Gods, Demons & Immortals
whose Names Start with 'P'
The immortals of ancient Sumer.
by James W. Bell © 2002-3
Pabilsag
Pabilsag, a son of Enlil and a brother of the moon god, Sin, served as the tutelary god of the antediluvan Sumerian city of Larak. His wife was the goddess Gula, who later became the tutelary deity of Isin under the name Ninisina.
The city of Larak was washed away by the Flood, but Pabilsag's wife maintained a sanctuary in remembrance of her husband called the E.rabriri, 'House of the Shackle Which Holds in Check,' which was located in her temple, the E.galmah, 'Exalted Palace,' in Isin.
To read a translation of the Sumerian account of 'Pabilsag's Journey to Nippur,' (the name is spelled 'Pabilsaj' by the translator and Nippur is 'Nibru'), click here.
*[ In my stories, after the destruction of Larak by the Flood, Pabilsag left the Great Above to become an administrator in the Netherworld. ]*
Parti
Parti was an Elamite mountain goddess from the highlands of Anshan.
Pazuzu
Pazuzu was a demonic Sumerian god with a canine face, bulging eyes, a scaly body and a penis shaped like a snake. He had wings and talons like a bird and went about unclothed and unshod.
Because he was demonic in nature, Pazuzu had no worshippers and so he had no known temples or sanctuaries dedicated to him.
However, tradition has it that Pazuzu opposed a demonic goddess named Lamashtu, a goddess who practiced evil for its own sake, slaying babies and bringing disease up from the Netherworld. Amulets of Pazuzu were worn to fend off Lamashtu.
To see a picture of Pazuzu, click here.
*[ In my stories, Pazuzu, a rather mysterious god who was prone to appear suddenly without notice, was thought to live in the Hursag, the rugged mountainlands to the east of Sumer. Because of numerous caves leading down into the Netherworld, he was believed to be a demon that had come up from the dark caves of the Great Below. ]*
Pinikir
Pinikir was originally the most important Elamite goddess. She was the 'Mistress of Heaven,' who originally headed the Elamite pantheon of gods with a temple in Susa. She was called 'Mother of the Gods.'
But when she married Humban, he usurped her place as chief deity in the Elamite pantheon. After he had supplanted her, Humban left Pinikir and married another Elamite goddess, Kiririsha, who came from the Elamite coastal city of Liyan.
Although Pinikir lost much of her importance after being divorced from Humban, she was always known as the 'Protector of Susa.'
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