Pazuzu (The Exorcist)
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Pazuzu is a
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
al character who is the main
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on The Exorcist (novel), his 1971 novel. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller (play ...
''
horror novels Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten, or scare an audience. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon, in 1984, defin ...
and
film series A film series or movie series is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. It is a type of series fiction. This article explains what film series are and gives brief examples ...
, created by
William Peter Blatty William Peter Blatty (January 7, 1928 – January 12, 2017) was an American writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1971 novel ''The Exorcist (novel), The Exorcist'' and for his screenplay for The Exorcist, the 1973 film adaptat ...
. Blatty derived the character from
Assyria Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...
n and
Babylon Babylon ( ) was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia, within modern-day Hillah, Iraq, about south of modern-day Baghdad. Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-s ...
ian mythology, where the mythic
Pazuzu In ancient Mesopotamian religion, Pazuzu () is a demonic deity who was well known to the Babylonians and Assyrians throughout the first millennium BCE. He is shown with "a rather canine face with abnormally bulging eyes, a scaly body, a snake-h ...
was considered the king of the demons of the wind, and the son of the god
Hanbi In Sumerian and Akkadian mythology (and Mesopotamian mythology in general) Hanbi or Hanpa (more commonly known in western text) was the lord of evil, lord of all evil forces ( Udug) and the father of Pazuzu. Aside from his relationship with P ...
. In ''The Exorcist'', Pazuzu appears as a demon who possesses
Regan MacNeil Regan Teresa MacNeil (born April 6, 1959) is a fictional character in the 1971 novel '' The Exorcist'' and one of the supporting characters in its 1973 film adaptation and the 1977 film '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'', while being one of the mai ...
. Pazuzu is often depicted as a combination of animal and human parts with his right hand pointing upwards and his left hand downwards. He has the body of a man, the head of a
lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
or
dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...
,
eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
-like taloned feet, two pairs of wings, a
scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
's tail, and a serpentine
penis A penis (; : penises or penes) is a sex organ through which male and hermaphrodite animals expel semen during copulation (zoology), copulation, and through which male placental mammals and marsupials also Urination, urinate. The term ''pen ...
.


Appearances


Novels

Pazuzu first appeared in William Peter Blatty's ''
The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on The Exorcist (novel), his 1971 novel. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller (play ...
'' in 1971. The novel is about a 12-year-old girl,
Regan MacNeil Regan Teresa MacNeil (born April 6, 1959) is a fictional character in the 1971 novel '' The Exorcist'' and one of the supporting characters in its 1973 film adaptation and the 1977 film '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'', while being one of the mai ...
, possessed by a demon. The demon is later revealed to be Pazuzu; though never explicitly stated to be the demon, two references were made about his statue, which was uncovered in the prologue by Father Lankester Merrin in northern
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
. After Regan's mother worries about her daughter being possessed, Merrin and Karras arrive at her house and perform an
exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be do ...
on Regan and successfully force the demon out of Regan's head. In their struggle to save Regan from the
thrall A thrall was a slave or Serfdom, serf in Scandinavia, Scandinavian lands during the Viking Age. The status of slave (, ) contrasts with that of the Franklin (class), freeman (, ) and the nobleman (, ). Etymology Thrall is from the Old Norse ...
of Pazuzu, both priests perish. Pazuzu returns in '' Legion'', wanting to take revenge for being thrown out of Regan's head. He does this by driving the Gemini Killer's body into Father Damien Karras's dead one. Although not directly identified as Pazuzu, the Gemini Killer refers to "others" who would see his work continue. In the end of the novel, the Gemini Killer leaves the body of Father Karras following the death of the killer's father, the driving force behind the Gemini Killer's crimes.


