Gerra God of Fire Culture Babylonian-Akkadian
Gerra God of Fire
Culture Babylonian-Akkadian
Associated: Fire, Wisdom, Metallurgy
Derived from the Sumerian Gibil, he is the sin Anu and
Aninitu and becomes largely syncretized with both Erra and Nergal
Gibil in Sumerian mythology is the god of fire, variously of
the son of An and Ki, An and Shala or of Ishkur and Shala. He later developed
into the Akkadian god Gerra.
He represents all aspects of fire, as a destructive force,
the burning heat of the Mesopotamian summer, and as a creative being the dire
in the smith’s furnace and the fire in the kiln where the bricks which would be
the foundation of the city are baked.
He is said to maintain the sharp point of weapons, have
broad wisdom, and that his mind is "so vast that all the gods, all of
them, cannot fathom it". Some versions state Gibil, as lord of the fire
and the forge, also possesses wisdom of metallurgy.
Fire has an obvious importance in human civilization and the
veneration of deities attached to fire form a large group powerful entity.
Including Ogun and Oya of Yoruba beliefs
Ra, Sekmet and Wadjet of North African beliefs
Commonly these deities are also associated with the Sun, metal
crafting, or volcanos.