LV426
09-07-2003, 03:25 AM
Babylon! Famous city of ancient wisdom and knowledge...and dragons! There were a great many dragons about in Babylon, but for this report, I am going to focus on Tiamat, the Queen of all ancient dragons.
Babylon is only one of five major Mesopotamian cities, and is most known for it's Hanging Gardens; one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. It is also well known due to it's infamous story in the bible, but here we are talking about it's more ancient past. It's creation, and the beings that we most admire...the dragons.
~Tiamat~
Let me start by saying that Tiamat is a Chaos/Earth dragon, and counted among the many as a Mother Earth Goddess. It is due to destruction that the world comes into being. The ancient Babylonians considered her an evil being, but according to their own myths there wouldn't be an earth or sky had she not existed. Her myth is below, although you may read the original works, I have used an abbreviated version from the book, *'World Mythology, the Illustrated Guide'.
"In the beginning, nothing existed except Apsu, the sweet-water ocean, and Tiamat, the salt-water ocean. From their union springs a succession of gods, culminating in the great gods Anu and Ea, who begets Marduk. But conflict arises between the younger gods and the primeval deities. Ea kills Apsu and Tiamat determines on revenge. She assembles a horde of ferocious monsters, such as the scorpion-man, with her son Kingu at it's head, whom she invests with the "Tablet of Destiny", corresponding to the Sumerian me. Various gods attempt to subdue Tiamat, but they fail and finally the pantheon choose Marduk as their champion. Marduk accepts on condition that he is recognized as king of the gods. He defeats Tiamat: he divides her body in two, one half forming the sky, the other half the earth. From Kingu he takes the Tablet of Destiny. Next, Marduk kills Kingu and from his blood, mixed with the earth, creates mankind. The gods build for Marduk in Babylon his own temple, Esagila, with it's ziggurat."
From the book, "World Mythology, the Illustrated Guide" General Editor: Roy Willis Page 62
Here is list of the monsters that Tiamat created for the epic struggle between herself and Marduk.
"Mother Hubur(Tiamat), who fashions all things, Contributed an unfaceable weapon: She bore giant snakes, Sharp of tooth and unsparing of fang. She filled their bodies with venom instead of blood. She cloaked ferocious dragons with fearsome rays And made them bear mantles of radiance, made them God-like. "Whoever looks upon them shall collapse in utter terror! Their bodies shall rear up continually and never run away!" She stationed a horned serpent, a mushussu-dragon, and a lahmu-hero, An ugallu-demon, a rabid dog, and a scorpion-man, Aggressive ummu-demons, a fish-man, and a bull-man Bearing merciless weapons, fearless in battle. Her orders were so powerful, they could not be disobeyed. In addition She created eleven more likewise. "
As you can see, Tiamat is credited not only as being a dragon, but as creating them! There were 11 other beasts that she created which were not named, but she is known to dragon lovers as the Mother of Dragons. The dragons and other monsters created by Tiamat were cast into the underworld. No more mention is made of them in the myth, but the dragons are depicted on many carvings throughout the Mesopotamian temples and buildings along with other gods. It is clear that the dragons were meant to be used as punishers and servants of the greater gods.
Also, it is interesting to note that while Tiamat is depicted on carvings throughout Mesopotamia as a dragon, she was originally drawn as a four-legged creature with head and forequarters of a lion, a scaled body, feathery wings, an eagle's hind legs and a forked tongue. She also had a hide that was impervious to all weapons. Later, it says she has a tail, a thigh, "lower parts", a belly, an udder, ribs, a neck, a head, a skull, eyes, nostrils, a mouth, and lips. Her insides consist of, a heart, arteries, and blood. The only thing in this description that is truly dragon in aspect would be the tail and possibly the thigh.
Tiamat is the Mother of All Dragons...according to Mesopotamian myth.
While she is often listed as an evil being, but I do not see her as such. In fact, if you read the poem, you will find that when her husband wanted to kill their children due to a prophecy that heralded his death, she was the one who stood up for her children and stayed his hand. Then, after her husband was killed, she was saddened, but did not immediately attack her headstrong son. At least not until her subserviant gods came to her and whined that they could no longer sleep, rest, or relax due to Anu's celebrations and excercises in his newfound powers. These other gods asked her why she did not avenge her husband's death? Why she was not as angry as she should be over his murder? Only then did she stir and begin to avenge her husband.
Tiamat is definately a chaotic being, but most primordial deities are violent. The world is a violent place, and Nature is well known for Her ability to change at will. Change is never a comfortable thing, and any change in the uncertain world of the ancients would be unwelcome. This makes most primordial beings seem to be evil, destructive, and horrible. Don't be fooled though, there are still many who see Tiamat as what she really was...a representation of an ancient Earth Goddess, and the first dragon in Middle Eastern art.
~ Other Dragons of Mesopotamia ~
^Mushussu^ (Furious Snake)
Mushussu is identified with the Hydra Constellation. Some myths claim that he was the one who suggested Apsu kill his children. Sometimes he is depicted as being a three-headed dragon that served under Tiamat in Babylonian mythology. Other times, he is shown as being a snake-dragon with a horn on his nose, a lion's front legs, and a bird's hind legs.
