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Gods of the West |
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Gods of the West |
The Pantheon
Abzu "The Great Abyss"
Nammu: In the beginning was Nammu and all else was without form. She was the great primeval mother Goddess/Dragon and also represented the primordial Ocean of chaos that gave birth to all things. The first born of all creation are the dragons whose form mirrors Nammu's own. She epitomizes chaos and the raw stuff of magic. Mother of the first generation of gods. Mother of dragons. Rarely worshipped.Abzu: Husband of Nammu he is the father of the primeval gods. Also means the domain of the sweet fresh water beneath the earth .The male proto-god, whose name means the Great Abyss is said to represent the great depths of fresh waters (particularily rivers) as opposed to the ocean. Abzu and Nammu are parents to the pantheon of gods.
Ninhursag (also known as Ki) is the Mother Goddess whom embodies the earth itself. Originally she came forth from Nammu as a mountain of dry land which is now symbolized by the ziggurat. Consort of Anu (the sky) she is raped by her son Enlil and gives birth to all living things. More widely worshipped than any other god she has many titles and attributions. Epithets: Strong lady or mountain lady. Ninmah, Supreme Lady Nintu, Lady of Births Mammi, "mom" Belet-ili, Mistress of the Gods Sassuru, womb goddess tabsut-ili, midwife of the gods ququirrat-illi, mother of all children.
Anu thought of as being a god, but as the sky he is a solid dome made of lapis lazuli. Since he emerged from chaos (Nammu), Anu as first born represents the principle of order and is thought of as a busy older man. Anu is the king of the Gods of the West and of the universe. "An" is a word which represents the power of kingship in ancient Western-- order through unquestioned obedience to Anu and his high priest and representative on Earth, the God-King of the West. Symbol is a horned crown.
Enlil is the god of air, very powerful, and has the most authority after Anu. He is a god of wisdom, although quite unpredictable as is his domain the wind. He gave humanity the gift of agriculture which is symbolized by the pickaxe. The tilling of the soil is symbolic of the rape of Ki (the earth), the mother of Enlil, whom he raped. Thus the wind eternally separates the Sky and the Earth.
Nabu is God of writing and wisdom and scribe of the gods. Politically amongst the most important dieties as he is the sponsor of the university in Ashur. Spouse is Tashmetum. Sometimes he is cryptically referred to as, "Last-Born".
Ea is the god of the water. He is a trickster figure and the only god who knows magic in addition to his other diefic powers. This allows him to win nearly every conflict he enters and he loves to win. He is the patron of the Magi, but due to his unpredictable nature no one ever asks for his aid first. He is usually the third god approached. He gave to humanity the knowledge of writing for written and spoken language are both closely associated with magic. (Witness wizardry, diabolism and summoning) Enki lives in Abzu the Abyss (or the deep waters). God of freshwater, wisdom and incantations, a helper of mankind who sent the Seven Sages to teach the arts and skills of civilization to menLived in Apsu. His spouse was Damkinna. Symbols an overflowing vase. Epithet Nissiku or Far sighted.
Sin is the Goddess of the Moon and Lord of Oaths. She taught mankind seasonal planting and harvesting, made a gift of the calendar and rules the tides. She is closely associated with Ea. Symbol is a crescent disk.
Shamash the God of the Sun represents light, consciousness and truth. Wise beyond measure, inescapable as the light of day,he has become the judge of the gods. Shamash it is said, gave the Tablets of the Law to the first God-King of the West. Since that time the West has been ruled by these laws. Indeed the expression used to refer to "a really long time ago", is "before the Rule of Law." He is depicted as an ordinary Western man albeit with a kingly demeanor, with rays coming off him, and holding either a comb (to separate the truth from the lie) or a double edged sword held upright. (to cut through to the truth).
Kur "Land of No Return" is the Underworld, or the land of the dead. It is a land of shadow and darkness populated with the wailing shades of past lives. The word itself can refer to the underworld as a place, the land of the dead personified by its King, or the river of dead water that flows through the underworld. Metaphorically it can refer to any darksome underground area.
Nergal, Lord of Urkall the great city of the Underworld. Chief god of the Underworld and consort of Erishkigal. A very powerful but not very popular god. Nergal abducted a consort, Ereshkigal, from the world of the living because no one liked him enough to come willingly.
Ereshkigal: (Queen of the Great earth and Sister of Innanna) Consort of Nergal and Queen of the Underworld. Over the years she assumes more and more power and usurps the throne of Nergal. Along one side of Ereshkigal's throne room sit Seven Judges of the Underworld called the Anunaki. When lightning seems to come up from the ground, it is said that the Anunaki are raising their torches.
Hadad is the Stormgod, Lord of canals, son of Anu. Symbols are the bull and forked lightening. He is also a God of War, but actually he PREVENTS war. While he is the patron god of farmers and herdsmen, his herds are the clouds.
