Mululil



Deity Overview

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Pantheon:

Sumerian Pantheon

Deity Of:

Scholars, a Dying god, the god of Adab

Archetype:

Death and Rebirth Deity

Other Names (a.k.a.):

Lil, Mululil, Nesu, Panigingarra, EN ku-dur-ri, meaning “lord of kudurru.”


Known For

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Mululil was known as a dying god.

His death was a major event, mourned yearly.

People called him “lord of kudurru.”

He was associated with wisdom and scholarship.


Parentage & Lineage

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Parents:

Ninhursag – goddess of Earth, Animals, Wildlife, Birth, Fertility

Sulpae   – god of Wildlife, Fertility, and Sky. Also, the god of Feasts and Good Times

Siblings:

Ashshirgi – god of Protection – tutelary god of Adab and Kesh

Lisin or Egime – goddess of Fire

Consorts:

Some sources list Egime as his consort.

Children:

None Known


Iconography & Artistic Depictions

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Mululil appeared as a dying god in images.

People mourned him every year in special rituals.

Inscriptions called him “lord of kudurru.”

Temples for him stood in the city of Adab.

Art and texts sometimes showed him as wise and scholarly.


Deity Attributes

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Weapons:

None Known

Sacred Animals:

None Known

Symbolism:

Kudurru Stone Monuments

Celestial Associations:

None Known

Realms:

Kur: Sumerian Underworld


Worship Practices

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Worship Places:

Mululil had temples in Adab.

Names of some temples were Eursag, Emeteursag, Enigurru, and Eutul.

Rituals & Divinations:

Known as ‘lord of kudurru’.  Therefore tied to the curses and divinations for deed and document protection.

Kudurru monuments often featured divine symbols and curses intended to protect the document and its terms from being violated.

Festivals:

People mourned his death every year.

These mourning rituals were important yearly events.


Mythology Themes & Mentions

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In the tale “Three Ox Drivers from Adab,” Mululil was mentioned as a wise god and a scholar.


Explore Additional Details

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References

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  • Charles Russell Coulter and Patricia Turner, Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities (McFarland Myth and Legend Encyclopedias) (McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, 1997)
  • Thinley Kalsang Bhutia, Ninhursag Mesopotamian deity (Britannica Encyclopedia,     May 02, 2018)
  • J.A. Coleman, The Dictionary of Mythology: An A-Z of Themes, Legends, and Heroes (Barnes & Noble, Inc., 2007)
  • Multiple Authors, Panigingarra (Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, November 2, 2022)
  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ninhursag (Britannica Encyclopedia, November 09, 2023)

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