-Tiamat?-someone turned up the speakers.
-Yep, Tiamat!-The computer loads the game with a slight whine.
-Tia...mother!-The clay tablet broke, slipping out of the archaeologist’s hands.
Did you remember her name-That means she's still alive. Any Sumerian would say that.
Ancient Mesopotamia was a prosperous, abundant, but by no means peaceful place. The gods and demons of this region were distinguished by a very violent and furious disposition. Thunder roars in the clouds - who is it? The lion-headed bird Anzud, dragons or four formidable whirlwind bodyguards of the great god Marduk? Both of them can promise good, but, most likely, they will cause further troubles for mortals. Yesterday's formidable deities became pitiful demons at the beck and call of young celestials. The world was built on freshly shed blood, the Tower of Babel stretched towards the starry temples, over which hovered the deadly shadow of Tiamat...
Chaos Incarnate
She is considered the most formidable of the forces of destruction - which is why she is so loved by metalheads and role-players. Fans of the fantasy series "Spear Saga" know Tiamat as one of the incarnations of Takhisis, the goddess of Evil, mistress of dragons, draconians and other chaotic creatures. She appears either as a beautiful dark brunette or as a dragon with five multi-colored heads. Of course, this dangerous beauty dreams of world domination, and if not for some irrepressible heroes...
Despite her notoriety, the historical Tiamat was distinguished by a very gentle disposition. She calmly mixed her waters with the waters of Apsu, another oceanic deity, and gave birth to gods. She lay there like that and didn’t touch anyone until her grandchildren grew up and started partying and dancing right on the ancient gods. Apsu was indignant and went to deal with the pests. He didn't come back. Tiamat still hoped to peacefully resolve the problems with the young gods when the universe shook under the heavy tread of baby Marduk. This young man was given several formidable hurricanes and weapons of monstrous power. The older deities were already worried. Tiamat's children came to her and began to complain. Of course, this was the end of the poor thing's patience. Tiamat began to gather her own army, giving birth to dragons and fish-men.
Their teeth are sharp, their fangs are merciless!
She filled their bodies with poison, like blood,
She dressed the ferocious dragons in horror,
She surrounded them with halos and equated them with gods.
Whoever sees them will fall without strength!
If they go into battle, they will not retreat!
She created Hydra, Mushhusha, Lahama from the abyss,
Giant Lion, Fierce Dog,
Scorpio in human form,
Storm Demons, Kulilu and Kusarikku.
Their weapons are merciless, they are fearless in battle!
Epic "Enuma Elish"
She chose General Kinga for the new army, whom she endowed with the magic of ancient laws. However, young Kingu did not live up to Tiamat's hopes. He fought Marduk and was defeated, captured, tried and executed. From his blood mixed with clay, the gods subsequently blinded people.
Tiamat faced a battle with Marduk and the bodyguard whirlwinds. In addition to four hurricanes, he threw seven more winds against the ancestor. First, they entangled her in nets, blinded her with radiance, poisoned her with herbs, and stunned her with a terror spell. Then the Whirlwinds entered Tiamat's throat and tore her apart from the inside while their lord was shooting the enemy with a magic bow. The body of the ancient goddess was cut in two. Thus Tiamat died. This is how the Earth and the Firmament appeared.
| Under cover |
One of the first researchers and translators of the Assyro-Babylonian language was Henry Rawlinson. Surprisingly, initially he had no intention of studying anything, much less wasting time on translations - after all, he was sent to Baghdad as a British intelligence officer! Scientific activity was just a legend invented for Rawlinson by bosses who had never even seen the ancient temples. But the valiant Englishman honestly climbed every day to the unheard-of heights of the Behistun rock and, hanging on ropes, redrew the reliefs and signs carved on it. It is not known what kind of intelligence officer he was, but he completed the cover task one hundred percent. |
Lilitu and Lilu, sweet couple
Lilu demons are the incubi and succubi of Mesopotamia. Lilu(men) seduce honest wives, and lilita seduce husbands. All this is done not out of love for the process, but for the sake of the birth of monsters, witches and sorcerers. The beautiful body of the winged lilitu, despite the lion’s legs, could not leave a single Sumerian indifferent, and therefore the glory of the depraved demoness survived both Sumer and Babylon. Having received a sonorous name Lilith, she managed to be the first wife of Adam, the wife of Samael, an adviser in angelic circles, and even the Queen of Sheba! And the number of demon children born by her cannot be counted.
