Nergal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nergal |
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| God of war, disease, and death | |
Nergal holding his attributes—a lion-headed mace and a sword—on a cylinder seal from Larsa
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| Major cult center | Kutha |
| Abode | Kur (the Mesopotamian underworld) |
| Planet | Mars |
| Symbol | lion-headed mace, sword, lion, bull, possibly chameleon |
| Number | 14 |
| Personal information | |
| Consort | |
| Children | Tadmushtum |
| Parents | Enlil and Ninlil |
| Siblings | Nanna, Ninazu, Enbilulu (in the myth Enlil and Ninlil) |
| Equivalents | |
| Southern Mesopotamian equivalent | Ninazu |
| Akkadian equivalent | Erra |
Nergal was an important god in ancient Mesopotamia. People believed he was connected to war, death, and sickness. He was sometimes called the "god of inflicted death."
His main worship place was a city called Kutha in northern Babylonia. His most important temple there was named E-Meslam. He was also known as Meslamtaea, which means "he who comes out of Meslam." At first, he was mainly worshiped in the north. But later, during the Ur III period, he became a major god in the south too. He stayed important in both Babylonia and Assyria. In the Neo-Babylonian Empire, he was seen as the third most important god, after Marduk and Nabu.
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Nergal's Role and Powers
Nergal was known as the god of the underworld. People thought he decided what happened to the dead, much like the god Enlil decided for the living.
Besides being an underworld god, Nergal was also a god of war. People believed he went with rulers during battles. His scary nature was also thought to help keep peace, as it made enemies think twice. He was also linked to diseases and was important in healing rituals.
Nergal was connected to the planet Mars. In ancient Mesopotamian beliefs, Mars was also linked to sickness, especially kidney disease.
Nergal's Family
Most ancient writings say that Nergal's parents were the gods Enlil and Ninlil.
In a myth called Enlil and Ninlil, Nergal's brothers are mentioned as Ninazu, Nanna, and Enbilulu.
Wives and Children of Nergal
Nergal had different wives mentioned in various ancient texts.
Laṣ was the goddess most often thought to be Nergal's wife. Another goddess often seen as his wife was Mammitum. In some lists of gods, Laṣ and Mammitum are even said to be the same goddess. The goddess Admu was also called Nergal's wife in some places.
In the ancient city of Girsu, during the third millennium BCE, Nergal's wife was Ninshubur, who was a helper to the goddess Inanna.
A famous myth called Nergal and Ereshkigal tells how he married Ereshkigal, who was the goddess of the dead. However, in official lists of gods, they are not usually shown as husband and wife.
Nergal also had a daughter named Tadmushtum. She was a minor goddess of the underworld.
Worship of Nergal
Nergal's main place of worship was the city of Kutha. This is where his important temple, E-Meslam, was located.
During the Old Babylonian period, people continued to worship Nergal as a god of the dead. He is first mentioned in documents from the city of Uruk during this time. People in Uruk continued to worship him even into the early Achaemenid Empire period.
Ancient lists of temples show that another temple for Nergal, called E-šahulla ("house of the happy heart"), was in a place called Mê-Turan. This temple was found by archaeologists through special brick writings and gifts left for Nergal. In another city, Lagaba, Nergal was worshiped under the name Išar-kidiššu.
In the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Nergal was considered the third most important god in the Babylonian state. He was ranked after Marduk and Nabu. These three gods often appeared together in writings by kings. In some families, it was common to name the third son after Nergal, showing his important place.
Myths About Nergal
The Story of Nergal and Ereshkigal
There are two versions of the myth Nergal and Ereshkigal.
In this story, Nergal doesn't show proper respect to Ereshkigal's helper, Namtar, during a special meal. Because of this, Ereshkigal, who rules the underworld, demands that Nergal be sent to her to explain himself.
Nergal goes down to the underworld. He manages to avoid many dangers there because of advice from the god Ea. However, he ignores one piece of advice and falls in love with Ereshkigal. After six days, he decides to leave while she is sleeping. When Ereshkigal wakes up and realizes he's gone, she sends Namtar to bring him back. She threatens to open the gates of the underworld if Nergal isn't returned. So, Nergal is sent back to her.
In another version of the story, Ereshkigal first plans to kill Nergal. But Nergal defeats Namtar and is about to kill Ereshkigal. To save herself, she suggests they get married and share control of the underworld.
The Epic of Erra
The oldest copies of the Epic of Erra come from the Assyrian city of Nineveh. They are about 700 years old. This story might be even older, possibly describing events from a difficult time in Babylonia between 1100 and 800 BCE.
In this myth, Nergal wants to start a war because he feels bored. His weapons, called the Sebitti, encourage him to act. But his helper, Ishum, tries to stop him. Nergal ignores Ishum, saying he needs to regain respect from humans. So, he begins his war.
His first target is Babylon. Using a trick, he convinces Marduk, the main god of Babylon, to leave his temple. However, Marduk returns too soon for Nergal to fully start his plan. Nergal then makes a big speech, promising to make other gods remember him. Because of his words (or Marduk's short absence), the world seems to fall into a state of great disorder.
Ishum tries again to convince Nergal to stop, but it doesn't work. Nergal's actions get worse, and soon Marduk is forced to leave his home again, leaving the world completely under Nergal's power. The story then describes the terrible suffering of people during Nergal's reign of terror. But even this is not enough for Nergal. He declares his next goal is to destroy everything that tries to bring peace and order.
However, Ishum finally manages to stop the bloodshed. He does this by starting his own war. Ishum's war is described very differently from Nergal's. When Ishum's war ends, the period of chaos also comes to an end.
Interesting facts about Nergal
- Nergal was the third most important god in the Babylonian state after Marduk and Nabu.
- His name can mean "lord of the big city" in Sumerian, referring to the underworld.
- Nergal's symbols included a mace, a dagger, and a bow.
- He was often shown wearing a flat cap, which was common for underworld gods in Mesopotamian art.
- Bulls and lions were animals connected to Nergal.
- People often asked Nergal to protect their homes from evil.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Nergal para niños
