Pazuzu Statue from The Exorcist Movie | 6" Resin Replica Collectible Figure

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To the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, however, demons were simply spirits. The word itself derives from the Greek word for spirit, “daimon,” and refers to lesser immortal beings that act as supernatural intermediaries between gods and humans. Demons might be sent to punish mortals, or else to encourage them to fulfill their duties. Workmen clearing a trench behind the Taq-i Kisra, Ctesiphon, Iraq. Joint Expedition of the Staatliche Museen, Berlin, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1931–32 Guiley, Rosemary (2009). The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology. Infobase Publishing. p.197. ISBN 978-1-4381-3191-7. In one instance, a Pazuzu statuette was found in an abandoned house, hung directly across from the entrance, leading historians to believe it had been put in place as a protection from other demons.

The term "demon" in the modern day always carries with it the connotation of evil but this was not so in the ancient world. The English word "demon" is a translation of the Greek word daimon which simply meant "spirit". A daimon could be good or evil, depending on its intentions and the results of a visitation. In ancient Mesopotamia, as in other cultures of the ancient world, demons were often sent by the gods as punishment for sin or to remind one of one's duty to the gods and others in one's community. Demons were not always evil and even those who were, like Pazuzu, were still capable of good deeds. Demons in Mesopotamia Pazuzu is the god of the southwestern wind and who is associated with the plague. [1] Pazuzu was invoked in apotropaic amulets, which combat the powers of his rival, [30] the malicious goddess Lamashtu, who was believed to cause harm to mother and child during childbirth. Although Pazuzu is considered an evil spirit, he was called upon to ward off other malicious spirits. He would protect humans against any variety of misfortune or plague. [31] Origin and history [ edit ] Hanpu is his father. He has many a connection to other wind deities, namely Lamashtu and the Lilû demons, other protective demons, as well as the foreign Egyptian dwarf deity Bes.Niederreiter, Zoltán (2018-01-06). "2017. "Two Pazuzu-head amulets inscribed with the standard B incantation" Revue d'assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale 111 (2017) 109-132". Academia.edu . Retrieved 2022-03-26. Plaque for protection against the female demon Lamashtu- https://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/plaque-protection-against-female-demon-lamashtu A statue of Pazuzu appears in the Once Upon a Time episode "There's No Place Like Home", as one of the unpredictable artifacts in Rumplestilskin's vault. In Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, the victims possessed by Pazuzu are played by Izabella Scorupco and Billy Crawford respectively, and the voices of Pazuzu are Rupert Degas in the former film and Mary Beth Hurt in the latter.

Pazuzu was married to Lamashtu. Stories about Lamashtu suggest she was response for illness and causing death to new born babies, and children. Lamashtu is often depicted as a mythological hybrid, with a hairy body, a lioness’ head with donkey’s teeth and ears, long fingers and fingernails, and the feet of a bird with sharp talons. She is often shown standing or kneeling on a donkey, nursing a pig and a dog, and holding snakes. “She thus bears some functions and resemblance to the Mesopotamian demon Lilith.” Like Pazuzu, Humbaba was used as a protector deity, with depictions of his frightening head being used to ward off evil. [23] It could therefore be speculated that the Pazuzu heads replaced those of Humbaba. [23] Humbaba fell from favour in the Late Bronze Age, [12] shortly before Pazuzu emerged, although the two do not share any great iconographic connection, [17] making it unlikely that Pazuzu could have evolved from the earlier deity.Pazuzu has been featured in numerous spoofs/parodies. A notable example is Scary Movie 2, in which the scenes of the exorcism of Regan are spoofed in the prologue. The character was also spoofed in the film Repossessed; Linda Blair starred in the film and reprised her role as the demon.