Ancient Goddess Magic by Vanessa Lavallée

Author:Vanessa Lavallée
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inner Traditions/Bear & Company

In addition, the aid of an anonymous group of healing goddesses is called upon in Old Babylonian incantations: the seven and seven Daughters of Anu. They assist in the healing process by sprinkling soothing water from their pure vessels over the victims of disease, warding off eye trouble, skin diseases and inflammations, as well as over the mother in childbirth, to assist in a safe delivery. (Asher-Greve 2013, 85)

The two most powerful goddesses of healing, Bau and Gula, were eventually conflated. Before the constellation Lyra was associated with Bau, there is a mention that Vega was called Lamma, the messenger of Bau; in fact, Lamma, a female protective spirit, is indeed a messenger of the star Vega (Kurtik 2019, 343). Bau was known as a goddess from the earliest evidence, somewhere in the third millennium textual corpus. According to Kurtik, the goddess of healing and the constellation Lyra was primarily worshipped in Isin, an ancient Mesopotamian city, at the Exalted Palace temple and possibly in Umma, an ancient city of Sumer, both cities now in present-day Iraq. However, she was also revered under various names in numerous cities including Nippur, Ur, Uruk, Sippar, Larsa, Adab, and more. Over time, the attributes and functions associated with Gula were expanded to other Mesopotamian goddesses like Ninisina, Ninkarrak, Nintinuga, and Baba, who held significant importance in their own right (Kurtik 2019). All those goddesses eventually became associated with Gula.

Great goddess Bau had an autumn festival dedicated to her that lasted four days (Stuckey 2006). There, thousands of pilgrims came to offer her varied votives, many of them dog figurines. They received oracles in exchange for their gifts and of course healing of their ailments. The most important role that the goddess had during this festival was as a mediator between pilgrims and their ancestors and also gods and demons. Bau, as a chthonic deity, helped people connect with the dead. Healing goddesses always had the powers of necromancy and to prophesy (Stuckey 2006). The Sumerian king Gudea even chose Bau as his tutelary goddess, as he was very interested in dream divination. He was known for his dream interpretation and his extreme piety.

As a goddess of healing, Bau-Gula also had the power to inflict disease on others. Some incantations and even laws invoke her powers as a tool of vengeance against foes. Because she has liminal powers, being the guardian of thresholds, this goddess is often depicted on boundary stones. The boundary stones were laid down to protect temples and palaces. We usually find them underneath the Earth, where their powers could radiate throughout the buildings (Stuckey 2006).

As for the goddess Gula, the Temple of Isin, one of the greatest temples attached to Gula, attracted thousands of sick and dying people. Many came there to heal by the temple waters or for prayers and lamentations. What is exceptional is that thirty-three dogs were found buried at the temple (Stuckey 2006). They may have been sacrifices to the goddess, or perhaps there was a burial ground for sacred dogs that lived in the temple kennels.

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