Shulpae (Šulpae): Demon Warrior God
- Sylvia Rose
- Dec 26, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Shulpae (Šulpae) is a Mesopotamian demon god. His wife is the eternal Ninhursag, the mother mountain goddess. Her major cult center is Kesh, and as her consort Shulpae receives honors there too.
As for his parentage, he has no listed lineage and is considered an astral deity. He's associated with the planet Jupiter, especially the heliacal rising of the planet. Jupiter is at its heliacal rise, or 12° from the Sun, once a year.
It's the annual point at which a star or planet becomes visible at sunrise after the orbit of the earth around the Sun. Orbit takes 12 lunar months. Occasionally one is added to balance out the difference.
Twelve and 60 are the basis of the sexagesimal system of measurement for building and time in Mesopotamia. The system is central to the Sumerian cultures and succeeding civilizations. It remains as in 360° in a circle, 60 minutes in an hour and 12 months in a year.
With Jupiter as his celestial body, Shulpae is equated with Mesopotamian Enlil, Anum-Ra of Egypt, as well as the later Greek Zeus (Roman Jupiter), Babylonian god-hero Marduk and Norse thunder god Thor. The weekday associated with Jupiter is Thursday.
Shulpae is strong, athletic and self-confident. Šulpae's name is translated from Sumerian as "the youth shining forth" or "the young one shining forth". Nonetheless he's an ancient deity.
The earliest appearance of his name is in cuneiform c. 2900 BCE, in which he's called dŠul-pa-è. The d designates deity. He's a god with considerable power.
The appellation Lugaludda (dLugal-ud-da) or Lord of the Demons is first attributed to Shulpae in an offering list of Ur III period, 2112 to 2004 BCE. It appears as Šulpae's alternate name in the Mesopotamian god list An = Anum in the 16th century BCE.
Shulpae is a Divine Warrior. He's a deity of wild animals and orchards. He's also one of the most dreaded disease demons in the known lands, associated with benu / bennu or epilepsy.
Symptoms of bennu include seizures and convulsions, uncontrollable cries or goat-like bleating, lack of awareness and insanity. The prescribed treatment includes wearing a leather amulet while breathing fumes of charred incense prepared to a special mixture.
Šulpae acts on the instructions of Sin (Nanna), the Moon God, creating a connection between lunacy and the moon. Sin is a senior member of the pantheon and generally seen as benevolent.
Among the Gods, disease is a common way to punish disrespectful mortals. It's not unusual for an otherwise benign entity to call for the action of a disease demon.
Such is the story of Enlil, a kindly father figure and old King of the Gods. He sends the demon Namtar to spread disease among the mortals because their noise keeps Enlil awake.
Despite his tendency to take a walk on the evil side, Shulpae and Ninhursag have a good relationship. In a hymn she calls him 'beloved spouse', a term of endearment which applies to him through the ages.
His cult extends to Girsu in southern Mesopotamia, where he shares a temple with Ninazu. He receives offerings of fish. He's on the god lists of several cities including Ur, Uruk, Adab, Larsa and Nippur.
His demonic associations cause complications. People do not worship demons in the ancient world, which might explain why he appears on some god lists under a theomorphic or assumed name.
People don't ignore demons either. Malevolent entities might be given praise or offerings as pacification. As an astral figure Shulpae is neither god nor demon, but merely presents different aspects of his nature.
Shulpae and Ninhursag have 3-4 children. They are Ashgi, a tutelary god of Adab; Panigingarra, whose worship center is also Adab; Lisin, a goddess who later becomes a fire god; and possibly a deity named Lillu.
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