^Kur^
A dragon-ish being from the myths of Sumeria who is often compared to Tiamat by scholars. This is because Kur literally means "mountain", "foreign land", or "land", much as Tiamat is Earth. Kur's defeat also allowed the primordial waters of Adzu to be released, which immediately flooded the land with unclean water. The hero had to pile rocks atop the body of Kur to dam up the river, and direct it into the Tigris. Here you can see the ties to Tiamat. This dragon too was defeated, and his body used to create something on the earth.
^Horned Dragons^
There were three different types of horned dragons in Babylonian mythology. All were children of Tiamat.
^Basmu - A horned adder
^Mushus - The 'red serpent' - Front legs of a lion, back legs of a raven/eagle, scorpion's sting on his tail, and the rest is a horned serpent.
^Lahamu - Serpent with the front feet of a lion, and of course horns.
Humbaba (Huwawa)
A being of both Babylonian and Sumerian myth with dragon's teeth, a mouth of fire, and deadly breath. Although he is described as a lion-like creature, his dragon-ish characteristics are worth the mention here.
Sirrush
This creature comes to us from Babylon. It is described as having the body of a serpent, a scaly head, skin of a snake, forefeet of a cat, and birds claws for hind feet.
Zu (Anzu)
This dragon was said to be ancient when the myth was written about him 7000 years ago! He is found in early Sumerian mythology and is actually called a dragon, not a serpent.
Ancient Sumerian Dragon Myth This myth has been claimed as the oldest written record of a dragon in mythology. It is said to be about 7000 years old!
"When the world was young the already ancient dragon, Zu, stole the Tablets of Law which regulated the order of the universe from the great god Enlil. The sun-god Ninurta was sent after - and killed - Zu and rescued the Tablets, thus preventing the universe from returning to the primordial chaos."
From the pages of Dragons of Myth and Legend
Basmu
This dragon-ish beast is the symbol of Nin-gishzida in Akkadian. He is said to be a horned snake, sixty leagues long, and has multiple mouths and tongues. He is found in Sumerian mythology. Very similar to the Basmu of Babylonian mythology.
Yam-nahar
A sea dragon from Canaanite mythology, it is said to have seven heads. It was destroyed by Baal when he was still young.
Lotan
Another dragon from Canaanite mythology said to have much in common with the biblical Leviathan. It is called 'the fleeing serpent, the coiling serpent, the powerful with the seven heads'. It is a representation of evil.
Babylon is only one of five major Mesopotamian cities, and is most known for it's Hanging Gardens; one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. It is also well known due to it's infamous story in the bible, but here we are talking about it's more ancient past. It's creation, and the beings that we most admire...the dragons.
~Tiamat~
Let me start by saying that Tiamat is a Chaos/Earth dragon, and counted among the many as a Mother Earth Goddess. It is due to destruction that the world comes into being. The ancient Babylonians considered her an evil being, but according to their own myths there wouldn't be an earth or sky had she not existed. Her myth is below, although you may read the original works, I have used an abbreviated version from the book, *'World Mythology, the Illustrated Guide'.
"In the beginning, nothing existed except Apsu, the sweet-water ocean, and Tiamat, the salt-water ocean. From their union springs a succession of gods, culminating in the great gods Anu and Ea, who begets Marduk. But conflict arises between the younger gods and the primeval deities. Ea kills Apsu and Tiamat determines on revenge. She assembles a horde of ferocious monsters, such as the scorpion-man, with her son Kingu at it's head, whom she invests with the "Tablet of Destiny", corresponding to the Sumerian me. Various gods attempt to subdue Tiamat, but they fail and finally the pantheon choose Marduk as their champion. Marduk accepts on condition that he is recognized as king of the gods. He defeats Tiamat: he divides her body in two, one half forming the sky, the other half the earth. From Kingu he takes the Tablet of Destiny. Next, Marduk kills Kingu and from his blood, mixed with the earth, creates mankind. The gods build for Marduk in Babylon his own temple, Esagila, with it's ziggurat."
From the book, "World Mythology, the Illustrated Guide" General Editor: Roy Willis Page 62
Here is list of the monsters that Tiamat created for the epic struggle between herself and Marduk.
"Mother Hubur(Tiamat), who fashions all things, Contributed an unfaceable weapon: She bore giant snakes, Sharp of tooth and unsparing of fang. She filled their bodies with venom instead of blood. She cloaked ferocious dragons with fearsome rays And made them bear mantles of radiance, made them God-like. "Whoever looks upon them shall collapse in utter terror! Their bodies shall rear up continually and never run away!" She stationed a horned serpent, a mushussu-dragon, and a lahmu-hero, An ugallu-demon, a rabid dog, and a scorpion-man, Aggressive ummu-demons, a fish-man, and a bull-man Bearing merciless weapons, fearless in battle. Her orders were so powerful, they could not be disobeyed. In addition She created eleven more likewise. "
As you can see, Tiamat is credited not only as being a dragon, but as creating them! There were 11 other beasts that she created which were not named, but she is known to dragon lovers as the Mother of Dragons. The dragons and other monsters created by Tiamat were cast into the underworld. No more mention is made of them in the myth, but the dragons are depicted on many carvings throughout the Mesopotamian temples and buildings along with other gods. It is clear that the dragons were meant to be used as punishers and servants of the greater gods.
