In Sumerian mythology, the me are divine decrees or powers that organize civilization and the world.
The me appear most prominently in the Sumerian myth “Inanna and Enki.” Enki keeps the me in his sacred domain at Eridu, while Inanna visits him and receives them during a banquet. She transports them to Uruk, where they become associated with the city’s cultural, political, religious, and social order.
The word does not refer to one physical object or a simple written law code. The me represent authoritative aspects of existence, including kingship, priesthood, music, craft, truth, and other institutions or conditions that make organized life possible. Lists and translations vary, and not every surviving account presents exactly the same set.
The term is often written as a short Sumerian word in transliteration. It should not be confused with the Anzu, a mythological bird, or with a ziggurat, a monumental temple platform.