Azimua

Last updated

Azimua, also known as Ninazimua, [1] was a Mesopotamian goddess regarded as the wife of Ningishzida.

Contents

Name

Ninazimua is the original spelling of the name of this goddess, attested in sources from the Ur III period. [2] Later the NIN sign was usually omitted. [2] The form Ninazimua is attested in at least one theophoric name, Geme-Ninazimua. [2]

Wilfred G. Lambert proposed that the element a-zi in her name can be interpreted as "water of life." [3]

Position in the pantheon

Azimua was regarded as the wife of Ningishzida. [2] However, multiple traditions regarding this god's marital status existed. The god list An = Anum identifies not only Azimua, but also Ekurritum (not attested in such a role anywhere else [4] ) as his wives, while other sources favor Geshtinanna, identified with Belet-Seri. [5] In some cases, Azimua and Geshtinanna/Belet-Seri were conflated, for example in inscriptions of king Gudea of Lagash. [6] A god list from Susa treats them as two names of the same deity, identified both as the wife of Ningishzida and sister of Dumuzi. [7] According to Wilfred G. Lambert, Azimua's name could simply function as a title of Geshtinanna in contexts where the latter was identified as Ningishzida's wife. [8]

Belet-Seri could also function as an epithet of Ashratum, the wife of Amurru, or of her Sumerian counterpart Gubarra, in at least one case leading to conflation of Amurru and Ningishzida and to an association between the former and Azimua. [9]

Azimua could serve as the scribe of the underworld, [10] a role also assigned to Geshtinanna. [11]

Worship

It is likely that Azimua appears for the first time in a text from Early Dynastic Tell Fara, though the full name of the deity in mention is not preserved. [12] A further early uncertain attestation comes from a Zame Hymn from Abu Salabikh, though Dina Katz notes that in absence of Ningishzida from this text corpus the restoration the presence of Azimua would be unusual. [10]

She was worshiped in Ur, where a temple dedicated to her existed, and in Umma. [10]

Mythology

Ninazimua appears in the myth Ningishzida and Ninazumua, which describes an exchange of messages between her and her temporarily deceased husband. [13] It is regarded as similar to other myths dealing with temporary death of deities: Damu and his sister, Dumuzi and his sisters, Dumuzi and Geshtinanna, Dumuzi's dream and Inanna's descent. [14] However, due to small number of known copies, possible scribal mistakes and other issues it is presently impossible to fully reconstruct its plot. [15]

Related Research Articles

Belili was a Mesopotamian goddess. This name refers both to a sister of Dumuzi known from some of the texts pertaining to his death, and to a primordial deity paired with Alala and listed in enumerations of ancestors of Anu. There is no consensus among researchers if they should be considered one and the same.

Ninšar was a Mesopotamian goddess commonly associated with the preparation of meat. The reading of her name remains uncertain, and its possible etymology appears to be unrelated to her role in the Mesopotamian pantheon. She was chiefly worshiped in Nippur, though her original cult center was the settlement AB.NAGAR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ningishzida</span> Mesopotamian god

Ningishzida was a Mesopotamian deity of vegetation, the underworld and sometimes war. He was commonly associated with snakes. Like Dumuzi, he was believed to spend a part of the year in the land of the dead. He also shared many of his functions with his father Ninazu.

Ninti was a Mesopotamian goddess worshiped in Lagash. She was regarded as the mother of Ninkasi. She also appears in the myth Enki and Ninhursag as one of the deities meant to soothe the eponymous god's pain. In this text, her name is reinterpreted first as "lady rib" and then as "lady of the month" through scribal word play.

Ninkurra or Ninkur was a name of multiple Mesopotamian deities, including a divine artisan, presumably a female sculptor. There is no agreement among researchers if this Ninkurra corresponds to the identically named goddess appearing in the myth Enki and Ninhursag. A different deity named Ninkur appears in enumerations of ancestors of Enlil in god lists. This theonym was also employed as a logogram to represent the name of a goddess worshipped in Mari and in Emar on the Euphrates, possibly to be identified as the wife of Dagan, Shalash.

Uraš, or Urash, was a Mesopotamian goddess regarded as the personification of the earth. She should not be confused with a male deity sharing the same name, who had agricultural character and was worshiped in Dilbat. She is well attested in association with Anu, most commonly as his spouse, though traditions according to which she was one of his ancestors or even his alternate name are also known. She could be equated with other goddesses who could be considered his wives, namely Ki and Antu, though they were not always regarded as identical. Numerous deities were regarded as children of Urash and Anu, for example Ninisina and Ishkur. However, in some cases multiple genealogies existed, for example Enki was usually regarded as the son of Nammu and Geshtinanna of Duttur, even though texts describing them as children of Urash exist. Not much evidence for the worship of Urash is available, though offerings to her are mentioned in documents from the Ur III period and it is possible she had a temple in Nippur.

Ningirida was a Mesopotamian goddess regarded as the wife of Ninazu and mother of Ningishzida. Little is known about her character beyond her relation to these two gods.

Aya was a Mesopotamian goddess associated with dawn. Multiple variant names were attributed to her in god lists. She was regarded as the wife of Shamash, the sun god. She was worshiped alongside her husband in Sippar. Multiple royal inscriptions pertaining to this city mention her. She was also associated with the Nadītu community inhabiting it. She is less well attested in the other cult center of Shamash, Larsa, though she was venerated there as well. Additional attestations are available from Uruk, Mari and Assur. Aya was also incorporated into Hurrian religion, and in this context she appears as the wife of Shamash's counterpart Šimige.

