The Red Shepherd: Towards a New Image of Dumuzid by Samuel David

Mesopotamian Myth • Dumuzid • Reconstructionist Polytheism • Ritual Practice

The Red Shepherd: Towards a New Image of Dumuzid by Samuel David is a richly layered exploration of the Mesopotamian god Dumuzid, reinterpreting his mythos through a synthesis of ancient sources, liturgical fragments, and contemporary esoteric praxis. Moving beyond the traditional portrayal of Dumuzid as a minor pastoral deity, this work presents him as a complex divine figure encompassing roles as king, priest, warrior, psychopomp, and underworld consort.

Drawing on erotic poetry, hymns, ritual texts, and mythological narratives, the book reconstructs a broader and more dynamic vision of Dumuzid as a god of life, death, fertility, and liminal passage. The author engages deeply with historical material while also presenting original liturgical compositions and ritual frameworks inspired by ancient Mesopotamian tradition.

Structured into thematic sections exploring the god’s mythic identity, liturgy, rites, and cultic context, The Red Shepherd bridges scholarship and practice. It offers both a study of ancient Sumerian religion and a contemporary devotional and magical engagement with Dumuzid as a living presence within modern esoteric thought.

Illustrated by Rowan E. Cassidy and Joseph Uccello, and introduced by Alexander Eth, this volume stands as a significant contribution to contemporary mythopoetic occult literature and reconstructed polytheistic practice.