Igalim

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Igalim
Divine "bailiff" [1] [2]
Votive mace head dedicated by Gudea to god Igalim, from Tell Telloh, Iraq, c. 2150 BCE. British Museum.jpg
A votive object ibscribed with Gudea's dedication to Igalim. Found in Telloh, presently in the collection of the British Museum.
Major cult center Girsu
Genealogy
Parents Ningirsu and Bau
Siblings Shulshaga

Igalim (Sumerian : 𒀭𒅅𒄋) or Igalimma (Sumerian : 𒀭𒅅𒄋𒈠) [3] was a Mesopotamian god from the local pantheon of the state of Lagash. He was closely associated with Ningirsu, possibly originating as the personification of the door of his temple, and was regarded as a member of his family. His older brother was Shulshaga and his mother was Bau, as already attested in Early Dynastic sources. Until the end of the Ur III period he was worshiped in Lagash and Girsu, where he had a temple, though he also appears in a number of later texts.

Contents

Name and character

The consensus view is that Igalima's name can be translated as "door of the bison". [4] He functioned as the divine gatekeeper of the E-ninnu, [5] "house of fifty" (also known as E-ninnu-Anzû-babbar, "house of fifty white Anzû birds"), the temple of Ningirsu in Girsu. [6] It has been proposed that he was originally the personification of its gate, and the cuneiform sign alim ("bison") in his name metaphorically referred to Ningirsu, rather than to a real animal. [1] An inscription of Gudea refers to Igalim as a divine "high bailiff" ( gal5-lá-gal). [2] It is presumed this was his primary role. [1]

Igalim's name should not be confused with the similar theonym Iglulim, which is not a genitive construction and refers to a different deity. [1]

The iconography of Igalim is not known, as while it has been proposed that depictions of a bull carrying a winged gate on its back are his symbol, this view found no universal support due to lack of examples from the area he was worshiped in. [1]

Associations with other deities

Ningirsu was regarded as Igalim's father, while Shulshaga, described as the eldest son of this god, as his older brother. [7] Ningirsu's wife, Bau, was regarded as the mother of the two brothers. [8] These four deities were presumed to have already formed a family in the Early Dynastic period. [9] In the majority of texts from Lagash Igalim appears after Shulshaga if both of them are invoked at once, which presumably reflects his junior status. [10] However, Grégoire Nicolet points out that in later god lists Igalima appears first instead, which he attributes to his greater importance in the eyes of their compilers, resulting from his connection to the temple E-ninnu. [5]

Due to the well attested analogy between Ningirsu and Ninurta, Igalim appears in association with the latter in the composition Ninurta D. [11] A text from Kish, BM 33055, refers to Igalim and Shulshaga as the weapons of Zababa, [12] while on the tablet STT 400 they are grouped with the deified weapons of Ninazu, Šulazida ("hero of the right hand") and Šulagubbu ("hero of the right hand"). [13]

In a hymn to Nungal, Igalim is attested as a member of the court of this goddess, [1] specifically as her "high warden" (nu-bànda-maḫ). [2] This association might be linked to the role assigned to him in the inscription of Gudea. [1]

Worship

Igalim belonged to the pantheon of Lagash. [11] He is already attested in sources contemporary with the early texts from Fara. [14] The oldest dedicatory inscription mentioning him comes from the reign of Uru'inimgina and commemorates the construction of his temple Emeḫušgalanki, "house which holds the terrible me of heaven and earth". [4] The same temple is also mentioned in an inscription of Gudea. [1] It was located in Girsu. [3] According to Tonia Sharlach, the temples of Igalim and Shulshaga in the state of Lagash in the Early Dynastic period, as well as their various dependencies (such as fields or fisheries) were maintained by the sons of the reigning monarch or, if they were too young to fulfill this role, by their mother. [15] Igalim's clergy is attested in textual sources under the generic term "people of Igalim" (lú dIg-alim), analogous to these used to refer to groups connected to Bau and Shulshaga. [16] Igalim is attested in various Early Dynastic offering lists from Lagash focused on the deities from the circle of Ningirsu and Bau, for example as a recipient of sheep or goats, in some cases alongside Shulshaga. [4] He was celebrated during the festival of his mother in Girsu (alongside deities such as Ninshubur, Ninazu or Ḫegir) [17] and during another, focused on his father, which might have taken place in the city of Lagash. [18]

A statuette dedicated by Shulgi to Igalim has been found in Telloh (Girsu). [19] He refers to him as the "beloved son of Ningirsu" in the accompanying inscription. [20] It is the only identified royal inscription from the Ur III period dedicated to this god. [21]

Active worship of Igalim is only attested until the end of the Ur III period. [1] In the later Old Babylonian Nippur god list he appears as the 77th of the deities enumerated, before Nergal [22] and in the proximity of other underworld deities, which according to Jeremiah Peterson might be a reflection of his association with Nungal. [11] In the Canonical Temple List, most likely composed in the Kassite period, [23] his temple Emeḫušgalanki occurs as the 498th entry. [3]

Related Research Articles

Lagash was an ancient city-state located northwest of the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and east of Uruk, about 22 kilometres (14 mi) east of the modern town of Al-Shatrah, Iraq. Lagash was one of the oldest cities of the Ancient Near East. The ancient site of Nina is around 10 km (6.2 mi) away and marks the southern limit of the state. Nearby Girsu, about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Lagash, was the religious center of the Lagash state. The Lagash state's main temple was the E-ninnu at Girsu, dedicated to the god Ningirsu. The Lagash state incorporated the ancient cities of Lagash, Girsu, Nina.

