1 In the time before anything was what it is now in the lands where the gods would later reside was An. An came from a time before recorded history. Some say that he came into being as the child of Apsu, the great deep. Others have it that he was the son of the primordial deities Anshar and Kishar.
2 An was followed by Ki. An and Ki were together. Anki was the whole of the universe. An was heaven as well as the God of heaven, and Ki was earth as well as the goddess of earth. Together An and Ki had a son Enlil. Lil was the wind and Enlil was the lord of the winds.
3 Upon the birth of Enlil the realm of heaven and earth were separated. As you would expect An took heaven, but Ki was carried off by Enlil. From this moment the heavens were separate from the earth and the Anki took shape as it floated within the great Apsu.
4 Ki floated in the Apsu, the primordial sea, and within it's depths dwelt Kur, the underworld. To An and Apsu was born Enki, the lord of sweet waters. This god of wisdom ruled that which was below the realm of the wind. Rivers were made to flow upon the earth.
5 To Enlil and Ninlil was born Nanna god of the moon, and to Nanna and Ningal were born Utu the god of the sun and Inanna the goddess who would become the goddess of the passionate emotions of love and war. At this time she was the unassuming goddess of the date stores.
6 The realms had become separated. All of creation had been given their true names. The dragon Kur chose this time to take the beautiful maiden Ereshkigal, treasured among the gods, to be his bride.
7 Enki, the god of the sweet waters set sail to rescue Ereshkigal from the dreaded dragon. He set sail on a small boat from his place on the rivers and set his eyes for the deep. His mother's realm was turbulent with the thrashing attacks of the dragon of the underworld.
8 Kur noticed the approach of Ereshkigal's hero and attempted to stop him. The dragon grabbed great rocks and threw them with the force of a catapult at Enki, but this did not dissuade the clever god.
9 Storms raged over the open water, and yet Enki strove on. Kur, the manifestation of the underworld, threw fist sized rocks, rocks from the reed marshes. He threw any large rock that he could get his claws on at the keel of Enki's ship, but he could not sink it.
10 With his ship being buffeted from side to side Enki fought off the dragon's attacks. Facing the dragon who had taken the alluring Ereshkigal into his realm, Enki used his clever magics and fought the dragon. His strength was like a ram, and his magic was as powerful as Enki was clever.
11 With the dragon Kur defeated the realm of the living was separated from the realm of the dead. Enki learned the mastery of death, and placed Ereshkigal upon the throne of the realm of Kur. Galla, the lesser manifestations of the dragon, were made to serve her and her alone.
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