Nergal



NERGAL The God Who Prowls By Night 

Pantheon

 * Shemite Pantheon

Regions of Worship

 * Shem

Divine Relationships

 * Ereskigal (wife)
 * El-Lil (father)
 * Ashnan (mother)
 * Adonis (enemy)

Representation
Nergal is often pictured as a lion or a lion-headed colossus. He wields a scimitar and a lion headed mace.

Gender representation: male

Symbolism

 * Sun (Noon-Time)
 * Mars
 * Lion
 * Vermin
 * Plague

Nergal is associated with the noon-time sun, which can destroy man, and the planet Mars.

Spheres of Power

 * Death
 * War
 * Pestilence
 * Famine
 * Disease
 * Summoning

Nergal, the god who prowls by night, is the god of the afterworld and the husband of dreaded Ereskigal. He is a hunter god, a war god and a plague god. He has the power to open passages to the afterworld to allow dead souls to enter his dark realm.

Rituals & Beliefs
Nergal is the husband of the goddess Ereskigal and is the son of El-Lil and Ashnan. Nergal became the lord of the afterworld when Ereskigal attempted to punish him for being disrespectful to another god. He pulled her off her throne by her hair and threatened to cut her head off. Aroused, Ereskigal offered to make love to him. He slept with her for seven days and left. Ereskigal appealed to Anu and begged that he send Nergal to be her consort. Anu complied and made Nergal return to the underworld and marry Ereskigal.

Certain apocryphal tales discuss a magical talisman known as the Hand of Nergal, which can summon the shadow of Nergal, a type of demon. Some traditions hold that Nergal is merely the dark side of Adonis born from Adonis’ death.

Nergal commands seven demons known as the Sebitti. They help him to kill surplus populations, especially noisy surplus populations of people or animals. Nergal kills with disease. He also commands a demon called Irra, who is a god of disease.

The Priesthood
Nergal is more feared than worshipped and he has no known shrines or priests.

Implementation IC & In-Game
Vanilla Derketo religion as placeholder for all pantheon of Shem. No shrines erected to him.

More Information

 * Faith and Fervour (Conan RPG Book)
 * Shem-Gateway to the South (Conan RPG book)