Gibil, also called Girra in Akkadian, is the Mesopotamian Fire God. He's associated with both the positive, nurturing, benevolent aspect of fire as well as destruction, stifling heat and the raging flames of war.
READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure New 2024
See also:
Gibil is also deity of ritual purification. He's named or considered present when the ritual is performed. Purification rituals often involve fire, sacred oils and incense. His symbol is said to be the torch, though it doesn't appear in art.
READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure New 2024
His family history is rocky. The Great God List, a compilation of all the deities, wives, consorts, sukkal, servants, entourage and extended family associated with the deity, names his spouse as the goddess Nigirigal.
See also:
She's connected to the region of Kullaba, Uruk. Her husband is Nunbaranna, considered an epithet of Gibil. The name of the Goddess Nigirigal translates as "Lady of the Irigal", a temple built to her in Kullaba. Ninirigal receives offerings in Nippur in the Ur III period 2193 - 2004 BCE.
In a text of medical goddesses Nigirigal is named together with Gula, great medicine goddess worshipped throughout the lands. They create a triad with goddess Bau, a healing goddess and divine midwife associated with waterfowl and scorpions.
See also:
Baus is also a possible wife of Ninurta in Babylon. In other sources Bau is regarded as the wife of Zababa, war god and tutelary deity of Kish.
As a god of fire, Gibil is patron of metallurgists and metal workers. Representing the creative elements of fire he's a deity of furnaces and kilns. He can also be bad-tempered and malevolent.
See also:
He's named in namburbi, a ritual text. Namburbi gives advice for defusing bad omens before the negativity takes hold.
If houses are set on fire by a lightning strike it's a sign of Gibil's wrath. He can also burn fields and destroy a harvest, or start barn fires.
See also:
However, he's invoked to ward off malevolent magic and misfortune foretold by nightmares and visions. In this role he functions as a protector god with strong powers against enemy agents.
READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Adventure New 2024
Gibil also used to be a star. In Mesopotamian times many a deity or creature is associated with a certain star in the sky. Among the ancient people of Mesopotamia are advanced astrologers and astronomers. An early calendar is based on the position of Sirius, the Dog Star.
See also:
The location of Gibil's star is now lost, due to later mythologists associating Gibil with planet Mars. Gibil's sukkal is Nablum, or 'flame'.
Nablum may be considered as elemental flame or fire created by the activites of Gibil. As a god he creates and watches over fire and light, besides is duties as deific vizier.
See also:
Gibil is closely associated with the god Nuska, the sukkal of Enlil. They appear together in Old Babylonian Sippur.
Nuska relates to fire and light. His symbols are staff, lamp and rooster. He can be invoked as protection against the evil demon goddess Lamashtu or the galla demons.
See also:
Despite active worship, evidence of Gibil and his story is patchy. He appears rarely in literature. His major cult centers are Shuruppak, Eridu and Nippur, the latter especially during the Kassite period (1531 - 1155 BCE).
In some contexts, Gibil is often a dyad with Kusu, a purification deity associated with censers. In turn they may be grouped into a triad with Ningirima. Another deity of ritual purification, Ningirima is a goddess of incantations, water, snakes and fish.
See also:
In his godly sphere Gibil is linked to the sun god Shamash, an ancient entity earlier known as Utu. Another of his circle is Kusu, goddess of purification and grain. It's thought Gibil is a purification deity before he becomes a fire god.
See also: