Nergal

Nergal is a Mesopotamian deity associated with war, disease, and the underworld. In Sumerian and Akkadian tradition, he functions as a powerful chthonic god who can unleash plague and bring death, but also as a protector against some diseases. In many myths he is linked with Ereshkigal, queen of the underworld; in some versions he becomes her consort and co-ruler, tying the domains of warfare and the afterlife together.

Nergal is frequently identified with the planet Mars in Mesopotamian astrology and war-lore, and his cult is attested at several Mesopotamian cities, most notably at Kutha. Rituals and hymns invoking Nergal emphasize his strength, ferocity, and role as a bringer of both annihilation and healing in times of plague.

In literary texts, Nergal appears in a variety of contexts, including wars against enemies of the gods, and in narratives describing the governance of the underworld. His imagery often combines martial motifs, such as lions or warriors, with chthonic elements.

Throughout Mesopotamian history, Nergal remained an important figure in the pantheon, with worship spanning the third to the first millennium BCE. In later traditions, the name Nergal appears in demonological texts of the medieval period as a powerful, warlike spirit; these later attributions reflect syncretic traditions rather than direct continuities with ancient Mesopotamian religion.