Pazuzu is a prominent figure in ancient Mesopotamian religion, specifically within the mythologies of Sumer, Akkad, and Babylon. He is a demon or deity associated with the wind, storms, and pestilence, and is often regarded as a protective figure against evil spirits, despite his own fearsome nature.
Pazuzu is typically depicted as a hybrid creature with various animalistic features. He has the body of a man, the head of a lion or dog, talons of an eagle, two pairs of wings, and a scorpion’s tail. His form is deliberately fearsome, combining elements of various creatures to emphasize his connection with danger and chaos. Pazuzu’s fearsome appearance was believed to instill fear in other malevolent forces.
Biography[]
Role in Mesopotamian Beliefs[]
Pazuzu has two main aspects. Firstly, he acts as a domestic spirit, serving as a demon of the home, and secondly, he is a wandering wind demon, roaming the mountains with a wilder nature.
Pazuzu was considered a king of the wind demons, especially the southwest wind, which brought with it destructive storms and droughts. While he was associated with bringing calamities such as famine and plague, Pazuzu was paradoxically seen as a protector. He was invoked to guard against other malevolent beings, most notably Lamashtu, a demoness who preyed on pregnant women and infants.
Ancient peoples would often use amulets bearing the image of Pazuzu or recite prayers to him as a defense against Lamashtu and other evil spirits. His role as a protector demonstrates the duality of ancient Mesopotamian deities, where even frightening figures could serve benevolent purposes.
Pazuzu in Myth and Ritual[]
Pazuzu appears frequently in ancient magical texts and rituals as a figure to be invoked for protection. Rituals dedicated to invoking Pazuzu often involved the use of incantations, prayers, and the use of amulets or figurines. These objects would be buried under doorways or worn as talismans to ward off evil spirits. The duality of Pazuzu as both a bringer of misfortune and a protector reflects the complex nature of Mesopotamian religious beliefs about good and evil.
A ritual text from Assyria recommends using a Pazuzu head to drive away illness. Similarly, an incantation against Lamashtu from the Late Babylonian Period instructs the creation of a Pazuzu necklace to be worn by the afflicted person.
In a bilingual (Sumerian and Akkadian) version of the Compendia, Pazuzu introduces himself, saying:
"I am Pazuzu, son of Ḫanbu, king of the evil lilû-demons. I was enraged against the mighty mountains and ascended them."
In another text, Pazuzu describes his encounter with other lilû demons, where he disables them by breaking their wings, thus preventing them from causing harm:
"I ascended a mighty mountain that shook, and the evil winds I encountered were heading west; one by one I broke their wings."
In a different text, Pazuzu is portrayed more maliciously, as the narrator refers to him as the "Agony of Mankind," "Suffering of Mankind," and "Disease of Mankind," with chants imploring him to stay out of homes.
Relationships With Other Demons[]
Wind Demons[]
Pazuzu belongs to the class of lilû, or wind demons, along with his subjects. These demons are linked to earlier Babylonian personifications of the Four Winds. Depictions of these wind beings on cylinder seals show them with wings, each representing a different cardinal direction—North, South, East, and West. Scholar Franz Wiggermann notes the bent posture of the West Wind, which resembles Pazuzu’s stance in his iconography. Later seals show this figure with talons and a scorpion's tail, making further connections to Pazuzu. Wiggermann suggests that it is Pazuzu’s body, rather than his head, that marks him as a wind demon. Scott Noegel further connects Pazuzu’s four wings to the term kippatu, meaning "circle" or "totality," implying Pazuzu’s dominion over all directions of the wind, inherited from earlier wind deities.
Lamashtu[]
Lamashtu, the baby-snatching demoness, is depicted as both an adversary and a subject of Pazuzu. Some theories suggest that Pazuzu was created specifically to counter her. Originally, Lamashtu existed independently, without any specific ties to other demons. However, during the Late Bronze Age, she was classified as a lilû demon, at which point Pazuzu emerged to drive her out of homes and back to the underworld. It is notable that Pazuzu’s earliest appearances coincide with Lamashtu’s reclassification as a lilû demon during the Middle Assyrian Empire.
On one amulet, Pazuzu is shown chasing Lamashtu away from her intended victim, and on another, he is depicted destroying her. A Neo-Assyrian bronze plaque shows Pazuzu's head at the top, with a smaller version of him chasing Lamashtu down a river, alongside other protective spirits like apkallu and animal-headed demons, guarding a person lying on a bed.
Parents and Siblings[]
Pazuzu's father is Hanpu, whose name means "The staggering one" or "The perverted one."
Bes[]
Some scholars argue that the Egyptian demon Bes is a counterpart to Pazuzu. Both demons were considered protectors within the home, and they share similar iconography, such as lion-like features, wings, a long phallus, and comparable facial characteristics. The positioning of both demons on protective amulets also mirrors each other. Furthermore, both Pazuzu and Bes are associated with protecting pregnant women and mothers.
There is evidence suggesting cultural exchange between the two figures. A possible Pazuzu statue was found in Egypt, while Bes amulets have been unearthed in Iran. In a 7th-century fort in Nimrud, five Pazuzu heads were found alongside a Bes amulet. There is also a theory proposing a link in their names, suggesting that both may be connected to the king's name Bazi, though this remains speculative.
Other Protective Demons[]
Pazuzu sometimes appears alongside other protective deities, such as Ugallu and Lulal, on amulets. These deities were believed to solely benefit humanity, and their inclusion may have been to counteract Pazuzu’s harmful aspects. The positioning of these figures on the back of the amulets, hidden from view, might further suggest this intention. Ugallu and Lulal have also been found on the reverse side of Pazuzu heads, reinforcing their protective function.
Modern Cultural References[]
In modern times, Pazuzu has gained renewed attention due to his role in popular culture. He is perhaps most famous for his appearance in William Peter Blatty’s novel The Exorcist (1971) and its subsequent film adaptations. In these works, Pazuzu is portrayed as a malevolent force possessing a young girl, though this depiction deviates from the ancient belief in his protective powers.
Gallery[]