Belet-Seri was a Mesopotamian goddess who served as a scribe in the court of the underworld goddess Ereshkigal. She could be regarded as the Akkadian counterpart of Sumerian Geshtinanna, but the name could also function as a title of Ašratum, the wife of Amurru, or as a fully independent deity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manungal</span> Mesopotamian goddess

Nungal, also known as Manungal and possibly Bēlet-balāṭi, was the Mesopotamian goddess of prisons, sometimes also associated with the underworld. She was worshiped especially in the Ur III period in cities such as Nippur, Lagash and Ur.

Duttur was a Mesopotamian goddess best known as the mother of Dumuzid. She frequently appears in texts mourning his death, either on her own or alongside Geshtinanna and Inanna. It is often assumed that she was associated with sheep.

Šulpae was a Mesopotamian god. Much about his role in Mesopotamian religion remains uncertain, though it is agreed he was an astral deity associated with the planet Jupiter and that he could be linked to specific diseases, especially bennu. He was regarded as the husband of Ninhursag. Among the deities considered to be their children were Ashgi, Panigingarra and Lisin. The oldest texts which mention him come from the Early Dynastic period, when he was worshiped in Kesh. He is also attested in documents from other cities, for example Nippur, Adab and Girsu. Multiple temples dedicated to him are mentioned in known sources, but their respective locations are unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geshtinanna</span> Mesopotamian goddess

Geshtinanna was a Mesopotamian goddess best known due to her role in myths about the death of Dumuzi, her brother. It is not certain what functions she fulfilled in the Mesopotamian pantheon, though her association with the scribal arts and dream interpretation is well attested. She could serve as a scribe in the underworld, where according to the myth Inanna's Descent she had to reside for a half of each year in place of her brother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukkal</span> Mesopotamian administrative office and type of deity

Sukkal was a term which could denote both a type of official and a class of deities in ancient Mesopotamia. The historical sukkals were responsible for overseeing the execution of various commands of the kings and acted as diplomatic envoys and translators for foreign dignitaries. The deities referred to as sukkals fulfilled a similar role in mythology, acting as servants, advisors and envoys of the main gods of the Mesopotamian pantheon, such as Enlil or Inanna. The best known sukkal is the goddess Ninshubur. In art, they were depicted carrying staves, most likely understood as their attribute. They could function as intercessory deities, believed to mediate between worshipers and the major gods.

Dumuzi-abzu, sometimes spelled Dumuziabzu, was a Mesopotamian goddess worshiped in the state of Lagash. She was the tutelary deity of Kinunir.

Ašratum was a Mesopotamian goddess of Amorite origin. She was regarded as the wife of the god Amurru. Her name is a cognate of Ugaritic Athirat, but despite likely sharing the same origin these two goddesses occupied different positions in the respective pantheons.

Ninmada was a name applied to two separate Mesopotamian deities, a god and a goddess. The female Ninmada was a divine snake charmer, and in the myth Enki and Ninmah she appears as an assistant of the eponymous goddess. The male Ninmada was called the "worshiper of An" and was regarded as a brother of the snake god Ninazu. It is assumed that these deities could be partially conflated with each other or shared a similar origin, though proposals that there was only one Ninmada are also present in modern scholarship.

Alla or Alla-gula was a Mesopotamian god associated with the underworld. He functioned as the sukkal of Ningishzida, and most likely was a dying god similar to Dumuzi and Damu, but his character is not well known otherwise. He had his own cult center, Esagi, but its location is presently unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epithets of Inanna</span>

Epithets of Inanna were titles and bynames used to refer to this Mesopotamian goddess and to her Akkadian counterpart Ishtar. In Mesopotamia, epithets were commonly used in place of the main name of the deity, and combinations of a name with an epithet similar to these common in ancient Greek religion are comparatively uncommon. Inanna had more titles than any other Mesopotamian deity. They pertained to her associations with specific cities or areas, such as Uruk, Zabalam, Akkad, Nineveh, or the Sealand. Others instead highlighted her specific roles, for example, that of an astral goddess personifying the planet Venus—or that of a war deity. In some cases, her individual epithets eventually developed into separate deities.

Ancestors of Enlil or Enki-Ninki deities were a group of Mesopotamian deities. Individual lists do not agree on their number, though the enumerations always start with the pair Enki and Ninki and end with Enlil. In the earliest recorded lists, Enki and Ninki were the immediate parents of Enlil, but beginning in the Ur III period onwards, a growing number of 'ancestors' separated them. Enki and Ninki became primordial, ancestral beings who were no longer active and resided in the underworld. They could be invoked in exorcisms. They are attested in various texts, including god lists, incantations, prayers and myths.

References

  1. ↑ Krul 2018, p. 357.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cavigneaux & Krebernik 1998, p. 329.
  3. ↑ Katz 2003, p. 6.
  4. ↑ Wiggermann 1998, p. 369.
  5. ↑ George 1993, p. 37.
  6. ↑ Katz 2003, p. 393.
  7. ↑ Katz 2003, pp. 356–366.
  8. ↑ Lambert 2013, p. 389.
  9. ↑ George 1993, pp. 37–38.
  10. 1 2 3 Katz 2003, p. 369.
  11. ↑ Wiggermann 1998, p. 368.
  12. ↑ Katz 2003, p. 398.
  13. ↑ Black 2004, p. 215.
  14. ↑ Black 2004, pp. 215–216.
  15. ↑ Black 2004, p. 219.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.