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Oannes is a figure from Mesopotamian mythology, specifically from the traditions of ancient Sumer and later Babylonian culture. Oannes is often associated with the Apkallu, a group of wise beings or demigods believed to have imparted knowledge to humanity.
Description and Role
Appearance: Oannes is typically described as having the body of a fish but underneath having the form of a man. He was said to have the head of a fish, with another head of a man beneath it, and the feet of a man emerging from beneath the fish’s tail. He is often depicted as a hybrid creature that could emerge from the sea to impart wisdom to humans.
Functions:
Knowledge and Civilization: Oannes is credited with teaching humans various arts and sciences, including writing, mathematics, and architecture, as well as ethical and legal principles. He is seen as a civilizing force, bringing knowledge and culture to human beings.
Mythological Role: In some accounts, Oannes would emerge from the Persian Gulf each day to instruct humanity, returning to the sea each night.
Historical Context: The stories of Oannes come primarily from later Babylonian sources and are associated with Berossus, a Babylonian priest of the Hellenistic period who wrote a history of Babylon. He described Oannes as the first in a series of Apkallu who emerged from the sea.
Cultural Significance: The myth of Oannes reflects the Mesopotamian view of the sea as a source of wisdom and mystery. It also emphasizes the Mesopotamian belief in divine beings that played a crucial role in the development of human civilization.
Connection to Apkallu
The Apkallu, to which Oannes belongs, are often depicted as either fish-men or bird-men, representing various forms of divine wisdom. They are considered mediators between the gods and humans, ensuring the transmission of divine knowledge and maintaining order.
Overall, Oannes is an important mythological figure symbolizing the transmission of knowledge from divine or supernatural realms to human society, embodying the themes of enlightenment and civilization that are central to Mesopotamian mythology.
Oannes, in Mesopotamian mythology, an amphibious being who taught mankind wisdom. Oannes, as described by the Babylonian priest Berosus, had the form of a fish but with the head of a man under his fish’s head and under his fish’s tail the feet of a man. In the daytime he came up to the seashore of the Persian Gulf and instructed mankind in writing, the arts, and the sciences. Oannes was probably the emissary of Ea, god of the freshwater deep and of wisdom.
References in Ancient Texts
- Berossus’ Account: The most famous account of Oannes comes from Berossus, a Babylonian priest who wrote a history of Babylon called the Babyloniaca around the 3rd century BCE. Although the original text is lost, excerpts and summaries are preserved in the writings of later historians such as Eusebius and Josephus. These texts describe Oannes and the Apkallu in detail.
- Enuma Elish and Other Texts: The Apkallu, including figures similar to Oannes, are mentioned in various Babylonian and Assyrian texts, such as the Enuma Elish (the Babylonian creation myth) and other cuneiform tablets that discuss creation, wisdom, and the flood.
- Cuneiform Tablets: Numerous cuneiform tablets from the Assyrian and Babylonian periods reference the Apkallu. These tablets often discuss their role as sages who brought knowledge to humanity. Some of these tablets are held in major museums and collections.
Museums and Collections
- The British Museum, London: The British Museum holds one of the most comprehensive collections of Mesopotamian artifacts in the world, including cuneiform tablets that reference Oannes and the Apkallu. This collection includes various texts from Assyria and Babylon that describe mythological figures and sages.
- Louvre Museum, Paris: The Louvre also has a significant collection of Mesopotamian artifacts, including statues, reliefs, and tablets that depict or reference mythological beings like the Apkallu.
- Pergamon Museum, Berlin: This museum contains a large collection of artifacts from Mesopotamia, including pieces that relate to the mythology and iconography of figures like Oannes.
- Iraq Museum, Baghdad: Located in the heart of Mesopotamia, the Iraq Museum houses numerous artifacts and texts from ancient Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, and Babylon, many of which relate to their mythology and historical traditions.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: The Met has a collection of artifacts from the ancient Near East, including items that reflect the cultural and mythological context of the Apkallu and related figures.
Notable Artifacts
Cylinder Seals: Mesopotamian cylinder seals, which were used to imprint images and texts onto clay, sometimes depict Apkallu figures and can offer insights into how these beings were envisioned.
Statues and Reliefs: Some Assyrian palace reliefs depict Apkallu figures, often shown as fish-men or bird-men. These reliefs provide a visual representation of the mythological descriptions found in texts.
Berossus’ Account as Preserved by Eusebius
In Eusebius’ Chronicon, he provides a summary of Berossus’ description of Oannes as follows:
Description of Oannes: Berossus describes Oannes as having the body of a fish with a human head beneath the fish’s head and human feet under the fish’s tail. He is said to have dwelled in the Persian Gulf but would come ashore during the day to interact with humans.
Civilizing Influence: Oannes is credited with teaching the early humans all the necessary arts and sciences for civilization. This includes writing, mathematics, and architecture, as well as imparting laws and ethical principles.
Appearance: Oannes would emerge from the sea by day and return at night. His teachings were said to have a profound impact on the development of human society, transforming them from a primitive to a civilized state.
Additional Details from Other Sources
Abydenus: Abydenus, another later historian, also refers to Berossus’ work, mentioning similar aspects of Oannes and his role as a bringer of wisdom and knowledge to humans.
Alexander Polyhistor: In the account preserved by Eusebius, Alexander Polyhistor quotes Berossus, describing Oannes’ appearance and his role in educating humanity about various crafts and sciences.
Textual Summary
Here is a summary based on these accounts, translated into a cohesive narrative:
“In the first year, there appeared from the Erythraean Sea, which borders upon Babylonia, an animal endowed with reason, by name Oannes, whose whole body was that of a fish; under the fish’s head he had a human head, and under the fish’s tail, human feet. His voice, too, and language were articulate and human; and a representation of him is preserved to this day. This being was accustomed to pass the day among men but took no food at that season; and he gave them an insight into letters and sciences, and every kind of art. He taught them to construct cities, to found temples, to compile laws, and explained to them the principles of geometrical knowledge. He made them distinguish the seeds of the earth and showed them how to collect fruits; in short, he instructed them in everything which could tend to soften manners and humanize their lives. From that time, so universal were his instructions, nothing material has been added by way of improvement.”
