, i was left very unsatisfied. i felt there was much left out of this book that could have been touched on. also i found myself bored to death through the authors commentary on what little translation of the sumerian texts there were. while i was led to believe that this book would discuss much of their religious customs,myths, and beliefs, it touches on very little of any. while this is not a terrible read i am sure there is much better than this.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really great; really short., March 25, 2006

By	Brandon B. "Reconstructionist" (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

I found this book to be a very refreshing introduction to Sumerian mythology.

However, like the author states some of the translations are not that accurate. Also, I wish this book was longer.

Besides those two things, this book is awesome and I recommend it to anyone just beginning to study Sumerian mythology.