Nergal is the Mesopotamian God of war, death, disease and inflicted death. Of all the divinities in the god lists of ancient Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Syria and Anatolia, Nergal is among the most prominent.
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Seen as one of the Old Gods he lives in Kur, the Mesopotamian Underworld. Sometimes his wife is Ereshkigal but she's not the type to commit.
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Nergal fancies himself a playboy. Some of the earliest writings of myth center around Nergal's sexual exploits and their consequences with Ereshkigal. At times a sukkal such as Namtar must step in and negotiate.
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Ereshkigal is Queen of the Underworld in Mesopotamia, a title she keeps for over two thousand years. Nergal first appears in the Early Dynastic, c. 2900 - 2350 BCE. His cult survives until 550 BCE. The two Underworld deities both enjoy long lifetimes.
A number of Old Gods and others reside in the Underworld. It's not the hellish fires or eternal anguish of today's western world.
It's more accurate to call it an Afterlife than an Underworld, although Kur is associated with the Earth and groundwater. Some ancients also believe the sun goes into the earth at night, leading to creation of deities like the Sun Goddess of the Earth.
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The Mesopotamian Underworld is uneventful. The dead wander around with nothing to eat but dry dust or mud and dirty water to drink. The only excitement is watching the galla demons drag in the deceased who don't want to be dead.
It's up to the living descendents to provide the dead with libations, gifts of food, clothing or comfort, so the deceased can enjoy the Afterlife. It's also important to leave sufficient grave goods at the time of burial. Unlike other cultures like Egyptian, there is no judgment after death.
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If you're a god, the Underworld is just a place to live. Some dwell in houses or even palaces, with servants and gardens and natural underground pools.
Nergal has little to do with the deceased. Symbolically he reigns over them. He's more connected to the violent energies of war and disease. He's equated with the planet Mars and red, the color of blood.
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His symbols include the lion-headed mace, lion, sword, bow and bull. They illustrate his strength as a warrior. He might wear a flat cap, sign of an underworld entitiy. A mace with three lion head decorations and a scimitar with lion decorations have been associated with him.
Nergal's primary site of worship is Kutha, north of Babylonia. He's also called Meslamtaea after the temple of worship in Kutha. Originally he's worshipped only in the north, but c. 2200 BCE his cult begins to edge south.
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The number 14 is associated with Nergal. Nergal's sukkal is Ugur until the Old Babylonian period (c. 1894 - 1595 BCE). Ugur relates to war and death and is thought to be personification of Nergal's sword.
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He's later replaced with Ishum, a divine night watchmen. Ishum cares for houses of the people at night, and also relates to fire. In the myths of Nergal and Ereshkigal, unlucky Ishum has to step in sometimes as mediator.
Nergal relates to the "Enki Ninki" deities, oldest of the primordial gods and
those whose function is past. Nergal is however still active through the centuries.
He accompanies leaders on war campaigns, and conversely is a keeper of the peace because his fearsome appearance frightens enemies away. In that capacity he's called Lugal-silimma, Lord of Peace. He's commonly invoked to protect households from evil.
Fragments of the Epic of Erra, stories of his adventures, are worn by worshippers as protective amulets. Symbols of Nergal represent him on boundary stones or kudurru.
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