According to the most common legend, after the creation of the world, God created both man and woman from dust. But Lilith quickly realized that with such equality, Adam’s society did not suit her. Then she left her husband, thus making the world's first divorce. No matter how much the angels tried to persuade Lilith to return, nothing helped. Moreover, she promised to take revenge on the descendants of man, taking husbands away from their wives and killing babies. In response, the angels placed a reciprocal curse on Lilith: from now on, one hundred of her own children would die every day. And the names of the heavenly protectors became an excellent talisman against the attacks of the evil demon. Adam parted with his rib to get a simpler wife, without feminist manners.
Lamashtu, stealing children
A creepy lion-headed creature with a donkey's body on bird-clawed paws sneaks through villages and cities, kidnapping children or sending pestilence to them. A dog and a pig drink milk from its breast, snakes crawl in its tracks Lamashtu.
Pazuzu, bringing hunger
It's strange, the luck of the Sumerians. To protect themselves from the evil Lamashtu, they are forced to call upon the help of the lord of drought and locusts. Pazuzu flies to the ground on eagle wings, his lion's roar echoes with thunder in the clouds, and his scorpion's body exudes poison that destroys crops. But it protects against plague. True, it brings hunger. But he drives Lamashtu away. Although... still...
By the way, Pazuzu appears in the film The Exorcist (1973) and its sequels. This time it was he who had the dubious honor of possessing a Christian girl. Apparently, the screenwriter was left with an indelible impression by Pazuz’s lion teeth and manhood in the form of a huge snake.
Utukku, vampires of Mesopotamia
Utukku demons, some tablets say, were the spirits of unburied mortals. The guards of the underworld did not see them and could not lock them in the underworld, so ghosts flew freely among the living. Utukku could be good or evil. Having been born good, the utukku received the appearance of winged human-headed bulls I'm walking and acted as guardians of people. Their evil brothers preferred to drink human breath and blood at night, infect mortals with plague, and arouse in them fratricidal rage.
The most famous of the evil utukku is now considered Alu. He appeared to his victims in the guise of a one-legged and one-armed leper, covered with purulent ulcers. His bite or touch infected the unfortunate person with a terrible disease.
It was possible to get rid of the utukku by burying the body of this spirit according to sacred rites or at least making sacrifices in its memory. Then the satisfied night avenger agreed to leave the living alone and retired to the afterlife.
Among occultists, the utukku is considered not a simple vampire, but an energetic one - after all, “drinking breath” can also be interpreted as “sucking spiritual energy”! Apparently, it was with the light hand of fans of occult sciences that utukku migrated to computer games.
Utukku in the MMORPG Final Fantasy. |
Galla, demons in the service of death
The seven guardians of the afterlife - the Galla - are responsible for ensuring that the souls of the dead are caught and taken to the place of eternal imprisonment. They don't care whether someone's soul was a shepherd, a warrior hero or a god. Work is work. Galla can strike a sinner with a serious illness or simply tear the soul out of the body.
These demons appeared on earth in the form of a wandering light (possibly ball lightning). The direct “superiors” of the Gaul are considered to be Ereshkigal and Nergal, the rulers of the kingdom of the dead. When the goddess of love Inanna (aka Ishtar) was released from underground captivity, seven formidable guards followed her. They waited to see who the hostage would indicate as ransom for her miraculous resurrection. And as soon as the victim was determined, the Gauls mercilessly took the life of the young god Dumuzi - he had the misfortune of not grieving for his wife Inanna. What can we say about mere mortals? They could only sacrifice lambs to demons, hoping for a very long meeting.
| Division of labor |
Gods and demons were believed to be equally responsible for the diseases of mankind. Moreover, each of them was in charge of his own illness and could only send it to parts of the body passing through his department. Thus, “the cursed Idpa directs his power against the head of a person, the nasty Utukku against the neck, the disastrous Alal against the chest, the evil Gigin against the entrails, and the terrible Telal against the hands of a person.” Lamashtu caused fever, Pazuzu caused nausea and headache. And the worst tormentor of humanity was a little worm who was late for the distribution of positions. The gods were so puzzled by the problem of employing a tiny creature that they found nothing better than to appoint him... as a teeth eater! So from now on all toothache is on their conscience. |
Asag and Sharur
The stone giant, with the power to move rocks and plants, was born from the union of Earth and Sky. He settled in the mountains, but, like many too powerful demons, he made a common mistake - he tried to conquer the whole world. At his command, the warrior stones began to plunder and destroy cities, plunging the inhabitants into horror and the gods into shock. The trees and grass proclaimed Asaga their king, and the people submitted to the will of the demon. One after another, he annexed foreign lands to his empire, until a hero was found worthy of fighting the giant.
