In
Mesopotamian mythology, Lamashtu (;
Akkadian Akkadian or Accadian may refer to:
* Akkadians, inhabitants of the Akkadian Empire
* Akkadian language, an extinct Eastern Semitic language
* Akkadian literature, literature in this language
* Akkadian cuneiform, early writing system
* Akkadian myt ...
d''La-maš-tu'';
Sumerian
Sumerian or Sumerians may refer to:
*Sumer, an ancient civilization
**Sumerian language
**Sumerian art
**Sumerian architecture
**Sumerian literature
**Cuneiform script, used in Sumerian writing
*Sumerian Records, an American record label based in ...
''Dimme''
d''Dim
3-me'' or ''Kamadme'') was a female
demon
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
, monster, malevolent goddess or demigoddess who menaced women during
childbirth and, if possible, kidnapped their children while they were
breastfeeding. She would gnaw on their bones and suck their blood, as well as being charged with a number of other evil deeds. She was a daughter of the Sky God
Anu
Anu ( akk, , from wikt:𒀭#Sumerian, 𒀭 ''an'' “Sky”, “Heaven”) or Anum, originally An ( sux, ), was the sky father, divine personification of the sky, king of the gods, and ancestor of many of the list of Mesopotamian deities, dei ...
.
Lamashtu is depicted as a
mythological hybrid, with a hairy body, a
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
ess' head with
donkey
The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a ...
'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 demon
Lilith in
Jewish mythology.
Mythology
Lamashtu's father was the Sky God
Anu
Anu ( akk, , from wikt:𒀭#Sumerian, 𒀭 ''an'' “Sky”, “Heaven”) or Anum, originally An ( sux, ), was the sky father, divine personification of the sky, king of the gods, and ancestor of many of the list of Mesopotamian deities, dei ...
. Unlike many other usual demonic figures and depictions in
Mesopotamian
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
lore, Lamashtu was said to act in malevolence of her own accord, rather than at the gods' instructions. Along with this her name was written together with the
cuneiform determinative indicating deity. This means she was a goddess or a demigoddess in her own right.
She bore seven names and was described as seven witches in incantations. Her evil deeds included (but were not limited to): slaying children, unborns, and
neonates; causing harm to mothers and expectant mothers; eating men and drinking their blood; disturbing sleep; bringing nightmares; killing foliage; infesting rivers and lakes; and being a bringer of disease, sickness, and death.
[
Pazuzu, a god or demon, was invoked to protect birthing mothers and infants against Lamashtu's malevolence, usually on amulets and statues. Although Pazuzu was said to be bringer of famine and drought, he was also invoked against evil for protection, and against plague, but he was primarily and popularly invoked against his fierce, malicious rival Lamashtu.
Incantation against Lamaštu:
In another incantation against her, she appears to be identified with Inanna:
]
In modern culture
* Lamashtu is a demon lord and the goddess of monsters, called the Mother of Beasts and Mistress of Insanity, in the role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
setting '' Pathfinder''.
* Lamashtu appears as a character in the NBC television series ''Constantine'' in the episode "The Saint of Last Resorts".
* Lamashtu is the title of a 2015 audiobook by Paul E Cooley.
* Lamashtu appears as an antagonist in the 2018 novel "On Devil's Wings" by M. J. Meade.
* Lamashtu appears as the antagonist in the 2017 film '' Still/Born''.
* The song "lamashtu" by Necrophobic on their 2018 album "Mark of the Necrogram" is named for Lamashtu.
* Lamashtu is depicted on the Ankaran Sarcophagus in the videogame '' Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines''.
* Lamashtu appears in the book "Sebitti - Mesopotamian Magick & Demonology" by Michael W. Ford.
* The 2020 album "Scourge of Lamashtu" by Black Funeral is themed after Lamashtu.
* Lamashtu appears a secondary protagonist in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim mod "Clockwork" by Nexusmods user Antistar
Ritual
An Akkadian incantation and ritual against Lamashtu is edited in ''Texte aus der Umwelt des Alten Testaments'' vol. 2 (1988)
See also
* Abyzou
* Akhkhazu
* Alû
* Lamia
* Lilin
* Lilith
* Shedim
* Utukku
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Mesopotamian goddesses
Mesopotamian demons
Mythological hybrids
Mythological hematophages
Female legendary creatures
Snake goddesses
Evil deities
Mesopotamian underworld
Mythological cannibals
Donkey deities