Asag

Asag is a demonic dragon of Sumerian myth. He was thought to embody plague and sickness, and his name even means “demon that causes sickness.” He was also believed to embody the cold of winter and could cause drought, head fever, and migraines. He lives in the underworld, Kur, and holds back the primordial waters to keep them from flooding the earth. He is the son of the gods An and Ki, and was fought by Ninurta with the conclusion of that conflict being unknown. He is thought to be so hideous, that his presence causes water to boil. He is father to an army of rock demons born from him and a mountain.

Citations:

Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.

Stuckey, Johanna H., and Frayne, Douglas R.. A Handbook of Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Near East: Three Thousand Deities of Anatolia, Syria, Israel, Sumer, Babylonia, Assyria, and Elam. N.p., Penn State University Press, 2021.

Kramer, Samuel Noah. The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. United States, University of Chicago Press, 2010.