a participant in the events of the myth. She is also referenced in passing in Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave, where at one point "the wooden dahaša (a type of vessel) of Ninkasi" puts the hero to sleep, which is most likely another metaphor pertaining to the consumption of beer. A fragment of a myth known from Abu Salabikh mentions Ninšar slaughtering cattle and sheep while Ninkasi brewed beer. Ninkasi is one of the eight deities born in the end of the myth Enki and Ninhursag. Her name is reinterpreted as a pun on the word ka, "mouth," in this composition, and like in the other passages her birth corresponds to Enki announcing a specific body part. Ninti makes a similarly brief appearance as her sister, rather than mother, according to Dina Katz because the names of the eight deities in this scene were "not selected for theological reasons but to suit body parts," with Ninti's name being reinterpreted as a pun on the word ti, "rib." Modern relevance The asteroid 4947 Ninkasi, discovered in 1988 by Carolyn S. Shoemaker and Eugene Merle Shoemaker at the Palomar Observatory, is named after the goddess. Ninkasi Brewing Company from Eugene, Oregon, founded in 2006, is named after her as well. As of 2013, it was the third largest craft beer brewery in the state. The American Homebrewers Association annually issues a "Ninkasi Award" during their National Homebrew Competition. References Bibliography See also History of beer External links Hymn to Ninkasi (Ninkasi A) in the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature Lugalbanda and the Anzud Bird in the ETCSL Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave in the ETCSL Enki and Ninhursag in the ETCSL Alcohol goddesses Mesopotamian goddesses Beer culture Deities of wine and beer