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Name The conventional writing of Nergal's name changed through history. In the earliest sources, it was written as dKIŠ.UNU, as attested in texts from Shuruppak, Abu Salabikh, Adab and Ebla from the third millennium BCE. The sign GAL was added in the Akkadian period, while in the Old Babylonian period the signs KIŠ and GIR have coalesced, and both were used in writing of Nergal's name. They started to be differentiated again in the Middle Babylonian and Middle Assyrian periods, at which point GIR became the one used in Nergal's name. Two spellings common from the Middle Babylonian periods onward were dGIR-eri-gal and the logographic writing dU.GUR, in origin the name of a god regarded as Nergal's sukkal. Various alternate spellings are also attested, especially from locations such as Mari and Nuzi. In alphabetic scripts, such as Aramaic, the name was rendered as Nrgl.
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The name can most likely be etymologized as "lord of the big city," a euphemistic way to refer to the god as a ruler of the world of the dead. Before the reign of Shulgi, the name Nergal was rarely used in southern cities, where the god was instead called Meslamtaea, "he who comes out of Meslam." This name could also designate a distinct god, however, who formed a pair with Lugal-irra. It has been proposed that this was due to the fact that Nergal initially could not be recognized as a god of death in the south due to the existence of Ninazu (sometimes assumed to be the earliest Mesopotamian god of death) and Ereshkigal, and perhaps only served as a war deity. It appears that in Shuruppak Nergal and Ninazu were already regarded as similar in the third millennium BCE.
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From Old Babylonian period onward the name Erra could be applied to Nergal, though it originally referred to a distinct god. It is derived from the Semitic root HRR, and was etymologically related to the Akkadian verb ereru, "to scorch." Nergal also had a large number of other alternate names and epithets, according to Frans Wiggermann comparable only to a handful of other very popular deities (especially Inanna), with around 50 known from the Old Babylonian period, and about twice as many from the later god list An-Anum, most of them were compounds with the word lugal, "lord."
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Functions and attributes Nergal's role as a god of the underworld is already attested in an Early Dynastic zami hymn dedicated to Kutha, where he is additionally associated with the so-called Enki-Ninki deities, a group regarded as ancestors of Enlil, who were believed to reside in the underworld. According to a hymn from the reign of Ishme-Dagan, dominion over the land of the dead was bestowed upon Nergal by his parents, Enlil and Ninlil. He was believed to decide fates of the dead the same way as Enlil did for the living. In one Old Babylonian adab song Nergal was described as "Enlil of the kalam (homeland) and kur (the underworld). He was also occasionally referred to as Enlil-banda, "junior Enlil," usually an epithet of the god Enki.
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In addition to being a god of the underworld, Nergal was also a war god, believed to accompany rulers on campaigns, but also to guarantee peace due to his fearsome nature serving as a deterrent. In that capacity he was known as Lugal-silimma, "lord of peace." He was also associated with disease. As summed up by Frans Wiggermann, his various domains make him the god of "inflicted death." He played an important role in apotropaic rituals, in which he was commonly invoked to protect houses from evil. Additionally, fragments of tablets containing the Epic of Erra, a text detailing his exploits, were used as amulets. A few of Nergal's titles point at occasional association with vegetation and agriculture, namely Lugal-asal, "lord (of the) poplar"; Lugal-gišimmar, "Lord (of the) date palm" (also a title of Ninurta); Lugal-šinig, "Lord (of the) tamarisk"; Lugal-zulumma, "Lord (of the) dates."
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Astral role Nergal was associated with Mars, a planet like him associated with disease (especially kidney disease) in Mesopotamian beliefs. However, Mars was also associated with other deities: Ninazu (under the name "the Elam star"), Nintinugga, and especially Simut, in origin an Elamite god, whose name in Mesopotamian sources could simply refer to the planet (mulSi-mu-ut, "the star Simut").
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A number of scholars in the early 20th century, for example Emil Kraeling, assumed that Nergal was in part a solar deity, and as such was sometimes identified with Shamash. Kraeling argued that Nergal was representative of a certain phase of the sun, specifically the sun of noontime and of the summer solstice that brings destruction, high summer being the dead season in the Mesopotamian annual cycle. This view is no longer present in modern scholarship. While some authors, for example Nikita Artemov, refer to Nergal as a deity of "quasi-solar" character, primary sources show a connection between him and sunset rather than noon. For instance, an Old Babylonian adab song contains a description of Nergal serving as a judge at sunset, while another composition calls him the "king of sunset." This association is also present in rituals meant to compel ghosts to return to the underworld through the gates to sunset. Iconography
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Nergal's role as a war god was exemplified by some of his attributes: mace, dagger and bow. A mace with three lion-shaped heads and a scimitar adorned with leonine decorations often appear as Nergal's weapons on cylinder seals. Bulls and lions were associated with Nergal. On the basis of this connection it has been proposed that minor deities with bull-like ears on Old Babylonian terracotta plaques and cylinder seals might have been depictions of unspecified members of Nergal's entourage. Nergal was often depicted in a type of flat cap commonly, but not exclusively, worn by underworld deities in Mesopotamian glyptic art. War standards could serve as a symbolic representation of Nergal too, and the Assyrians armies in particular were often accompanied by such devotional objects during campaigns.
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Association with other deities The god most closely associated with Nergal was Erra, whose name was Akkadian rather than Sumerian (though he is absent from the inscriptions of the kings of the Akkadian Empire) and can be understood as "scorching." The two of them started to be associated in the Old Babylonian period, were equated in the Weidner and An-Anum god lists, and appear to be synonyms of each other in literary texts (including the Epic of Erra and Nergal and Ereshkigal), where both names can occur side by side as designations of the same figure. However, while in other similar cases (Inanna and Ishtar, Enki and Ea) the Akkadian name eventually started to predominate over Sumerian, Erra was the less commonly used one. There are also examples of late bilingual texts using Nergal's name in the Akkadian version and Erra's in the Sumerian translation, indicating it was viewed as antiquated and was not in common use.
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Two gods with names similar to Erra who were also associated with Nergal were Errakal and Erragal. It is assumed that they had a distinct origin from Erra. Ninazu was seemingly already associated with Nergal in the Early Dynastic period, as a document from Shuruppak refers to him as "Nergal of Enegi," Enegi being Ninazu's main cult center. The city itself was sometimes called "Kutha of Sumer." In later times, especially in Eshnunna, he started to be viewed as a son of Enlil and Ninlil and a warrior god, similar to Nergal.
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Many minor gods were associated or equated with Nergal. The god Shulmanu, known exclusively from Assyria, was associated with Nergal and even equated with him in god lists. Lagamar (Akkadian: "no mercy"), son of Urash (the male tutelary god of Dilbat) known both from Mesopotamian sources and from Mari and Susa is glossed as "Nergal" in the god list An-Anum. Lagamar, Shubula and a number of other deities are also equated with Nergal in the Weidner god list. Emu, a god from Suhum located on the Euphrates near Mari, was regarded as Nergal-like. As a judge deity, Nergal was on occasion associated with Ishtaran. However, as noted by Jeremiah Peterson, this association is unusual as Nergal was believed to act as a judge in locations where the sun sets in mythological texts, while on the account of Der’s location Ishtaran was usually associated with the east, where the sun rises.