But this hero, Ninurta, would never have known anything about Asaga if he had not owned a magic club. Another demon lived in this weapon, Sharur. It was he who hastened to tell the owner about the evil mountain lord. Enraged, Ninurta picked up his trusty club, headed to the lands captured by Asag, and in front of him launched monstrous hurricanes and downpours, which mercilessly dealt with all the minions and slaves of the stone demon. Unhappy people, who had not had much luck before, became victims of the rage of their savior: he brought down illness, fire, and flood on them. In despair, they cursed the Earth and its terrible child, through whose fault so many troubles had happened.
However, having destroyed half the country and decorated the walls of the cities with the heads of the rebels, the hero calmed down slightly and finally fought with Asag himself. He responded to Ninurta with no less catastrophes - the rivers boiled and dried up from the demon’s roar, and the Earth groaned from bloody wounds when Asag walked over it with his claws. The gods, trembling, watched the fight from hiding - just in case.
Here Sharur again joined the battle. He caused a storm to cool the red-hot giant, and then flew to destroy the mountains and smash the skulls of the surviving townspeople. The magic club was worthy of its owner. True, Sharur did manage to strike at Asag’s impenetrable skin and cut off his legs, but it seems that at the moment when Ninurta finally dealt with the giant, there was no one to free him from the tyrant’s power. Therefore, the hero simply carried out a trial on plants and stones. And rightly so - you need to know who to help!
Sibitti, seven in one
Another living weapon, this time belonging to the plague god Erra, was inhabited by as many as seven demons. They also loved to give valuable advice to the owner and once inspired him to actually rebel against the other gods. At the instigation Sibitti Erra went to war with the whole world, drove the gods out of their temples and scared people to death. And until he was given due respect, recognizing his right to power, Erra did not calm down. Shrines were even built in honor of Sibitti. And who knows, what if he recommends something again?
Anzud, the thief of laws
Anzud, an insidious bird. |
lion headed eagle Anzud managed to make his mark both among good demonic creatures and among harmful ones. In some legends, he saves mortal heroes, carrying them on his back out of the thick of trouble; in others, the heroes drive him from the top of a sacred tree (and his snake friend from a lair in the roots). It should be noted that both warriors received the image of Anzud as a heraldic symbol. But the most famous dubious feat of the chaotic bird is the theft of divine laws.
Laws- these are the magical forces that control the universe. The one who owns the laws of me owns everything. Therefore, a rare god or demon did not encroach on the sacred tablets. Although few got them. The main holder of the me ultimately became Enlil, a powerful but overly trusting god. He brought Anzud closer to his throne, made him an adviser and envoy, and revealed various witchcraft secrets. The eagle took advantage of this: after waiting for Enlil to go swimming, he simply took the tablets with the laws of me into the mountains.
Outraged by such impudence, the gods sent for the kidnapper, already known to us, Ninurta. To Anzud’s credit, the eagle skillfully used the magic of the stolen tablets and managed to repel two attacks from the divine warrior before he broke all the enemy’s bones.
Humbaba, the stern forester
Humbaba, a multi-armed and multi-legged creature, was appointed by the gods to protect the cedar grove from the encroachments of all kinds of poachers. According to some reports, he became the very first Ent, and Humbaba's countless hands turned into branches. For order, he was, of course, given a firearm - deadly rays of light. They could be worn as a cape, but in extreme cases they scattered on the ground and began to work on their own (as has already been said more than once, the weapons of the Mesopotamian gods and demons were distinguished by their intelligence and ingenuity).
Lahamu, watermen of the Tigris and Euphrates
Demons of the water element Lahamu were depicted in the form of fish with human faces or in the form of man-fish (according to current ideas, newts or mermaids). For the most part, the Lahamu were not hostile to humans. The gods often used the services of lahamu, sending them on various errands. The most famous water demon, Kululu, served as an adviser and orderly to Enki himself, the god of wisdom, who compiled the notorious laws of me. Enki himself was not averse to the aquatic form, albeit a very unusual one. This couple must have looked strange, wandering in the world's oceans - a newt and a goatfish!
