Inanna

I recently discovered that the Sumerian artifact posted from the previous blog was the image of the Sumerian goddess Inanna.



Inanna, according to Sumerian account was given dominion over the Indus Valley region (now presently located in Pakistan, but the region had been very prominent in ancient Hindu narratives). Akkadians and Babylonians called her Ishtar. In ancient times she was addressed as Queen of Heaven. Although she was not considered a "mother goddess," she headed a long line of female deities identified with feritlity of the natural world. The Babylonians however, call Ishtar as "High-Mother-Goddess."



Could it be possible that the Tagalog words Ina and the Visayan Inahan, which means "mother," originated from the Sumerian goddess Inanna?

enigmatic Samal

Even for locals living in Davao City, nearby Samal (that's only about 7 minute ride by barge from the mainland) is an island now gradualy revealing not just her beauty, but also her mystery. It is a paradise-like island we thought we knew. We thought the island was just the next byword for tourism destination owing to its pristine beaches with even some areas having powdery white sand so fine that its shore could diffuse heat of the tropical sun as one walks over it, an island of breathtaking sceneries and unspoilt wonders that Davao region hopes to keep that way while balancing with progress. Just a few years ago, it was also discovered that the island's batcave shelters the world's largest fruit bat colony (Geoffrey's Rousette species). It turned out there's even more to the island.

From my recent personal research posted in the previous blog, enigmatic Samal may also have one of the country's oldest history, with its rich past even inhabited by legendary giants of yore (well, not necessary "legend," there were actual discoveries of giant skeletal remains that unfortunately were looted or neglected, add up the Philippines authorities' lack of enthusiasm in archiving these otherwise valuable legacies).

It also made me recall of another enigmatic religious group in Samal, the Moncadistas. They are a religious colony known for their tradition of eating uncooked and raw food with no fish or meat. The group was founded by Hilario Camino Moncado (1898-1956). At nine years of age, he graduated with honors from the College of Mystery and Psychics in Calcutta, India. During earlier times, many of the group's male members sported long hairs and beards. The Moncadistas are known to be peaceful and law-abiding citizens.

Another personal observation that I tend to notice while in Samal, were the local dogs, yup, the local canines. Unlike their counterparts in the mainland, it seemed that most local dogs in Samal do not have the habit of barking at strangers. Perhaps it was due to the geographical confines of the island, but I least expected that even these creatures could create a " canine culture" that is uniquely Samal. I wonder if other visitors had noticed it too.

It makes one wonder, even with locals, what enigmatic character would this beautiful island reveal next.

ancient Sumerian links?

I read before in a newspaper article that some of the earliest settlers in the country arrived in the shores of Southern Mindanao and landed particularly in the present municipality of Palembang, Sultan Kudarat (Palembang was also the name of the capital city of the ancient Sri-Vijayan empire based in Sumatra, Indonesia)sometime in the 5th century. This was somehow reconfirmed by this report that I read a while ago wherein stolen artifacts were discovered that could lead to a lost tribe:

Artifacts discovery may lead to lost tribe

http://forums.yellowworld.org/showthread.php?t=35565

However, I find the faces of these anthropomorphic artifact intriguing:



As anyone may notice it seemed to have striking similarity, particularly with the distinct "eyebrow" pattern, with that of an ancient Sumerian artifact:

Not surprisingly, I had once read about the creation mythology of another indigenous group, the Samal tribe in Davao hours away from the find but still south of Mindanao, having similarity with the creation mythology of the ancient Sumerians. Ancient stories also narrate about a certain giant race known as the "Dinagat" that once inhabited Samal Island. But these giants were rude and bullying, and would often raid neighboring mainland villages, stealing and violating their women. The giants were eventually eliminated by the opressed villagers by drifting a boatload of poisoned food, in retaliation for their offenses. Skeletal remains of these giants were said to be discovered in some parts of the island, but some of these were looted through the years. These reminded of the biblical giants of yore that were offsprings of nephilims, part 'god' and part humans. It is evident that biblical accounts borrowed their sources from ancient Sumerian knowledge.

The Sumerians were considered to be the oldest yet strangely advanced civilization that existed in the Fertile crescent (present day areas in Iraq) during the post-deluvian era (after the Flood). The father of biblical Abraham (his name was changed from Abram after converting to monotheism, supposedly from the Sanskrit word "Brahma") was a Sumerian priest. The Sumerian civilization mysteriously vanished thousands of years ago.