In the past, the goddess Gula stood for health and vigor. In earlier times, health was seen as the most valuable thing. Because of this need to heal, both science and folklore grew. In Mesopotamia, Gula was the goddess of health and medicine. Her other name is Ninkarrak. Her followers honor her as a patroness, and doctors and therapists look up to her as a hero. People in the past had a strong devotion to Gula, who was a goddess of health, and would worship any statue or sign that showed her. Their name means “Great in Healing,” and they worshiped her as the goddess of healing and safety.
Gula was first seen in the time of Ur III and became known as the Sumerians’ “great physician.” It was said that she could heal people, so people called her “Lady of Health,” “Great Healer,” and “Great Physician.” Because she was so important, her name was found in old healing practices and books. The ancient people of Mesopotamia knew that Gula was the worldwide symbol of a dog surrounded by stars because he had healed so many people. People who knew her respected her great name.
Keep in mind that the dog’s name comes from her look; the Sumerians called her Bau, or Baba, the goddess of dogs. People who lick dogs’ wounds and then wash them with their spit often heal faster. After this finding, people started to think that dogs might naturally be able to heal. The people of Isin respected her and called her Ninisina, which means “Lady of Isin” in English. She was the city’s patron saint. You should know that many gods and goddesses have worshiped her. It was called Ninnibru, which means “Queen of Nippur,” and it showed how powerful she was in the city. People began to think she was the famous hero Ninurta because she was so well-liked.
No one was shocked when Gula became king. You can’t avoid her because she is the daughter of the goddess Anu. The god Ninurta, the doctor, was her husband. He had a lot of different names, some of which were more well known, like Abu, the God of Agriculture, and Pabilsag, the Supernatural Judge. It’s clear that her husband won three awards. Since they both worked in farming, that might be why she was picked out for praise in the medical field. To do this, you have to honor her children, who were also healing gods. Two of her children were boys: Ninazu and Damu. Gunurra was her only daughter.
Damu was a famous Sumerian god who used both mythical and scientific methods to heal people. He was also the father of several of her children.
It is through his connection with Tammuz or Dumuzi, another god, that he is tied to the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Inanna was an ancient Sumerian love goddess and fertility goddess. Gula often calls on Damu’s name and includes him in his chants and healing practices because he is known as the best healer. By sending her healing power through Damu, Gula was able to help more doctors.
Ninazu was Gula’s second son. He was honored with snakes, which stood for change, the underworld, healing, or total transformation. In a painting of him, he was carrying a stick with two snakes wrapped around it. You may remember that the Egyptians used this sign for many gods, including Hermes in Greek mythology and Heka, their goddess of magic. These days, you can see this staff in any hospital or room because it has come to mean medicine. It’s also the mark of Hippocrates, who is known as the “father of medicine,” and it was made for him.
People have long thought of Mesopotamia as the birthplace of medicine because it was so important in the development of healthcare there. The city became famous because of two different types of doctors who worked there at the time. The Asu, or doctors who were trained in the West, stood for the scientific method to health care. On the other side were the faith healers, who were called Asipu. They healed people through rituals that were full of magic. In the past, doctors taught these two groups how to become vets, dentists, and surgeons.
That nurses, not doctors, were usually the ones who gave birth back then. There are records that show doctors asked for money bonuses every time they had a boy. History says that Asu would use herbs to help the laboring mother while Asipu relied on prayers and chants to ward off the bad spirits that come with giving birth.
They would have the woman who was giving birth wear amulets to keep the monster Pazuzu away. This added to the idea that therapists in Asipu are witch doctors. It wasn’t important to these doctors to win. Instead of insulting each other, both sides agreed on how good the other person was. People can also choose their own doctor if they want to. Some praised Asu, but most were on Asipu’s side. Their goal was the same: to help people get better, but they did it in slightly different ways. The focus for Asipu was on using magic, while the focus for Asu was on taking notes and using science.
In the past, doctors usually set up shop in the courtyards of nearby churches, but they would sometimes come to people’s homes too. A lot of people admired Gula because she was so good at healing people in the city of Isin, which was the center of her medical influence and where doctors from all over the kingdom learned how to treat sick people. Since there were more women doctors, you could say that Gula, the female doctor, was to blame for this case.
The ancient Mesopotamians were sure that their gods would make them sick if they didn’t do what the gods wanted them to do. Sicknesses could have been a warning or punishment from the gods for people who disobeyed them. Also, people felt bad if they forgot to honor their gods in some way. There are academics who say that the hieroglyphics show that people have always worshiped gods who were strict and jealous.
It is possible for a deity to punish a person by making them sick if they forget to make a gift to that deity. They thought that the spirits’ tricks caused sickness, and people were afraid that certain bad or demonic spirits would kill them. Also, think about how hard it must have been to figure out what was making someone sick in the past, when even dead people were thought to be able to make someone sick.
Many people thought that Gula, the god of health, could heal people in amazing ways. She was very good at healing and could help women who couldn’t have children. To protect the safety of your loved ones, Gula was a powerful friend that you could call on. She had the power to protect the healthy and safe people she cared about and make the unhappy people she hated happy. It was very hard for people who dared to say bad things about her. A lot of people knew that Gula was scary, and they were right to think that.
People must honor Gula. When people disobeyed Gula, bad things happened. Because of this, the ancient people showed an unimaginable amount of loyalty. If you don’t listen to her, you should get ready to leave quickly. With prayers, rituals, and offerings, her priests and priestesses promised to make her happy. People saw Gula as a scary goddess because of her spiritual power, even though she wanted to help people.
The people worshiped Gula because they thought she was the goddess of health, childbirth, and getting healthy again. The ancient Mesopotamians thought very highly of her. In this piece of art, she was shown sitting on her chair with a dog as a mascot. Her three kids—boys Damu and Ninazu and daughter Gunurra—all did a lot to make the neighborhood a better place. A lot of people gave up a lot for them because they thought they were unbeatable.
Even though Gula has done great things, you should remember that she can also cause disaster if she gets angry about not being worshiped and prayed to. Because of this, Gula needed to be worshiped and adored all the time. In the past, people could see doctors who could treat illness and promote good living. In ancient times, there were two types of doctors: those who used magical methods and those who used science.
People thought that their illnesses were caused by a bad spirit or were punishments from God for doing wrong. Some people saw sickness as a moral flaw, and others did too. Because the doctor had to be involved, it would take a long time to help the sick. Because of this, Gula’s story and impact are some of the most famous in Mesopotamian history. The Mesopotamians may have created the first goddess of health who was worshiped by everyone.
