Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

224 NINURTAthe left and seven on the right with a brickbetween them, who produced the first seven pairsof human embryos. She is closely identified withthe goddess Ninhursag˜a and may have becomeBelet Ili (mistress of the gods) when, at Enki’ssuggestion, the gods slew one among themselvesand used his blood and flesh, mixed with clay, tocreate mankind.NINURTA (lord plough)Orgin Mesopotamian (Sumerian and Babylonian-Akkadian)[Iraq]. God of thunderstormsand the plough.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa 3500 BC to200 BC.SYNONYMS probably Ningirsu.CENTER(S) OF CULT Nippur and, as Ningirsu, atGirsu.ART REFERENCES plaques, votive stelae, glyptics,etc.LITERARY SOURCES creation epics including Atrahasisand Anzu; temple hymns, etc.Ninurta is the Sumerian god of farmers and isidentified with the plough. He is also the god ofthunder and the hero of the Sumerian pantheon,closely linked with the confrontation battlesbetween forces of good and evil that characterizemuch of Mesopotamian literature. He is one ofseveral challengers of the malignant dragon orserpent Kur said to inhabit the empty spacebetween the earth’s crust and the primeval seabeneath. Ninurta is the son of Enlil and Ninhursag˜a,alternatively Ninlil, and is the consort ofGula, goddess of healing. He is attributed withthe creation of the mountains which he is said tohave built from giant stones with which he hadfought against the demon Asag.He wears the horned helmet and tiered skirtand carries a weapon Šarur which becomes personifiedin the texts, having its own intelligenceand being the chief adversary, in the hands ofNinurta, of Kur. He carries the double-edgedscimitar-mace embellished with lions’ heads and,according to some authors, is depicted in nonhumanform as the thunderbird lmdugud (slingstone), which bears the head of a lion and mayrepresent the hailstones of the god. His sanctuaryis the E-padun-tila.Ninurta is perceived as a youthful warrior andprobably equates with the Babylonian heroic godMarduk. His cult involved a journey to Eridufrom both Nippur and Girsu. He may be comparedwith Iškur, who was worshiped primarily byherdsmen as a storm god.NirmaliBirth goddess. Kafir [Afghanistan]. Goddess ofthe childbirth but usually separated from the restof the village. She is invoked by women duringlabor or menstruation. Her sacred animal is theram. There is an argument that she is, in fact, amanifestation of the goddess Disani rather than adistinct deity. Also Shuwe.Nirrti (destruction)1. Destructive goddess of darkness. Hindu (Vedicand Puranic). Known chiefly from the Rg-veda,Nirrti has a generally malignant aspect and isassociated with pain, misfortune and death. She isbelieved to live in the south (the land of the dead).She is dark-skinned, wears dark dress and receivesthe “dark husks” of sacrifice. She is feared bymany Hindus, whose offerings are frequent andrepeated. In later Hinduism, Nirrti changes sexand becomes a dikpala god of terrifying appearance,guarding the southwestern quarter; he hasvarious consorts including Davi, Kalika andKrsnangi. He stands upon a lion, a man or acorpse. Attributes: javelin, shield, staff, sword andteeth.