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Girsu (Sumerian Ĝirsu) is a busy city of ancient Sumer, Mesopotamia, beginning c. 5300 BCE. Today, it's called Tell Telloh in Iraq. Tello is the Arabic name for the site. A bridge of baked bricks uncovered at the city is considered the oldest in the world. See also: Kish: Glory Days in Ancient Babylonia Bau - Healing Goddess of Babylonia Belet-Seri: Underworld Scribe Goddess Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books One of the earliest known cities, Girsu is inhabited in the Ubaid period c. 5300 - 4800 BCE. During this Neolithic time, advances in agriculture and animal breeding turn progress toward the urbanization of community hubs, and organization of people and resources. Written language is not invented for another two thousand years. Sumerian is the first written language, a cuneiform style using impressions in clay with a triangular stylus. The clay is then air-dried in the sun. See also: Goddess Nisaba - First Lady of Writing Cinnamon - Spice Trade of Ancients Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Although the culture is still tribal a more sedentary lifestyle takes hold. Animal domestication and selective breeding are in practice as far as Anatolia in the north, and down to the Zagros Mountains in what is now western Iran. In the Early Dynastic period c. 2900 - 2335 BCE, Girsu perks up. Archaeologists find signs of increased activity at the site. In the time of King Gudea, during the Second Dynasty of Lagash c. 2330 - 2110 BCE, Girsu becomes capital of the Lagash kingdom. See also: Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Dromedary Camel: Animals of Ancient Arabia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Girsu blossoms into a vital religious hub. Even after political power shifts to the city of Lagash, Girsu continues to hold a strong position as a center of worship. The temple complex at Girsu is only partially unearthed today. During the Ur III period c. 2193 - 2004 BCE, Girsu becomes a major administrative and government center for the empire. After the fall of Ur, Girsu diminishes in significance. See also: Heqet, Frog Goddess of Egypt Ancient Greek Cultures: People of Minos Gibil - Fire God of Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books With a good location, fertile land and an urban investment, Girsu remains inhabited until c. 200 BCE. A 4th century BCE bilingual Greek/Aramaic inscription was found there. The ancient Bridge of Girsu, now in ruins, is built over a canal in the ancient Sumerian city in the 3rd millennium BCE. The canal is up to 100 ft (30.5 m) wide in places. The bridge spanned a narrow gap of about twelve feet (3.6 m). See also: Divine Twins: Germanic & Greek Mythology Kushuh (Kušuḫ) Hurrian Moon God Mušḫuššu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Inscriptions on the bricks dedicate the structure to Ningirsu, also a god of thunder, spring rain, rainstorms, floods, the plough and ploughing. Major burial sites include two main mounds. One is one rising 50 ft (15m) above the plain and the other 56 ft (17 ft). The site also comprises several small mounds. See also: Ereshkigal & the Mesopotamian Underworld Gibil - Fire God of Mesopotamia Giant Cinnamon Birds of Arabia Telloh is the first Sumerian site to be extensively excavated, beginning in the Victorian era of the nineteenth century. Early finds include an alabaster statue of a woman, with copper bracelets coated in gold. A fragment of a lion carved vessel inscribed in Sumerian is also found. In March 2020, archaeologists are delighted to discover a 5,000-year-old cultic area containing over 300 broken ceramic cups of ceremonial type, bowls, jars, animal sacrifices, and ritual processions dedicated to the god Ningirsu (Ninurta). See also: Bull of Heaven - Inanna vs Gilgamesh 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Anzû - Mesopotamian Monster of Mayhem One of the remains is a duck-shaped bronze figurine with eyes made from bark which is thought to be dedicated to Nanshe. She's the Sumerian goddess of the sea, marshlands, the animals inhabiting these, such as birds, freshwater frogs, turtles and fish. She's also a goddess of divination, dream interpretation, justice. On top of that, she's patron of social welfare and some administrative duties. Social welfare does exist, in Nippur for example, with state care given to widows and orphans. Burial sites have been found for people who had been in situations of receiving care. See also: Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Ancient Arabia - Stone Age to Bronze Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail An Indus Valley weight is also found in Girsu. Other Indus Valley items appear in nearby Kish, confirming early trade between Mesopotamians traveling by sea and the region which is now largely Pakistan. Indus Valley is one of the major civilizations of the ancient world. At Girsu archaeologists identify the E-ninnu temple (Temple of the White Thunderbird), the primary sanctuary of the Sumerian warrior god Ninurta. Ninurta is an agricultural deity before he develops warrior traits, reflecting the outlook and condition of society through time. See also: Tiamat - Queen of Chaos & the Sea The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Archaeologists also reveal remains of the 4,500-year-old Sumerian Lord Palace of Kings. It holds more than 200 cuneiform tablets with administrative records of Girsu. Excavations are still in progress. Archaeologists continue to be delighted. See also: Nergal - Ancient Underworld Gods Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Tollense Valley Battlefield: Ancient Germania From the British Museum: "Declassified 1960s Corona satellite images and modern drones are used to create digital elevation models of the temple site. This helps us to identify and then unearth extensive mudbrick walls, some ornamented with pilasters and inscribed cones, belonging to the four-thousand-year-old temple dedicated to Ningirsu. "The temple was considered one of the most important sacred places of Mesopotamia, praised for its magnificence in many contemporary literary compositions. More than fifteen inscribed cones were found in its walls. "The recording of the exact location of each cone reveals that they were laid in a complex pattern. We're currently analyzing the pattern to establish whether it encodes information of magical/religious significance. "Among the unique finds was a foundation box inserted below one of the principal gates of the Eninnu sacred complex. It still contained a white stone ritual tablet belonging to the ruler Gudea. "And excavations under the temple also led to the discovery of two superimposed monumental platforms. The oldest, made of red mudbricks and built in two steps, may be dated to the beginning of the third millennium BC. "This is an important discovery since this proto-ziggurat, a precursor to the legendary Tower of Babel, would pre-date the earliest-known Mesopotamian stepped-terrace by a few hundred years." Finds from the site are sent to the Iraq Museum in Baghdad. See also: Çatalhöyük (Catal hoyuk) Ancient Anatolia Immortal - Quest for the Elixir of Life Alchemist Dippel: the Frankenstein Files Back to Top

