Mythology & Religion Power Ranking TOP100
This article introduces Rank 37: Adad from the “Mythology & Religion Power Ranking TOP100”, which ranks the gods, monsters, and heroes of world mythology, religion, and legend in order of strength.
If you want to see the full TOP100 list and the criteria behind the rankings, check out the overview article below.
Rank 37: Adad (Mesopotamian Mythology)
Overview
Adad is the god of weather in Mesopotamian mythology, capable of causing storms and thunder, as well as triggering floods by bringing torrential rain. The most famous episode in which Adad displayed his greatest power is the “Great Flood Legend” — the story in Mesopotamian mythology of humanity almost being wiped out.
When the supreme authority Enlil grew weary of the ever-multiplying humans and decided in a council of the gods to destroy humanity with a flood, Adad was designated as the direct executioner of the plan (while other gods may have helped, it was Adad who unleashed the storm and the flood).
Adad is also identified with “Baal” in Ugaritic mythology. Baal was originally a high-ranking god in the religion of the Canaanite people.
In the Jewish and Christian scriptures, Baal was portrayed negatively as a foreign god, and eventually came to be called “Baal-Zebub” (Lord of the Flies).
When this Baal-Zebub was referred to in the New Testament and similar texts as “Beelzebul” (or Beelzebub / Beelzebuth), described as “the prince of demons,” the modern image of an evil demon or king of flies became firmly established.
In other words, what was originally a weather deity governing fertility ended up being depicted as a grotesque fly through its absorption into another religion — an entity that embodies one of the darker aspects of how myths and religions interact.
Reason for This Ranking
Adad’s power as a weather god was strong enough to flood the entire world and destroy all of humanity except for those saved by Enki (or Ea).
However, Adad is essentially a “nature deity” — a personification of nature itself — and there are no mythological depictions of him engaging in actual combat.
Even so, Adad’s own standing is quite close to Enlil’s, and it can be inferred that he holds one of the highest divine ranks within Mesopotamian mythology. Moreover, his authority over weather — storms and thunder — is itself exceptionally powerful, which suggests he possesses strength among the very highest tier within Mesopotamian mythology.
On the other hand, since he is clearly ranked below Enlil, I assigned him this position in the ranking.
About the Book
I wrote a book that compiles this entire ranking! The reasoning behind each placement is grounded in the actual lore and episodes from each mythology, so I think it makes for a fairly convincing read.
The book also contains many columns and extras not published on this blog, so if you are interested, please check it out below.
📚 Series: Mythology Power Ranking (Individual Characters) (64/100)
