Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

GULA

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 713 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

GULA , a Babylonian goddess, the See also:

consort of See also:Ninib. She is identical with another goddess, known as Bau, though it would seem that the two were originally See also:independent. The name Bau is more See also:common in the See also:oldest See also:period and gives way in the See also:post-Khammurabic See also:age to Gula. Since it is probable that Ninib (q.v.) has absorbed the cults of See also:minor See also:sun-deities, the two names may represent consorts of different gods. However this may be, the qualities of both are alike, and the two occur as synonymous designations of Ninib's See also:female consort. Other names See also:borne by this goddess are Nin-Karrak, Ga-turn-dug and Nin-din-dug, the latter signifying " the See also:lady who restores to See also:life." The designation well emphasizes the See also:chief trait of Bau-Gula which is that of healer. She is often spoken of as " the See also:great physician," and accordingly plays a specially prominent role in incantations and See also:incantation rituals intended to relieve those suffering from disease. She is, however, also invoked to curse those who trample upon the rights of rulers or those who do wrong with poisonous potions. As in the See also:case of Ninib, the cult of Bau-Gula is prominent in Shirgulla and in See also:Nippur. While generally in See also:close association with her consort, she is also invoked by herself, and thus retains a larger measure of See also:independence than most of the goddesses of Babylonia and See also:Assyria. She appears in a prominent position on the designs accompanying the Kudurrus boundary-See also:stone monuments of Babylonia, being represented by a statue, when other gods and goddesses are merely pictured by their shrines, by sacred animals or by weapons. In neo-Babylonian days her cult continues to occupy a prominent position, and See also:Nebuchadrezzar II. speaks of no less than three chapels or shrines within the sacred precincts of E-Zida in the See also:city of See also:Borsippa, besides a See also:temple in her See also:honour at See also:Babylon.

(M.

End of Article: GULA

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
GUJRAT 		[next]
GULBARGA

Site © 2006 - Net Industries