The earliest signs of human presence on the Arabian peninsula appear c. 8000 BCE, before the Stone Age. The Earth is warming up after the end of the last Ice Age, which ends just over a thousand years before. See also: Cinnamon - Spice Trade of Ancients The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Savanna conditions, warm to hot most of the year, evolve into arid desert. The earliest human settlers, nomadic hunter gatherers, travel from the Levant into the western Arabian peninsula. The fertile mountainous coasts are populated by wildlife such as leopards, wolves, lions, tigers, striped hyenas, rock hyrax and ancestors of dromedary camels. Plants such as the date palm, frankincense, acacia and juniper trees are native to the Arabian Peninsula. See also: Spiritual Magic - Numbers Three & Nine Ambrosia: Divine Nectar & Immortal Gods Gula - Medicine Goddess of Mesopotamia Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Around 5000 BCE, flint tools similar to those of the Levant are used in Qatar in eastern Arabia on today's Persian Gulf. The east coast of the Arabian Peninsula is first settled in the Neolithic period. Mesopotamians establish trade with local fishermen along the Gulf coast. Archaeologists also find pottery from southern Mesopotamia dating to the same time period, as far south as Oman. See also: Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Gallu (Galla) Demons of Ancient Kur Belet-Seri: Underworld Scribe Goddess Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Bitumen, a sticky dense liquid petroleum distillate, is discovered in the caulking of Arabian reed boats. It's thought to be acquired by trade. Bitumen is naturally sourced in places like Iran and was used there c. 7000 - 6000 BCE. Use of bitumen is also found at ancient Tell Abraq, Oman. A major source is the Zargos Mountains of the north Syrian desert. The first use of bitumen is in the age of the Neanderthals c. 40,000 years ago, to fasten stone tools like axes to handles. See also: Aya - Goddess of Dawn, Mesopotamia Nigella Sativa: Black Seed of Healers Flooding of the Nile - Nature & Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books On the Arabian Peninsula, pottery is made on-site by c. 4000 BCE. The date palm is domesticated in the Persian Gulf c. 3800 BCE. A number of encampments appear in the Riyadh area, further inland. Today Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. Among the prehistoric and Eurasian Bronze Age (c. 3300 - 1200 BCE) archaeological sites in the Riyadh area, the largest is Thamamah. A settlement of circular stone buildings is built on the terrace of a wadi, or seasonal river course. See also: Al-Mi'raj: Unicorn Hare of Arab Myth Arabian Leopard: Bronze Age Predators Elwetritsch Bird - German Myths & Folklore Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Evidence of agriculture first appears c. 3100 BCE. Domesticated grains and cereals and cultivated dates are grown in the area of Abu Dhabi, the capital city of today's United Arab Emirates. Copper mining begins in Oman (possibly called Magan in later Mesopotamian texts). By c. 3000 BCE, domestic livestock including cattle, sheep, and goats are popular in eastern Arabia, the region Mesopotamians call Dilmum. See also: Carnelian - Gems of the Ancient World Nabarbi - Rustic Goddess of Pastures Dumuzi & Geshtinanna: Reasons for Seasons Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Local imitations of Mesopotamian pottery appear. A copper bull's head, vases of chlorite (a mineral present in clay), and a limestone figurine of a Mesopotamian worshipper are found at the important historical site of Tarut (Tārūt, Tarout), an island off the east coast. The vases are in various stages of finishing, thought to be manufactured locally. Sometime between 3000 and 2000 BCE the wild native dromedary camel is domesticated. From the 2nd millennium BCE on, the one-humped camel is documented in use for riding and transport. See also: Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Ancient Deities: Proto Indo European Gods Heqet, Frog Goddess of Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Archaeological finds at Tell Abraq show human occupation through several historical periods. Building and construction activity begins at the site c. 2500 BC. The Umm an-Nar culture is a powerful center of civilization until 200 AD, a reign of about 2700 years. By c. 2500 BCE, the Umm an-Nar culture settles Tell Abraq on the Oman peninsula in southeast Arabia. The workshop of a coppersmith is later uncovered, the evidence suggesting copper is smelted on an industrial level. See also: Copper - Ruddy Metal of Mystic Magic Arsenic: Murderous Metal & Miracle Cure Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Early metallurgy is the basis of the later alchemy developed in the Arabian Peninsula. By c. 2000 BCE, the Persian Gulf becomes a vital route of contact and Bronze Age trade between the Mesopotamians and the people of the Indus River Valley civilization. Another important trading culture, the Indus River Valley people once occupied a broad area including today's northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India. One of the worlds's earliest civilizations, the Indus River culture influences the world for two thousand years, from c. 3300 - 1300 BCE. See also: Early Fire Gods - Vulkan of Germania Silver - Queen of Precious Metals What is the Philosopher's Stone? Back to Top

In Kur, the Mesopotamian Underworld, Goddess Ereskigal presides. She lives in a luxurious palace, attended by servants, scribes, her sukkal Namtar (Sumerian: fate) and the resident gallu demons. The gallu (gallûs, galla, gallas) occupy a special place in hell. See also: Inanna (Ishtar) - Goddess of Ancients Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Demons - Evil Udug of Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The gallu are responsible for dragging the unwilling dead into Kur. They enjoy causing anguish and destruction. Gallu demons can attack through emotional, psychological or physical torture. READ: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 Collectively they are seven Babylonian devils. Sacrifice of a lamb at their altars can appease them. Gallu demons feature in the story of Inanna, her descent to the Underworld, her death and subsequent resurrection. See also: Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Joyful Arrival of Hapi in Egypt Shen Rings Egypt - Divine Protection Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The epic of Inanna's Descent says the demons “know no food, know no drink, eat no flour offering, drink no libation. They never enjoy the pleasures of marital embrace, never have any sweet children to kiss. They snatch the son from a man’s knee. They make the bride leave the house of her father in law”. READ: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 When Inanna and her rescuers flee, the gallu pursue and try to drag them back to Kur. Ultimately the Overworld residents escape. See also: Arabian Leopard: Bronze Age Predators Kushuh (Kušuḫ) Hurrian Moon God Butzemann, Witches & Nyx - Scare 'em Good Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books But it's not over yet. Inanna has been in Kur for three days, her dead body hanging on a hook. She's in a bad mood. It seems the god Dumuzid (Dumuzi), one of Inanna's consorts, didn't mourn her enough while she was essentially dead. Instead of