Ancient Concepts of Fate: Deities and Influencers of Destiny
Looming over the lives of gods and mortals alike, fate was more than a concept, it was an inscrutable force, a celestial decree woven by unseen hands. Dictating the unfolding of destinies, the gods and goddesses of fate were equally feared and venerated. Their omnipotence held the power to shape every moment and movement, casting grandeur or doom over the lives they touched. They commanded the course of existence, intertwining human struggles and triumphs with the grand design. Fate was inevitable, an absolute and untouchable force found in every ancient civilization.
Divine Law and the Tablet of Destiny: Mesopotamia
In ancient Mesopotamian societies, fate and death were inseparable; those who determined fate most often ruled in the underworld. The Akkadian Mamitu, mother of fate and goddess of destiny, found her home amongst the dead, deciding the fate of mortals at her own, fickle will. There would be no turning back, her verdicts were eternally irrevocable. The goddess and proper ruler of the underworld was Ereshkigal, sister to Ishtar, goddess of love, war, and fertility. Ereshkgial’s loyal admirer, Namtar, was a demonic god and Herald of Death. He determined the fates of those in passing and was a messenger to the gods, carrying news from the underworld to the divine realm.
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It was said that Ishtar once attempted to take her sister’s place as Queen of the Dead, but the great Anunnaki stepped in. They, too, played a part in the fates of humans and their fellow gods. Born from a union between the sky and the earth, they were supreme deities and judges, recognized as “those who see.” Post-Akkadian texts consider them as those who ruled over fate, as such in the great Epic of Gilgamesh, where they judged the dead based on their ever-changing life choices. Accordingly, as Ishtar faced her judgment, her divine fate was in the hands of gods who would not spare her mercy. Hung by nail, all her godly attributes - love, war, and fertility - died along with her.
Ishtar on an Akkadian cylinder seal impression. (Sailko / CC BY -SA 3.0)
Top image: AI image of Moirai, Goddesses of Fate. Source: TungYueh / Adobe Stock
