neptunesdolphins | THE DEMON HAUNTED WORLDS OF MESOPOTAMIA

T he Sumerians thought that demons could make them ill, carry them off to the Netherworld, or protect their children. The demons flew in the wind and came through windows. To ensure good luck, families did rituals to keep the demons away. Moreover, Sumerians employed doctors who were also diviners, since disease could be also caused by curses.

The Babylonian God Nergal inflicted death either through the plague or by war. One of his symbols is the fly, the insect that brings pestilence to whole populations. As the God of Pestilence, Nergal set loose the plague among the peoples.

According to Sumerian myths, Nergal, the God of Death, would send seven demons to kill people. These seven demons (the Maskim) lived on human blood. They were the South Wind, who brought the plague, the Dragon Monster who inflicted death, and the Leopard who ate children. Meanwhile, the Horned Serpent infected people while the Wolf-man drank their blood. The other two were the Shapeshifting Demon, who brought chaos of the mind and the Serpent-human, possessing black wings, who brought violence.

Adding to the demon-infested world were the magicians who could command them. Called witches (kassaptu) or warlocks (bel dabadi), these magicians practiced witchcraft (kispu) and laid curses (mamitu) on people. They ordered gidim to haunt people or flies to infect them. The magical collection (of tablets) named Surpu (“The Burning”) listed curses such as scorpion bites, frothing at the mouth, and seizures of the body.

Meanwhile, the exorcists (ashipu) studied and wrote incantations to help people. Furthermore, they owned manuals (collections of tablets) that contained useful lore from other ashipu. Some of the rituals to remove curses required burning garlic while reciting prayers. A common element of many rituals involved burning figurines of the witch (kassaptu) and warlock (bel dabadi) seven times in seven bonfires.

Babylonians ask for Nergal’s protection again demons, and invoke Him in their exorcism rituals. From a physician’s invocation: “I am the priest of Ea. I am the magician of Eridu. Shamash is before me, Sin is behind me. Nergal is at my right hand, Enurta is at my left hand. When I draw near the sick man, when I lay my hand on his head, may a kindly Spirit, a kindly Guardian stand at my side!” (Note 1).

Notes:

Note 1: Ea – Wisdom, Shamash – Sun, Sin – Moon, Enurta (Ninurta) – War and Hunting. Notice that Nergal has prominence at the right hand

Works Used:

Black, Jeremy and Anthony Green, “Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia.” University of Texas: Austin. 1992.

Dickie, Lloyd and Paul Boudreau, “Awakenings Higher Consciousness: Guidance from Ancient Egypt and Sumer.” Inner Traditions: Rochester (VT). 2015.

Jacobsen, Thorkild, “The Treasures of Darkness.” Yale University Press: New Haven. 1976.