Ninisina

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Ninisina
Divine physician
The goddess Gula, known as The Great Physician. Wellcome M0006293.jpg
A healing goddess with a dog (Ninisina or Gula) on a kudurru
Major cult centerIsin
Symboldog, scalpel
Personal information
ParentsAnu and Urash
ConsortPabilsag
ChildrenDamu, Gunura and Šumah
Equivalents
Sippar and Terqa equivalentNinkarrak
Umma equivalentGula
Nippur equivalentNintinugga

Ninisina was one of several Mesopotamian medicine goddesses, associated chiefly with Isin. She was regarded as a divine physician,[1] a role shared with the goddesses Gula, Ninkarrak, Nintinugga and Bau.[1]

Name and epithets[]

Ninisina's name means "Lady of Isin."[2] Names of Sumerian deities were often a combination of "Nin" and either a place, product or concept. [2] While "nin" can often be translated as "lady," including in the case of Ninisina, it was a grammatically neutral term and can be found in the names of male deities as well, for example Ningirsu, Ninazu and Ningishzida.[3] Some forty percent of earliest Sumerian deities had such names.[4]

In hymns she was referred to as "the great physician."[5] Gula, later a distinct goddess, was possibly initially an epithet of her, as references to Ninisina-gula ("Ninisina, the great") occur in neo-Sumerian sources.[6]

Character and iconography[]

Votive statuette of a dog dedicated to Ninisina

Like other Mesopotamian healing goddesses, Ninisina was envisioned as a surgeon, and was described as actually performing surgical procedures in literature.[1]

Aside from being a healing deity, Ninisina was also believed to use illnesses to punish transgressive behavior, though known imagery doesn't portray her as a punishing goddess.[7] She was also associated with birth, and various texts implore her to take the role of a midwife,[8] with one hymn outright describing her as "the exalted woman, midwife of heaven and earth."[9] However, her role was distinct from that of a mother goddess, who was only believed to shape the fetus, a process compared to various crafts in epithets of Mesopotamian mother goddesses ("Lady carpenter," "Lady potter").[10]

In Isin, rulers derived their authority from Ninisina, and in art she was depicted handing the "rod and ring" symbol over to them, similar to Ishtar, Shamash and other prominent gods in other Mesopotamian polities.[11]

An additional function attributed to Ninisina was that of a "cadastral director of An."[12] The role of a cadastral official was attributed to her husband Pabilsag as well.[12]

In art, Ninisina can be identified by the presence of a dog, much like Gula, and in some cases depictions of goddesses accompanied by this animal might represent either of these two deities.[13] It's possible that the dogs serving Ninisina were believed to snatch away disease demons exposed by the procedures performed by the goddess.[14] Namtar in particular seemed to be an opponent of Ninisina (while Nintinugga was instead associated with Asag, and Gula and Ninkarrak with Lamashtu).[8]

Another symbol commonly associated with healing goddesses such as Ninisina was a scalpel.[1]

Worship[]

Ninisina was a major goddess in Mesopotamian religion.[15] Her rise was tied to rise of Isin as a political center.[16] Her main temple in Isin was named Egalmah.[17] A dog cemetery was located nearby.[10] She was also worshiped in the Erabriri temple, most likely dedicated to her husband Pabilsag.[18] Yet another of her temples in Isin, known from inscriptions of Enlil-bani, was the Eurgira, "dog house."[19] Excavations of Isin revealed the presence of multiple dog skeletons, as well as figures and sheets of worked bronze depicting dogs.[20]

A document from Puzrish-Dagan from Ibbi-Sin’s reign attests that offerings in Isin were made to her and her family: Pabilsag, Gunura, Damu and Shumah.[18]

An inscription of the Akkadian king Manishtushu mentions Ninisina.[21]

A prominent temple of Ninisina was located in Sippar.[22] In Babylon she had a temple named Egalmah, shared with Gula.[23]

Myths[]

