Introduction
Nanna (Akkadian Sin) is the moon god, son of Enlil and Ninlil, father of the sun god Utu (Shamash) and the goddess Inanna (Ishtar) — two of the most important deities of the Mesopotamian pantheon.
Family
- Father: Enlil
- Mother: Ninlil
- Spouse: Ningal (married)
- Children: Utu (Shamash), Inanna (Ishtar)
- Siblings: Namtar, Nergal, Ninurta
Father of the Astral Triad
Nanna's principal cult center was at Ur, one of Sumer's most important cities, and his worship there was closely tied to royal legitimacy for much of Sumerian history. Together with his children Utu and Inanna, Nanna formed what is sometimes called the "astral triad" of moon, sun, and the planet Venus (Inanna's astral aspect), three of the most visible and religiously central celestial bodies in Mesopotamian skywatching and astrology.
Mesopotamian religion spans Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian sources composed and recopied across nearly three thousand years, so names, genealogies, and even a deity's role often shift between traditions (Sumerian An/Enki/Inanna alongside their Akkadian/Babylonian forms Anu/Ea/Ishtar); the account above follows the most widely attested version, usually as consolidated in the Babylonian Enuma Elish or the standard Akkadian Epic of Gilgamesh.