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Parents and siblings Enlil and Ninlil are attested as Nergal’s parents in the overwhelming majority of sources. While in the myth Nergal and Ereshkigal he addresses Ea as "father," this might merely be a honorific, as no other evidence for such an association exists. In the myth Enlil and Ninlil Nergal's brothers are Ninazu (usually instead a brother of Nimada), Nanna and Enbilulu. In a single text, a neo-Babylonian letter from Marad, Nergal's brothers are Nabu and Lugal-Marada, the tutelary god of the aforementioned city. Wives and children Multiple goddesses are attested as Nergal's wife in various time periods and locations, but most of them are poorly defined in known documents. While Frans Wiggermann assumes that all of them were understood as goddesses connected to the earth, this assumption is not shared by other assyriologists.
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Las, first attested in an offering list from the Ur III period mentioning various deities from Kutha, was the goddess most commonly regarded as Nergal's spouse, especially from the Kassite and middle Assyrian periods onward. She received offerings from neo-Babylonian kings alongside Nergal in Kutha. Her name is assumed to have its origin in a Semitic language, but both its meaning and Las’ character are unknown. Based on the Weidner god list, Wilfred G. Lambert proposes that she was a medicine goddess. Couples consisting of a warrior god and a medicine goddess (ex. Pabilsag and Ninisina or Zababa and Bau) were common in Mesopotamian mythology.
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Another goddess often viewed as the wife of Nergal was Mammitum. Her name is homophonous with Mami, a goddess of birth known for example from the Nippur god list, leading some researchers to conflate them. However, it has been proven that they were separate deities, and they are kept apart in Mesopotamian god lists. Multiple meanings have been proposed for her name, including "oath" and "frost" (based on a similar Akkadian word, mammû, meaning "ice" or "frost"). It is possible she was introduced in Kutha alongside Erra.
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In at least one text, a description of a New Year ritual from Babylon during which the gods of Kish, Kutha and Borsippa were believed to visit Marduk (at the time not yet a major god), both she and Las appear side by side as two separate goddesses. In the Nippur god list Las occurs separately from Nergal, while Mammitum is present right behind him, which along with receiving offerings alongside him in Ekur in the same city in the Old Babylonian lead researches to conclude a spousal relation existed between them. She is also the wife of Erra/Nergal in the Epic of Erra. The Middle Babylonian god list An-Anum mentions both Las and Mamitum, equating them with each other, and additionally calls the goddess Admu ("earth") Nergal's wife. She is otherwise only known from personal names and a single offering list from Old Babylonian Mari.
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In third millennium BCE in Girsu, the spouse of Nergal (Meslamtaea) was Inanna's sukkal Ninshubur, otherwise seemingly viewed as unmarried. Attestations of Ninshubur as Nergal's sukkal are also known, though they are infrequent. According to the myth Nergal and Ereshkigal he was married to Ereshkigal, the goddess of the dead. In god lists, however, they do not appear as husband and wife, though there is evidence that their entourages started to be combined as early as in the Ur III period. Ereshkigal's importance in Mesopotamia was largely limited to literary, rather than cultic, texts.
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Nergal's daughter was Tadmushtum, a minor underworld goddess first attested in Drehem in the Ur III period. She was associated with Las. Her name has Akkadian origin, possibly being derived from the words dāmasu ("to humble") or dāmašu (connected to the word "hidden"), though more distant cognates were also proposed, including Ge’ez damasu ("to abolish," "to destroy" or alternatively "to hide"). It has also been proposed that a linguistic connection existed between her and the Ugaritic goddess Tadmish (or Dadmish, t/ddmš in the alphabetic script), who in at least one text occurs next to Resheph. A copy of the Weidner god list from Ugarit however equates Tadmish with Suzianna rather than Tadmushtum. In neo-Babylonian lists of so-called "Divine Daughters," pairs of minor goddesses associated with specific temples likely viewed as daughters of their head gods, the "Daughters of E-Meslam" from Kutha are Dadamushda (Tadmushtum) and Belet-Ili.
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While Frans Wiggermann and Piotr Michalowski additionally regard the god Shubula as Nergal's son, it is actually difficult to determine if such a relation existed between these two deities due to the poor preservation of the tablet of the god list An-Anum where Shubula's position in the pantheon was specified. Shubula might have been a son of Ishum rather than Nergal. He was an underworld god and is mostly known from personal names from the Ur III and Isin-Larsa periods. His name is most likely derived from the Akkadian word abālu("dry"). There is also clear evidence that he was regarded as Tadmushtum's husband.
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Sukkals and other servant deities Nergal's sukkal was initially the god Ugur (possibly the imperative form of Akkadian nāqaru, meaning "destroy!"), according to a theory developed by Wilfred G. Lambert the personification of his sword. After the Old Babylonian period he was replaced in this role by Ishum. Sporadically Inanna's sukkal Ninshubur or Ereshkigal's sukkal Namtar were said to fulfill this role in the court of Nergal instead. His other courtiers included umum, so-called "day demons," who possibly represented points in time regarded as inauspicious, various minor deities associated with diseases, the minor warrior gods known as Sebitti, as well as a number of figures at times associated with Ereshkigal and gods such as Ninazu and Ningishzida as well, for example Namtar's wife Hushbisha, their daughter Hedimmeku, as well as the deified heroes Gilgamesh and Etana (understood as judges of the dead in this context).
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In some texts the connection between Gilgamesh in his underworld role and Nergal seems to be particularly close, with the hero being referred to as "Nergal’s little brother." Foreign deities Resheph, the Western Semitic god of war and plague, was already associated with Nergal in Ebla in the third millennium, though the connection was not exclusive, as he also occurs in contexts which seem to indicate a connection with Ea instead. The equation between the two death gods is also known from Ugarit, where Resheph was additionally associated with the planet Mars, much like Nergal in Mesopotamia. Documents from Emar on the Euphrates mention a god called "Nergal of the KI.LAM" (seemingly a term designating markets), commonly identified with Resheph by researchers. Additionally, "Lugal-Rasap" functioned as a title of Nergal in Mesopotamia according to god lists.
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In Urkesh, a Hurrian city in northern Syria, Nergal's name was seemingly used to write the name of the local, Hurrian deity logographically, for example in inscriptions of kings Tish-atal and Atal-shen. Two possible explanations have been proposed: Aštabi and Kumarbi. The former was a god of Eblaite origin, later associated with Ninurta rather than Nergal, while the latter was the Hurrian "father of the gods," usually associated with Enlil and Dagan. In the Yazılıkaya sanctuary, Nergal's name was apparently applied to a so-called "sword god," most likely a presently unidentified local god of death. The Elamite god Simut was frequently associated with Nergal, shared his association with the planet Mars and possibly his warlike character, though he was not an underworld deity. In one case he appears alongside Las. Wouter Henkelman additionally proposes that "Nergal of Hubshal (or Hubshan)" known from Assyrian sources was Simut.
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Based on lexical texts, two Kassite gods were identified with Nergal: Shugab and Dur. In a Middle Assyrian god list, "Kammush" appears among the epithets of Nergal.According to Wilfred G. Lambert it cannot be established whether this indicates an equation with either the third millennium BCE god Kamish known from the Ebla texts, or the Iron Age god Chemosh from Moab. In late, Hellenistic sources from Palmyra, Hatra and Tarsus Heracles served as the interpretatio graeca of Nergal. Heracles and Nergal were also both (at different points in time) associated with the Anatolian god Sandas. Worship
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Nergal's main cult center was Kutha, where his temple E-Meslam was located. He was also prominent in Apiak, Marad, Mashkan-shapir, Sirara, Usarpara and around Umma. Offerings or other forms of cult are also attested from Dilbat, Isin, Larsa, Nippur, Ur and Uruk. While absent from Assyria in the Akkadian period, later he rose to the status of one of the most major gods there. Tarbishu was a particularly important Assyrian cult center of both Nergal and his wife Las. Naram-Sin of Akkad was particularly devoted to Nergal, describing him as his "caretaker" (rābisu) and himself as a "comrade" (rū'um) of the god.