Innin is the goddess of fertility (in people), of lust/love, and war. Her symbols are the morning star and the evening star, the Rosette, and the barbed arrow. Love between a man and a woman was considered to be a form of insanity (passion which leads to irrational behavior. To be struck by this goddess meant complete insanity and so an individual should not make any serious decisions in this state of mind (e.g., marriage). There was therefore ample provision for divorce in the Western Empire because it was understood that the insanity would eventually pass. Wise men are terrified of her notice.
Dumuzi ("FaithfulSon"), consort of Inanna, is the God of Fertility in Animals and Vegetation. Dumuzi is egocentric, impetuous, and never stops talking. He is the shepherd and doorkeeper of Anu.Unfortuneatly for him, he must spend the winter of each year in the Underworld.
Lesser Deities:Alala: Reletively unimportant harvest god. The name also means the traditional harvest songs.
Anshar: "Whole Sky" Father of Anu paired with Kishar the sweet. A God of the old generation..
Annunnaki: Group term for the old cthonic dieties of fertility and the Underworld. Now they have become the judges in the Underworld.
Asarluhi: A god often invoked in incantations and magical literature. Has great poers of magic and is associated with healing.
Belet-ili: Mistress of the gods, another name for the great mother goddess Ninhursag.
Dagon: Cthonic god of the deep seas and the underworld. One of the old gerneration never deposed.
Enbillulu: God of irrigation canals and farming.
Enmesharra: A powerful old underworld god. All but name is now lost.
Erra: "Scorched Earth" God of War, Hunting and Plague. Epithet is Engiduddu or "Lord who prowls by night.
Gerra: Fire god son of Anu.
Geshturee: A dead god still honor as he was slain so that his blood and intelligence could be used as ingredients in mans creation.
Gushkin-banda: A patron god for gold workers.
Haharnu: A lost god who is known only by name.
Hanish: A minor weather god servant of Hadad, who is paired with Shullat.
Igigi: The younger generation of gods headed by Anu.
Ilabrat: Vizier god a servant of Anu.
Irnina: Goddess of war. Some equate her with Innanna.
Ishara: Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth. She is the enforcer of oaths and her symbol is a scorpion. She avenges unwed mothers whose lovers spurn them. It is not wise to offend her. Ever.
Ishum: War leader of the Gods. Epithet is "pious slaughterer"
Kishar: "Whole earth" A god of the old generation.
Kulla: Patron god of brick makers and builder in brick.
Lahar: A god of the flocks worshipped by shepherds.
Mami: Another name for Ninhursag.
Manugal: Underworld diety spouse of Birdu "The Snatcher"
Muumuu is mist or water vapor, who as a fog surrounds Absu and conceals him from the sight of mankind who would go mad if they were to perceive his true immensity. He is also the vizier of Abzu.
Muhra: He who faces both ways the gate keeper at the Underworld.
Muntalku: The Seven Sages who taught the arts of civilization to men under the direction of Ea.
Nin-agal: Lord of the Strong Arm. Patron god of smiths.
Nin-urta: Patron god of carpenters
Neti is the door keeper (Nedu) of Erishkigal.
Nusku: God of light. Symbol a lamp.
Panigara: A warrior god. Epithet, Lord of the Boundary Stone.
Sebittu: The Seven. Warrior gods who march into battle, against enemies of the gods.
Shakkan: God of cattle and Herdsmen.
Shulpae: One of the Powerful old gods with a wide range of attribures including fertility and demonic powers.
Siduri: "Alewife" Goddess of brewing and wisdom.
Sirsir: patron god of Sailors.
Tiruru: A lost god.
Ua-ildak: A goddess of pasture and poplar.
Ukar: A demonic Underworld god. Vizier of Nergal.
Zababa: warrior god.
Zarpatinum: Goddess of preganancy.
MiscellanyAnduruna: The dwelling place or palace of the Gods of Babel.
Asag: demon of drought.
Assaku: Demons. See other info sheet.
Duku: "Holy Mound" A hill site where the gods are said to listen to petitions. Also a term for the inner shrine of temples and the space inside a Magic Circle.
Hubur: The name of the River in the Underworld and also the name of the ancient river ordeal used to settle disputes and ferret out witches.
Kussarikku: Bull man (Minotaur) a great mythological foe of mankind and the gods.
Tablets of Destiny: The clay tablets on which the fates are written. Gives supreme power to the holder.
Urkalla: The great city of the Dead in the Underworld, whose earthly approximation is the City of the Dead in Ashur.
The PriesthoodPriests and Priestesses of the Western Gods shave their entire bodies bald as this is opposed to the traditional appearance for individuals of power (huge beards and long wavy hair, often eyes were painted to appear enormous) In the ancient times before the Rule of Law, the high priest representing a god was also the king of that god's city. If two cities fought, it was believed that the two gods of those cities were also fighting each other.
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