Nisaba is the goddess of education, learning and writing. She also has dominion over harvests of all kinds, agricultural or otherwise. Nisaba is in charge of marking and recording boundaries. She may be invoked by those involved in boundary or territorial disputes.
Nisaba presides over a hall that serves as a school of higher, esoteric learning. She is the scribe and recording secretary of the Sumerian pantheon, although this position was eventually reassigned to Nabu who may be her student and/or her husband.
Nisaba is the daughter of Enki and Ninhursag and the sister of Nanshe, her partner and ally. On New Year’s Day, Nisaba organizes those who line up to be judged by Nanshe. Nisaba also records Nanshe’s prophesies and dream interpretations.
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Nidaba; Nanibgal
ORIGIN:
Sumeria
FAVOURED PEOPLE:
Scribes; archivists; librarians
MANIFESTATION:
She is described in the Sumerian “Hymn to Nisaba” as possessing the colors of the stars of heaven
ICONOGRAPHY:
Nisaba is depicted wearing a horned diadem over her long, flowing hair
ATTRIBUTES:
Crescent moon; sheaf of wheat; lapis lazuli tablets
ELEMENT
Earth
Creature:
wild cow
SACRED SITES:
Nisaba had shrines in the ancient Sumerian city Umma and in Uruk, now modern Warka, Iraq
SEE ALSO:
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses– Written by Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.
NOTE:
Since the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians and others all shared essentially the same pantheon and belief systems, these articles are all combined under the Mesopotamian mythology / deities / legendary creatures category.