Papsukkal holds an elevated place in the hierarchy of gods and mortals. A sukkal of the War God Zababa, he rises in rank to sukkal of Anu, the oldest of Gods, and his wife Antu.
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Papsukkal is a powerful figure in mythology as divine attendant or vizier to the Gods. He's originally the sukkal of Zababa, warrior god and tutelary deity of Kish. His father is either Anu or Zababa.
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The name Papsukkal is a combination of 'pap' or 'papu' meaning older brother, and sukkal. His wife is Amasagnudi, a goddess attested in god lists as servant to the God Anu and wife Antu. She's also called Ninkagal, or Lady of the Great Gate.
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Amasagnudi is a lesser known figure. She appears in the 2nd millennium BC Akkadian incantation against the baby-eating female demon Lamashtu, known from the Ugaritic.
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Papsukkal comes to wield great power. Historians believe he rises above others of his rank especially because of the word "sukkal" in his name. He's represented on kudurru, or boundary stones, with his symbols the staff and walking bird.
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The identity of the walking bird is vague. It might be a Black Francolin (Francolinus francolinus), a game bird of the pheasant family, native to the near East and Asia. The bird can fly but prefers to walk.
It's known for sneaking through the underbrush to get away from threats such as hunters. A similar 'walking bird' is the Chukar partridge. A possible depiction of the mythical bird shows a squat sturdy avian not having the long legs of a heron or crane.
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In the city of Uruk Papsukkal becomes the sukkal of Anu, oldest of the gods, due to synchronization with goddess sukkal of Inanna, Ninshubur. He's named one of the eighteen major gods of Uruk.
In the ancient world, synchronization, assimilation, marriage or twinning with other gods is common. It can unite clans and kingdoms, pacify conquered people and ostensibly bring peace within the realm.
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The later Hittites (1800 - 1180 BCE) in particular are famous for adopting gods and deific entities of others. Hurrian gods also show up at many worship centers such as Ugarit.
The constellation Orion, known in ancient Mesopotamia as Sipazianna or "the true shepherd of heaven," is the astral symbol of Papsukkal. Orion is also the star symbol of a part-time sukkal of Anu, Ilabrat; and the goddess sukkal of Inanna, Ninshubur.
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Ilabrat is worshipped as a separate deity in his major cult center, Assur. In Babylonia and Assyria he's popular as a household god.
Ilabrat gives his name to a mysterious bird, illabara. Mesopotamian texts say this bird lives in mountainous environments, and is associated with Nergal, god of war and death.
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Papsukkal is compared to yet another sukkal of Anu and Antu. A Mesopotamian God, Kakka has a cult center Maškan-šarrum. Its probably location is northern Iraq on the banks of the Tigris River.
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Kakka is a male god in southern Mesopotamia and a female deity in Mari and Terqa, Syria. His female manifestation is linked to medicine. Kakka comes to be synchronized with Papsukkal and Ninshubur.
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The oldest evidence of worship of Papsukkal derives from the Old Babylonian Period (1894 - 1595 BCE) in Kish. A temple in Kish and another in Babylon are dedicated to him.
His influence is also strong in other significant centers including Arbela and Assur in today's northern Iraq. He becomes a major figure in Uruk following the fall of the city and massive restructuring of the pantheon in the 4th century BCE.
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An urban center named for him, Dur-Papsukkal, is described as a royal city. It's famous for a 9th century BCE battle between the Kings of Assyria and Babylon (spoiler - Assyrians win).
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