Ningizida (god)

A male deity of the town of Gibanda, which lies upstream from Ur. Ningizida is connected with vegetation and the underworld.

Functions
Ningizida, like his father Ninazu, is a chthonic TT deity associated with vegetation, growth and decay, snakes and demons. Ningizida's name, and those of his courtiers (see below) reflect this connection, while descriptions of him include: "Lord of pastures and fields" and "like fresh grass" (Wiggerman 1998-2001b). The 'tree' of his name has been suggested to be the vine, and in Ur III texts Ningizida is associated with the -etin, the "wine-house" (Sallaberger 1993: 125, 368), elsewhere with the beer-god Siri, and beer-goddess Nin-kasi. Furthermore, he is the "lord of the innkeepers" (Wiggermann 1998-2001b: 370). Associated with his role in agriculture, Ningizida is said to travel to the underworld at the time of the death of vegetation (in Mesopotamia - mid-summer to mid-winter). This journey is recorded in both Sumerian and Akkadian myths (Ningizida's Journey to the Netherworld, ETCSL 1.7.3 and Lambert 1990: 293). In the Adapa legend, Ningizida, under the name Gizida, is one of the two deities who are said to have disappeared from the land (Foster 2005: 525-30). Ningizida's chthonic nature is reflected in his title (gi)gu-za-l-kur-ra, "the chair-bearer of the netherworld", and together with Pedu, the chief netherworld gate-keeper, he stands at the entrance to the underworld. In Ur III and Old Babylonian (early second millennium BCE) periods Ningizida appears in rituals associated with royal laments (e.g., The Death of Ur-Namma, ETCSL 2.4.1.1: 118). In Neo Assyrian times (early 1st millennium BCE) he is associated with the punishment, pestilence and disease, and occasionally called "Lord of the netherworld" (Wiggermann 1998-2001b: 371). Ningizida appears in incantations, but only in connection to vegetation, or as a netherworld deity, or (Wiggermann 1998-2001b: 369). Ningizida, like his father, is associated with dragons, the muhuu and balm. He is also referred to as a snake, e.g. mu-mah (A balbale to Ningizida, ETCSL 4.19.1: 2), and as such he is associated the Hydra constellation in the astrological compendium MUL-Apin. Also like his father, Ningizida is titiled warrior, and he is the military governor of Ur (Frayne 1990: 196). In the god list An = Anum he is dgd-me-lm "warrior of splendor", and his symbol is the sickle sword (ptu) (Wiggermann 1998-2001b: 370-1). The conception of Ningizida as a reliable god is obvious from his name. He is involved with law in the underworld and on earth (Wiggermann 1998-2001: 371). The element "Ningizida is judge" appears in the personal names of the Neo-Babylonian period (mid 1st millennium BCE) (Figulla and Gadd 1949: 38).

Divine Genealogy and Syncretisms

Ningizida is the son of Ninazu and his wife, Ningirida. In Gudea Cylinder B (ETCSL 2.1.7: 1342), Ningizida is described as the "progeny of An", supposing a sequence An - Enlil - Ninazu - Ningizida. The god list An = Anum lists two sisters: dama-TUR-ma and dla-bar-TUR-ma. In most Old Babylonian and later attestations, the wife of Ningizida is Ninazimua, "The lady who lets the good juice grow" (Enki and Ninhursaga, ETCSL 1.1.1: 278), while at Laga, his wife is Getinanna (Wiggermann 1998-2001b: 369).

Cult Places
As mentioned above, his home was the town Gibanda (itself an epithet of Ningizida), which

was located upstream from Ur, near to Ki'abrig. Ningizida's temple in this town was called kur-ae-er-ra-ka, "mountain of lament". When his cult was discontinued it was possibly moved to Ur (see above), where he had a shrine in the temple of Nanna and his own temple, the "House of Justice" (-ng-gi-na) (Frayne 1990: 196). Other centres of worship of Ningizida include Enunna (modern Tell Asmar, northeast of Baghdad), his father's cult centre; Laga, where he was Gudea's personal god, and who built Ningizida a new temple, with dedicated statues. Other cults may have existed at Isin, Larsa, Babylon and Uruk (Wiggermann 1998-2001b).

Time Periods Attested

Ningizida makes his first appearance in the Fara god list from the Early Dynastic III period (2600-2350 BCE), and is recorded through the first millennium, e.g. in late Neo-Babylonian personal names (see above). Venerated at Girsu at the time of Gudea and into the Ur III period, Ningizida received offerings at Puzri-Dagan (the administrative hub of the Ur III period located near Nippur) and during this period there was a festival of Ningizida in the third month of the year (Sallaberger 1993: 281 ff.). At the end of the Ur III period his cult at the town of Gibanda was discontinued, and possibly moved to Ur (Frayne 1990: 196). There is only limited evidence, however, for Ningizida during the Old Babylonian period, and there are very few attestations as a theophoric element in personal names of the third and second millennia (Wiggermann 19982001b: 373).

Iconography
Iconography of Ningizida with snakes is attested on Ur III cylinder seals (Fischer 1997: 175 n.14, 135 n.219), and with muhuu dragons growing out of his shoulders, e.g., on Gudea's seal (van Buren 1934: 72 Fig. 1).

Name and Spellings

The deity's name is usually understood to mean "Lord of the true/reliable/right tree" (Wiggermann 1998-2001b: 368). His name is usually spelled dnin-gi-zi-da, but the /da/ is occasionally omitted. Syllabic spellings suggest a pronunciation of Niggissida or Nikkissida. The Emesal TT name is Umun-muzzida. Other associated epithets include dgi-ban-da, "Little Tree" (Wiggermann 1998-2001b: 368-73). Written forms: dnin-gi-zi-da, dni-gi-si-da, dnin-ki-zi-da Normalized forms: Ningizida, Ningizzida, Umunmuzzida, Niggissida, Nikkissida