Mesopotamia
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Demon
A Demon is a form of dark spirit. The term means “replete with wisdom” and comes from the Greek word Daimon. Some cultures had demonic figures that were not necessarily evil, such as Egypt. Demons at large are well documented in ancient Middle Eastern cultures and it is thought that Hebrews absorbed some knowledge of Demons from Mesopotamia. Sometimes Demons are believed to have been spawned by Lillith, who was to be the first wife of Adam in Jewish beliefs. Christianisation often describes all pagan gods and spirits as demons despite their attributes. The idea is that they are disguises meant to trick humans into worshiping someone other than God.…
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Lamashtu
Lamashtu is a figure from Sumerian and Mesopotamian myth. She is depicted as a woman with a hairy body, the head of a lion or bird, the ears and teeth of a donkey, large wings, and eagle talons for fingers. She was often shown riding a donkey carrying a two headed snake in each hand. At one time, she was seen as a vampiric and demonic goddess. She was believed to nurse dogs and pigs, cause crops to fail, dry up rivers, cause miscarriages, and steal children to nurse them with poison. She would also strike down men at random, cause fatal diseases, and inflict nightmares. People could be defended…
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Humababa/Huwawa/Kumbaba
Humbaba is from Sumerian, Mesopotamian, Assyrian, and Babylonian mythology. He was appointed by the god Enlil to guard the cedar trees in the world of the living. He was dangerous to any who entered his forest. He was a large humanoid with a lion head and dragon teeth whose roar was like a storm. His breathe was like death and he could breathe fire. Covered in plate-like scales, he had talons like a vulture and a tail that had a snake head at the end of it. He personified natural elements and was protected by seven mystical auras. No one ever escaped his wrath. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, which…
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Hedammu
Hedammu was a giant sea serpent from Mesopotamian myth. It was thought to remain in deep waters and could drag down entire ships and consume its crew. It would attack ships non-stop as it was constantly hungry. Hedammu was thought to be the child of a man named Kumarbi and a daughter of the sea god. It was also seen as a challenger to the storm gods. To deal with the Hedammu, the gods sent Ishtar to seduce it. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006. Wandering Myths: Transcultural Uses of…