Kurgarru and Calaturru, psychoanalysts
Enki created these asexual demonic creatures by mixing mud and wind. He made them for a reason, but with a special intention: he needed messengers to the afterlife who could talk the Lady Ereshkigal into such a way that she would give them everything in the world. Professional mourners since birth, Coorgarru And Kalaturru went to the next world.
Ereshkigal suffered from longing for her children - not yet born and already lost. Since she killed Inanna, the goddess of love, birth has become impossible, but out of stubbornness and anger, Ereshkigal refused to return love to Earth. Kurgarru and Kalaturru sat down near the weeping mistress of the underworld and began to echo her lamentations, so skillfully that Ereshkigal’s pain subsided. Of course, after this she willingly gave the body of her rival to the little demons, and they revived Inanna with the help of magic. Joy reigned on earth again. And Kurgarru and Kalaturru received the status of guardians of rebirth. One of them is in charge of Living Water, and the other is in charge of the Food of Life (not to be confused with living food!).
Mushkhushi, good dragons
Mushkhushi, or mushussu - bird-footed, wingless reptiles of Sumer - were engaged in the personal care of mortals. Paired with the winged bulls shedu or lamassu, they guarded cities and individual residents, driving away harmful spirits. Their images were placed on family seals, amulets and even on gates. The most famous image of the mushhusha remains on the Ishtar Gate.
Shedu and lamassu, winged bulls
These spirits were not just patrons and protectors of man, but were responsible for very specific life functions. So, I'm walking, according to some information, specialized in protecting the body, and lamassu were responsible for the spirit and reproductive abilities. It is also said that Mesopotamian women were not entitled to shedu at all. Now it’s clear why most of the local demons were chasing women!
* * *
The mystical secrets of the East still excite human minds. Some are captivated by the sophisticated culture of Japan, others are attracted by the spicy aroma of India, but for those who are daring and daring, there is nothing more interesting than the mysteries of ancient Mesopotamia. Hot as the flame of Shamash, sharp as the spear of Nergal, full of the riotous joy of drinking songs and the strict asceticism of Kabbalah, the mythology of Mesopotamia has barely begun to reveal its secrets. Who knows what lurks beneath the surface of its secrets? Maybe the beautiful face of Ishtar... or perhaps the grinning mouth of a dragon as old as the universe.
Liber Azerate, the book of Wrathful Chaos, states that the dragon is the most ancient symbol of chaos. Pre-cosmic primordial chaos is represented by the dragon Tiamat. And the post-cosmic wrathful chaos is personified by the black dragon Khubur. Thus, the publication of TOTBL, the Temple of Black Light, formerly known as the Misanthropic Luciferian Order, notes the importance of working with this dark entity.
In the text of this “Necronomicon” there is a chapter “The Scripture of Magan”. It describes various Sumerian-Akkadian myths, revised and added by the author in his own way. Including “Enuma elish”, and the text “Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld” appears under the title “On the Dream of Ishtar”.
The above is a quote from the Enuma Elish, which in Simon's revised form looks like this:
Hubur has ascended, She who gives birth to everything
And he wields Sorcery like our Lord.
She added unsurpassed weapons to the Ancients' arsenals.
Serpent-Monster pleased
Sharp to the tooth, long to the tooth,
Filled their bodies with blood poison.
She clothed the roaring dragons with horror,
She crowned them with halos, likening them to gods.
In the text “On the Dream of Ishtar,” Simon, narrating what the spirits sent for Ishtar see in the underground Kur, adds about Khubur:
Unseen Monsters,
Centuries at dawn located,
Located in the battle of Marduk and Tiamat,
Located Khubur,
With the sign of Khubur
King's followers...
In the context of these two quotes from Simon's Necronomicon, one might already think that Hubur is not identical to Tiamat. Thus, the beginning has been made for a misunderstanding of the essence of Khubur. The epithet of the original mother Tiamat gradually acquires the attributes of a separate dark entity.
However, the final and main role in the cultivation of this division into Tiamat and Khubur was played by the book Liber Azerate. It is the next reworking of the Enuma Elish myth, which in this book is called “Kagiri Ushumgal”, that assigns Khubur a new role. The role of a dark and terrible, and at the same time independent and self-sufficient entity. Imbued with hatred of the ordered and its gods, the text “Kagiri Ushumgal”, as part of the Book of Wrathful Chaos, was published by followers of kaosophy in 2002 and translated into Russian six years later.