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The worship of Nergal in the southernmost cities was initially uncommon, one exception being the presence of "Meslamtaea" in Lagash in Gudea’s times. This changed during the reign of Shulgi, the second king from the Third Dynasty of Ur. Theological texts from this period indicate that Nergal was viewed as one of the major gods and as king of the underworld. Shulgi himself showed interest in the E-Meslam temple in Kutha, and repair work was undertaken there during his reign. In the Old Babylonian period Nergal continued to be worshiped as a god of the dead, as indicated for example by an elegy in which he appears alongside Ningishzida, Etana and Bidu, the gatekeeper of the underworld.
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In the neo-Babylonian period Nergal was regarded as the third most important god after Marduk and Nabu. These three gods often appear together in royal inscriptions. Based on a cylinder of Neriglissar providing for E-Meslam in Kutha was regarded as a royal duty, similar as in the case of Marduk's and Nabu's main temples (respectively E-Sagil in Babylon and E-Zida in Borsippa). However, administrative documents indicate that Nergal and his wife Las received fewer offerings than Marduk or Nabu. In some families it was seemingly customary to give the third son a theophoric name invoking Nergal, in accordance with his position in the state pantheon. In early Achaemenid times Nergal was still worshiped in Uruk. His cult there survived at least until the 29th year of the reign of Darius I. One late document mentions an oath taken in the presence of a priest (sanga) of Nergal during the sale of a prebend in which Nergal and Ereshkigal were invoked as divine witnesses.
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14th and 28th days of the month were regarded as sacred to Nergal, as was the number 14 itself, though it was also associated with Sakkan. Unlike some other deities with underworld associations, for example Ereshkigal, Nergal is attested in theophoric personal names. Myths Nergal and Ereshkigal Two versions of this myth are known, one from a single Middle Babylonian copy found in Amarna, seemingly copied by a scribe whose native language was not Akkadian and another known from Sultantepe and from Uruk, with copies dated to the neo-Assyrian and neo-Babylonian periods, respectively. The time of original composition is uncertain, with proposed dates varying from Old Babylonian to Middle Babylonian times. Whether a Sumerian original existed is unknown, and the surviving copies are all written in Akkadian.
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After Nergal fails to pay respect to Ereshkigal's sukkal Namtar during a feast where he acts as a proxy of his mistress, who cannot leave the underworld to attend, she demands to have him sent to the underworld to answer for it. The El Amarna version states that she planned to kill Nergal, but this detail is absent from the other two copies. Nergal descends to the underworld, but he's able to avoid many of its dangers thanks to advice given to him by Ea. However, he ignores one of them, and has sex with Ereshkigal. After six days he decides to leave while Ereshkigal is asleep. After noticing this she dispatches Namtar, and demands the other gods to convince Nergal to return again, threatening to open the gates of the underworld if she doesn't get what she asks for. Nergal is handed over to her again.
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In the Amarna version, where Ereshkigal initially planned to kill Nergal, he defeats Namtar and prepares to kill Ereshkigal. To save herself, she suggests that they can get married and share the underworld. The other two known copies give the myth a happy ending: as noted by assyriologist Alhena Gadotti, "the two deities seem to reunite and live happily ever after," and the myth concludes with the line "they impetuously entered the bedchamber."
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According to assyriologists such as Stephanie Dalley the purpose of this narrative was most likely to find a way to reconcile two different views of the underworld, one from the north centered on Nergal, and another from the south centered on Ereshkigal. Tikva Frymer-Kensky’s attempt at interpreting it as evidence of "marginalization of goddesses" is regarded as erroneous. According to Alhena Gadotti the idea that Ereshkigal was supposed to share kingship over the underworld with her spouse is also known from the Old Babylonian composition Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Underworld, in which Anu and Enlil give the underworld to her "as a dowry, her portion of the paternal estate’s inheritance, which she controlled until she married." It is however impossible to tell which of the three gods regarded as Ereshkigal's husbands in various sources was implicitly meant to be the recipient of the dowry in this composition - Gugalanna, Nergal or Ninazu.
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Epic of Erra The oldest surviving copies of the Epic of Erra come from the Assyrian city of Nineveh and have been dated to the seventh century BCE, but it has been argued that the composition is between 100 and 400 years older than that based on possible allusions to historical events which occurred during a period of calamity which Babylonia experienced roughly between eleventh and eighth centuries BCE. Based on a colophon, it was compiled by a certain Kabti-ilani-Marduk. Attribution of the text of a myth to a specific author was uncommon in ancient Mesopotamia.
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Nergal (the names Nergal and Erra are both used to refer to the protagonist of the narrative) desires to wage war to counter a state of inertia he found himself in. His weapons (the Sebitti) urge him to take action, while his sukkal Ishum attempts to stop him. Nergal dismisses the latter, noting that it is necessary to regain respect in the eyes of humans, and embarks on a campaign. His first goal is Babylon. Through trickery he manages to convince Marduk (portrayed as a ruler past his prime, rather than as a dynamic hero) to leave his temple. However, Marduk returns too soon for Nergal to successfully start his campaign, and as a result in a long speech he promises to give other gods a reason to remember him. As a result of his declaration (or perhaps because of Marduk's temporary absence), the world seemingly finds itself in a state of cosmic chaos.
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Ishum once again attempts to convince Nergal to stop, but his pleading doesn't accomplish much. Nergal's acts keep escalating and soon Marduk is forced to leave his dwelling again, fully leaving the world at Nergal's mercy. A number of graphic descriptions of the horrors of war focused on nameless humans suffering because of Nergal's reign of terror follow. This is still not enough, and Nergal declares his next goal is to destroy the remaining voices of moderation, and the cosmic order as a whole.
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However, Ishum eventually manages to bring an end to the bloodshed, by waging a war himself on the inhabitants of Mount Sharshar, seemingly a site associated with the origin of the aforementioned period of chaos in the history of late second and early first millennium BCE Babylonia. Ishum's war is described in very different terms to Nergal's, and with its end the period of instability comes to a close. Nergal is seemingly content with the actions of his sukkal and with hearing the other gods acknowledge the power of his rage. The narrative ends with Nergal instructing Ishum to spread the tale of his rampage, but also to make it clear that only thanks to his calming presence the world was spared. Andrew R. George notes that Ishum appears to play the role of Nergal's conscience in this myth.
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Other myths A poorly preserved Middle Assyrian composition, regarded as similar to the Labbu myth, seemingly describes a battle between Nergal (possibly acting on behalf of his father Enlil or the sky god Anu) and a monstrous serpent born in the sea.
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The myth Enmesharra’s Defeat, only known from a single, heavily damaged copy from the Seleucid or Parthian period, casts Nergal as the warden of the eponymous antagonist and his seven sons, the Sebitti, presumably imprisoned in the underworld. In the surviving fragments Enmesharra unsuccessfully pleads with him to be released to avoid being put to death for his crimes at the orders of Marduk. In the aftermath of the ordeal, the universe is reorganized and Marduk shares lordship over it, which seemingly originally belonged to Anu in this composition, with Nergal and Nabu. Wilfred G. Lambert notes these gods were the 3 most prominent deities in the neo-Babylonian state pantheon. Curiously, Erra makes a brief appearance as a god distinct from Nergal, with his former sphere of influence reassigned to the latter.