Also, it is interesting to note that while Tiamat is depicted on carvings throughout Mesopotamia as a dragon, she was originally drawn as a four-legged creature with head and forequarters of a lion, a scaled body, feathery wings, an eagle's hind legs and a forked tongue. She also had a hide that was impervious to all weapons. Later, it says she has a tail, a thigh, "lower parts", a belly, an udder, ribs, a neck, a head, a skull, eyes, nostrils, a mouth, and lips. Her insides consist of, a heart, arteries, and blood. The only thing in this description that is truly dragon in aspect would be the tail and possibly the thigh.
Tiamat is the Mother of All Dragons...according to Mesopotamian myth.
While she is often listed as an evil being, but I do not see her as such. In fact, if you read the poem, you will find that when her husband wanted to kill their children due to a prophecy that heralded his death, she was the one who stood up for her children and stayed his hand. Then, after her husband was killed, she was saddened, but did not immediately attack her headstrong son. At least not until her subserviant gods came to her and whined that they could no longer sleep, rest, or relax due to Anu's celebrations and excercises in his newfound powers. These other gods asked her why she did not avenge her husband's death? Why she was not as angry as she should be over his murder? Only then did she stir and begin to avenge her husband.
Tiamat is definately a chaotic being, but most primordial deities are violent. The world is a violent place, and Nature is well known for Her ability to change at will. Change is never a comfortable thing, and any change in the uncertain world of the ancients would be unwelcome. This makes most primordial beings seem to be evil, destructive, and horrible. Don't be fooled though, there are still many who see Tiamat as what she really was...a representation of an ancient Earth Goddess, and the first dragon in Middle Eastern art.
~ Other Dragons of Mesopotamia ~
^Mushussu^ (Furious Snake)
Mushussu is identified with the Hydra Constellation. Some myths claim that he was the one who suggested Apsu kill his children. Sometimes he is depicted as being a three-headed dragon that served under Tiamat in Babylonian mythology. Other times, he is shown as being a snake-dragon with a horn on his nose, a lion's front legs, and a bird's hind legs.
^Kur^
A dragon-ish being from the myths of Sumeria who is often compared to Tiamat by scholars. This is because Kur literally means "mountain", "foreign land", or "land", much as Tiamat is Earth. Kur's defeat also allowed the primordial waters of Adzu to be released, which immediately flooded the land with unclean water. The hero had to pile rocks atop the body of Kur to dam up the river, and direct it into the Tigris. Here you can see the ties to Tiamat. This dragon too was defeated, and his body used to create something on the earth.
^Horned Dragons^
There were three different types of horned dragons in Babylonian mythology. All were children of Tiamat.
^Basmu - A horned adder
^Mushus - The 'red serpent' - Front legs of a lion, back legs of a raven/eagle, scorpion's sting on his tail, and the rest is a horned serpent.
^Lahamu - Serpent with the front feet of a lion, and of course horns.
Humbaba (Huwawa)
A being of both Babylonian and Sumerian myth with dragon's teeth, a mouth of fire, and deadly breath. Although he is described as a lion-like creature, his dragon-ish characteristics are worth the mention here.
Sirrush
This creature comes to us from Babylon. It is described as having the body of a serpent, a scaly head, skin of a snake, forefeet of a cat, and birds claws for hind feet.
Zu (Anzu)
This dragon was said to be ancient when the myth was written about him 7000 years ago! He is found in early Sumerian mythology and is actually called a dragon, not a serpent.
Ancient Sumerian Dragon Myth This myth has been claimed as the oldest written record of a dragon in mythology. It is said to be about 7000 years old!
"When the world was young the already ancient dragon, Zu, stole the Tablets of Law which regulated the order of the universe from the great god Enlil. The sun-god Ninurta was sent after - and killed - Zu and rescued the Tablets, thus preventing the universe from returning to the primordial chaos."
From the pages of Dragons of Myth and Legend
Basmu
This dragon-ish beast is the symbol of Nin-gishzida in Akkadian. He is said to be a horned snake, sixty leagues long, and has multiple mouths and tongues. He is found in Sumerian mythology. Very similar to the Basmu of Babylonian mythology.
Yam-nahar
A sea dragon from Canaanite mythology, it is said to have seven heads. It was destroyed by Baal when he was still young.
Lotan
Another dragon from Canaanite mythology said to have much in common with the biblical Leviathan. It is called 'the fleeing serpent, the coiling serpent, the powerful with the seven heads'. It is a representation of evil.