His primary function was that of a tutelary deity of the area believed to belong to him. As such, he was responsible for agriculture, animal husbandry and maintaining the irrigation network. This role was exemplified by his epithet gugal-An-negara, "canal inspector appointed by An."
His main role was that of a protective deity for the region, believed to oversee agriculture, animal care, and water management. This duty was demonstrated by his title gugal-An-negara, meaning "appointed canal inspector by An."