Apsu and Tiamat were in the beginning and nothing else. Apsu, the male proto-god, is the fresh water (Apsu, the inanimate = Abzu). Tiamat, Apsu's consort, is the great chaotic primeval ocean and the dragon, great maternal mother goddess. They give birth to the pantheon of gods and to Muumuu, who is mist, water vapor, fog (a very weak proto-god). Muumuu hangs around the Apsu all the time as a counselor.
There's nothing for them to do because there is nothing, so the gods party all the time, making so much noise that Tiamat and Apsu cannot sleep. Apsu becomes irritated and wants to kill all the gods. Muumuu encourages him. He goes to Tiamat and tells her what he wants to do. She says, "These are my children. I'm not going to help you kill them. You're just going to have to do it yourself." Apsu sends word to the other gods that he is going to kill them. They are terrified and decide that Anu (An), the oldest and greatest, must go forth. He takes one look at Apsu and flees. Enlil is next. It is then Ea's turn. He brings a large coil of rope with him. The moment he catches sight of Apsu, he throws the rope around him and ties him up tight and kills him. He then kills Muumuu. Ea then becomes the god of all fresh waters.
Tiamat is furious. She decides to go and kill them herself. First, she creates an army of demons. One, Kingu, is larger than the rest. He is her new consort. She sends word to the gods. Now they are truly terrified. No one will face her. Ea's son Marduk steps up, a vigorous young warrior, and says he will go face Tiamat. They all burst out laughing in derision. His idea is that if each of the gods gives him all their power, he will be strong enough to face Tiamat. They consent. They bestow their powers on him (without losing them).
Marduk goes out in a storm chariot pulled by storm horses. He has a bow and arrow (lightning bolts), a huge net, and two giant sacks tied at the mouth. In one are the four directional winds. In the other sack are the seven evil winds. Tiamat sees him coming. She laughs and opens her mouth to devour him. He opens the sack with the seven evil winds, which rush straight into her mouth and blow her up like a balloon. He throws the net over her and releases the other sack. Each of the four directional winds takes a corner of the net so she can't float away. Then he shoots arrows down her throat into her heart and kills her. He kills Kingu and the rest of the demons easily.
Out of Tiamat's carcass, Marduk slits her in half lengthwise and creates the universe (a common archetype). Her skull is the solid dome of the sky. Her blood is the ocean. Her bones are stones and her hair vegetation. He wants someone to look after the universe for him. He notices a small pool of Kingu's blood from which he creates human beings. He goes back to the gods who complement him and ask for their powers back. He decides to keep the powers and be their king. They all consent. Marduk has 50 names.
The Enuma Elish ("When above . . .") is a poem found on seven tablets.
Allegories: a way to tame the waters; political -- each of the various semitic states had an army. After some time, all the city-states yielded their power to Hammurabi, King of Babylon, who then conquered Sumeria and then refused to surrender their autonomy. (Marduk = God of Babylon)