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Later relevance Nergal is mentioned in the Book of Kings as the deity of the city of Cuth (Kutha): "And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal" (2 Kings, 17:30). Victorian lexicographer E. Cobham Brewer asserted that the name of Nergal, who he identified as "the most common idol of ancient Phoenicians, Indians and Persians" meant "dunghill cock." This translation is incorrect in the light of modern research, as Nergal’s name most likely was understood as "Lord of the big city," his emblematic animals were bulls and lions, while chickens were unknown in Mesopotamia prior to the ninth century BCE based on archeological data, and left behind no trace in cuneiform sources. In Mandaean cosmology, the name for Mars is Nirig (), which is derived from the name Nergal.
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In popular culture Nergal appears in the Shin Megami Tensei series of RPG games. The design was provided by Kazuma Kaneko for Devil Summoner in 1995, and reappears in numerous further installments. Nergal is the stage name of Adam Darski of the band Behemoth. References Bibliography External links Compositions dedicated to Nergal in the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature Death gods Deities in the Hebrew Bible Martian deities Mesopotamian gods Mesopotamian underworld Plague gods Solar gods Underworld gods War gods
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Shane Claiborne (born July 11, 1975) is a Christian activist and author who is a leading figure in the New Monasticism movement and one of the founding members of the non-profit organization, The Simple Way, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Claiborne is also a social activist, advocating for nonviolence and service to the poor. He is the author of the book, The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical. Biography Claiborne grew up in east Tennessee. His father, who was a Vietnam War veteran, died when Shane was 9 years old. A graduate of Eastern University, where he studied sociology and youth ministry, Claiborne did his final academic work for Eastern University at Wheaton College in Illinois. While at Wheaton, Claiborne did an internship at Willow Creek Community Church. He has done some graduate work at Princeton Theological Seminary, but took a leave of absence, and now is a part of The Alternative Seminary in Philadelphia.
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Claiborne worked alongside Mother Teresa during a 10-week term in Calcutta. He has written about how his work with Mother Teresa impacted him and made him realize the need to support a consistent life ethic, to protect all human life from conception to natural death. He spent three weeks in Baghdad with the Iraq Peace Team (IPT), a project of Voices in the Wilderness and Christian Peacemaker Teams. He was witness to the military bombardment of Baghdad as well as the militarized areas between Baghdad and Amman. As a member of IPT, Claiborne took daily trips to sites where there had been bombings, visited hospitals and families, and attended worship services during the war. He also continues to serve as a board member for the nationwide Christian Community Development Association which was founded by the authors and community developers, John Perkins and Wayne Gordon.
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On June 20, 2007, a seven-alarm fire at the abandoned warehouse across the street destroyed The Simple Way Community Center where Claiborne lived. He lost all of his possessions in the fire. The Simple Way immediately set up funds to accept donations to help those who lost their homes in the fire. Claiborne is featured in the documentary The Ordinary Radicals, and co-directed the three volume Another World is Possible DVD series. Claiborne wrote the foreword to Ben Lowe's 2009 book Green Revolution: Coming Together to Care for Creation. In 2011 he has appeared as both a guest and co-host of the TV show "Red Letter Christians" with Tony Campolo. That year also, he declared his unwillingness to pay taxes to fund U.S. military activity. He withheld a portion of his income taxes meant to correspond to the percentage of the federal budget spent on the military, donating that money instead to charity. He wrote a public letter to the Internal Revenue Service to explain his decision.
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On May 7, 2011, Shane Claiborne married Katie Jo Brotherton. On January 26, 2016, he released his first solo book in ten years, Executing Grace - How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It's Killing Us. It makes a case for the abolition of the death penalty through social and spiritual arguments, and received praise from John Perkins, Philip Yancey and Desmond Tutu, among others.
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Authorship Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence, with Michael Martin (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2019) Executing Grace - How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It's Killing Us (Harper Collins, 2016) The Irresistible Revolution - Updated and Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016) Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010) "What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff?" (Esquire Magazine, November 18, 2009) Follow Me To Freedom: Leading and Following as an Ordinary Radical, with John Perkins (Regal Books, 2009) Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals, with Chris Haw (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008) Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers: Prayer for Ordinary Radicals, with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (InterVarsity, 2008) The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006)
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Iraq Journal 2003 (Doulos Christou, 2006)
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See also Simple living References External links Claiborne's official page with Tony Campolo at the Red Letter Christians The Simple Way organization's official website The Ordinary Radicals official website The Another World is Possible DVD series Shane Claiborne's sermon on radical discipleship American consistent life ethics activists American Christian pacifists American tax resisters Christian writers Eastern University (United States) alumni Pennsylvania political activists People from Tennessee Writers from Philadelphia Living people 1975 births Christianity and environmentalism Nonviolence advocates Wheaton College (Illinois) alumni Christian radicals
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Sardaar Gabbar Singh is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film directed by K. S. Ravindra. Produced by Pawan Kalyan, Sharrath Marar and Sunil Lulla jointly under their banners Pawan Kalyan Creative Works, North Star Entertainment and Eros International, which also acquired the theatrical and music rights of the film, this film is a sequel to Kalyan earlier film Gabbar Singh (2012), and a part of the Gabbar Singh series. Besides writing the film's story and screenplay, Kalyan also starred in the film as the titular character with Kajal Aggarwal and Sharad Kelkar in his Telugu film debut. Prior to the release, it was rumoured to be the remake of Dabangg 2 (2012), whereas Kalyan, however claimed that it is an original story. The film follows Gabbar Singh (Kalyan), a brave policeman who rescues the residents of Rathanpur, when they are forced to face the wrath of Bhairav Singh (Kelkar), who unceremoniously usurps their land.
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Initially titled Gabbar Singh 2, the film's production began on 21 February 2014 in Hyderabad with Sampath Nandi directing the film. He was later replaced by Ravindra after Nandi walked out of the film in November 2014. The principal photography began on 29 May 2015 at Malshej Ghat in Maharashtra. The film's titled was renamed to Sardaar Gabbar Singh in mid-2015. Filming took place extensively on Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Gujarat and Kerala, after which shooting wrapped up in March 2016.
