Ninkasi: The Goddess of Beer
Ninkasi, the child of Uruk and Inanna, was created to be one of the people who would treat Enki's eight wounds. The goddess of alcohol was claimed to produce alcohol every day and was said to have been created from sparkling, fresh water. The art of brewing in Sumer was safeguarded and approved of by Ninkasi and two other goddesses as a result of her involvement in it. Ninkasi was a member of the Sumerian pantheon and was renowned as the goddess who could satiate the heart's wishes. Her female gender and her association with brewing have made this procedure the responsibility of women. The art of creating beer has been passed down through generations. A Hymn to Ninkasi, a hymn that describes the production of beer in verse form, has been discovered among translations of Sumerian writings.
Although Ninkasi was already revered throughout the Early Dynastic era, there is no proof that she was ever the tutelary deity of a particular city. In contrast, she was revered as a "universal" deity in numerous Mesopotamian locations. The Hymn to Ninkasi mentions a city, however it should be understood that this is not a reference to a previously undiscovered cult center, but rather a poetic declaration that any place where beer was consumed can be regarded as a city of Ninkasi.
Early Dynastic administrative records from Shuruppak, the center of Sud's cult, attest to the devotion of Ninkasi. It's also probable that she had a shelter in Eridu during that time. She was revered in Umma during the reign of Ur III. She is also well documented as a part of the Nippur pantheon, where she first appears in offering lists from the Ur III era. A Middle Babylonian meteorological record claims that she possessed a temple of her own in this city. The Canonical Temple List mentions two Ninkasi temples, although their names and exact locations are lost.
