Gods, Demons & Immortals
whose Names Start with 'SH'
The immortals of ancient Sumer.
by James W. Bell © 2002-3
Shakkan (Sumuqan in Akkadian)
(also known as Amakandu)
Shakkan, the Sumerian patron god of animals, was sometimes referred to as a 'cattle god' or a 'god of the herdsmen.' In one tradition, his wife was Ashnan, the goddess of grain and one of Enlil's daughters.
However, in the Assyrian city of Ashur, Shakkan had a temple named Ur.mastur, which translates, 'The Pen of Lions and Wild Beasts.' Thus he was more than the guardian of cattle and other domesticated animals.
In Sumeria, there were lion, wolf, cheetah, lynx, oryx, gazelle, jackal, hyena and mongoose on the plain. In the mountainous Hursag, there were bear, leopard, deer, ibex and goat. Shakkan was the protector of all these animals.
Shala (also Sala and Shalla)
Shala was an ancient Sumerian mountain goddess of grain, sometimes called the 'corn maiden.' She was married to Ishkur and had a sanctuary at Karkara called E.durku, 'House, the Pure Abode,' probably located within Ishkur's temple, the 'E.Karkara.' In earlier times, Shala was known as Gubarra, 'Flame Lady of the border of Eden." With Ishkur, she was mother of Gibil, the Sumerian Fire god.
As Shalla, the Assyrian goddess of grain, she was reputed to be the consort of Adad, a mountain storm god similar to Ishkur.
Shala had no known temples, shrines or sanctuaties.
Shamash (Utu in Sumerian)
Shamash (the Sun god's Akkadian name), was originally called Utu by the Sumerians. He was the son of Sin, the Moon god, and Ningal. He was brother to Inanna (Ishtar in Akkadian), Queen of Heaven, and to Ereshkigal, Queen of the Netherworld. Shamash's wife was the goddess Aya.
Shamash was a powerful god and was revered by Sumerians as the god of justice since he traveled across the face of the Earth during the day and saw everything that happened. He was the tutelary god of Larsa, where he had a temple named the E.babbar, 'The Shining House.' He was also the god of Sippar in Akkad where he had another temple, also named the E.babbar.
*[ In my stories, Shamash emerged from behind the Hursag (today's Zagros Mountains) at dawn. During the day, he traveled westward across the sky, surveying the entire surface of the Earth. At sunset, when he reached the edge of the desert, (today's northern Saudi Arabia), he went down beneath the Earth. During the night, he traversed undernearth the Earth, heating up the underside of the planet, thus creating the Underworld. This resulted in volcanoes, scalding naphtha springs and smoking bitumen seeps. Having traveled beneath the Earth all night, he came up again the next morning in the east, from behind the Hursag. ]*
To read a translation of Inanna's hymn in praise of her brother, Utu (Shamash), click here.
Shamash's cryptographic number was 20.
Shara
Shara, one of Inanna's two sons, was the tutelary deity of Umma where he lived in his E.mah Temple, 'Exalted House,' which was sometimes called, E.bursasa, 'House of Beautiful Jars.' Shara also had a temple in Babil, also named the E.bursasa. Little else is known of him.
Sharat-Deri
Sharat-Deri, 'Queen of Der,' was the wife of the god, Ishtaran.
She had no known temples, shrines or sanctuaries.
Shazi
Shazi was the Elamite river god. He was known as 'Judge of the River Ordeal.'
Sherida (see Aya)
Shullat
Shullat was a minor Sumerian weather god, a servant of Shamash who worked as a herald with Hanish to warn of approaching storms and bad weather.
At one time, Shullat shared a temple with Hanish, but its location has been lost.
Shul-pa-e
Shul-pa-e was an ancient mountain god who omce was the husband of Ninhursag.
To read a translation of a hymn to Shul-pa-e (spelled Cul-pa-ed in the translation), click here.
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