The godNinkilim, inscribeddnin-PEŠ2, is a widely referencedMesopotamian deity fromSumerian to laterBabylonian periods whose minions include wildlife in general and vermin in particular. His name,Nin-kilim, means "Lord Rodent," where rodent, pronouncedšikku but rendered nin-ka6, is ahomograph.[1]
He is described in theSumerian language as a.za.lu.lu “lord of teeming creatures”, and inAkkadian asBēl-nammašti “lord of wild animals” and features in much of the incantation texts against field pests, such as theZu-buru-dabbeda. Although Ninkilim is feminine in the great god-list, and theSumerian Farmer's Almanac – (which entreats the farmer to pray to Ninkilim, goddess of field mice, so that she will keep her sharp-toothed little subjects away from the growing grain), the field-pest incantations know him as masculine, as do other texts of the later periods.[2] Ninkilim was often regarded as the creator of various field pests, though this role could also be assigned to the godEnnugi or to Alulu,[3] a legendary primordial king ofEridu who was apparently believed to detest barley (metaphorically referred to as "QueenNisaba").[4]
The 8th year ofIddin-Dagān celebrates his selection “by means of the omens (of) the high-priestess of Nin-kilim.” He was one of the patron deities, with the goddessBēlit-ilī, of the city ofDiniktum.[5]
Suggestions that Ninkilim was equated withNingirima can be found in older publications,[6] based on the similarity of their names, a shared cult center (Murum) and other factors, but according to Manfred Krebernik this proposal is implausible.[7] He points out the following differences: while Ningirima is always female, Ninkilim could be regarded as a male deity; their placement in god lists always differs; while both were associated with snakes, the nature of this connection was not identical.[8]