Damu

deity underworld Mesopotamian single tradition · 5

Damu was considered to be a healing deity. He is the child of Ninisina. Multiple laments in which Ninisina mourns the loss of her son Damu are known.

↻ synthesized from 5 sources

When

First attested
3000 BCE
Attested period
-3000 – 0
Historical notes
Attested in Sumerian poems.

Relationships

sibling of
Gunura, Šumaḫ
syncretized with
Dumuzid

Expand to full subgraph →

Sources

Source passages

“While both Ninisina and Gula could be associated with Damu, the former came to be viewed as his mother earlier than the latter.”

#11316 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001

“In some Sumerian poems, Dumuzid is referred to as "my Damu", which means "my son". This name is usually applied to him in his role as the personification of the power that causes the sap to rise in trees and plants. Damu is the name most closely associated with Dumuzid's return in autumn after the dry season has ended.”

#25898 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001

“other similar gods, for example Damu, normally mourned by his mother Ninisina and sister Gunura instead.”

#36989 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001

“Comparisons with Damu have also been made in modern literature”

#38790 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5

“Another temporarily dying god Ningishzida could be associated with was Damu.”

#39390 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5