the religion of babylonia and assyria-第14部分

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tar　was　also　regarded　as　the　mother　of　all；　and　in　the　Babylonian　story　of　the　Flood；　she　is　made　to　say　that　she　had　begotten　man；　but　like　〃the　sons　of　the　fishes；〃　he　filled　the　sea。　Nina；　then；　as　another　form　of　I？tar；　was　a　goddess　of　creation；　typified　in　the　teeming　life　of　the　ocean；　and　her　name　is　written　with　a　character　standing　for　a　house　or　receptacle；　with　the　sign　for　〃fish〃　within。　Her　earliest　seat　was　the　city　of　Nina　in　southern　Babylonia；　from　which　place；　in　all　probability；　colonists　went　northwards；　and　founded　another　shrine　at　Nineveh　in　Assyria；　which　afterwards　became　the　great　centre　of　her　worship；　and　on　this　account　the　city　was　called　after　her　Ninaa　or　Ninua。　As　their　tutelary　goddess；　the　fishermen　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Babylonian　Nina　and　Laga？　were　accustomed　to　make　to　her；　as　well　as　to　Innanna　or　I？tar；　large　offerings　of　fish。

As　the　masculine　deities　had　feminine　forms；　so　it　is　not　by　any　means　improbable　that　the　goddesses　had　masculine　forms；　and　if　that　be　the　case；　we　may　suppose　that　it　was　a　masculine　counterpart　of　Nina　who　founded　Nineveh；　which；　as　is　well　known；　is　attributed　to　Ninos；　the　same　name　as　Nina　with　the　Greek　masculine　termination。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nin…Gursu。

This　deity　is　principally　of　importance　in　connection　with　the　ancient　Babylonian　state　of　Laga？；　the　home　of　an　old　and　important　line　of　kings　and　viceroys；　among　the　latter　being　the　celebrated　Gudea；　whose　statues　and　inscribed　cylinders　now　adorn　the　Babylonian　galleries　of　the　Louvre　at　Paris。　His　name　means　〃Lord　of　Girsu；〃　which　was　probably　one　of　the　suburbs；　and　the　oldest　part；　of　Laga？。　This　deity　was　son　of　En…lila　or　Bêl；　and　was　identified　with　Nirig　or　ênu…rê？tu。　To　all　appearance　he　was　a　sun…deity。　The　dialectic　form　of　his　name　was　/U…Mersi/；　of　which　a　variant；　/En…Mersi/；　occurs　in　an　incantation　published　in　the　fourth　volume　of　the　/Cuneiform　Inscriptions　of　Western　Asia/；　pl。　27；　where；　for　the　Sumerian　〃Take　a　white　kid　of　En…Mersi；〃　the　Semitic　translation　is　〃of　Tammuz；〃　showing　that　he　was　identified　with　the　latter　god。　In　the　second　volume　of　the　same　work　Nin…Girsu　is　given　as　the　pronunciation　of　the　name　of　the　god　of　agriculturalists；　confirming　this　identification；　Tammuz　being　also　god　of　agriculture。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Bau。

This　goddess　at　all　times　played　a　prominent　part　in　ancient　Babylonian　religion；　especially　with　the　rulers　before　the　dynasty　of　Hammurabi。　She　was　the　〃mother〃　of　Laga？；　and　her　temple　was　at　Uru…azaga；　a　district　of　Laga？；　the　chief　city　of　Nin…Girsu；　whose　spouse　she　was。　Like　Nin…Girsu；　she　planted　（not　only　grain　and　vegetation；　but　also　the　seed　of　men）。　In　her　character　of　the　goddess　who　gave　life　to　men；　and　healed　their　bodies　in　sickness；　she　was　identified　with　Gula；　one　of　those　titles　is　〃the　lady　saving　from　death〃。　Ga…tum…duga；　whose　name　probably　means　〃making　and　producing　good；〃　was　also　exceedingly　popular　in　ancient　times；　and　though　identified　with　Bau；　is　regarded　by　Jastrow　has　having　been　originally　distinct　from　her。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ere？…ki…gal　or　Allatu。

