Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

82 Dulha DeoDulha DeoMinor god of the bridegroom. Hindu. Attribute:an ax hanging from a tree.are modeled. In Syriac tradition he is the son ofthe mortal father Kautar (Aramaic: Košar).See also KOTAR.DUMUZIORIGIN Mesopotamian (Sumerian and Babylonian-Akkadian)[Iraq]. Shepherd and vegetationgod; underworld god.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa 3500 BC orearlier to circa 200 BC.SYNONYMS Damn; Ama-usum-gal-ana; Tammuz(Hebrew).CENTER(S) OF CULT none.ART REFERENCES plaques; votive stelae; glyptics,etc.LITERARY SOURCES cuneiform texts including theInana’s Descent and the Death of Dumuzi.Dumuzi, as popularly understood, is a maledeity who in mythical times was the tutelarygod of the city of Bad-tibira between Lagaš andUruk in southern Mesopotamia. It is believedthat there was also a goddess Dumuzi from Kinunirnear Lagaš. The two became syncretized asthe single male personality who occupies a specialplace in the Sumerian pantheon as the consortof the goddess INANA. He is the first “dyingand rising” god to be historically recorded byname.Dumuzi is particularly associated with the datepalm. He is commanded by Inana (who is herselfunder a pledge to the goddess EREŠKIGAL) toenter the underworld for a period of each year,which accounts for the seasonal demise of thegreen world to drought.His worshipers were chiefly women but hiscult was very widespread and as late as Biblicaltimes there are references to women “weepingfor Tammuz.” It may be argued that Dumuzi isthe model on which later gods including ADONISDurChthonic underworld god. Kassite [Iran]. Equateswith the Babylonian-Akkadian god NERGAL.Durangama (going far away)Minor goddess. Buddhist (Vajrayana). One of severaldeified BHUMIS recognized as different spiritualspheres through which a disciple passes.Color: green. Attributes: staff on a great lotus.DURGAORIGIN Hindu (Puranic) [India]. Vengeful warriorgoddess.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP circa AD 400 (butprobably known from earlier times) until present.SYNONYMS KUMARI; Shakti; Agni-Durga (eightarmed);APARAJITA (unconquered).CENTER(S) OF CULT none.ART REFERENCES sculptures generally bronze butalso stone. Reliefs.LITERARY SOURCES chiefly Ramayana and Mahabharataepics and Puranic texts, but mentionedby name in Vedic literature.Durga is one of the angry and aggressive aspects ofthe goddess Sakti, whose earliest role in Hindumythology is to fight and conquer demons but whoalso personifies the SAKTI or female aspect of anymale deity. Iconographically, Durga is depicted asa beautiful golden-skinned woman who rides upona lion or a tiger. She has eight or ten arms, eachbearing a weapon presented to her by differentgods and including the conch shell of VIŠNU, thetrident of ŠIVA, the bow of RAMA and the sudarshan