Sunday 10 July 2016

Monster: Lamashtu

Lamashtu: Demoness of nightmares

Appearances: Final Fantasy X

Lamashtu drake from Final Fantasy X

Another one of the drakes from Final Fantasy X today.

Lamashtu comes from Mesopotamian mythology. She was a malevolent demoness who acted on her own impulses rather than receiving instructions from the gods. The deaths of pregnant women and young infants were often attributed to Lamashtu's doing. She would drink the blood and eat the flesh of her victims. The demon could also bring disease, nightmares and wither plant-life. An incantation against Lamashtu notes that she is eternally angry and childless. Her childlessness may be what causes her to pray on infants. A common form of the demon was that of a lion headed human suckling a dog and a pig. She can also have a donkey's body.

Reference:
http://www.ancientneareast.net/mesopotamian-religion/lamastu-lamashtu/


Plaque showing Lamashtu in the center

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