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Devi Sri Prasad composed the music for the film, and Arthur A. Wilson and Gautham Raju served as the cinematographer and editor, respectively. Sardaar Gabbar Singh was released worldwide on 8 April 2016 along with a Hindi dubbed version which released in North India, with a screen count of 2600, thus becoming the second biggest Telugu release after Baahubali: The Beginning (2015). The film received negative reviews from critics and bombed at the box office, grossing ₹90 crore against a budget of ₹75 crores. Synopsis A kingdom called Ratanpur is taken ruthlessly by a crime lord Bhairav Singh. The princess of the kingdom is named Arshi Devi, and the whole kingdom is afraid of Bhairav Singh. Then a maverick cop Sardaar Gabbar Singh came along and put an end to all of the worryings. Cast
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Pawan Kalyan as Sardaar Gabbar Singh Sathwik Varma as Young Gabbar Singh/Sardaar Kajal Aggarwal as Arshi Devi Sharad Kelkar as Raja Bhairav Singh Sanjjanaa Galrani as Gayathri, Bhairav Singh's wife Brahmanandam as Shekhar Singh Chauhan Rajput Ali as Samba Tanikella Bharani as Gabbar Singh's adopted uncle Mukesh Rishi as Hari Narayana Rao Ramesh as Ramesh Talwar Pradeep Rawat as Bhairav Singh's father Kabir Duhan Singh as Dhanu Urvashi as Madhumati Tisca Chopra as Geetha Devi Pooja Ramachandran as a girl in Ratanpur Posani Krishna Murali as Appaji (Sketch Master) Brahmaji as Raja Manikhyam IPS (Corrupted Police Officer) Sudigali Sudheer as Police Constable Raghu Babu as Govinda Dheer Charan Srivastav as Hakeem Prabhas Sreenu Krishna Bhagavan Vineet Kumar Salim Baig Charandeep Narra Srinivas Ashwini Aravind Shakalaka Shankar Raai Laxmi as herself cameo appearance in the song "Tauba Tauba" RK as Matka Seenu Production
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Development In October 2012, Pawan Kalyan agreed to act in a film produced by Sharrath Marar, the former CEO of MAA TV, after completing work on Trivikram Srinivas' Attarintiki Daredi (2013). Before the theatrical release of Dabangg 2 (2012), producer Bandla Ganesh registered the title Gabbar Singh in Hyderabad at the Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber which fuelled speculations that this would be the remake of Dabangg 2 and the sequel of Gabbar Singh (2012), which itself was the official Telugu remake of Dabangg featuring Kalyan, Shruti Haasan and Abhimanyu Singh reprising the respective roles played by Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Sonu Sood in the original. Devi Sri Prasad and Jayanan Vincent were retained as the film's music director and cinematographer from the prequel's technical crew. Sampath Nandi was chosen to direct the film and Marar was announced to execute the film's production. At the same time, the film was reported to have a fresh storyline.
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Besides producing the film, Kalyan himself wrote the story and made it clear to his team that Gabbar Singh sequel would be based on an original script and would not be a remake of Dabangg 2. Considering the response generated by Attarintiki Daredi and the subsequent change in his on-screen image, Kalyan put the pre-production activities on hold and made changes to the script. Some elements of family drama were added, and the aggression and expressions of the lead character were toned down. Kalyan also opted to complete his work on Kishore Kumar Pardasany's Gopala Gopala (2015) first and Nandi meanwhile planned to produce the film Galipatam (2014) on a low budget.
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The film's official launch ceremony took place on 21 February 2014 at Hyderabad and was tentatively titled Gabbar Singh 2. L. Satyanand supervised the film's script and was assisted by Sridhar Seepana and Kishore Gopu. Harish Pai was chosen as the film's creative head and Gautham Raju was signed to edit the film. Due to delay in finalising the female lead, Kalyan was reportedly upset and joined the sets of Gopala Gopala and start works related to his political outfit Jana Sena Party. The crew of the film were instructed to regroup when Kalyan summons them. Nandi walked out of the film in November 2014 and refused to reveal the reasons, saying that he is not authorised to speak about the same. Vincent suggested K. S. Ravindra to Kalyan who was impressed with his narrative skills and finalised him as the new director. Sai Madhav Burra was chosen to write the film's dialogues.
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The film was renamed to Sardaar in late July 2015 in order to avoid paying royalty to the title Gabbar Singh to a Mumbai-based studio that held the rights of the title. Kalyan chose this title since the character of Gabbar Singh played by Amjad Khan was referred to by his henchmen as Sardaar in Sholay (1975). Eros International announced on 15 August 2015 to IANS that it would co-produce the film in association with Pawan Kalyan Creative Works and Northstar Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and the film's title was renamed to Sardaar Gabbar Singh. Arthur A. Wilson replaced Vincent as the film's cinematographer due to clash of opinions between the latter and Ravindra.
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Casting Kalyan sported a long hair and thick beard for a few important sequences in the film and a clean shaven look for the rest of the film. The makers considered to sign a new actress after considering Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Pranitha Subhash and Anushka Sharma for the same. Shruti Haasan and Asin were approached to play the female lead in the film. Navneet Kaur Dhillon was reported to be signed as the female lead in late May 2014. Akshara Haasan was approached for the same later who declined the offer gently saying that it would raise expectations on her next films and so responsibilities. Deepika Padukone, Sonakshi Sinha, Parineeti Chopra and Katrina Kaif were approached for the female lead role who turned down the offer citing unavailability of bulk dates and Anisha Ambrose, who made a cameo appearance in Gopala Gopala, was chosen by Kalyan as the female lead.
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Ambrose was trained in the nuances of acting, perfecting dancing and several other aspects in the workshop sessions conducted by Ravindra in April 2015 before joining the film's sets. During the shoot of the first schedule, the makers saw Sharad Kelkar performance in a soap opera and approached him to play the antagonist. Kelkar's inclusion in the cast was confirmed in June 2015. Charandeep, known for his work in the films Jilla (2014) and Pataas (2015), was signed as one of the antagonists in the film. Kajal Aggarwal, who initially declined to be a part of the film two years ago due to scheduling conflicts, was approached again in August 2015 for the female lead role. She met the film's unit and gave her consent, marking her first collaboration with Kalyan.
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Kabir Duhan Singh confirmed his inclusion in the film's cast after completing a schedule and said that he would be seen as the one who handles all the activities of Kelkar in the film. During the scripting stage, there was a shorter role for a second, parallel female lead which was developed by the creative team on par with the first female lead after the shooting began. A source from the film's unit called it a "very energetic and active character". Trisha Krishnan was approached for the same in mid April 2015. Raai Laxmi inclusion in the film's cast was confirmed on 2 September 2015. She was reported to play a crucial role in the film and to be appeared in a special song along with Kalyan. Speaking about her role, Laxmi said that her role is a crucial one and shall stay till the end of the film, adding that it "starts off as something in the beginning, it transitions into something else altogether as the movie unfolds".
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Sanjjanaa was signed to play the role of a Gujarati princess in the film who subserviently follows her husband. She called it an important character with a "traditional and royal persona", adding that it is not "one of those blink-and-miss roles" and will be seen right from the start to the end. The film's unit revealed that her wardrobe consists largely of nine-yard sarees and heavy jewellery. In mid March 2016, Kajal revealed that she would be seen as a princess, who was from another era dressed in exquisite Indian attires which is a very contemporary character unlike Indu from Magadheera (2009).
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Filming Anand Sai and Rajesh and Archa Mehta were signed as the film's art director and costume designer respectively. Bhaskar Raju was signed as the film's production controller. The film's shoot began on 29 May 2015 at Malshej Ghat in Maharashtra. Some important sequences of the first schedule were shot in a special village set and Kalyan was expected to join the sets from the first week of June. The film's unit took a break after completing the first schedule since Kalyan was busy with his political commitments. A fight sequence featuring Kalyan and others were shot at the Aluminium factory located in Gachibowli in late July 2015. The second schedule was wrapped up on 5 August 2015, and filming continued at Ameerpet in mid August 2015.
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The third schedule commenced on 8 September 2015 at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad where key scenes were shot. Kalyan joined the film's sets on the next day and the schedule lasted till the end of September 2015. Filming of the item number commenced on 30 September 2015 in a set erected by Brahma Kadali at Ramanaidu Studios in Nanakramguda. Laxmi however chose not to call it an item number and termed it an "inspirational song that will everyone will love and remember for a long time". The song's shoot was wrapped up on 8 October 2015. Kalyan and the film's unit left for Gujarat in late October 2015 for location scouting. They returned to Hyderabad shortly and the next schedule commenced from 1 November 2015.
