Gods, Demons & Immortals
whose Names Start with 'U'
The immortals of ancient Sumer.
by James W. Bell © 2002-3
Udug (Utukku in Akkadian)
Udugs were water creatures, generally thought to be demons or creatures of the Netherworld, but Sumerians often made reference to ‘good Udugs,’ and referred to them as guardians.
* [ In my stories, udugs were amphibious creatures who inhabited the marshlands of Chaldea and served as guardians to Queen Bau and her city of Lagash. Smaller than crocodiles but larger than frogs, Udug eyes, visible above the waterline, served as visible signs of their guardianship. Those who intended harm to Queen Bau or her city considered these half submerged creatures to be evil demons from the Netherworld. ] *
Udugs had no temples, shrines or sanctuaries.
Urash (goddess)
Urash, in most traditions, was an Akkadian earth goddess who was the wife of Anu. With Anu, she was the mother of Ninisina. She was also the tutelary goddess of the city of Dilbat. Her temple in Dilbat was the E.ibbi.Anum, 'The House Anu Called into Being.' Urash also had a temple in Ashur and a dedicated sanctuary in the holy city of Nippur. There is great confusion about Urash. See Urash (god) below.
The principal abodes of Urash were the E.sharra Temple, 'House of the Universe,' at Asshur and the E.ibbi-Anum Temple, 'House Anu Called into Being,' at Dilbat.
Urash (god)
There is a contrary tradition in which Urash was one of the early Akkadian gods. *[ However, in my stories, I have portrayed Urash as a feminine but sometimes androgynous deity, much similar in nature to the goddess Inanna/Ishtar. ]*
Ut-napishtim (see Atra-hasis)
Uttu
Uttu was the Sumerian goddess of weaving. The sign for her name was also used for the word 'spider' which may have a connection to her tutelage of weaving. In one tradition, Uttu was the daughter of Enki and his great granddaughter, Ninimma. After Uttu was showered with gifts and then raped by Enki, she cursed him and became protective of her virtue.
Later, in 'Enki and the World Order,' Enki gave Uttu charge over everything pertaining to women. As a result of learning from her experiences, Uttu became a model for Sumerian wives and was regarded both as 'The Faithful Wife' and 'The Skillful Weaver.'
In Marduk's great E.sagil Temple at Babil, Uttu had a shrine called the E.eshgar, 'House of the Work Assignment.'
Utu (see Shamash)
Utu was the original Sumerian name for the Sun god who became better known by his Akkadian name, Shamash.
*[ In my stories, I have used Shamash as the Sun god's name instead of Utu. ]*
Utukku (see Udug)
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