following the mourning rites, as others of her circle do, Dumuzid sits under a tree in rich robes, attended by servants and dancing girls. See also: Jade - Jadeite, Nephrite & Jade Roads Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Before the Vikings - Early Northern Cultures Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Inanna is the goddess of Love, but also War. When her temper blows, woe to those who get in her way. She calls the gallu demons to drag Dumuzid into the Underworld to be cruelly tortured by the demons. The gallas set about their task with enthusiasm. READ: Cult of the Fire God - new 2024 After a while, Inanna cools down and relents. Ereshkigal won't let him go. Eventually an agreement is reached, whereby Dumuzid's sister Geshtinanna must stay in Kur for six months of the year, and Dumuzid the other six months. See also: Castle Frankenstein - Legend & Lore Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books While in Kur, Geshtinanna might function as Ereshkigal's scribe. A goddess of scribes, dream interpretation and singing, she lives in the palace, is part of Ereshkigal's court and can also take the place of the Underworld scribe goddess Belet-Seri. Powerful malevolent entities like Pazuzu and even the evil udug have some beneficial qualities, and likewise the gallas are not all bad. Reference is made to "good udug" and "good gallu". See also: Before the Vikings - Únětice Culture Anzû - Mesopotamian Monster of Mayhem Rosemary: Immortal Essence & Balm of Kings Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle However for the most part, as demons they love to inflict pain and suffering. Gallu or galla without an adjective are classed as evil and have no interest in helping humans unless they see an advantage to doing so. A particularly powerful and hostile gallu demon, Asag, fights the Akkadian god hero Ninurta and his enchanted talking mace. Ninurta is the son of Enlil, a of the primordial god of wind, air, earth and storms. See also: Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Sun Goddess of the Earth: Hittite Underworld Goddess Nisaba - First Lady of Writing Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Gallu can refer to a to a dangerous, relentless human enemy. As a noun gallu can also mean ability, strength, power and potency. See also: Earth Mother - Goddess of Life Hurrian Bronze Age Gods & Goddesses Sacred Scarab: Lucky Bug of Ancient Egypt Back to Top

Ḫedammu is a mythical Hurrian sea serpent or snake who wreaks havoc on the coast of Syria during the Bronze Age. He's the offspring of the Sea God's daughter, Šertapšuruḫi, and the ancient Underworld God Kumarbi. Hedammu is concieved with a sole purpose - kill Kumarbi's son Teshub. See also: Teshub: Hurrian Bronze Age Storm God Kiashe (Kiaše) - Elemental Sea God Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The daughter of Kiashe the Sea God, Šertapšuruḫi, is a mythical giantess. She dwells in the valleys and the caverns of the sea. In storms she may ride the waves like foam as a sea witch. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 When she gives birth to Hedammu he's already large. He's ravenous and eats everything he sees. He will eat all the fish in the sea and the humans in their little boats too. As a giant sea serpent he lurks along the coast seeking to satisfy his eternal hunger. He causes floods, dangerous tides and deadly currents. See also: Namni & Hazzi - Mountain Gods Tin - Essential Metal of Antiquity Kohl: Eye Beauty Magic of Ancients Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle When he coils he creates whirlpools. A flick of his tail can sink a ship, and he gobbles up sailors with glee. Finally the Gods know they have to intervene or Hedammu will eat all their worshippers. Kiashe the Sea God is an ally of Kumarbi thus sworn enemy of storm god Teshub and his siblings, including the Great Goddess Shaushka and warrior god Tashmishu (Tašmišu). He won't help them. See also: Land of Punt: Pre-Bronze Age Kingdom of Riches Bes: Household Protector God of Egypt Šimige (Shimige) - Hurrian Sun God Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books When he sees the hero Gods, Hedammu churns the seas with laughter, for he's fast and slippery and knows the best places to hide. His natural armor is impermeable. His bite drips venom and his skin is toxic even to immortals. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 The fighters are in despair. Their weapons break, their breath comes in heaves but there's barely a scratch on Hedammu. It seems the more they fight the monster the stronger he becomes. See also: Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Tiamat - Queen of Chaos & the Sea Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Hedammu sees Shaushka standing on an island, which used to be a mountain, with her arms aloft. She calls to him in a sing-song voice. Racing in, prepares to wrap his massive coils around her body. His jaws open wide to devour her. Shauska gazes into his gaping reptilian face. A goddess of war, she's also one of love. Just as he is about to consume her, she turns the power of Venus onto the ferocious snake. See also: Aya - Goddess of Dawn, Mesopotamia Lotan - Chaos Sea Dragon of Ugarit Goddess Nisaba - First Lady of Writing Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books She dances and sings her song of seduction. The monster pauses. About to eat her, he loses his appetite. Her eyes glimmer with passion and promise. Hedammu is mesmerized. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 The union of Shaushka and Hedammu produces all the snakes of the Earth and Seas. The ultimate fate of Hedammu is uncertain. There's no further mention of him in the chronicles of the known world, but he stops plaguing the Syrian coast. See also: The Igigi - Why Humans are Created Demons - Evil Udug of Mesopotamia Warrior Portal Gods Lugal-irra & Meslamta-ea Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In this tale and others, Shaushka is equated with Innana (Ishtar), also a strong goddess of war and love. Names and pantheons of these two goddesses are sometimes exchanged. See also: Chaoskampf: Order & Chaos Battle Out (lovethatpurr.wixsite.com) Kothar (Kothar-wa-Khasis) Artisan God Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Back to Top