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Few scenes on Kalyan, Ali, Brahmaji and others were filmed near the Le Palais Royal and Crown Villa Gardens in Secunderabad. A 25-day long schedule began from 15 November 2015 at Gujarat. Ali and Brahmaji joined the film's shoot shortly. Kajal joined the film's sets at Vadodara on 27 November 2015 and few scenes featuring her and Kalyan were filmed. She completed her part in the schedule on 4 December 2015. Kabir Singh Duhan joined the film's sets on the next day and scenes featuring him and Kalyan were filmed. After Kalyan completed his portions and left for Hyderabad, Marar said that scenes on the remaining cast would be filmed at Rajkot in Gujarat.
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The final schedule, starting on 4 January 2016 at Hyderabad, was announced to last for a month and on its completion, the film's post-production activities were planned to be commenced. A village set worth 20 million was erected in Hyderabad for the same in the place where Gabbar Singh was filmed. A schedule of 20 days was planned and all the principal cast participated in the shoot. The set featured an elaborate railway track, a market, and a group of houses and the cost escalated to 45 million. Upon its completion, the next schedule commenced in Kerala in February 2016 and few portions were filmed at the Athirappilly Falls. Upon its completion, the film's shoot continued in Hyderabad and by mid-February 2016, 90% of the film's talkie part was wrapped up.
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After filming a marriage sequence on Kalyan and Kajal, a horse fair sequence, which forms a part of the climax, was filmed at Ramoji Film City in late February 2016. 100 horses, horsemen, many junior artists and a crew supporting three units worked simultaneously. 1000 members formed the teams and 40 artists from the film were present along with the horses, ten vintage cars, and many luxury cars. The pre-climax sequences were filmed in early March 2016 and a set was erected for the same. An elaborate sequence paying homage to Chiranjeevi was performed by Kalyan who was trained by a choreographer to ensure perfection. The filming of the climax sequences was resumed shortly. A duet on Kalyan and Kajal was filmed at Switzerland from 24 March 2016, upon whose completion, the principal photography was wrapped up. Soundtrack
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The film's soundtrack is composed by Devi Sri Prasad, who also scored music for its predecessor Gabbar Singh (2012). The soundtrack album features six tracks, with lyrics written by Ananta Sriram, Ramajogayya Sastry and Prasad himself. He remixed a popular song "Naa Koka Baagunda" from the Chiranjeevi-starrer Kondaveeti Raja (1986) for this film. Although being rumoured that the soundtrack will be released at a launch event held in Amaravati (the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh), the soundtrack was released on 20 March 2016, at H.I.C.C. Novotel in Hyderabad. Pawan Kalyan's elder brother, Chiranjeevi attended as chief guest. The album was released by Eros Music, the same day on streaming platforms.
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The album received mixed reviews from critics. 123Telugu gave a positive review stating that the film has "a well packaged album from DSP". Behindwoods gave 2.5 out of 5 and stated "an average album from DSP". Indiaglitz gave 2.75 out of 5 and stated "A complete album for the masses and classes alike". Moviecrow gave 2.75 out of 5 stating "DSP's Sardaar Gabbar Singh has nothing extraordinary to offer and the tunes are largely tepid and run of the mill one". Bollywood Life gave 2.5 out of 5 stating "The album of Sardaar Gabbar Singh is decent but was bit of a let down".
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Release Sardaar Gabbar Singh was originally slated for a release on 8 April 2016, coinciding with Ugadi. However, in order to avoid clash with Allu Arjun's Sarrainodu and Mahesh Babu's Brahmotsavam, the makers postponed the release to 11 May 2016, the date where its predecessor Gabbar Singh (2012) was released. In January 2016, the makers rescheduled the release date to 8 April 2016. On 14 March 2016, Eros International which acquired the theatrical rights, also planned to release a Hindi dubbed version on the same day of its Telugu original's release date. Kalyan said in a statement that this film has a universal story and film making cannot be confined to a certain area or demographics and our film attempts a unique connect with India, especially the Hindi belt.
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Sardaar Gabbar Singh was released in more than 2600 screens worldwide, with 1800 theatres across India, and 800 theatres overseas, thus becoming the second biggest release from Telugu cinema, after Baahubali: The Beginning (2015). The advance bookings of the film kickstarted on 4 April 2016 before release, which had 100% of tickets being sold in the opening day, and 85% of the tickets in the opening weekend. The film had a biggest release in USA, with 100 theatres across 14 states, and was premiered on 7 April 2016, before the Indian release. Also the film is releasing globally in 42 countries marking the first Telugu film to release in that many countries.
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Distribution
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Eros International acquired the worldwide theatrical, digital, Hindi dubbing and music rights, apart from co-producing the film. The distribution rights of Nizam region were acquired by Dilip Tandon of Indra Films for 21 crore. The Ceded rights were sold to Narasimha Prasad Films for 10.5 crore; Vizag theatrical rights were sold to Kanthi Krishna Films for 7.2 crore. Godavari East and West thearical rights were sold to Anusri Films for 5.4 crore and Shanumka Films for 4.4 crore respectively. Guntur theatrical rights were sold for SV Cinemas for 5.5 crore. Krishna theatrical rights were sold to Tollywood Creations to an amount of 4.3 crore, while Nellore rights of the film were sold to SLNS Pictures for 2.7 crore. Karnataka theatrical rights were sold to Mars Pictures for 8.5 crore. Bhadrakali Pictures acquired the Tamil Nadu theatrical rights for 1.2 crore and The Hindi dubbing and North India release rights were secured by Eros for 6 crore. Overseas theatrical rights were sold to
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iDream Media for 10.5 crore; thus the film earned 87.2 crore from theatrical rights alone.
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Marketing On the occasion of Pawan Kalyan's birthday (2 September 2015), the makers unveiled the first look poster and teaser through social media. On 14 January 2016, coincidinge with Sankranthi, the producer Sharath Marar unveiled three posters and a teaser though social media and YouTube. The second teaser crossed one million views upon its release through YouTube. Another teaser of the film was launched on 14 March 2016, through Telugu and Hindi, was well received by audiences. The trailer of Sardaar Gabbar Singh, was released on 20 March 2016, which coincided the audio launch function held in Hyderabad. Home media The television rights of the film were secured by Star India for 21 crore, along with its Hindi dubbed version. The film had a premiere on Star Maa on 17 July 2016, where it registered a TRP rating of 15.24, close to Baahubali: The Beginning and Srimanthudu (which had scored TRP ratings of 21.84 and 21.24 respectively). Reception
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Critical response
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Sardaar Gabbar Singh received a mixed responses from critics. Writing for The Times of India, Pranita Jonnalagada gave the film 2.5 out of 5 and stated, "This film surely is about a lot of guts (such lazy direction, anyone?), guns (even in songs!) and love (Pawan Kalyan has adorably dedicated this film to his fans)." A critic from Sify gave 2.75 out of 5 and stated "Pawan's show and Kajal are saving grace but narration is a letdown. Despite a good interval bang, post interval it drags on without much redeeming factors." Sreedhar Pillai of Firstpost summarised "Sardaar Gabbar Singh is strictly targeted at Pawan Kalyan’s huge fan base. It is all sound and fury, with no story and goes on and on." Karthik Keramalu of News18 gave the film 2.5 out of 5 satting that "The film's story loses its focus mid-way." Nandini Ramanath of Scroll, stated "Kalyan, who has written the movie, doesn’t only want to please his fans. He appears to be campaign mode (In real life, Kalyan is also a politician
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and is the founder of the Jana Sena Party). Scenes in Sardaar Gabbar Singh stink of electioneering and dialogues are of pure sloganeering. At 163 minutes then, Sardaar Gabbar Singh is one of the longest propaganda videos out there." Indiaglitz gave the film 3 out of 5 stating, "Pawan's one-man show.  For those of you looking for him to do non-heroic comedy in khaki, this film has much stuff on platter."