A mythical journey of Ninisina was described in the bilingual composition "Nin-Isina's Journey to Nippur."[24] The text gives a very detailed description of a procession following the goddess, including her husband Pabilsag, their children Damu and Gunura (either acting as or accompanied by Alad-šaga, "good spirit") and the inhabitants of Isin.[25] Additionally, two more figures were said to walk on the left and right of Ninisina, respectively: "lord Nunamnir" (Enlil), and Udug-šaga ("protective spirit"), identified as "father of Enlil."[25] Various figures were cast in theogonic texts in the role of Enlil's father, with the exception of Anu most of them rather obscure, for example Lugaldukuga and possibly the minor underworld deity Enmesharra.[26] Šumah, the third child of Ninisina and Pabilsag, designated as "the right messenger of the Egalmah," was placed in front of his mother, leading the procession.[25] The rest of the composition briefly describes a visit of the goddess in Nippur, gifts she presents to the city's master Enlil, and the declaration of a good destiny for Ninisina.[27] The final passages appear to mention a banquet in honor of her held in Isin attended by Anu, Enlil, Enki and Ninmah.[28]

Wilfred G. Lambert considered it possible that Ninisina's epithet Kurribba, "she who was angry on the mountain" or "she who was angry at the mountain" was a reference to an unknown mythical narrative from Isin.[29]

Association with other deities[]

Pabilsag was regarded as the husband of Ninisina (or sometimes Ninkarrak).[30] Hymns describe him as her "beloved spouse" and state that she "spent time joyously with him."[31] Couples consisting out of a healing goddess and a young warrior god were common in Mesopotamian religion.[32]

Her parents were Anu and Urash which indicates that her parentage was understood to be identical to that of Ninkarrak, another healing goddess.[33] Her children were the god Damu, the minor goddess Gunura,[30] and Šumah, described as her messenger.[25]

Other healing goddesses[]

While the healing goddesses of the Mesopotamian pantheon - Ninisina, Nintinugga (Nippur),[34] Ninkarrak (Sippar)[35] and Gula (Umma)[35] were initially separate deities,[36] they were at times either partially conflated or treated as equivalents of each other.[23] Nintinugga was a notable example, almost always treated separately.[37] Ninisina was sometimes equated with Ninkarrak,[11] with the latter's name being used in Akkadian translations of Sumerian texts about the former.[23] A syncretistic hymn to Gula, composed at some point between 1400 BCE and 700 BCE by Bullussa-rabi, equates all other major healing goddesses, including Ninisina, with her.[1]

However, there is also evidence indicating they were not fully one and the same: for example, while Damu was sometimes the son of other goddesses, Gunura was never assigned to Ninkarrak.[30] The fact that Nintinugga and Ninisina were two separate deities is shown in a text about Nintinugga traveling to visit Ninisina in her main temple.[38] In the Weidner god list Ninisina, Gula and Ninkarrak are listed as goddesses of different places, indicating the compilers of this document didn't regard them as identical.[36]

In the sphere of worship (rather than theology) the individual goddesses were also generally separate.[39]

Other instances of syncretism[]

The hymn "Ninisina and the gods" is an early example of identification of one deity with multiple other ones.[40] Ninisina was equated in it with Gatumdag (a goddess from Lagash), Bau and Nungal.[41]