In the ancient world, the Hatti or Hattians occupy the area of modern-day Turkey. They've been in the rapidly-shaping Anatolia since the Stone Age. The Hatti speak their own language and appear in archaeological and historical sources. Before the arrival of the Hittites, the Hattians have worked out a substantial empire. See also: The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Papyrus (C. papyrus): Sacred Reeds of Aaru Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Several urban sites in Anatolia are established by the Hatti after c. 2500 BCE. Archaeological finds reveal a complex culture with strong social stratificiation. In the early Bronze Age the region is a collection of kingdoms and city states. By c. 2000 BCE, the area's known as Land of the Hatti, with Hattush (Hattusa) in central Anatolia as its capital. Edging ever closer are the encroaching Hittites, a warlike people from the east. The Hittites have bronze weapons, sickle-shaped swords and three-man chariots. See also: Puduḫepa - Queen of the Hittites Allani - Hurrian Underworld Goddess Divine Light - Sun Goddess of Arinna Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Religion among the Hatti is observed as nature-based worship of the Earth and the Mother Goddess. She brings harvest abundance from the land, fecundity of domestic animals and wild; health, luck and protection to the household. The Hattian god pantheon includes storm-god Taru (represented by a bull), the sun-goddess Furušemu or Wurunšemu (a leopard) and other elemental gods. Art and written sources show a primary form of worship around groundwater or water emerging from deep in the earth. See also: Nabarbi - Rustic Goddess of Pastures Kiashe (Kiaše) - Elemental Sea God Herbology & Lore: Poison Hemlock Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Worship of a terrestrial water God appears in pictures and records. A number of Hattian deities are connected to earth and water. Hittite legends of Telipinu and the serpentine dragon Illuyanka originate in lore of Hattian civilization. A Solar Goddess, Arinniti or Wuru(n)šemu is also part of the Hattian pantheon. She's identified with the golden Sun Goddess of Arinna. See also: Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Chicken Soup: Chickens in German Folklore The Way to Aaru - Egyptian Paradise Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Other cities described in Hattic include Tuhumiyara and Tissaruliya. In the 18th century BCE, speakers of the Hittite language conquer Hattus (Land of the Hatti) from Kanesh (Kültepe) roughly middle Anatolia, to the south. By c. 1700 BCE the pre-existing Hattians have been assimilated into the Hittite Empire. Although they're able warriors the Hittites prefer to trade than fight. As a conquering people they make a lot of compromises to keep the peace. See also: Kashka - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Silver - Queen of Precious Metals German Folklore - Irrwurz or Mad Root Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the 15h century BCE, tribal warrior Kaskans from the mountains harry and raid northern settlements of the Hittite/Hatti lands. Later the mountain raiders would weaken the empire of the Hittites. The Hittites import numerous Hatti gods into their pantheon and leave the capital at Hattusa. The Hittite Kingdom continues to operate under the name "Land of the Hatti". Scale armor is introduced for men and horses. See also: Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Namni & Hazzi - Mountain Gods 1st Peace Treaty 1258 BCE - the Queens Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In 13th-century BCE correspondence between Hittite Queen Puduhepa and Egyptian Queen Nefertari, the Egyptian monarch refers to Puduhepa as "Great Queen of the Hatti land." Evenually the Hattians merge with other inhabitants. It's a cosmopolitan environment. Most people speak Indo-European languages of the Anatolian group, such as Hittite, Luwian, and Palaic. See also: Tollense Valley Battlefield: Ancient Germania Shaushka (Šauška) - the Great Goddess Earth Mother - Goddess of Life Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Hattian influence lives on, not just on the god lists. The capital of Hattusa (Hattusha) still retains its name after all these centuries. It may take a slight move into the occult, with the legendary Green Stone of Hattusa. See also: Bronze Age Cultures - Trzciniec Sacrificial Creation Myths: Early People Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Back to Top

Nabarbi (Nawarni) is Goddess of pastures, fields, meadows and flocks, and a major deity of the Bronze Age Hurrian pantheon. As a rustic Goddess she assures the health and fertility of pasture land, important to herding and farming cultures. She's associated with elemental Earth and the life-giving Sun. See also: Hepat - Sun Goddess of Aleppo Seduction of Hedammu, Father of Snakes Namni & Hazzi - Mountain Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books As a pastoral Goddess she compares to the Goat-God Pan of ancient Greece. He's a god of pastures, crossroads, flocks, music and lust. While Pan is half goat, Nabarbi is all woman. Nabarbi's worship is best known in the area of the River Khabur, a tributary of the Euphrates. She's especially revered in Taite, a capital of the Mitanni (Hurrian) empire. From the 7th century BCE she's invoked as one of the deities to bless the King. See also: Kiashe (Kiaše) - Elemental Sea God Tin Trade Routes - Ancient Networks Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In her river manifestation she's compared to Ḫabūrītum (Haburitum), a goddess of the River Khabur. She's sometimes identified with the Lady of Nagar, a term also applied to the Goddess Haburitum. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 She may correspond to Belet Nagar of the Mesopotamian pantheons. Belet Nagar is the tutelary goddess of Nagar (modern Tell Brak, Syria). Some mythologists consider her the same deity as Nabarbi. Being a patron deity, Belet Nagar also holds a strong position on local god lists or kaluti. See also: Kohl: Eye Beauty Magic of Ancients Land of Punt: Pre-Bronze Age Kingdom of Riches Bes: Household Protector God of Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle A pan-cultural Goddess, Nabarbi appears in pantheons of the Hurrians, Hittites and the area of Emar (Aleppo), Syria. She's also involved in ritual purification, as indicated by the itkalzi rituals. The rituals are recorded on 22 clay tablets. Nabarbi's husband is Tašmišu (Tashmishu), a warrior god. He's brother of storm god Teshub and Great Goddess Shaushka. See also: Šimige (Shimige) - Hurrian Sun God Tin - Essential Metal of Antiquity Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books A strong fighter himself, Tashmishu takes a supportive role to Teshub and may act as his sukkal. The Hittite equivalent of Tashmishu, Šuwaliyat, appears in area god lists as husband of Nabarbi. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 From the Middle Hittite period (c. 1500 - 1300 BCE) onward, Nabarbi is also worshipped in Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire. She appears on offering lists together with Sun Goddess Hepat and Great Goddess Shaushka. See also: Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity Gods of Ugarit c. 1800 - 1200 BCE Thapsos - Trade Center & Necropolis Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Nabarbi appears on god lists of Emar in north central Syria, but is low on the heirarchy. The sacrifice to entities of Nabarbi's rank is two sheep. Higher ranks receive five sheep, and the major deities are given ten sheep and five calves. A connection between Nabarbi and Shuwala, tutelary goddess of Mardaman, is recorded. Mardaman in northern Iraq is inhabited from c. 2200 - 1200 BCE. Worship of Nabarbi continues into the Neo-Assyrian period c. 8th century BCE. See also: Aya - Goddess of Dawn, Mesopotamia Bashmu (Bašmu): Voracious Serpent Dragon Cult of the Fire God - New in 2024 Back to Top

