Ninazu- Mesopotamian GodDeity"Lord Healer"
Also known as: Nin-azu
Description
Born in the underworld as a substitute for the moon god Nanna-Sin, one of three children conceived during Enlil and Ninlil's descent, placed among the dead so the moon could rise to heaven. Despite his chthonic origins, Ninazu bore the title Lord Healer, his sacred animal the serpent.
Mythology & Lore
Born Beneath the Earth
Ninazu's origin is told in the Sumerian poem "Enlil and Ninlil." When the young goddess Ninlil followed Enlil into the underworld after he was banished for raping her, their firstborn, the moon god Nanna-Sin, could not remain trapped in the netherworld. The sky needed its moon. At three points during the descent, Enlil disguised himself, first as the man of the gate, then as the man of the river, and lay with Ninlil each time. Three underworld children were conceived, each destined to remain among the dead in Nanna-Sin's place. Ninazu was one of them, born beneath the earth so the moon could ascend to heaven.
Lord Healer
Despite dwelling among the dead, Ninazu bore the title "Lord Healer" and held dominion over curative powers. His sacred animal was the serpent, a creature that moved between the earth's surface and its depths. At Eshnunna in the Diyala region, where Ninazu served as patron deity during the Early Dynastic and Akkadian periods, his temple received offerings from those seeking healing. The god who dwelt with the dead could reach across to restore the living.