Films

Two years after the novel was published, ''
The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on The Exorcist (novel), his 1971 novel. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller (play ...
'' was released in theaters as a motion picture. In the beginning of the film, Father Merrin finds a ruined statue of the demon during an archaeological dig in Iraq. The majority of the film deals with Regan's demonic possession by a being she initially refers to as "Captain Howdy". During the attempted exorcism of Regan, the statue of Pazuzu that Merrin found at the beginning of the film briefly appears. The demon is ultimately exorcised from Regan's body after Merrin dies of a heart attack, and Father Damien Karras sacrifices himself by luring the demon into his body and then hurling himself through a window and down the now famous flight of stairs leading down to M Street NW, in Georgetown. In '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'', Pazuzu is named as the demon and returns to haunt Regan. There are flashbacks of Merrin battling the demon in Regan and also flashbacks of Merrin's exorcism of Pazuzu from a boy named Kokumo in Africa many years earlier. In the end of the film, Regan and Father Lamont, who has been trying to help her, but has become possessed by Pazuzu, return to Georgetown. After a struggle, he declines Pazuzu's offer of power and Regan banishes Pazuzu, appearing in the form of locusts. ''
The Exorcist III ''The Exorcist III'' is a 1990 American supernatural psychological horror film written for the screen and directed by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1983 novel '' Legion''. It is the third installment in ''The Exorcist'' film series and t ...
'' takes place 15 years after the original film. The film was adapted by Blatty from his novel ''Legion''. Lieutenant Kinderman, who was also in the original film, has been on a murder case about mysterious deaths committed by an anonymous person. It is later found out that Pazuzu convinced the Gemini Killer, who died at the same time as Father Karras, to inhabit his body as punishment for saving Regan. However, as result of his suicide, his brain, which demons/spirits need when they possess a body, was severely damaged. The Gemini Killer spent years stimulating his brain so he would be of use, and then began committing murders by possessing the bodies of the other inhabitants of the hospital where Karras had been staying. In the end of the movie after a turbulent exorcism is done, Karras regains control of the body and asks Kinderman to kill him, which he does by shooting him in the head, keeping him from being possessed again. In '' Exorcist: The Beginning'' and '' Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist'', Pazuzu is shown in his first encounter with Father Merrin in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
in the duel that "nearly kills Merrin", referenced in the very first movie. Although the plot of both of these versions center around Merrin's African exorcism many years earlier, they take a sharp departure from the original scenes in ''Exorcist II: The Heretic'' where Merrin exorcises a young boy named Kokumo on a mountaintop. No effort was made to keep the stories consistent beyond that central idea.


Television

In ''The Exorcist'' television series, which is presented as a sequel to the original film, Pazuzu continues its pursuit of Regan and possesses her daughter Casey. After nearly killing Casey, the demon is able to possess Regan again and is almost able to take complete control of her mind. However, with the aid of the priest Father Tomas and her family, Regan fights back against Pazuzu, regaining control of her mind, just as Father Tomas exorcises the demon from her body.


Concept and creation

William Peter Blatty's creations of Pazuzu and ''The Exorcist'' were based on a heavily reported series of 1949 events in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
concerning the possession of a 14-year-old known as " Robbie Mannheim" (or sometimes "Roland Doe"). Blatty, who was a student at
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...
, read about the story in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
newspapers and created ''The Exorcist'' twenty years later. Texas State religious studies professor Joseph Laycock believes that Blatty may have drawn his portrayal of Pazuzu from religion scholar
Paul Carus Paul Carus (; 18 July 1852 – 11 February 1919) was a German-American author, editor, a student of comparative religion
's 1900 book ''The History of the Devil''. It has an illustration of the statue of Pazuzu, the "demon of the southwest wind" in Chaldean tradition, which also has a loop through its head similar to the one Father Merrin finds on the amulet. Laycock speculates that Blatty may have acknowledged this source by giving his protagonist the similar-sounding name Karras and putting in his backstory that he had once written a paper on the Black Mass.


Portrayal

In the first film,
Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. Her portrayal of Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973) established her in popular culture and as a scream queen, earning her a Golden Globe Award ...
played Regan.
Mercedes McCambridge Carlotta Mercedes Agnes McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004) was an American actress of radio, stage, film, and television. Orson Welles called her "the world's greatest living radio actress". She won an Academy Award for Best Support ...
provided the majority of Pazuzu's dialogue, most notably in all the scenes with Fathers Karras and Merrin. Pazuzu's voice is provided by Linda Blair herself in some early scenes, and Ron Faber in others. The face of Pazuzu is provided by Eileen Dietz, who also plays Regan during the vomiting, levitation and masturbation scenes. Pazuzu is mostly manifested by a swarm of locusts in ''Exorcist II: The Heretic'', though is also shown possessing the young Regan and a young boy named Kokumo during flashback sequences. While the stand-in for the young Regan is uncredited, the possessed Kokumo was played by Joey Green, and all of Pazuzu's dialogue in the film is provided by Karen Knapp. ''The Exorcist III'' is the only film in which Pazuzu does not have a physical manifestation, though it still does have a few lines of dialogue, which are voiced by
Colleen Dewhurst Colleen Rose Dewhurst (June 3, 1924 – August 22, 1991) was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of Eugene O'Neill on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early dra ...
. In ''Exorcist: The Beginning'' and ''Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist'', the victims possessed by Pazuzu are played by
Izabella Scorupco Izabella Scorupco (born Izabela Dorota Skorupko; 4 June 1970) is a Polish-Swedish actress, singer and model. She is best known for having played a Bond girl, Natalya Simonova, in the 1995 James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. She is also known for her ...
and
Billy Crawford Billy Joe Ledesma Crawford (born May 16, 1982) is a Filipino actor and singer. Crawford is a recipient of a NRJ Music Awards, a FAMAS Award and a special Aning Dangal award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Crawfor ...
respectively, and the voices of Pazuzu are Rupert Degas in the former film and
Mary Beth Hurt Mary Beth Hurt (''née'' Supinger; born September 25, 1946) is a retired American actress of stage and screen. She is a three-time Tony Award-nominated actress. Notable films in which Hurt appears include ''Interiors'' (1978), '' The World Accor ...
in the latter. In ''The Exorcist'' television series, Pazuzu in its natural form is portrayed by Robert Emmet Lunney. Its victims are an older Regan, portrayed by
Geena Davis Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Davis made her acting debut in the satirical romantic comedy ''Toots ...
, and Regan's daughter Casey, portrayed by Hannah Kasulka. The demon mask used in the movie '' Onibaba'' (1964) inspired
William Friedkin William David Friedkin (; August 29, 1935 – August 7, 2023) was an American film, television and opera director, producer, and screenwriter who was closely identified with the "New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in doc ...
to use a similar design for the makeup in the shots. In these shots, the demon is played by actress Eileen Dietz, who underwent makeup tests for the "possessed Regan", wore one of the alternate make-ups in her role as the demon.