Namni and Hazzi (Namni and Ḫazzi) are a duo of Mountain Gods in Hurrian mythology. Divine duos are a religious, artistic and economic trend in civilizations of the Bronze Age. Namni and Hazzi are the personification of two mountains. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 Duos are often called twins though they might be opposites or differ in looks or behavior. The Divine Twins of Proto-Indo-European origin are a warrior and a healer. Fate goddesses Hutena and Hutellera may be depicted as mirror images. See also: Kiashe (Kiaše) - Elemental Sea God Tin Trade Routes - Ancient Networks Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Namni and Hazzi are as old as rocks. Hazzi corresponds to Jebel al-Aqra, a limestone mountain on the Syrian/Turkish border. Historically it's also called Saphon and Cassius. Namni's mountain is not identified. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 On offering lists Namni and Hazzi place right behind the Divine Bulls Šeri and Ḫurri, who pull the chariot of the Hurrian storm god Teshub (Teshop, Teššub). Offering lists, God lists or kaluti determine the order of gods who receive sacrifice, the type of sacrifice given and when. See also: Puduhepa - Queen of the Hittites Allani - Hurrian Underworld Goddess Divine Light - Sun Goddess of Arinna Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Thanks to the work of Queen Pruduhepa and others, the godly accounts offer a treasury of information. A priestess in her home land of Kizzuwatna, she worked to list and order the thousands of Hittite Gods and Goddesses, and their divine attendants. The two mountain gods Namni and Hazzi appear often in epics, myth and songs, including the Song of Ullikummi, but rarely play a significant part. According to local God lists and mythology they're in the entourage of Teshub, the Hurrian storm god. See also: Ereshkigal & the Mesopotamian Underworld Shakhar & Shalim: Divine Twins of Ugarit Gnomes: Earth Spirits of Renaissance Mythology Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the ancient world Namni and Hazzi also have a center of worship in Aleppo, Syria. They tend to show up in the God lists of other people, such as the Hittites. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 They appear in birth rituals, oath rituals and receive veneration at a festival known as ḫišuwa. In Šapinuwa, a Bronze Age city in today's Turkey, Namni and Hazzi are named among the main deities worshipped. See also: Land of Punt: Pre-Bronze Age Kingdom of Riches Cult of the Bull - Prehistoric Aurochs Before the Vikings - Nordic Bronze Age Back to Top

Kiaše (Kiashe, Kiaže or Kiyaši) is the Hurrian Sea God. The name of Kiaše means 'sea'. He controls floods, tides, currents and storms at sea. His daughter is a giantess who's often named as the mother of rock monster Ullikummi. See also: Benu - Ba Heron God of Ancient Egypt Aya - Goddess of Dawn, Mesopotamia Kohl: Eye Beauty Magic of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the ancient world the Hurrians, a warrior people, extend their empire over Mesopotamia (Iraq), Syria and Anatolia (Turkey). Sea God Kiashe is an ally of the notorious primal God Kumarbi. Affiliated with Kumarbi he's also an enemy of brother and sister weather god Teshub and Shaushka the Great Goddess. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 The Hurrians first appear in northern Syria in the 4th millennium BCE, founding a kingdom at Urkesh, of which Kumarbi is patron deity. In Anatolia (Turkey) their kingdom is Mitanni, including parts of Syria. They're bordered by the growing Hittite Empire to the northwest. See also: Lotan - Chaos Sea Dragon of Ugarit Goddess Nisaba - First Lady of Writing Land of Punt: Pre-Bronze Age Kingdom of Riches Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Of the Hurrian gods, many find their way into the pantheons of Anatolia and Syria, especially the rich trade city-kingdom Ugarit, formerly part of the Hurrian Empire. The sea god Kiashe is one of them. In the 15th century BCE the Hurrian Empire borders on the Aegean Sea. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 They're at the height of their power with the kingdom Mitanni (1500 - 1360 BCE). Even when the Hurrians no longer have the vast coast of the Mediterranean sea at their doorstep, worship of Kiashe continues. He becomes god of fresh waters as well as the sea. See also: Bashmu (Bašmu): Voracious Serpent Dragon Amethyst - Divine Purple Quartz Gemstone Myrrh - Mystique, Death & Divinity Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Ugaritic equivalent of Kiashe is the sea god Yam, also an ally of the ancient Kumarbi. The name of his Hittite equivalent, Aruna, means 'sea'. Primordial Aruna is an elemental who embodies powers of a god. He has no specific temples or cults of worship. Kiashe has one daughter, Šertapšuruḫi, who's suggested as the possible mother for the rock monster Ullikummi. Šertapšuruḫi is described as a giantess or woman of immense size, and 'sweet as cream'. See also: Herbology & Lore: Poison Hemlock Mušḫuššu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Inanna (Ishtar) - Goddess of Ancients Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books She's known to be the mother of the destructive sea dragon Ḫedammu, with Kumarbi as father. The monster is later seduced and slain by Shaushka or Inanna. In Inanna's version she seduces him and gives birth to all snakes. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 Sea worship is recorded in Hurrian texts from Hattusa (Hittite capital) and Ugarit. The deified sea is worshipped in Ugarit, and within the Hurrian empire. The exception is Mesopotamia, whose water God is Enki. See also: Bes: Household Protector God of Egypt Egyptian Blue Faience - Ceramic Glass Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Both Hurrian Sea God Kiaše and Ugaritic Yam appear in god lists. In ritual texts they're actively worshipped deities during the Bronze Age. They control the fates of sailors and all those who travel across the waters. A Hurrian hymn to Teshub from Halab (modern Aleppo) includes Kiaše among deities regularly invoked. Another ritual text puts him alongside deified kings. See also: Atum of Egypt - First Primordial God Ancient Greek Cultures: People of Minos Thapsos - Trade Center & Necropolis Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books He's associated with the mountain gods Ḫazzi and Namni, and involved in a myth relating to Mount Hazzi (Saphon). The mountain is also the legendary site of the battle between Canaanite Creator God Baal and the Sea God Yam. Goddess Shaushka drives a wedge into the alliance of Kiashe and Kumarbi. Although Kiashe is sworn to silence about the monster Ullikummi, a sea wave brings the news to Shaushka. She tells Teshub, who calls up his battle powers. See also: Bashmu (Bašmu): Voracious Serpent Dragon Thapsos - Trade Center & Necropolis Herbology & Lore: Poison Hemlock Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The Ullikummi incident weakens the alliance of Kiashe and Kumarbi, with Kumarbi blaming Kiashe for the outcome. Kiashe does not understand the anger of Kumarbi. The sukkals Impaluri and Mukišanu, sukkal of Kumarbi, act in diplomatic roles to keep the peace. Another Hurrian myth of the sea, possibly with Egyptian influences, tells of a great flood caused by the Sea. The Sea reaches the heavens and demands tribute of gold, silver and lapis lazuli from the gods. The Goddess who brings the tribute to the sea is the "Queen of Nineveh," Shaushka. See also: Tin - Essential Metal of Antiquity Ullikummi - Rock Monster of Legend Hepat - Sun Goddess of Aleppo Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, the eponymous hero bows down to the sea and is cursed in return. This tale survives through ages, translated into Akkadian and other languages. See also: Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Tin Trade Routes - Ancient Networks Sukkals - Mythic Viziers to the Gods Back to Top

