Erra (Irra) is a powerful plague demon, bringing sickness, blight, mental chaos and political confusion. Mortal pain, suffering, madness, disruption of systems, consequences of plague and disaster such as famine can be attributed to Erra, and others like him.
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A plague refers to any contagious, crippling and deadly sickness affecting people on a large scale. It can include plagues of pests such as locusts or rats. A famous historical plague is rabbit fever or the Hittite Plague. Other disease and pestilence demons include:
Plagues include plant blight, crop sickness, livestock diseases and human conditions such as tuberculosis, evidence of which recently surfaced in Bronze Age Hungary. The plagues of Erra also create confusion, madness and mayhem in societies and systems.
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He causes kings to topple. Entire lineages go extinct. Although first mentioned in the Early Bronze Age c. 3000, Erra is an immortal demon. His attendant Ishum is known in mythology as sukkal to the underworld god Nergal. It's part of the eventual assimilation of Nergal and Erra.
As demons are not generally worshipped Erra doesn't depend on the offerings and works of the humans to keep him alive. Elements of chaos, demons exist from time immemorable. He's a master of many forces acting out his will.
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The Epic of Erra, or Erra and Išum (Ishum), is a popular 8th century BCE poem by Kabti-ilani-Marduk. The epic tells of Erra's rage upon being woken by his advisor, Ishum, and seven ferocious noisy demons.
Despite attempts by Ishum to pacify him, Erra in bloodthirsty fury ravages the earth. The Seven and their swarms wreak havoc, disease and destruction upon the cities of the mortals.
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Erra appears in two prayers. The first one, for Babylonian King Hammurabi (r. 1792 - 1750 BCE) is badly damaged. The second is a hymn to Goddess Queen of Heavens Inanna, with prayers for king Ur-Ninurta, who usurped the throne. In the hymn Inanna and other divinities confer with the king.
They give him guidance for ruling the land in wisdom and strength. The god Enlil says king Ur-Ninurta should emulate the courage of war-like deities and be 'like the warrior Erra', referring to Erra's mighty battle fury.
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In exorcism rituals regarding demons the god Adapa is one of those invoked. In Mesopotamian myth Adapa himself is the unwitting cause of human disease.
Head god Anu names goddess Ninkarrak as one who can alleviate human sickness and suffering. A long list of diseases, their associated demons, treatments and cures has been found in an excavation.
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In omen texts from the Seleucid period of Uruk (c.305 - 64 BCE), bad omens of plague often brings the saying: 'Erra will devour the land'. As a bringer of death the name of Erra is included in a Neo-Assyrian incantation banishing demons from the city of Huzirina.
He's described as 'great Erra who strikes people down in the street'. As a powerful god or death and destruction he has mercy on none.
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Rituals to drive away evil are performed by special priests with knowledge of incantations and arcane secrets, and sometimes medicine. Doctors and priests are accorded the same respect. Doctors may live or have an 'office' in the temple.
In Mesopotamia there are three main types of doctors - the objective doctor who prescribes treatments with medicinal properties, such as herbs or poultice; the diviner, who identifies the demon and its nature, thus how to treat it.
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The third is the exorcist. Doctors can be male or female. All three types of doctor are equally valued and may work together in curing the patient.
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