In popular culture

*Professional wrestler Danhausen has said his face make-up is based on Pazuzu from ''The Exorcist''. *Pazuzu has been featured in numerous spoofs/parodies. A notable example is ''
Scary Movie 2 ''Scary Movie 2'' is a 2001 American parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. It is the sequel to '' Scary Movie'' and the second installment in the ''Scary Movie'' film series. The film stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans and ...
'', 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 Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. Her portrayal of Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973) established her in popular culture and as a scream queen, earning her a Golden Globe Award ...
starred in the film and reprised her role as the demon. *In the '' Highlander''
television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
, the statue of Pazuzu is used during a storyline in which Duncan MacLeod duels a Satan-like being. *A statue resembling Pazuzu appears in the
Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett in London, England in 1998. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (gui ...
's music video for "Rock It". Pazuzu is also depicted in the cover art of their 2007 compilation album '' D-Sides'', designed by Jamie Hewlett. Band vocalist 2D is also sometimes depicted wearing a "Captain Howdy" T-shirt. *A statue of Pazuzu appears in the ''
Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...
'' episode "There's No Place Like Home", as one of the unpredictable artifacts in Rumplestilskin's vault. *Pazuzu is the name of a
gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed Grotesque (architecture), grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from ...
in the animated television series ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company and later revived by Comedy Central, and then Hulu. The series follows Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1 ...
''. *In Beyond Wrestling, the current dominant
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
is called Team Pazuzu. *The original film was parodied in ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', season 1, episode 7, featuring guest host
Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Known for reaching a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, he is widely regarded ...
as Father Karras. *The statue was featured/parodied in the first segment of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
28th ''Treehouse of Horror'' episode. The episode, titled "The Exor-Sis", depicts
Maggie Simpson Margaret Lenny "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and the youngest member of the titular family. She first appeared on television in the '' Tracey Ullman Show'' short " Good Night" on ...
becoming possessed by a replica of the statue. The episode aired on
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
on October 22, 2017. *A statue of Pazuzu is also briefly shown in the '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' trailer and is seen for a split second before being blown away in a cave by an explosion. *In
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...
's movie ''
Legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...
'', the statue of Pazuzu from ''The Exorcist'' is visible as an atmospheric prop in two shots, and appears as a silhouette each time. Once in Meg Mucklebones' Swamp, and later in the long shot of the chained up Unicorn. It is recognizable as Pazuzu due to the distinctive wings. *In the 1997 film, '' Wishmaster'', a Pazuzu statue attacks guests at the party being held by the art collector, Beaumont (portrayed by veteran horror actor
Robert Englund Robert Barton Englund (born June 6, 1947) is an American actor and director. Englund is best known for playing the villain Freddy Krueger in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise. Englund has received multiple accolades and honors, incl ...
). *In the 2010 sitcom '' Neighbors from Hell'', Pazuzu is the name of the Hellmans' talking dog. *Pazuzu is parodied in a 1990 episode of the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
television sketch series, ''
French and Saunders ''French and Saunders'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring comedy duo and namesake Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders that originally broadcast on BBC2 from 1987 to 1993, and later on BBC One until 2017. It is al ...
'', titled "The Exorcist", in which
Dawn French Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957) is a British actress, comedian and writer. She is known for writing and starring on the BBC sketch comedy series '' French and Saunders'' (1987–2007) with her best friend and comedy partner Jennifer Sa ...
portrays Pazuzu/Regan, and
Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is an English actress, comedian, singer, and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School ...
portrays Chris MacNeil. *In the Canadian television series, '' SCTV'',
Catherine O'Hara Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian and American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She started her career in sketch comedy, sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before expanding her career taking dra ...
features in a skit, as Pazuzu/Regan, titled "Exorcising with Reagan Blair".


References


Bibliography

* {{The Exorcist Characters in American novels of the 20th century The Exorcist characters Literary characters introduced in 1971 Fictional characters who can levitate Fictional characters with body or mind control abilities Fictional characters with superhuman strength Fictional child abusers Fictional demons Fictional mass murderers Fictional rapists Fictional telekinetics Male literary villains Male characters in literature Male horror film villains Pazuzu