The golden rays of Sun Goddess Shapsu (Shapash, Shapsh, Shamshu) shine in ancient Canaanite myths and stories. She's called 'Lamp of the Gods', 'Torch' and 'Luminary'. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 As a messenger of Gods, specifically her father El, Shapshu compares with later Greek Hermes. In Ugaritic mythology Shapash is a major Goddess. See also: Hepat - Sun Goddess of Aleppo Egyptian Blue Lotus: Visionary Beauty Ugarit - Trade Hub of Bronze Age Syria Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Hermes is the Greek God of roads and crossroads, borders and boundaries, shepherds, travelers, communication, messengers and heralds, thieves, athletes and merchants. His son Hermaphroditus is the God of two-gendered people, androgyny or effeminacy. Hermes also corresponds to commerce, speed, cunning, wit, politics, diplomacy, and humor. He's later represented by Roman Mercury. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 Like Hermes, Shapshu / Shapash is a psychopomp, guiding the Dead down into the Underworld. Associated with death, Shapshu carries on a tradition manifested by deities such as the Sun Goddess of the Earth and Egyptian god Ra, who travel through the Land of the Dead at night, to appear in the east at dawn. See also: Primeval Deities: Goddess of the Dawn Lucifer, Venus & Anti-Gods of Mythology Pagan Pantheon - Anu, Oldest of the Gods Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Shapshu carries messages for her father, the God El, whom the Hittites call Elkunirsa. As she's also seen as a Solar Goddess of Creation it's clear the role of messenger is an important one. Communication matters. Business prospers, languages multiply and means of writing them down vary. No scribe is unemployed. The official language for trade is Akkadian. See also: Cult of the Bull: Divine Sacrifice Lelwani - Hittite Underworld Goddess Nefertari Queen of Peace Ancient Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In 2nd millenium Eurasia and the East, trade routes facilitate overland and seagoing traffic. Usually only royalty, priests and the elite can write. Kings, Queens and heroes attain the status of Gods. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New 2024 For example Queen Puhudepa of the Hittites becomes Goddess Queen when her son ascends the throne. The messenger is a representative and emissary of the King or Queen, thus of the Gods themselves. See also: Nekhbet - Vulture Goddess of Egypt Sobekneferu - Queen of the Pharaohs Wadjet - Winged Snake Goddess of Egypt Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Shapshu is sometimes equated with the Akkadian Sun God Shamash, a male deity. Her father is El, he who created the world. He's called Elkunirsa among the Hittites. Her mother's a mystery. Because El is among the most ancient of gods he might have birthed Shapshu himself. Zeus creates Athena in the same way. Goddess of wisdom, craft and warfare, she springs fully grown from his forehead. See also: Sun Goddess of the Earth: Hittite Underworld Divine Light - Sun Goddess of Arinna Lusatians - Nordic Bronze Age Cultures Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Sun Goddess Shapshu / Shapash is worshipped in Ebla, one of the oldest cities of the near East. A patron Goddess of Ugarit and the Ugaritic people of North Syria, she's one of the most important deities. She's not known to have a consort. Some incantations refer to her as 'mother'. She takes part in the deliverance of Baal from the Underworld, a place ruled by Mot, god of Death. Baal is resurrected and returns the realms above. See also: Stone Age Botai - First Horse People Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Bronze Age Cultures - the Hittites Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books She's also mentioned as a major Sun Goddess among the Amorites, an early Bronze Age nation. Amorites built the successful cities of Ebla, Carchemish and Aleppo. In Ugaritic god lists Shapshu is listed second, after Baal the Creator. She may be invoked with incantations serving as spells. In one story, inscribed on a tablet, a character called 'the mother of the stallion and the mare' (ủm.pḥl.pḥlt) pleads to Shapshu for assistance in a venomous snake problem, as her children are in danger. See also: Mušḫuššu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Ouroboros Glyph: Snake Eating Tail Myth & Metallurgy - Metals of Antiquity Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle As arbitrator between the mother and the gods, Shapsu visits ten deities and finally comes to the fortress of the god Ḥoranu. He's the first to empathize. He gathers various plants, defeats the serpents and prevents the death of the mother's children. At the end Ḥoranu marries the mother, and shares his magical knowledge with her. Writing on the edge of the tablet identifies this as a spell against snakebite. See also: German Myth - the Lutzelfrau A Viking Christmas Yule Al-Mi'raj: Unicorn Hare of Arab Myth Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Other incantations include her in a divine trio with Baal and Anat, goddess of warfare and hunting, to protect against demons and serpent gods. She's also called upon for healing of snakebite. In the Baal Cycle, Shapshu is a bridge between the worlds of living and dead. Shapshu in Iron Age Phoenicia is equated with male Mesopotamian sun deity šmš (Shamash). See also: Aufhöcker - Cursed Undead of German Myth Nefertum: He Who is Beautiful Gods of Egypt Sekhmet - War Goddess of Ancient Egypt Back to Top

The Divine Monster Anzû is a common element through Mesopotamian art, writing and culture. Here he steals the Tablet of Destinies from the god Enlil of Nippur, and is pursued by angry agriculture god Ninurta, son of Enlil, waving lightning bolts. See also: Mušḫuššu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Tiamat - Queen of Chaos & the Sea 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The mother of Anzû is Sirius, Goddess of Beer along with her sister Ninkasi, who embodies both the positive and negative qualities of beer consumption. She's worshipped at Elba in Syria and the Sumerian city Nippur, the same place Enlil holds sway. The power of Enlil is challenged in myth and history. When Nippur is sacked in the 3rd millennium BCE, the people are quick to change their patron god and adopt the national god Marduk instead. In Mesopotamian art Anzû appears as a gigantic bird who can breathe fire and water. He can also take the form of a lion-headed eagle, much like a Gryphon or Griffin which is an eagle-headed lion. See also: Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Mythical Pagan German Gods & Spirits Herbology & Lore: Rowan (Mountain Ash) Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books He may be posed clutching other creatures in his claws, a symbol of dominance. Either way, in Anzû are found strong, radiant qualities common to both creatures. He's ferocious, a dominant power embodying the might of the Sun itself. Known also as