At the very beginning of this article, it was said about the position of the authors of Liber Azerate regarding the role of Tiamat-Khubur. I repeat, the primordial chaos is represented by the dragon Tiamat, and the post-cosmic chaos is personified by the black dragon Hubur. In Kagiri Ushumgal, she played a huge role in the war lost by the chaotic gods. Compare the short Enuma Elish passage quoted above, given in the standard translation, as well as in Simon's treatment, with the MLO edition. It has significantly expanded in detail and introduces new meanings:
Mother Tiamat, filled with hatred, cast ancient spells and with her magic summoned Khubur, Khubur - the high priestess of Tiamat, Khubur - the creator of demons.
Tiamat told her: “Create legions of retribution, create demons of disorder, create gods of destruction, for I, Tiamat, the most powerful and ancient among the gods of chaos, demand the blood of new gods as a sacrifice. Create armies of chaos warriors who will avenge the death of Absu. Create the avengers of chaos, my devoted Hubur, and avenge the dragon's sorrow." Hubur, the furious shadow of Tiamat, bowed before the dragon throne and with her black magic summoned dragon monsters with sharp poisonous fangs. Instead of blood, she filled their bodies with poison, and she clothed the furious giant dragons in horror. She surrounded them with a radiance of terror and made them gods, and those who would set out to oppose them would be destroyed.
As the quote suggests, it is Hubur who creates hordes of monsters for battle on the orders of the goddess of chaos Tiamat. Here there is already a complete division of the dark mother into two entities. Also interesting is the further story about the calling of Kingu to lead the legions of Chaos, who is the husband of Hubur as interpreted by the authors from MLO. It is the great dark priestess who takes on the entire role, and not Tiamat, as is customary in the classic text “Enuma Elish”:
When everything was ready, Hubur knelt before the dragon Tiamat. Tiamat, the great dragon, Tiamat, the personification of the primordial chaos, exclaimed in a voice filled with hatred: “Hubur, my devoted priestess, I am pleased with everything that you have created, but who will lead these eleven to complete victory and bring the torn souls of the bastard gods to me sacrifice? In response to the chaos dragon's question, Khubur summoned her husband with her black magic, she called. Before Tiamat's throne she praised Kinga, and in the name of Tiamat she chose Kinga as leader of the army. Khubur chose Kinga to lead the evil army, to raise arms in battle, she transferred the command of the battle into the hands of King. Khubur allowed King to take his place on the council, and before the throne of Tiamat she spoke to her husband, the powerful King: “I cast a spell, I made you great among the gods, I filled your hands with power over all the gods, now you are more powerful than ever.” or, my husband. May the filthy bastard gods under your feet be crushed." Hubur gave Kingu the tablets of fate and tied them with a belt on his chest, the great prince of chaos, warlord Kingu.
After Tiamat's battle with Marduk, other MLO innovations to the Enuma Elish myth appear. They put forward a different concept, complementing the classic legend. In their version, after the fall of the Chaos dragon, Hubur, using magical powers, takes away the blood of the deceased Tiamat:
When Kingu's troops saw the fall of the dragon, it confused them. But the high priestess of chaos, invisibly present in the battle, the demonic sorceress Khubur, who watched the battle, turned into a black wind. Before the spilled blood of Tiamat touched the earth, before the spilled blood of the chaos dragon was desecrated by the dirty Marduk, Hubur collected the blood of the great dragon and took it to places unknown to the light gods. The devoted Khubur, the mother of black magic, the evil witch Khubur took the blood to the darkest lands and splashed it into the endless void. From the blood of the dragon arose a powerful kingdom of wrathful chaos. From the blood of the ancient chaos, the avengers of darkness have grown up, who will avenge the fall of the dragon's throne. The blood of the dragon mother spread, and so chaos surrounded everything that was to become space. In the darkness of furious chaos dwell evil demons, thirsty in anticipation. The treacherous Marduk, not knowing about the deeds of Hubur, not knowing about the new demonic kingdom, stood near the body of the “dead” dragon and collected his weapons.”
Thus, it is worth noting the great importance of Khubur for the modern priest within the framework of the practice of kaosophy. Much of the magical practice of anti-cosmic Satanism is tied specifically to Khubur. She is mentioned frequently in hymns and ritual texts found in Liber Azerate. Her sigil is also given there:
Consequently, this is how the image of Khubur was formed as an independent dark mother of witchcraft and magic, the mistress of Chaos in the absence of Tiamat. Relying on the classical understanding, where Khubur is an epithet of Tiamat, or adhering to the modern concept from Liber Azerate remains an individual decision for everyone on the path of occult-magical practice.