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A critic from The Indian Express, criticised the screenplay stating that "Sardaar Gabbar Singh is so lazily written that it is literally a struggle to sit through the film." Haricharan Pudipeddi of Hindustan Times gave a rating of 2 out of 5 stating "Even though Pawan Kalyan the actor shines in Sardaar Gabbar Singh, the writer fails miserably, and there’s so much he needs to learn from this debacle." Suresh Kavirayani of Deccan Chronicle gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stating "The film leaves one with the feeling that something was missing, perhaps the magic of Pawan Kalyan." Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu stated "The film lacks a taut screenplay that can string together crowd-pleasing moments." Bollywood Life gave the film 2 out of 5 stating "Sardaar Gabbar Singh is definitely not worth the hype it has been receiving." Behindwoods gave the film a rating of 2.25 out of 5 stating, "Pawan Kalyan show all the way! But that's just not enough." Daily News and Analysis gave the film 2.5 out
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of 5 stating "It may be Pawan Kalyan’s take on the classic Sholay, but this movie is only for Pawan Kalyan fans."
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Box office Sardaar Gabbar Singh registered a massive opening at the box office. It collected more than 27.5 crore from the domestic box office (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), with a share of 21.67 crore for its distributors. The film became the biggest opener for a Pawan Kalyan-starrer, surpassing Attarintiki Daredi (2013), which earlier earned 10.75 crore at the box office. Further, Sardaar Gabbar Singh, surpassed Srimanthudu (2015), to become the second highest opener, after Baahubali: The Beginning (2015). However, the mixed word-of-mouth, have affected the collections, where it saw a dip in the box office in the second day. The film managed to collect 35 crore in the second weekend. As of 10 days, the film grossed approximately ₹92 crore against a budget of ₹75 at the worldwide box office by the end of its lifetime. With a total share of 52.92 crore to its distributors, Sardaar Gabbar Singh emerged as a financial disappointment.
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The film premiered in 300 screens in North America on 7 April, where it collected $615,853 (4.10 crore) at the U.S. box office. As of 10 days, the film has earned $1,058,000 (7.04 crore). References External links 2016 films Indian films 2010s masala films Mining in film Works about mining 2016 action comedy films Indian sequel films 2010s Telugu-language films Films shot in Telangana Films shot in Gujarat Films shot in Maharashtra Films scored by Devi Sri Prasad Fictional portrayals of the Telangana Police Fictional portrayals of the Andhra Pradesh Police Films featuring an item number Films shot in Switzerland Films shot at Ramoji Film City Law enforcement in fiction Indian action comedy films Indian police films 2016 comedy films
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Grain entrapment, or grain engulfment, occurs when a person becomes submerged in grain and cannot get out without assistance. It most frequently occurs in grain bins and other storage facilities such as silos or grain elevators, or in grain transportation vehicles, but has also been known to occur around any large quantity of grain, even freestanding piles outdoors. Usually, unstable grain collapses suddenly, wholly or partially burying workers who may be within it. Entrapment occurs when victims are partially submerged but cannot remove themselves; engulfment occurs when they are completely buried within the grain. Engulfment has a very high fatality rate.
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While the death rate from workplace accidents on American farms has declined in the first decades of the 21st century, grain-entrapment deaths have not, reaching an all-time annual high of 31 deaths in 2010. Many of those victims have been minors. Agricultural organizations have worked to protect them and improve rescue techniques, as well as spread awareness among farmers of prevention methods. Primary among these is a federal regulation that forbids opening an auger or other opening at the bottom of a grain storage facility while someone is known to be "walking down the grain" within.
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Smaller family farms, however, are exempt from most federal labor regulation specific to agriculture, and no safety regulations govern children working for their parents. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Labor proposed sweeping new regulations that would have changed this, prohibiting underage workers from entering silos, among other provisions. They were withdrawn after protests from farmers and politicians of both U.S. parties. Occurrence
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At some grain-handling facilities, employees "walk down the grain" on top of it to expedite the flow of grain from the top when it is being allowed to flow out the bottom. This is the most common cause of grain entrapments. Regulations issued by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) specifically forbid this at larger commercial facilities subject to them; most smaller farms are not. It may also be necessary to enter a grain storage facility to remove damp, clumped grain (usually from early spoilage) stuck on the walls. Entrapments have also occurred to children in grain transportation vehicles, or to those outside when grain is released from a storage facility or next to large freestanding grain piles.
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Workers in the grain can become entrapped in three different ways. An apparently stable surface may in fact be a "grain bridge" over an area beneath which the grain has already settled. A vertical mass of grain settled against a wall may suddenly give way while being cleared. Moving grain will not support the weight of an average person. Once entrapment begins, it happens very quickly due to the suction-like action of the grain. Researchers in Germany found that an average person who has sunk into grain once it has stopped flowing can get out only as long it has not reached knee level; at waist level assistance is required. Once the grain has reached the chest a formal rescue effort must be undertaken.
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Half of all entrapment victims eventually become engulfed. A human body in grain takes seconds to sink, minutes to suffocate, and hours to locate and recover. Recovered bodies have shown signs of blunt force trauma from the impact of the grain; one victim was found to have a dislocated jaw. At a depth of , the lateral pressure of grain, as experimentally measured by load cells placed against bin walls, is ; at it is , which appears to be its maximum. While those pressures are less than water at equivalent depths, they are measurements of active pressure against bin walls rather than the passive pressure a body would experience, which is always greater. A victim trapped horizontally faces greater pressures, at and at .
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That pressure can make it difficult to breathe even when the victim's airway is unobstructed; it increases with every inhalation, making it more critical to secure breathing space for a victim in that situation. It has been likened to concrete, cement or quicksand; and described as making it impossible to even wiggle toes inside a shoe or boot; one survivor said he felt as if an " semi truck had parked on [his] chest." The compression also makes it hard for blood to circulate, reducing the oxygen that gets to cells and increasing the amount of toxins in the system.
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Suffocation rarely occurs from the weight of the grain, rather from the grain itself. If a victim's airway remains unobstructed, or they find an air pocket within the grain, they may be able to keep breathing and be rescued; the 40–60% porosity of stored grain makes it at least theoretically possible. In one instance a trapped person was able to survive for three hours. In 2013 an Iowa man wearing a battery-powered mask that filtered out dust, a result of his asthma, was engulfed below the surface of of corn in a bin. The respirator mask enabled him to survive, drifting in and out of consciousness for five hours until he was rescued by draining the bin slowly after efforts to pull him through the rope he was attached to failed. At that time, his heart rate was 173 beats per minute, near his maximum; he was hospitalized for two days afterwards. Rescue
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Several factors complicate the rescue of entrapment victims even if their heads remain above the grain. Most grain storage and handling facilities are located on farms in rural areas, often distant from trained rescuers such as fire or ambulance services. They are also confined spaces, posing hazards to rescuers. Foremost among them is the air within. Carbon dioxide or toxic gases, such as nitrogen oxides, accumulate from spoiling grain. They can cause asphyxiation in great enough concentrations without proper ventilation of the area. The dust can also sometimes have molds or spores that may be toxic or cause allergic reactions. There is at least one documented instance of a first responder requiring treatment as a result of such inhalation; rescuers are advised to wear at least dust masks or even self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
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North Dakota State University (NDSU) advises farmers that as soon as an entrapment occurs, in addition to immediately notifying local emergency services, the workers at the facility be required to shut off anything causing motion in the grain, or close any outlet. Turning on the aeration fan, without any heat source activated, improves ventilation. NDSU warns rescuers to take care not to make the situation worse, and not to take action that would result in they themselves becoming entrapped or engulfed. Proper safety equipment, such as lifelines, is required for a rescue. Experts advise that no more than two should walk on the surface of the grain at any time.