the Divine Storm-Bird, Anzû personifies the southern wind and thunder clouds. While the gods of the dominant ideology have come and gone, Anzû lingers, as a demon god, an early form of the God Abu, the quintessential antagonist throughout the centuries. See also: Inanna (Ishtar) - Goddess of Ancients Ancient Mesopotamian Cities - Uruk Ouroboros Glyph: Snake Eating Tail Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In the myths of Mesopotamia the Tablet of Destinies is thought to be a clay tablet inscribed with cuneiform writing and cylinder seal impressions. It functions as a legal document, giving the god Enlil supreme authority as King of the Universe. Stealing it divests Enlil of his power to rule. There are several versions of the Tablet of Destinies story. In one version Enki the god of water, crafts and creation is the owner of the tablet, stolen by the Bird Monster Imdugud (Sumerian version of Anzû). See also: Before the Viking Age - Gods of the Sámi Sun Goddesses of World Mythology Curse of the Evil Eye & Apotropaic Magic Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In one story, the Goddess Tiamat, deity of Chaos and the Sea, gives the tablet to Kingu, her son and consort, and transfers power of her armies to him. According to one text, the hero god Marduk kills the bird monster; in another, it dies by Ninurta's arrows. The magical tablet always returns to Enlil. See also: What is a Ziggurat? Lamashtu, Baby-Eating Demon Goddess of Mesopotamia Blacksmiths: Iron, Metal, Gods & Myth Back to Top

Twin bulls who pull the chariot of the storm and weather god Teshub (Teššub), Šeri and Ḫurri are usually together. Šeri might act on his own as a mediator between mortals and Gods. Ḫurri and Šeri are Day and Night respectively. Animal vessels or rhytons are popular in the ancient near East. See also: Cult of the Bull: Divine Sacrifice Anatolia - Kārum City of Trade Kültepe Gold Mask of Agamemnon Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Rhytons, also known as zoomorphic or animal-shaped vessels, are used for ritual purposes, especially in Anatolia and Syria. Bull and deer rhytons are more popular in Anatolia, while lion vessels prevail in Syria. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New in 2024 The vessels are used for libations, where the animal species relates to the worshipped deity. Rhytons appear in cultures of Greece and Persia as well. The hole for drinking is sometimes at the bottom, and a person displays skill in drinking from one. Kings and other rulers also use them as a show of wealth. See also: Wine God Liber: Liberty & Liberal Libation Animal Spirits - Frog, Cat, Bull Pagan Solstice Fests: Mithras & the Sun Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The Divine Bulls Ḫurri and Šeri have their own kaluti, or offering lists. They're worshipped together as twin deities. Throughout Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Greece and other cultures the bull has strong spiritual significance. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New in 2024 The Bull is associated with leadership, the Sun, strength, the male, the metal gold, virility, fertility of the earth, wealth, prosperity and divine light. Hurrian mythology has influence on the neighboring Hittites, who adapt Šeri and Ḫurri into their version of the Weather God mythology. See also: Teshub: Hurrian Bronze Age Storm God Silver - Queen of Precious Metals Mušḫuššu - Snake Dragon Animal of Marduk Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Despite the name and weather analogy neither Ḫurri nor Hurrians are associated with hurricanes. The word hurricane comes from the Taino Indigenous Caribbean hurakán, or evil spirits of the wind. The Divine Bulls gain influence among the other neighbors, the Hattians, who are absorbed into the Hittite Empire by the 18th century BCE. Cross-culturally and throughout history the Bull is a symbol of riches, power and divinity. See also: Al-Mi'raj: Unicorn Hare of Arab Myth Ancient Cultures: Yamnaya Steppe People 12 Days of Zagmuk: Chaos & the King Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Most of all the Bull represents male virility and fertility of the land. This makes him a popular animal of sacrifice especially to the major Gods who control storms, drought and disease. After the sacrifice the Bull is usually eaten, to represent the body and blood of the God. A sacrifice might take place anytime to ask a favor, or on special occasions and feast days. Although twins and bulls are both associated with sacrifice in many ancient cultures, Ḫurri and Šeri don't take those roles. See also: Botanical Alchemy - Lavender (Lavandula) Lead: Death Metal of Metallurgy Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Šeri and Ḫurri have primary centers of worship in Nuzi, a town on the Tigris River; Šapinuwa, whence the successive Kings rule; and Assur, the capital of Assyria. They would receive offerings according to their rank, specified in the kaluti, honorific prayers and gifts. As entities of worship in their own right, they have specialized priests, rituals and hymns or incantations dedicated to them. Both Bulls are seen as benevolent deities, like the Divine Twins of Proto-Indo-European mythology. Šeri could ask the Weather God for rain during a drought, or fair weather for raising crops and traveling. See also: Anatolia - Kārum City of Trade Kültepe Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine Lamashtu, Baby-Eating Demon Goddess of Mesopotamia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books In this way he acts as a sukkal, or helper to the God. Sukkals in the near East can be any form of bird or animal, often hybrid creatures, another God or Goddess or an element such as a flame. Read: Cult of the Fire God - New in 2024 They are attendants, secretaries, helpers, intermediaries of the gods. Sukkal translates to vizier. The sukkal of a deity has its own temple and priests, and a place on the offerings list, which dictates what to give for whom and when. People might visit the temple of the sukkal if the god isn't hearing their pleas, and ask the sukkal to speak to the deity; or as a regular ritual. See also: Gold - Precious Metal of the Sun Ancient Marsh Muse - Rough Horsetail Kaska - Mountain Raiders of Anatolia Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Famous sukkals include the goddess Ninshubur, who serves as sukkal to Inanna (Ishtar) and the snake dragon Mušḫuššu who serves the god-hero Marduk of Babylon. An ancient creator god, Marduk relates to the gods Odin and Zeus. The two bulls Šeri and Ḫurri have a recognized niche in religion. They are worshipped as Šerišu Bull twins, pairs or dyads have been known in Anatolia and Mesopotamia since the 3rd millennium BCE. In ancient myth twins can refer to a pair not necessarily a sibling. They are given the appellation šinurḫina, "the two righteous ones". See also: Ancient Wild Predators - Eurasian Lion Nature Spirits of German Mythology Botanical Alchemy - White Dead Nettle Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle The name of Šeri (also Šerišu) may belong to Hurrian šerše "throne". Ḫurri is placed to Urartian ḫurrišḫe "irrigator", reflecting two aspects of the weather god, as king of the gods and rain-giver. Gods or figures of contrasting attributes (such as creator/destroyer, dark/light, protector/threat) are common in early and later religions throughout the world. See also: German Myth - White Ladies & Changelings Nixies - Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Inspiring Words from Shakespeare Back to Top