Tiamat
Marduk (right) fights Tiamat.
Tiamat- the world ocean-chaos of salty waters, from which everything was born (including the gods) in Sumerian-Babylonian mythology. According to the Sumerian-Akkadian cosmogonic epic Enuma elish, Tiamat mixed her waters with the Abzu, thereby giving rise to the world. Tiamat was depicted as a four-legged monster with wings; the newly born gods entered into a struggle with her, and Marduk, who killed her, creates heaven and earth from her body.
Since when writing the word “Tiamat” in Enuma Elish there is no determiner DINGIR, meaning "deity", Tiamat should be considered a natural element or element rather than a goddess.
Included in a large group of myths about Dragon Serpents and Sea Serpents. Compare: the Greek myth about the fight between Hydra (Greek “water”) and Hercules, the Scandinavian myth about the fight between the Sea Serpent and the athlete Thor, and others.
Etymology
Thorkild Jacobsen and Walter Barkert believe that it may come from the Akkadian word “tâmtu” - sea, an early form of which is “ti’amtum”. Or this name combines two Sumerian words: “ti” - life and “ama” - mother.
Barkert sees a connection between the word and Tethys and its later form thalatth, similar to the Greek thalassa - “sea”.
The poem “Enuma Elish” is named after the first words: “when above” there was no heaven, and no earth below, there were only the freshwater ocean Apsu “the first, the best”, and the salt ocean Tiamat “she who gave birth to all” and “all mixed in its waters." In Mesopotamia, female deities were believed to be older than male ones, and Tiamat was part of a cult that deified the creative power of water.
Harriet Crawford discovers the mixing of waters in nature in the Persian Gulf when the fresh waters of the Arabian Aquifer mix with the salty waters of the sea.
Tiamat is also associated with West Semitic tehom (תהום) (depth, abyss) in 1 Genesis.
Appearance
Tiamat is sometimes represented as a sea serpent, a dragon, or a five-headed fire-breathing serpent, but nowhere in the ancient texts are such direct descriptions found. In Enuma Elish, Tiamat has: tail, hips, belly, chest, ribs, neck, head, skull, eyes, nostrils, mouth, lips; heart, arteries, blood. The image of Tiamat is found in the computer games Darksiders (Tiamat is a huge winged demon of incredible power), Disciples II (represented as a humanoid creature with tentacles, which is actually the throne of Betrezen, the demon lord), Disciples III (has a lizard-like appearance and huge fists with skulls ), Aion (represented as a girl who transforms into a huge fire-breathing dragon)
Notes
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
Synonyms:See what "Tiamat" is in other dictionaries:
In Akkadian mythology, a chthonic deity, the embodiment of chaos; Having defeated Tiamat, the god Marduk cut her body in half and created heaven and earth... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
TIAMAT, in Akkadian mythology, a chthonic deity, the embodiment of chaos; Having defeated Tiamat, the god Marduk (see MARDUK) cut her body in half and created heaven and earth... encyclopedic Dictionary
- (“sea”), in Akkadian mythology (cosmogonic poem “Enuma Elish”) the personification of the primordial element, the embodiment of world chaos. T., the creator, together with her husband Apsu (see Abzu) of the first gods, in a cosmic battle between generations ... ... Encyclopedia of Mythology
Noun, number of synonyms: 1 goddess (346) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary
- (Hald.) A female dragon, personifying the ocean: the great mother or the living principle of chaos. Tiamat wanted to swallow Bel, but Bel sent a wind that burst into her open mouth and killed her. Source: Theosophical Dictionary... Religious terms
TIAMAT- (Hald.) A female dragon, personifying the ocean: the great mother or the living principle of chaos. Tiamat wanted to swallow Bel, but Bel sent a wind that burst into her open mouth and killed her... Theosophical Dictionary
Tiamat- in Akkad. myth. (cosmogonic poem “Enuma Elish”) personif. primordial elements, the embodiment of world chaos. T., the creator, together with her husband Apsu, of the first gods, in the cosmic. the battle between the generation of elder gods. T. and the younger gods... ... Ancient world. encyclopedic Dictionary
TIAMAT- Assyrian in Babylon. mythology a creature personifying primordial chaos. Depicted as a monstrous dragon. T. the ancestor of the gods, with whom she then entered into a struggle. In the battle with Marduk, T. was killed, and from her body the earth and sky were formed... Atheist Dictionary
