Ga-ga

^mulGa-ga is a writing for an ancient Mesopotamian deity and planet name. A reading ^mulka₃.ka₃, a name for the vizier of the King of the Heavens, Anu, allows for an identification with the planet Mercury by way of the Roman messenger of the gods Mercurius.

Appearance and Visibility

Mercury is a planet of our solar system and observable with the naked eye. It is bright, but only visible in twilight, close to the Sun, and therefore difficult to be seen.

Images of Mercury

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  Mercury seen at Dawn in Namibia (SMH 2001).

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  Mercury at Dawn in Central Europe (SMH 2924).

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  Mercury at Dawn in Central Europe with Label (SMH 2024).

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  Mercury at Dawn in Central Europe (SMH 2024).

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  Mercury and Venus in comparison to the young lunar crescent (Providence 2025).

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  Mercury and Venus at dusk (Providence 2025).

Dictionary

Kurtik with Hilder, Hoffmann, Horowitz, Kim

Varient readings: ^mulDUG.DUG, ^mulka₃-ka₃; = Kakka, a deity worshiped in Assyria, probably of Amorite origin, associated with Mercury (?) [G. 103].

Sources

Identifications

"Prayers to the Gods of the Night." (1) Hittite prayer: mulga-ga [KUB IV, 47 r. 43; BPO 2, 2:2; Van der Toorn 1985, 129:43]. (2) Neo-Assyrian prayer: mulga-ga [Oppenheim 1959, 282:10]. Lambert reads the name in accordance with the divine name dka3-ka3, for the the vizier or messenger of the Anu and/or Ishtar, identified with Mercury [Lambert 1987, 94-96]; see also [Litke 1998, 182:146; Steinkeller 1982; Tallqvist 1938, 340]. In the Akkadian myth Nergal and Ereškigal, Anu sends his messenger Kaka to the Underworld and back, a fitting mission for the planet Mercury.

Example

Historical Dictionaries

Kurtik (2022, g01)

Gössmann (1950)

вар. чтения: mulDUG.DUG, mulka3-ka3; = Какка, божество, почитавшееся в Ассирии, вероятно, аморитского происхождения, связанное с Меркурием (?) [G. 103]. I. Источники. «Молитвы ночным богам». (1) Хеттская молитва: mulga-ga [KUB IV, 47 r. 43; BPO 2, 2:2; Van der Toorn 1985, 129:43]. (2) Новоассирийская молитва: mulga-ga [Oppenheim 1959, 282:10]. Cогласно Лэмберту, это dka3-ka3 — визирь или посланник Ану и/или Иштар, отождествляемый с Меркурием [Lambert 1987, 94–96]; см. также [Litke 1998, 182:146; Steinkeller 1982; Tallqvist 1938, 340].

Example

References

• Kurtik's references