Mesopotamia

Since time immemorial, the lion has been admired—often for the same reasons it was feared. In Mesopotamia, the lion was known for its strength and savagery as much as it’s grace and beauty. It’s no wonder such powerful deities such as the sun-god Utu, and the king of the Underworld Nergal were sometimes compared to lions or given lion-like attributes (think lion’s mane and rays of the sun). But while the occasional mighty king and god were got the offhand comparison, there was only deity who owned the title of celestial lion: The Sumerian goddess Inanna (dinana 𒈹)—the Lioness of Heaven.