Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

NINHURSAG˜ A 221the sun god. She was probably first worshipedby cow-herders in the marsh lands ofsouthern Mesopotamia. Chiefly recognizedat Ur.Ningikuga (lady of the pure reed)Goddess of reeds and marshes. Mesopotamian(Sumerian and Babylonian-Akkadian). One of theconsorts of ENKI and the daughter of AN andNAMMU.NingilinObscure deity. Mesopotamian (Sumerian andBabylonian-Akkadian). His symbol is probablythe mongoose. Also Ninkilim.NingiramaGod of magic. Mesopotamian (Sumerian andBabylonian-Akkadian). A minor deity invokedparticularly as a protection against snakes.NingirsuTutelary god. Mesopotamian (Sumerian andBabylonian-Akkadian). His mother is NINHUR-SAG˜ A. Known from the city of Lagas (Girsu)where Gudea built a major temple in his honor,the Eninnu. His symbol is a lion-headed eagle andhis weapon the mace Šarur. Texts describeNingirsu making a journey to Eridu to notify thegod ENKI of Gudea’s achievement.NingiszidaThe god of light coming from the horizon.Mesopotamian (Sumerian and Babylonian-Akkadian). Tutelary god of Gudea of Lagaš, theson of NINAZU. Identified in Akkadian texts andon a seal of Gudea. Also GISZIDA.NINHURSAG˜ A (queen of the mountain)ORIGIN Mesopotamian (Sumerian and Babylonian-Akkadian)[Iraq]. Mother goddess.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa 3500 BC untilcirca 1750 BC.SYNONYMS NINMAH (great queen); NINTU (ladyof birth); Mama or MAMI (mother); ARURU(sister of ENLIL); BELET-ILI (lady of the gods—Akkadian). Minor SYNONYMS include Ninziznak(lady of the embryo); Nin-dim (ladyfashioner); Nagar-sagak (carpenter of insides);Nin-bahar (lady potter); Nin-mag (lady vulva);Nin-sig-sig (lady of silence); Mud-kesda(blood-stauncher); Ama-dug-bad (motherspreading the knees); Ama-ududa (mother whohas given birth); Sag-zu-dingirenak (midwifeof the gods); Ninmenna (lady of the diadem).CENTER(S) OF WORSHIP Tell el ‘Ubaid [Ur]. Mari.Other temples, according to literature, werelocated at Keš, Adab (modern Bismaya) andHiza, none of which have been found. Smallertemples and shrines scattered around southernMesopotamia and beyond.ART REFERENCES plaques, votive stelae, glyptics.LITERARY SOURCES cuneiform texts—epics includingEnki and World Order and Creator of the Hoe,temple hymns, etc.Ninhursag˜a is one of seven great deities of Sumer.Assuming her symbol to be the §omega, it hasbeen depicted in art from circa 3000 BC, thoughmore generally from early second millennium. Itappears on some kudurru boundary stones—onthe upper tier, which indicates her importance.She is principally a fertility goddess though technicallyany female deity could take on the role.Temple hymn sources identify her as the “true andgreat lady of heaven” and kings of Sumer were“nourished by Ninhursag˜a’s milk.” Distinct fromthe goddess INANA, she enjoys closer links withfecundity and birth and is sometimes portrayed asa midwife, or with bosom bare and carrying a