Tammuz as milk carrier in Indus Valley civilization

Tammuz as a milk carrier

Abstract

Tammuz was a Mesopotamian god, and it looks like the Indus Valley people had followed his cult. A symbol in the IVC script looks like a ‘water-carrier,’ similar to the Mesopotamian seal. Even though this cult has disappeared along with IVC, it is still being practised in South India in Tamil Nadu as a marriage ritual of goddess Meenakshi in the temple at Madurai city.

Figure 1: Sumerian seal depicting God Dumuzi.

The above-given seal impression from Mesopotamia shows a water carrier with skin bags hung across a yoke. The picture shows a god carrying Kavadi (Yoke). There are stars on either side of his head. (1) The above-given seal and references are from the book of Asko Parpola (page.no.183). (1)

Figure 2: God Dumuzi in line diagram.

Earlier, in my book (2), I explained that the seal refers to the star constellation ‘Aquarius’ and indicates some month and date. That explanation is valid to the extent that the seal indicates some festival, which falls on a particular month. (3). Now, I got additional information that the god represented in the seal; the god depicted in this figure-1& 2 is ‘Dumuzi’. The same Damuzi was later called Tammuz, and in European mythology, he was known as Adonis. (4). The other resurrected gods list includes Dionysus, Persephone, Osiris, Odin, Krishna, Quetzalcoatl and Attis.

Sumerian scholar Samuel Noah Kramer and folklorist Diane Wolkstein published a book in 1983 titled ‘Inanna, Queen of Heaven& Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer’. A previously unknown tale of Inanna’s courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi’ has been brought into the record in this book. In this tale, it is mentioned that the Inanna’s lover, the shepherd-king Dumuzi, brought a wedding gift of milk in pails, yoked across his shoulders. (5) (6)

Figure 3: IVC symbol showing God Tammuz.

The above discussion’s relevance is that the Indus symbol of ‘water carrier’ should be construed as indicating ‘God Tammuz’. The above-given story of ‘Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi’ shows that the god indicated by the IVC symbol is ‘Dumuzi.’

Figure 4: Marriage of Goddess Meenakshi to Shiva (the fair one) in the presence of God Vishnu (the dark one).

Picture courtesy: (7)

The marriage of ‘Inanna and Dumuzi’ is a festival of fertility cult. Even though the practice has disappeared in the Middle East a long time back, such a fertility cult still exists in Tamil Nadu, especially Madurai, located in the southern region of Tamil Nadu. The festival is known as ‘Marriage of goddess Meenakshi’.

Figure 5: Marriage of Meenakshi performed by five priests.

Picture courtesy: (8)

See, the above-given figure -5, the priests (three persons with a turban) perform the marriage rituals. Note that the turbans worn by these ‘Acting kings’ are similar to those worn by Sumerian gods. Such turbans are not used by any priests in any ritual in Tamil Nadu. It is a kind of isolated case.

Figure 6: Sumerian seal showing horned helmet of Gods

Picture courtesy: (9)

See the turban worn by Sumerian gods, a helmet made of horns indicating they are gods. The relevance of the discussion is that the turban of temple priests somewhat mimics the turban of ancient Sumerian gods.

Figure 7: Devotees acting as God Kallalagar (God Tammuz)’.

Picture courtesy: (10)

There is a peculiar practice of supply of water for drinking to the festival participants through leather bags. Note the persons in figure -7 who are carrying the leather water bags. They will supply water to pilgrims for drinking through the nozzle in that leather bag.

Relevance of the above-given discussion is that the festival of ‘marriage of Meenakshi’ is the remnant of ‘Inanna’s marriage’ and the ‘water carriers’ are re-enacting the act of supply of milk by Tammuz in the marriage of Inanna.

Statistical analysis of messenger god symbol

Even though Tammuz is depicted as a ‘milk carrier’ after his death, he acted as doorkeeper and messenger god to the underworld death goddess Ereshkigal. Hence, this symbol can be termed as the messenger god.

Messenger god	frequency	remarks
	126	Messenger god
	80	A variant of the messenger god
	13	A variant of the messenger god
	28	Messenger-sastha (god) (branch means sastha = god) (11)
	26	Offering to the messenger god (comb symbol means -offering) (11)
	18	Number three means many gods/dangerous god— The offering to many gods was sent through the messenger god (11)
	12	Agnoukaran ceremony – the stick was sent through the messenger god (12)
	11	Messenger god and gatekeeper god
	27	Messenger god – ploughing ceremony – the offering was sent through messenger god. (13)

The data is extracted from the research papers of Mahadevan and Sundar et al. The data shows a harmonious relationship with other symbols if the meaning of ‘messenger -god’ was used.

The other messenger was the ‘leaf-messenger’ symbol, for which a separate article has been written. Refer to the article ‘leaf-messenger’ for more information. There was also a third messenger god symbolism, god with a curved boot, equivalent of ‘flying sandal’. God with flying sandals was the Greek messenger god ‘Hermes’.

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1. Parpola, Asko. Deciphering the Indus Script. New Delhi. : Cambridge University Press., 2000.

2. Jeyakumar(Book). New interpretations on Indus Valley civilization. Chennai : Allright Publications, 2009.

3. Jeyakumar(Kavadi). https://sites.google.com/site/induscivilizationsite/home/kavadi–water–carrier. https://sites.google.com/site/induscivilizationsite/home/kavadi–water–carrier. [Online] july 2015. https://sites.google.com/site/induscivilizationsite/home/kavadi–water–carrier.

4. listverse.com. resurrected-religious-figures/. http://listverse.com. [Online] july 2015. http://listverse.com/2013/03/30/10-resurrected-religious-figures/.

5. Kramer, Diane Wolkstein and Samuel Noah. Inanna,Queen of heaven& Earth: Her stories and Hymns from Sumer. New York : Harper Colophon, 1983.

6. Wikipedia(Tammuz). Tammuz_(deity). https://en.wikipedia.org. [Online] july 2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammuz_(deity).

7. Ram. youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com. [Online] july 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKE3-xjOiuM.

8. Suryan TV. youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/. [Online] july 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIw3knkGjUw.

9. Reinhold, Walter. Serpentningishzida. http://www.bibleorigins.net. [Online] july 2015. http://www.bibleorigins.net/Serpentningishzida.html.

10. timescontent.com. devotees-dressed-as-lord-kallalagar. http://www.timescontent.com/syndication-photos/reprint/feature/316202/devotees-dressed-as-lord-kallalagar.html. [Online] july 2015. http://www.timescontent.com/syndication-photos/reprint/feature/316202/devotees-dressed-as-lord-kallalagar.html.

11. jeyakumar(number-three). Number three specifies Many gods and also Dangerous gods. Academia.edu. [Online] https://www.academia.edu/41294661/Number_three_specifies_Many_gods_and_also_Dangerous_gods..

12. Jeyakumar(stick-symbol). Single vertical stroke symbol could be indicating Agnoukaran Shradda ceremony. Academia.edu. [Online] july 2020. https://www.academia.edu/43552080/Single_vertical_stroke_symbol_could_be_indicating_Agnoukaran_Shradda_ceremony_ver_6_july.

13. Jeyakumar(hoe). Hoe symbol shows sowing of seeds ritual of Smasana-Cayana ceremony. www.academia.edu. [Online] 2018. https://www.academia.edu/26648236/Hoe_symbol_shows_sowing_of_seeds_ritual_of_Smasana_Cayana_ceremony.