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Temperature extremes can cause problems for both rescuers and victims. Stored grain is often kept fresh by blowing dry air over it. This, combined with any moisture in the grain, can chill its core to . creating a risk of hypothermia for the victim, especially one fully engulfed. Conversely, the air within the bin may be warmer than usual due to the heat released by decaying grain, the lack of exterior ventilation (especially on hot days) and any rescue activity; there is thus a risk of heat illness for those trying to free the victim. During the five hours it took to rescue the man trapped in Iowa, it was estimated that temperatures in the bin reached , more than above that day's reported high. Firefighters carrying out the rescue were monitored closely and made to take periodic breaks; even so, one experienced heat exhaustion.
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Even if a living victim is roped, they cannot simply be removed that way. Grain creates friction that resists the force used to pull them out. It requires to lift a victim buried up to their waist; removing a human completely trapped in grain takes . These forces are above the level that can cause permanent spinal column injury.{{efn|Purdue's Agricultural Entrapment Database records one incident where a fatal spinal injury was inflicted during a rescue attempt.
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While some of these techniques have been used to retrieve engulfed victims or their bodies as well, in those cases it is also common to cut a hole, or attempt to, in the side of the storage facility; this requires consulting an engineer to make sure it can be done without compromising the facility's structural integrity; usually by cutting high up and in a uniform pattern around the side of the bin. It is also possible that this can suck the trapped person deeper into the grain. This appears to be most effective in facilities with a capacity of or less. There is also the possibility of a dust explosion, although none are known to have occurred yet during a rescue attempt.
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Survivors of grain entrapment also may require treatment. Many suffer painful contusions from the pressure of the grain they were confined in; it is not uncommon for them to lose consciousness due to the drop in blood pressure as circulation returns to normal. Glenn Blahey, president of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA), recalls one incident where a man rescued from a Manitoba grain bin had to be immediately hospitalized as he went into a coma for several days afterwards due to the toxins that had built up in his bloodstream as a result of the oxygen deprivation that occurred during the hours it took to rescue him.
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Rescued victims have also experienced psychological issues. The survivor of a 2010 Illinois entrapment that killed both his coworkers experienced survivor guilt, with accompanying insomnia, and turned to heavy alcohol and marijuana use to deal with it. Feeling himself to be his town's "Bubble Boy", he did not return to work at the facility where it happened, instead taking a job at a local grocery across the street from the bin he was entrapped in, where the holes cut during the rescue were still visible. A Brazilian entrapment survivor says he was fired by his employer after refusing to return to work in the bins and asking to be assigned elsewhere in the company's operations. Prevention
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The best way to prevent grain entrapments is zero entry: the near or complete elimination of any reasons to enter a grain storage facility. This can be accomplished primarily by storing grain properly. If kept at the proper moisture level of 14 percent or less and protected from the elements, grain will not form the kind of clumps that create grain bridges or other areas of unequal density within and require clearance. Entrapments are more likely when grain is more spoiled. "Coring" grain by removing some of it from the center after the facility has been filled also reduces spoilage since it generally takes the broken and smaller grains where insects tend to grow within. The University of Iowa's Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (GPCAH) advises that any clearing of clumped grain be done from outside using a long pole.
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Strict policies about entering the area where grain is stored, should that be absolutely necessary, would further prevent entrapments, according to GPCAH. Foremost among them is a requirement that all gas levels be checked prior to entry. Levels of oxygen outside 19–23 percent, carbon monoxide above 25 ppm, hydrogen sulfide above 10 ppm and phosphine above 0.3 ppm, or odors associated with rotting or burning grain, or a chemical smell, indicate that there may be considerable spoilage and entry poses too great a hazard.
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Purdue's experts warn that workers should not be alone, unless they have a radio or cell phone to communicate. Signs indicating the potential hazard at the entry are strongly advised, as well as a rule that anyone who does not have a good reason to be in the grain should not be there. To minimize entrapment, employers can implement training programs for working inside bins if it is necessary and make sure only those who have been trained do that work; they should also have a plan in place for how to respond to an entrapment, GPCAH suggests.
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OSHA's regulations require that employees who enter stored grain do so attached to either a lifeline or boatswain's chair, that one other employee be assigned to observe them, and that rescue equipment adequate to the task be available. At farms and feedlots not subject to those regulations, it is sometimes common to tie a permanent lifeline to the inside of the storage facility. This has not been found to be effective, as the grain's suction often pulls the victim under the surface too fast for them to reach it, and most are not secured firmly enough that they would not fail under the load. Education
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Agricultural safety advocates use different means to warn farmers of the danger of grain entrapment, since they believe many underestimate the risks despite having almost experienced it themselves. Many agricultural organizations and schools, as well as government agencies, publish and disseminate grain safety information, both as documents and videos, on the Internet and off. In 2019 the Illinois-based Grain Handling Safety Coalition produced SILO, a short dramatic feature film telling the story of a fictional entrapment and successful rescue of a farm family's teenage son.
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Several organizations have developed a mobile grain entrapment simulator, used for both training and educational purposes in the US and Canada. In it, a human volunteer can be strapped into place and experience both how quickly they can sink into grain without risk of becoming entrapped themselves, and how effectively the grain constrains their motions, even breathing, when they do, afterwards. "A brochure is words on paper and no opportunity to ask and answer questions", says CASA's Blahey. "A face-to-face presentation is more realistic."
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Researchers in the field have called for those demonstrations to use only mannequins, however, noting that some training exercises have inadvertently turned into actual rescue operations. In 2018 several of them wrote an editorial for the Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health condemning the practice of allowing children to volunteer for demonstrations, which they had personally observed on several occasions. "Each youth was in a position [where] a simple human error could ha[ve] resulted in suffocation with dozens of first responders present who would have been nearly helpless to extricate the victim in a timely manner," they wrote. "We don't use youth as automotive crash dummies, drop them off the deep end of the pool to test the capabilities of lifeguards, or test the effectiveness of ROPS by putting youth inside the cab and rolling the tractor down a hillside. That is the purpose of mannequins or test dummies."
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OSHA regulations specifically forbid the use of minors in those demonstrations for training purposes, the editorial notes. Likewise, the institutional review boards of many research institutions would not permit the use of live subjects of any age in grain entrapment research. The authors also took note of the likelihood that in the event of an injury or death arising from such an educational setting gone wrong, all involved would be held liable in a lawsuit. Statistical trends
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Since 1978, the Agricultural Health and Safety Program at Purdue University in Indiana has documented grain-entrapment incidents. Its National Agricultural Confined Space Incident Database has, , records on 1,225 reported entrapments from 1964 onward. The program has analyzed them to find consistent patterns in the hope of improving prevention and rescue efforts. Among the statistically significant patterns it has found are the type of grain in which incidents predominantly occur, the geographic locations of incidents, the type of facility they occur in and the demographics of victims.