As　the　prototype　of　Persephone；　this　goddess　is　one　of　much　importance　for　comparative　mythology；　and　there　is　a　legend　concerning　her　of　considerable　interest。　The　text　is　one　of　those　found　at　Tel…el…　Armana；　in　Egypt；　and　states　that　the　gods　once　made　a　feast；　and　sent　to　Ere？…ki…gal；　saying　that；　though　they　could　go　down　to　her；　she　could　not　ascend　to　them；　and　asking　her　to　send　a　messenger　to　fetch　away　the　food　destined　for　her。　This　she　did；　and　all　the　gods　stood　up　to　receive　her　messenger；　except　one；　who　seems　to　have　withheld　this　token　of　respect。　The　messenger；　when　he　returned；　apparently　related　to　Ere？…ki…gal　what　had　happened；　and　angered　thereat；　she　sent　him　back　to　the　presence　of　the　gods；　asking　for　the　delinquent　to　be　delivered　to　her；　that　she　might　kill　him。　The　gods　then　discussed　the　question　of　death　with　the　messenger；　and　told　him　to　take　to　his　mistress　the　god　who　had　not　stood　up　in　his　presence。　When　the　gods　were　brought　together；　that　the　culprit　might　be　recognised；　one　of　them　remained　in　the　background；　and　on　the　messenger　asking　who　it　was　who　did　not　stand　up；　it　was　found　to　be　Nerigal。　This　god　was　duly　sent；　but　was　not　at　all　inclined　to　be　submissive；　for　instead　of　killing　him；　as　she　had　threatened；　Ere？…　ki…gal　found　herself　seized　by　the　hair　and　dragged　from　her　throne；　whilst　the　death…dealing　god　made　ready　to　cut　off　her　head。　〃Do　not　kill　me；　my　brother；　let　me　speak　to　thee；〃　she　cried；　and　on　his　loosing　his　hold　upon　her　hair；　she　continued；　〃thou　shalt　be　my　husband；　and　I　will　be　thy　wifeI　will　cause　you　to　take　dominion　in　the　wide　earth。　I　will　place　the　tablet　of　wisdom　in　thine　handthou　shalt　be　lord；　I　will　be　lady。〃　Nerigal　thereupon　took　her；　kissed　her；　and　wiped　away　her　tears；　saying；　〃Whatever　thou　hast　asked　me　for　months　past　now　receives　assent。〃

Ere？…ki…gal　did　not　treat　her　rival　in　the　affections　of　Tammuz　so　gently　when　I？tar　descended　to　Hades　in　search　of　the　〃husband　of　her　youth。〃　According　to　the　story；　not　only　was　I？tar　deprived　of　her　garments　and　ornaments；　but　by　the　orders　of　Ere？…ki…gal；　Namtar　smote　her　with　disease　in　all　her　members。　It　was　not　until　the　gods　intervened　that　I？tar　was　set　free。　The　meaning　of　her　name　is　〃lady　of　the　great　region；〃　a　description　which　is　supposed　to　apply　to　Hades；　and　of　which　a　variant；　Ere？…ki…gal；　〃lady　of　the　great　house；〃　occurs　in　the　Hymns　to　Tammuz　in　the　Manchester　Museum。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nergal。

This　name　is　supposed　to　mean　〃lord　of　the　great　habitation；〃　which　would　be　a　parallel　to　that　of　his　spouse　Ere？…ki…gal。　He　was　the　ruler　of　Hades；　and　at　the　same　time　god　of　war　and　of　disease　and　pestilence。　As　warrior；　he　naturally　fought　on　the　side　of　those　who　worshipped　him；　as　in　the　phrase　which　describes　him　as　〃the　warrior；　the　fierce　storm…flood　overthrowing　the　land　of　the　enemy。〃　As　pointed　out　by　Jastrow；　he　differs　from　Nirig；　who　was　also　a　god　of　war；　in　that　he　symbolises；　as　god　of　disease　and　death；　the　misery　and　destruction　which　accompany　the　strife　of　nations。　It　is　in　consequence　of　this　side　of　his　character　that　he　appears　also　as　god　of　fire；　the　destroying　element；　and　Jensen　says　that　Nerigal　was　god　of　the　midday　or　of　the　summer　sun；　and　therefore　of　all　the　misfortunes　caused　by　an　excess　of　his　heat。

The　chief　centre　of　his　worship　was　Cuthah　（/Kut？/；　Sumerian　/Gudua/）　near　Babylon；　now　represented　by　the　mounds　of　Tel　Ibrahim。　The　identity　with　the　Greek　Aries　and　the　Roman　Mars　is　proved　by　the　fact　that　his　planet　was　/Mu？tabarr？…m？tanu/；　〃the　death…spreader；〃　which　is　probably　the　name　of　Mars　in　Semitic　Babylonian。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Amurru。

Although　this　is　not　by　any　means　a　frequent　name　among　the　deities　worshipped　in　Babylonia；　it　is　worthy　of　notice　on　account　of　its　bearing　upon　the　date　of　the　compilation　of　the　tablet　which　has　been　taken　as　a　basis　of　this　list　of　gods。　He　was　known　as　〃Lord　of　the　mountains；〃　and　his　worship　became　very　popular　during　the　period　of　the