Tiamat- (Akkadian) – “sea” – a goddess personifying the primordial element, world chaos. Together with her husband Apsu (Abzu) is considered the creator of the first gods. Killed by Marduk during a cosmic battle between the elder gods (led by her) and the younger gods... ... Mythological dictionary
Tiamat: Tiamat is the world ocean of salt waters in Sumero Babylonian mythology. Tiamat is a Swedish rock band playing in the style of gothic/doom metal. Tiamat is a generator of a special field in which electronic, atomic and internucleon particles are destroyed... ... Wikipedia
Books
- Grimoire of Tiamat, Mason Asenath, The teachings presented in the pages of this grimoire are derived from my personal experience, but they have also been experienced by my friends and partners in the ritual practice of Itemi, who sought knowledge and... Series: Publisher: Castalia,
- Grimoire of Tiamat, Mason Asenath, The teachings presented in the pages of this grimoire are derived from my personal experience, but they have also been experienced by my friends and partners in the ritual practice of Itemi who sought knowledge and... Publisher:
Tiamat (“sea”) - in Akkadian mythology (cosmogonic poem “Enuma Elish”) the personification of the primordial element, the embodiment of world chaos. Tiamat, the creator together with her husband Apsu (Abzu) of the first gods Lahmu and Lahamu, in a cosmic battle between the generation of elder gods (headed by Tiamat) and the younger gods led by Marduk, is killed by Marduk; he cuts Tiamat's body into two parts, making heaven from the first and earth from the second. Depicted (presumably) as a monstrous dragon or a seven-headed hydra.
The origin of this goddess with a very difficult fate is lost in the origins of the most ancient Mesopotamian religions.
She was probably once an analogue of Gaia among one of the powerful tribes that made up the Akkadian or Sumerian civilization. She could also play a more important, but closer role as the goddess of fertility and childbirth.
In ancient times, there was a custom not to overthrow the gods of conquered peoples, but to annex them to their pantheons, even simply to take idols from the conquered lands to the capital. This is how the gods of individual localities and cities appeared. Often conquerors mixed up their own and borrowed gods and forgot which was whose, as, for example, the Romans did when they foolishly conquered Greece.
The Babylonians made Tiamat the mother of the gods. They gave her the image of a dragon.
In the Mesopotamian creation epic, everything begins with water in a state of chaos. Apsu, the fresh water of streams and rivers, and Tiamat, the sea of salt water, united to create the universe and the gods. God Apsu, angry at the children for their disobedience, wanted to kill them. Having learned about this plan, the children-gods sent the god Ey to kill their father.
Tiamat, who did not want to kill her children, after the death of her beloved god Apsu, also entered into a fight with them.
From her new lover, Kingu, the goddess gave birth to thousands of monsters. The child gods were afraid to enter into battle with Tiamat until the god Marduk, the son of Ey, decided to challenge her, they promised Marduk that if he defeated Tiamat they would make him king of the gods.
Having made a net, Marduk caught Kinga and all the monsters in it, chained them and threw them into the Underworld. He then fought with his mother Tiamat and killed her. From one half of her body he created the sky, and from the other - the earth. From Kingu's blood he made people. Marduk then built a dwelling in the sky for the gods, arranged the stars in the sky and determined the length of the year.
It has long been known that the Moon influences the seas. Therefore, Tiamat could represent the triple Moon Goddess, whose cult was overthrown by the sun worshipers. This explains the statement that the length of the year was determined by Marduk. Since ancient times, the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, like representatives of many other civilizations, used the lunar calendar.
Tiamat ceased to be supreme, but remained a goddess. They still made human sacrifices to her, just like in the old days.
Time passed. Patriarchy has replaced matriarchy. it was necessary to change the gods. Female deities became secondary, or even demonic. Almost all known Asian civilizations went through this. Tiamat became the embodiment of the evil of the underworld in the form of a snake. The new warrior god Bel-Marduk defeated and, having overthrown her allegedly for eschatological intentions, created heaven and earth from pieces of her body.
The misfortunes of the goddess did not end there. Christian demonology has mentioned her with an unkind word in several works. Tiamat was resurrected only to be killed by the Archangel Michael.