The culture of the island community of Thapsos is one of the most important of prehistory. On the southern coast of Sicily, it's an area of fertile lands and plenty of activity in travel and trade. As a a strategic port of commerce and industry, Thapsos comes to the forefront of civilization between c. 1500 - 1200 BCE. See also: Atum of Egypt - First Primordial God Ancient Greek Cultures: People of Minos Mythic Fire Gods: Hephaestus of the Greek Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books From prehistoric times, the area has been inhabited. Wanderers, nomads, fishing and seagoing people, the indiginous inhabitants include Elymians, Sicanians and the Sicels, for whom Sicily is named. In later settlements, most houses are circular or rectangular huts. Lifestyle is more localized, based on farming, herding, hunting and fishing. There is evidence of trade with coastal Italy and nearby islands. See also: Cyclades Islands: Paradise of Ancients Aya - Goddess of Dawn, Mesopotamia Divine Twins: Germanic & Greek Mythology Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle In 1600 BCE, the eruption of the volcano at Thera (Santorini) in the Aegean Sea spread darkness and destruction through the lands and across the waters. A written work describing yellow skies is found in China. Climate disruptions are reported for years. A tsunami created by the volcanic explosions wrecks the coasts and washed over the low-lying islands. Earthquakes and mudslides, floods and fires take many lives. It's one of the largest eruptions the world has ever known. See also: Sphinx - Mythical Monster of Ancients Cult of the Fire God - New in 2024 Owl - Death, Messages, Mystic Wisdom Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books On the island itself, almost no bodies are found. The people know the meaning of the rumblings in the ground, and prudently evacuate. Some of the ruins are still covered in volcanic ash today. After the eruption the competing Minoan civilization, centered on Crete the southern Aegean islands including Thera, declines dramatically. Not long after, opportunistic Myceneaens from coastal Greece come south to look around. They take over previously Minoan islands. They also journey north to establish a port at Thapsos (Tapsos). See also: Warrior Portal Gods Lugal-irra & Meslamta-ea Ancient Greece - the Mycenean Invasion Suri (Śuri): Ancient Etruscan Fire God Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Thapsos civilization develops throughout Sicily. Most main centers are along the coast, but like everywhere else in the known world, inland trade routes evolve along trails or river systems. Some areas built fortress type walls. A tower from 1500 BCE still stands. The first known city in Sicily, Thapsos is also an example of a significant necropolis, or City of the Dead. Cities of the Dead also appear in Mesopotamian, Egyptian and other cultures. The best known perhaps is that of Memphis (Giza), including the Pyramids. An enormous network of tombs and rooms is still being excavated. See also: Mot - Death & the Ugarit Underworld Amorites - Titans of the Bronze Age Ornithomancy - Prophecy by the Birds Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle Historian David Abulafia writes: A settlement at Thapsos, an offshore island in eastern Sicily, offers evidence of a sophisticated, imported culture, Mycenaean in origin. The settlers created a grid-like town with streets up to four metres wide, spacious houses built round courtyards, and tombs full of Late Helladic wares from the Greek lands, suggesting 'a veritable foreign colony on the site'. Indeed, the closest analogy to the layout of the houses in Thapsos is to be found at the other end of the Mycenaean world, on Cyprus, at Enkomi near Famagusta. It is almost as if a blueprint for a trading colony had been created and then transformed into reality at both ends of the Mycenaean world. Thapsos has yielded very many small perfume containers of Mycenaean origin. For it was a centre of industry, specializing in the production of perfumed oils for an 'international' market. But Thapsos was not simply an offshoot of Mycenae. It produced plenty of coarse grey pottery in Sicilian styles, indicating that Thapsos contained a mixed population. See also: Ishara - Goddess of Death & Desire Shakhar & Shalim: Divine Twins of Ugarit Wadjet - Winged Snake Goddess of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books Athenian historian Thucydides portrays Thapsos as a colony of the West Attic Greek city Megrara, founded by "the same people who founded Trotion and Megara Hyblaea". The necropolis of City of the Dead is of huge interest to scientists due to the amount and type of grave goods discovered. Thapsos is especially famed for its necropolis, an area set out, usually on the west side of the town or river, in the direction of the setting sun, for the comforts of the dead. The dead enjoy music. Below is a Greek harpist from an early Mesopotamian artwork. See also: Turquoise: Precious Stone of Ancients Urnfield Culture: Bronze & Iron Age Europe Taweret - Hippopotamus Goddess of Egypt Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The burial type in the Thapsos necropolis is in the form of large rock-cut chamber tombs and often tombs of a tholos or beehive shape. A necropolis differs from a cemetery, which is a final resting place for the dead. In a necropolis, the tomb is the home of the dead but the layout may feature streets and gardens, with caretakers just as in a city of the living. Descendents can pay tribute to ancestors with food and libations, incense, praises or sacrifice. See also: Rise of Pan: Fertility Goat God Péh₂usōn German Myth - Father Rhine River God Amethyst - Divine Purple Quartz Gemstone Sylvia Rose Books on Smashwords Lora Ley Fantasy Fiction Series Reiker For Hire Murder Mysteries Sylvia Rose Art on Zazzle A donation to the upkeep fund is always recommended to keep the ancestors well attended. In some areas, for example Babylon, the dead are completely dependent on the living to keep them fulfilled. If they're upset, they can rise up and haunt their relatives. In the ancient archaeological sites of Thapsos trade is popular. Many Mycenaean bronze vessels and weapons have been found. The people also trade with with settlers of the Italian mainland and nearby islands. See also: Weapons & Warfare of Bronze Age Europe 1 Before the Viking Age - Gods of the Sámi Women of the Wild Hunt: Holle, Diana, Frigg Today's Zazzle Specials Smashwords Books The material culture includes dark surfaced ceramic, often decorated with incised motifs or with cords that form garlands (festoons). Large bowls with horn-shaped feet, bowls, jugs and cups with handles are also popular. Ornamental copper vessels and gold jewelry are among the trade goods. During the height of its influence Thapsos is an industrious center for perfumes or fragrant oils, created locally. Italian glass bottles have been found as well. See also: Ziu - Ancient Sky God of Germania Ḫulbazizi - Ancient Exorcism Ritual Ptah: God of Creators & Creation Egypt Back to Top