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Gurzil

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Gurzil
God of War[1]
Symbol of Gurzil on a tomb found in Tiddis[2][3][4]
Other namesⴰⴳⵓⵔⵣⵉⵍ
AnimalsBull[5]
SymbolBull, Horns
GenderMale
RegionAncient Libya
TempleGhirza, Iol, Tiddis
ParentsAmun
Equivalents
GreekApollo
RomanMars
EgyptianHathor, Sekhmet

Gurzil, Gourzil or Agurzil (Berber: ⴰⴳⵓⵔⵣⵉⵍ)[6] is the god of war in Berber mythology,[1] he was born from the mating of the Libyan god of Siwa Amun and a Heifer.[7] He is known from two sources, the Latin poem Iohannis by the 6th-century Christian Roman poet Corippus and a Neo-Punic inscription from Lepcis Magna.[8][9] A Neo-Punic inscription discovered in 1846 at Lepcis Magna includes the name of Gurzil.[10] The latter precedes the name of Saturn, which reveals the importance of the god Gurzil.[11] It was said that the god was venerated in the form of a stone idol (similar to the one found in Tiddis, Algeria) on a hill named "Gurza"[12] in Tripoli, Libya to which 51 bull sacrifices were offered along with prayers to cure illness and increase riches.[13][14] he was often equated to the Greek god Apollo.[15] Ierna was the high priest of Gurzil.[5]

History

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Neo-Punic inscription naming Gurzil.

According to Corippus, the Laguatan of Tripolitania carried a representation of Gurzil in the form of a bull into battle against the Romans when they revolted along with the Austurii in AD 546. They regarded Gurzil as the offspring of Amun, presumably the Amun whose temple was at Siwa, and a cow.[9] When it was time to engage in combat, the Laguatans unleashed a bull representing the god Gurzil[16] on their opponent, Corippus also mentions idols of wood and metal, presumably also images of Gurzil.[17] In Ierna, the chief and high priest of the Laguatan fought the byzantines, Corippus claims that during a clash between the Romano-Byzantines and the Maurii, the high priest of the Mauri and king of the Ilaguas/Levathes, threw a sacred bull against the Roman lines. The two armies tried to impress each other with shouts and invocations, the Moors of Antalas evoked the god Gurzil, shouted "Gurzil, son of Amun"[7][18][19]

The combination of royal and priestly functions in Ierna is not otherwise attested among ancient Berbers.[8] Ierna fled with Gurzil's "sacred image," but was captured and killed by Byzantine forces, and the "image" destroyed.[8][20][21] After the Byzantine conquest of Laguatan, Sergius a Byzantine dux, had sworn safe conduct to them under The Holy scriptures, however a mass massacre of 79 sub-chiefs insued and a 4 year Languatan rebellion followed, the rebellion was quelled after a period of four years and the temple of Gurzil in Ghirza was consequently destroyed around the year 544 AD as a result of Byzantine reprisal[5]

Temples and Topography

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The Neo-Punic inscription is partially damaged and resists interpretation. The last four letters of the first line spell the name of Gurzil, while the first four of the second line spell Satur. If the latter is the Roman god Saturn it suggests that he was equated with Gurzil per an interpretatio Romana. This would be the only known instance of such an interpretation among the Berbers. The inscription may be read "[so-and-so] endowed the expenses for Gurzil–Saturn".[9]

The name of Gurzil may be detected elsewhere in the toponymy of Tripolitania.[8] A temple among the ruins of Gerisa (Ghirza) in Libya have been dedicated to Gurzil, other temples in Iol and Tiddis and the name of the town itself may even be related to his name.[22] According to the 9th-century Muslim writer al-Bakrī, there was a place called Gherza in Tripolitania with a hilltop sanctuary containing a stone idol that the Berber tribes from the surrounding region still worshipped.[8]

The relief carving of a horned god at Volubilis has been tentatively identified as Gurzil. This would be the only evidence of his worship outside of Tripolitania, but the identification is highly speculative.[8]

Mythology

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Agurzil lived in Tames, a small village with his father Illas and his mother Yellena; until the day she mysteriously disappears. After several years of fruitless searching, he finds her in the guise of Amasis, priestess of the temple of Ammon at Aghurmi near Siwa. But before he could take her in his arms, his mother died suddenly in the streets of Aghurmi.[23]

On the shores of Lake Triton, the young boy Gurzil is having fun looking for fossils as usual when he comes across an ammonite of unusual brilliance. No sooner had he picked it up than he was called out by a voice: "Put the ammonite on the ground and go home!" Little Agurzil has just made the acquaintance of "Mosh"; To be humanoid no bigger than a prickly pear. Mosh belongs to the Aku-rims, people of the underground and Guardians of the Vases of Truth, the latter will accompany him several years later, when Agurzil undertakes the great Journey through North Africa in search of his family.[23]

Agurzil learns that his mother was kidnapped and tortured by the Amazons, before she found refuge in the temple of Ammon. Also, the first thing he thought of was to avenge his late mother. The Great Journey Having no experience in the art of war and having little information about the kingdom of the Amazons, Agurzil decides to go to Mount Atlas to find his friend Maxcies of the Ifuraces tribe.