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

Ninurta (Sumerian: 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒅁: DNIN.URTA, possible meaning "Lord [of] Barley"), also known as Ninĝirsu (Sumerian: 𒀭𒎏𒄈𒋢: DNIN.ĜIR2.SU, meaning "Lord [of] Girsu"), is an ancient Mesopotamian god associated with farming, healing, hunting, law, scribes, and war who was first worshipped in early Sumer. In the earliest records, he is a god of agriculture and healing, who cures humans of sicknesses and releases them from the power of demons. In later times, as Mesopotamia grew more militarized, he became a warrior deity, though he retained many of his earlier agricultural attributes. He was regarded as the son of the chief god Enlil and his main cult center in Sumer was the Eshumesha temple in Nippur. Ninĝirsu was honored by King Gudea of Lagash (ruled 2144–2124 BC), who rebuilt Ninĝirsu's temple in Lagash. Later, Ninurta became beloved by the Assyrians as a formidable warrior. The Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II (ruled 883–859 BC) built a massive temple for him at Kalhu, which became his most important cult center from then on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bau (goddess)</span> Mesopotamian goddess

Bau (cuneiform: 𒀭𒁀𒌑 dBa-U2; also romanized as Baba or Babu) was a Mesopotamian goddess. The reading of her name is a subject of debate among researchers, though Bau is considered the conventional spelling today. While initially regarded simply as a life-giving deity, in some cases associated with the creation of mankind, over the course of the third and second millennia BCE she also acquired the role of a healing goddess. She could be described as a divine midwife. In art she could be depicted in the company of waterfowl or scorpions.

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

Ištaran was a Mesopotamian god who was the tutelary deity of the city of Der, a city-state located east of the Tigris, in the proximity of the borders of Elam. It is known that he was a divine judge, and his position in the Mesopotamian pantheon was most likely high, but much about his character remains uncertain. He was associated with snakes, especially with the snake god Nirah, and it is possible that he could be depicted in a partially or fully serpentine form himself. He is first attested in the Early Dynastic period in royal inscriptions and theophoric names. He appears in sources from the reign of many later dynasties as well. When Der attained independence after the Ur III period, local rulers were considered representatives of Ištaran. In later times, he retained his position in Der, and multiple times his statue was carried away by Assyrians to secure the loyalty of the population of the city.

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

Nanshe was a Mesopotamian goddess in various contexts associated with the sea, marshlands, the animals inhabiting these biomes, namely bird and fish, as well as divination, dream interpretation, justice, social welfare, and certain administrative tasks. She was regarded as a daughter of Enki and sister of Ningirsu, while her husband was Nindara, who is otherwise little known. Other deities who belonged to her circle included her daughter Nin-MAR.KI, as well as Hendursaga, Dumuzi-abzu and Shul-utula. In Ur she was incorporated into the circle of Ningal, while in incantations she appears alongside Ningirima or Nammu.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ninshubur</span> Mesopotamian messenger deity

Ninshubur, also spelled Ninšubura, was a Mesopotamian goddess whose primary role was that of the sukkal of the goddess Inanna. While it is agreed that in this context Ninshubur was regarded as female, in other cases the deity was considered male, possibly due to syncretism with other divine messengers, such as Ilabrat. No certain information about her genealogy is present in any known sources, and she was typically regarded as unmarried. As a sukkal, she functioned both as a messenger deity and as an intercessor between other members of the pantheon and human petitioners.

Pabilsaĝ was a Mesopotamian god. Not much is known about his role in Mesopotamian religion, though it is known that he could be regarded as a bow-armed warrior deity, as a divine cadastral officer or a judge. He might have also been linked to healing, though this remains disputed. In his astral aspect, first attested in the Old Babylonian period, he was a divine representation of the constellation Sagittarius.

Ninazu was a Mesopotamian god of the underworld. He was also associated with snakes and vegetation, and with time acquired the character of a warrior god. He was frequently associated with Ereshkigal, either as a son, husband, or simply a member the same category of underworld deities.

Ḫegir (𒀭𒃶𒄈) or Ḫegirnunna (𒀭𒃶𒄈𒉣𒈾) was a Mesopotamian goddess who belonged to the pantheon of Lagash. She was considered a daughter of Bau and Ningirsu.

