Quoted By:
Meshlamtaea and Lugalirra
In Babylonian astronomy, the Great Companions were called: Meshlamtaea, or “the one who has arisen from the underworld;” and Lugalirra, or “the mighty king”.
Both names are epithets given to Nergal, the King of the Underworld and the God of War and Pestilence. Now, before you judge the God of Plagues too harshly, you’ll want to take a look at his mythos.
Nergal was the son of Enlil, a major god of both creation and destruction, and Ninlil, a goddess of agriculture and healing. As the story goes, Enlil was banished to the underworld for seducing Ninlil, who followed her consort to the lands of the dead where she bore his children; Nergal among them.
Both of his parents were relatively benevolent deities, and you’ll recall from the story of the Heavenly Bull, an association with the Land of the Dead does not a malevolent deity make.
Nergal Was Arguably Benevolent
Despite being associated with death, war, and pestilence, Nergal was not without his benevolence. His Northern Mesopotamia equivalent, Aplu, was clearly seen as both a bringer of and protector from all of the aforementioned calamities.
If you’re wondering how a deity associated with death and destruction could possibly have benevolent traits, then consider how Nergal came to be associated with these in the first place.
Nergal as an Aspect of Shamash
Nergal wan an aspect of Shamash, the God of the Sun; specifically, the midday and mid summer sun: the hottest and deadliest phases of Shamash. Unlike in European climates where high summer is considered lush and vibrant, this would have been seen as a time of death and drought.
The Sun-God Shamash was a God of Law and Justice. He was also known to deliver people from the grip of demons. As an aspect of Shamash, Nergal must have certainly shared at least some of these attributes. In fact, both Shamash and Nergal were often depicted as lions, or having the head of lions.