Yes, you can’t envy such a fate. They won't let you live or die in peace.
Hello again. We continue our series of articles dedicated to dragons. And today we will introduce you to another representative of this species, which Ishibumi-sensei made part of his world.
So, meet:
Tiamat is the world ocean-chaos of salty waters, from which everything was born (including the gods) in
Sumerian-Babylonian mythology. According to the Sumerian-Akkadian cosmogonic epic "Enuma Elish",
Tiamat mixed her waters with the Abzu, thereby giving birth to the world. Tiamat was depicted as a four-legged
a monster with wings; the gods who were born entered into a struggle with her, and Marduk, who killed her, from her body
creates heaven and earth.
Since the spelling of the word "Tiamat" in the Enuma Elish lacks the determiner DINGIR, meaning "deity", Tiamat should be considered a natural element or element rather than a goddess. The poem "Enuma Elish" is named after the first words: "when above" there was no heaven, and no
there was land below, there was only the freshwater ocean Apsu "first, best", and
salty ocean Tiamat “she who gave birth to everyone” and “everyone was mixed in her waters.” In Mesopotamia, female deities were believed to be older than male ones, and Tiamat was part of a cult that deified the creative power of water.
The Babylonian priests wrote that before the light was separated from the darkness, the god Marduk killed his mother, the dragon Tiamat, who hated all order:
"In ancient times, when everything was still devoid of form, two primordial beings arose. One of them, male, was called Apsu and began to rule the fresh waters and emptiness, while the other, female, named Tiamat, began to rule the salt waters and chaos Tiamat was a dragon with the jaws of a crocodile, the fangs of a lion, the webbed wings of a bat, the feet of a lizard, the claws of an eagle, the body of a python, and the horns of an ox.
From the union of these two creatures came the gods, one of whom killed his father, Apsu. In a furious rage, Tiamat gave birth to new offspring, terrible monsters, wanting them to destroy the gods. Among these monsters were scorpion people, demonic lions, giant snakes and dragons covered with sparkling scales, similar to Tiamat herself. The celestials entrusted the god Marduk, who later became the ruler of the universe, to repel the enemy. Armed with a club, a net, poison, a bow and arrows and a beam of sparkling lightning, the divine warrior mounted a thunderous chariot drawn by four ferocious horses, fast as the wind, and set off to meet the enemy, accompanied by four heavenly winds and a furious hurricane. 
He looked everywhere for his mother Tiamat. Finally, Marduk contrived to catch her in his net spread in the abyss. Then he ordered the four winds to blow into her mouth so that she could not close her mouth, and he, taking aim, struck her with an arrow, which, flying between her open jaws, pierced her heart.
And he cut her insides and pierced her heart, and, depriving her of strength, destroyed the life in her. And he stepped with his feet on her lifeless body. The death of Tiamat plunged her beast-like offspring into horror, and they, no longer thinking about battle, tried to escape from Marduk by flight. But the warrior caught them all in his net and, shackling them in chains, imprisoned them in hell. Then he cut the monstrous carcass of Tiamat in half, “like cutting a fish,” and created the firmament of heaven from one half, and the firmament of the earth from the other. For the gods, he built magnificent chambers in the heavens, placed the stars and the moon - the keeper of time - on the firmament, and from the blood of one of the monsters generated by Tiamat he created people to serve the gods, “so that the gods would live in a world that makes their hearts happy.”
Thus, in the minds of the first people who comprehended the mystery of the origin of the universe, our world was created from primordial chaos. Almost the same legends about the origin of the universe have developed in other countries, even very distant from Babylon, in India and Denmark, for example. In Babylon itself, the story of the battle with the first dragon was read out to the people every year, so that people would remember their origins and the beginnings of the world in which they live, and honor the first dragon slayer who defeated the fiend of darkness.
Tiamat is also found in modern culture. In the Dungeons & Dragons universe, which can rightfully be considered a paradise for dragons, Tiamat is an evil goddess. Five-headed queen of chromatic dragons.
Tiamat is also found in other games. In the Disciples universe, for example, Tiamat appears as a demon rather than a dragon. It is also often found in the Final Fantasy universe.
Musicians were not spared either. Many people should be familiar with the group of the same name.
Well, this time the article was not so voluminous. But, I hope, informative enough. Next time we will look at a more interesting representative of the dragon family. In the meantime, I hasten to say goodbye to you. See you again!
