In Sumerian mythology, Gula is especially associated with healing and medicine.
Gula is a Mesopotamian healing goddess whose name means “the Great One.” She appears in Sumerian and Akkadian religious traditions under several related names, including Ninkarrak and Azugallatu. Worshippers appealed to her for recovery from illness and for protection from disease.
Dogs are strongly associated with Gula in Mesopotamian art and religious practice. Figurines of dogs were deposited at healing temples, and archaeological finds connect the animal with the goddess’s curative powers. This does not mean that Gula was simply a goddess of animals; her central role was medical and restorative.
Gula is sometimes confused with Ninhursag because both can have maternal or life-giving aspects. Their functions overlap in some traditions, but Gula’s most distinctive association is healing.