Also known as
Anko, An was a member of the triad of the Sumerian High Gods (along with
Enki and Enlil). He was the God of
Heaven and the
Universe, and was the
primary God in the
Sumerian
pantheon from(approximately) 4000 B.C. to 2500 B.C., when his position was taken over by his sons
Enlil and
Enki.He also existed in
Mesopotamian mythology as
Anu According to Sumerian
creation myths, when the earth was created An took the
Heavens as his
kingdom, whilst
Enlil took the
Earth as his.
According to many sources, he and Nihursag created almost all of the other gods of Sumaria, and along with Enlil, granted various gods, goddesses, and kings their earthly regions of influence and their laws. Erech was the centre of the cult of An worship, and the fall of An from being the highest of the Sumerian Gods coincides with the city losing its status as the most powerful in the region.