A special case of syncretism was that between Ninisina and Inanna, which occurred for political reasons.[31] Isin at one point lost control over Uruk and identification of its tutelary goddess with Inanna (complete with assigning a similar warlike character to her), who served as a source of royal power, was likely meant to serve as a theological remedy to this problem.[31] In this context Ninisina was regarded as analogous to similarly named Ninsianna ("red lady of heaven," Venus), sometimes treated as a manifestation of Inanna.[31] It's possible that the ceremony of a "sacred marriage" between Ninisina and the king of Isin was performed.[42] Ultimately the result of this process was limited to an exchange of attributes between the two goddesses involved.[43]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Böck 2015, p. 3.
  2. ^ a b Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 6.
  3. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 6-7.
  4. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 7.
  5. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 63.
  6. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 83.
  7. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 254.
  8. ^ a b Böck 2015, p. 3-4.
  9. ^ Zólyomi 2010, p. 419.
  10. ^ a b Böck 2015, p. 4.
  11. ^ a b Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 253.
  12. ^ a b Krebernik 2005, p. 164.
  13. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 252.
  14. ^ Peterson 2020, p. 148-149.
  15. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 267.
  16. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 77.
  17. ^ Peterson 2020, p. 148.
  18. ^ a b Krebernik 2005, p. 166.
  19. ^ Livingstone 1988, p. 54.
  20. ^ Livingstone 1988, p. 58.
  21. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 172.
  22. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 265.
  23. ^ a b c Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 100.
  24. ^ Wagensonner 2008, p. 277.
  25. ^ a b c d Wagensonner 2008, p. 279.
  26. ^ Lambert 2013, p. 284.
  27. ^ Wagensonner 2008, p. 279-280.
  28. ^ Wagensonner 2008, p. 280.
  29. ^ Lambert 1983, p. 371.
  30. ^ a b c Westenholz 2010, p. 383.
  31. ^ a b c d Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 86.
  32. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 38.
  33. ^ Westenholz 2010, p. 382-383.
  34. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 67.
  35. ^ a b Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 82.
  36. ^ a b Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 79.
  37. ^ Westenholz 2010, p. 396.
  38. ^ Böck 2015, p. 5.
  39. ^ Westenholz 2010, p. 395.
  40. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 85.
  41. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 85-86.
  42. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 270.
  43. ^ Asher-Greve & Westenholz 2013, p. 134.

Bibliography[]

  • Asher-Greve, Julia M.; Westenholz, Joan G. (2013). Goddesses in Context: On Divine Powers, Roles, Relationships and Gender in Mesopotamian Textual and Visual Sources (PDF). ISBN 978-3-7278-1738-0.
  • Böck, Barbara (2015). "Ancient Mesopotamian Religion: A Profile of the Healing Goddess". Religion Compass. Wiley. 9 (10): 327–334. doi:10.1111/rec3.12165. hdl:10261/125303. ISSN 1749-8171. S2CID 145349556.
  • Krebernik, Manfred (2005), "Pabilsaĝ(a)", Reallexikon der Assyriologie, retrieved 2022-02-10
  • Lambert, Wilfred G. (1983), "Kur(r)ibba", Reallexikon der Assyriologie, retrieved 2021-10-05
  • Lambert, Wilfred G. (2013). Babylonian creation myths. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns. ISBN 978-1-57506-861-9. OCLC 861537250.
  • Livingstone, A. (1988). "The Isin "Dog House" Revisited". Journal of Cuneiform Studies. American Schools of Oriental Research. 40 (1): 54–60. doi:10.2307/1359707. ISSN 0022-0256. JSTOR 1359707. S2CID 163493207. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  • Peterson, Jeremiah (2020). "A Poetic Description of Surgery and Disease Snatching Dogs? A Collective of Sumerian Hymns to Healing Deities From Old Babylonian Nippur". Oriens Antiqvvs. Series Nova. Istituti editoriali e poligrafici internazionali. 2.
  • Wagensonner, Klaus (2008). "Nin-Isina(k)s Journey to Nippur A bilingual divine journey revisited". Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes. Department of Oriental Studies, University of Vienna. 98: 277–294. ISSN 0084-0076. JSTOR 23861637. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  • Westenholz, Joan G. (2010). "Ninkarrak – an Akkadian goddess in Sumerian guise". Von Göttern und Menschen. BRILL. pp. 377–405. doi:10.1163/9789004187474_020. ISBN 9789004187481.
  • Zólyomi, Gábor G. (2010). "Hymns to Ninisina and Nergal on the tablets Ashmolean 1911.235 and Ni 9672". Your Praise is Sweet. A Memorial Volume for Jeremy Black from Students, Colleagues and Friends. London: British Institute for the Study of Iraq. ISBN 978-0-903472-28-9. OCLC 612335579.

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