Gatumdug was a Mesopotamian goddess regarded as the tutelary deity of Lagash and closely associated with its kings. She was initially worshiped only in this city and in NINA, but during the reign of Gudea a temple was built for her in Girsu. She appears in a number of literary compositions, including the hymn inscribed on the Gudea cylinders and Lament for Sumer and Ur.

Nindara was a Mesopotamian god worshiped in the state of Lagash. He was the husband of Nanshe, and it is assumed that his relevance in Mesopotamian religion depended on this connection. His character remains opaque due to his small role in known texts.

Nindub or Ninduba was a Mesopotamian god associated with exorcisms. He is attested chiefly in sources from the state of Lagash, including Early Dynastic offering lists and the cylinders of Gudea. He continued to be worshiped in this area in the Ur III period. However, in the Old Babylonian period he appears only in a small number of god lists presumed to reflect archaic tradition.

Shulshaga (Šulšaga) or Shulsagana (Šulšagana) was a Mesopotamian god. He was a part of the state pantheon of the city-state of Lagash. His name means "youth of his heart" in Sumerian, with the possessive pronoun possibly referring to Shulshaga's father, Ningirsu.

<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.

The E-ninnu 𒂍𒐐 was the E (temple) to the warrior god Ningirsu in the Sumerian city of Girsu in southern Mesopotamia. Girsu was the religious centre of a state that was named Lagash after its most populous city, which lay 25 km southeast of Girsu. Rulers of Lagash who contributed to the structure of the E-ninnu included Ur-Nanshe of Lagash in the late 26th century BC, his grandson Eannatum in the following century, Urukagina in the 24th century and Gudea, ruler of Lagash in the mid 22nd century BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gudea cylinders</span> Lagash cylinders

The Gudea cylinders are a pair of terracotta cylinders dating to c. 2125 BC, on which is written in cuneiform a Sumerian myth called the Building of Ningirsu's temple. The cylinders were made by Gudea, the ruler of Lagash, and were found in 1877 during excavations at Telloh, Iraq and are now displayed in the Louvre in Paris, France. They are the largest cuneiform cylinders yet discovered and contain the longest known text written in the Sumerian language.

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

Nin-MAR.KI was a Mesopotamian goddess. The reading and meaning of her name remain uncertain, though options such as Ninmar and Ninmarki can be found in literature. In the past the form Ninkimar was also in use. She was considered the divine protector of cattle, and additionally functioned as an oath deity. She might have been associated with long distance trade as well. It is possible that in art she was depicted in the company of birds, similar to her mother Nanshe. Other deities associated with her include other members of the pantheon Lagash, such as Dumuzi-abzu and Hendursaga.

Enegi or Enegir was an ancient Mesopotamian city located in present-day Iraq. It is considered lost, though it is known that it was one of the settlements in the southernmost part of lower Mesopotamia, like Larsa, Ur and Eridu. Attempts have been made to identify it with multiple excavated sites. In textual sources, it is well documented as the cult center of the god Ninazu, and in that capacity it was connected to beliefs tied to the underworld. It appears in sources from between the Early Dynastic and Old Babylonian periods. Later on the cult of its tutelary god might have been transferred to Ur.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Edzard & Lambert 1980, p. 36.
  2. 1 2 3 Cavigneaux & Krebernik 1998, p. 617.
  3. 1 2 3 George 1993, p. 122.
  4. 1 2 3 Selz 1995, p. 145.
  5. 1 2 Nicolet 2022, p. 48.
  6. ↑ George 1993, p. 134.
  7. ↑ Kobayashi 1992, pp. 77–78.
  8. ↑ Sharlach 2017, p. 293.
  9. ↑ Selz 1995, p. 146.
  10. ↑ Kobayashi 1992, p. 78.
  11. 1 2 3 Peterson 2009, p. 53.
  12. ↑ Wiggermann 2018, p. 879.
  13. ↑ Wiggermann 1997, p. 36.
  14. ↑ Selz 1995, pp. 144–145.
  15. ↑ Sharlach 2017, pp. 293–294.
  16. ↑ Selz 1995, pp. 145–146.
  17. ↑ Cohen 1993, p. 53.
  18. ↑ Cohen 1993, p. 47.
  19. ↑ Frayne 1997, p. 157.
  20. ↑ Frayne 1997, p. 158.
  21. ↑ Frayne 1997, p. XXIII.
  22. ↑ Peterson 2009, p. 14.
  23. ↑ George 1993, p. 6.

Bibliography

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  • Cohen, Mark E. (1993). The Cultic Calendars of the Ancient Near East. Bethesda, Md.: CDL Press. ISBN   1-883053-00-5. OCLC   27431674.
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  • Frayne, Douglas (1997). Ur III Period (2112-2004 BC). RIM. The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia. University of Toronto Press. doi:10.3138/9781442657069. ISBN   978-1-4426-5706-9.
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