The young god meets Battusa, a disgraced Amazon warrior, who reveals that the Amazons suffer under the cruel sorceress Taryel. Battusa provides him with scrolls detailing Amazonian life before bidding him farewell. Aware of the task's difficulty, Agurzil enlists the help of his friend Mosh and nine Akur-ims, who bring gifts. On the way to Ugina, the Amazons' stronghold, Agurzil visits the hermaphroditic At Machlyes and learns fighting techniques to counter Taryel’s warriors. Taken with an affection for weak mortals, the young Agurzil gradually turns away from his father Amun's royal designs, before openly pleading his opposition to his authority. He then sets off on a crusade against the terrible goddess Ifri on a long journey that will take him to the four corners of North Africa. Will he emerge victorious from the multiple traps of the vindictive goddess[23]

Determined to avenge his mother’s death, Agurzil and his allies confront Taryel, discovering she usurped the kingdom, enslaved the Amazons, and transformed Queen Eliwen into a hybrid. Agurzil defeats Taryel and restores Eliwen’s throne, but not without cost: Taryel curses him, leaving him two moons to live as a man before becoming a half-man, half-bull.

In his remaining time, Agurzil seeks his father, traveling through North Africa and falling in love with a woman named Tillili, whom he marries. Later, he learns his true father is the god Ammon, who placed him among humans to fulfill a prophecy restoring harmony between gods and men. After defeating the goddess Ifri—revealed to be Taryel in another form—Agurzil leaves humanity to join the gods.Tragedy strikes as Tillili is found dead, but their daughter, Anaruz, grows up loved by the Amazons and becomes their queen. She unites the humans, hybrids, and subterranean peoples of North Africa, fulfilling Agurzil’s legacy.[23]

[edit]

Tiziri T-Wuming is a young scientist of Chaoui amazigh origin. Passionate about writing and scientific research, history and linguistics, drew important historic information from both local mythology as well as Corippus, Lucan and Herodotus and other ancient historians to gather in her book the rich mythology behind Gurzil, her recent publication "Agurzil, the impious god".[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b Riedlberger, Peter (2010). Gorippus Iohannis VIII (in German). Peter Riedlberger. ISBN 978-90-6980-157-5.
  2. ^ Doublet, Georges (1863-1936) Auteur du texte; Gauckler, Paul (1866-1911) Auteur du texte (1893). Description de l'Afrique du Nord. Musées et collections archéologiques de l'Algérie et de la Tunisie. 2, Musée de Constantine / par Georges Doublet,... Paul Gauckler,...{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Jullian, Camille (1907). "Dis Pater et Dieu Cornu". Revue des Études Anciennes. 9 (2): 185–186. doi:10.3406/rea.1907.1490. ISSN 0035-2004.
  4. ^ Archéologie Algérienne [Algerian Archeology] (PDF) (17th ed.). Département de Constantine, Algeria: Société Archeologique. 1876.
  5. ^ a b c Mattingly, David J. (2003-09-02). Tripolitania. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-78282-5.
  6. ^ Migne, Jacques-Paul (1838). Encyclopédie théologique: ou série de dictionnaires sur toutes les parties de la science religieuse... (in French). p. 360. Retrieved 2019-05-31..
  7. ^ a b Camps, G. (1999-09-01). "Gurzil". Encyclopédie berbère (in French) (21): 3258–3259. doi:10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.1824. ISSN 1015-7344.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Camps, Gabriel (1999). "Gurzil". In Camps, Gabriel (ed.). Encyclopédie berbère. Vol. 21 | Gland – Hadjarien. Aix-en-Provence: Edisud. p. 3258. ISBN 2744900974.
  9. ^ a b c A. F. Elmayer, "The Libyan God Gurzil in a Neo-Punic Inscription from Tripolitania", Libyan Studies 13 (1982), pp. 49–50. doi:10.1017/s0263718900008013
  10. ^ Camps, Gabriel (1990). "Qui sont les Dii mauri ?". Antiquités africaines. 26 (1): 131–153. doi:10.3406/antaf.1990.1172.
  11. ^ Elmayer (A.F.), The libyan god Gurzil in a neo-punic inscription from Tripolitania. Libyan Studies, t. 13, 1982, p. 49-50.
  12. ^ Bates, Oric (2013-11-05). The Eastern Libyans (1914). Routledge. p. 188. ISBN 978-1-136-24877-1.
  13. ^ Baldick, Julian (1998). Black God: The Afroasiatic Roots of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Religions. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-0522-5.
  14. ^ Hachid, Malika (2000-01-01). Les premiers Berbères : entre Méditerranée, Tassili et Nil (in French). FeniXX. ISBN 978-2-7449-1744-8.
  15. ^ Bates, Oric (2013-11-05). The Eastern Libyans (1914). Routledge. p. 188. ISBN 978-1-136-24877-1.
  16. ^ Camps et al. 2011.
  17. ^ Johan. II, 404-406.
  18. ^ Cameron, Averil (1975). "Corippus' Poem on Justin Ii: A Terminus of Antique Art?". Annali della Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. Classe di Lettere e Filosofia. 5 (1): 129–165. ISSN 0392-095X.
  19. ^ Charlet, J.-L. (1994-09-01). "Corippe". Encyclopédie berbère (in French) (14): 2104–2110. doi:10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.2331. ISSN 1015-7344. the repeated mention of the bull god Gurzil (2, 109-112; 150-158; 5, 493-502
  20. ^ Martindale, John R.; Jones, A. H. M.; Morris, John, eds. (1971). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume I, AD 260–395. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 612. ISBN 0-521-07233-6.
  21. ^ Arnold Hugh Martin Jones, John Robert Martindale and John Morris, p. 612
  22. ^ René Basset (1910). "Recherches Sur La Religion Des Berberes" [Research on Berber Religion]. Revue de L’Histoire des Religions. Retrieved 3 October 2011. (in French)
  23. ^ a b c d e Wuming, Tiziri T. (2016-02-10). Agurzil: Le Dieu Impie (in French). Editions Amalthée. ISBN 978-2-310-02557-7.
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