Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

138 InaraInana is one of three deities involved in the primordialbattle between good and evil, the latterpersonified by the dragon Kur. She is furtherengaged in a yearly conflict, also involving herconsort Dumuzi, with Ereškigal. She descends tothe underworld to challenge Ereškigal and findsherself stripped naked and tried before the sevenunderworld judges, the ANUNNAKI. She is sentencedand left for dead for three days and nightsbefore being restored at the behest of Enki, thegod of wisdom, who creates two beings, Kur-garraand Gala-tur-ra, to secure her release and torevive her by sprinkling her with the food andwater of life.InaraMinor goddess. Hittite and Hurrian. Daughter ofthe weather god TEŠUB. In the legendary battlewith the dragon Illuyankas she assists her father totriumph over evil.Inari (rice-grower)God(dess) of foodstuffs. Shinto [Japan]. The popularname of a god(dess) worshiped under thegeneric title Miketsu-No-Kami in the Shi-Densanctuary of the imperial palace, but rarely elsewhere.The deity displays gender changes, developsmany personalities and is revered extensivelyin Japan. Inari is often depicted as a bearded manriding a white fox but, in pictures sold at templeoffices, (s)he is generally shown as a woman withlong flowing hair, carrying sheafs of rice andsometimes, again, riding the white fox. Inari sanctuariesare painted bright red, unlike most otherShinto temples. They are further characterized byrows of wooden portals which form tunnels leadingto the sanctuary. Sculptures of foxes are prolific(an animal endowed, in Japanese tradition,with supernatural powers) and the shrines aredecorated with a special device, the Hoju-No-Tama, in the shape of a pear surrounded by smallflames. Often identified with the food goddessTOYO-UKE-BIME.InazumaGoddess of lightning. Shinto [Japan]. The socalledconsort of the rice. In certain regions whenlightning hits a rice field bamboos are erectedaround the spot to signify that it has been sanctifiedby the fire of heaven. Also Ina-Bikari (light ofrice) and Ina-Tsurubi (fertility of rice).IndrTutelary and weather god. Kafir [Afghanistan].The brother of GISH and father of DISANI andPano. Probably derived from the more widelyrecognized Aryan god INDRA, Indr is knownchiefly from the Waigal and Prasun areas of thesouthern Hindukush. It is generally assumed thathe was ousted from major importance by the godIMRA. Indr is also a god of wine who owns substantialvineyards and is associated in southNuristan with wine rituals (the annals of Alexanderthe Great suggest that he met with winedrinking“worshipers of DIONYSOS” in theHindukush).In the Ashkun region of southwestern Kafiristan,a famous vineyard near the village of Wamaisis sacred to Indr. Also Inder.INDRA (possibly meaning “mighty”)ORIGIN Hindu [India]. Weather god.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa 1500 BC andpossibly earlier until present day.SYNONYMS none.CENTER(S) OF CULT none.ART REFERENCES sculptures in metal and stone;reliefs.LITERARY SOURCES Rg Veda and other texts.