Mushussu- Mesopotamian DragonDragon"Furious Snake"
Also known as: Mušḫuššu and Sirrush
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Description
One of eleven monsters created by Tiamat to wage war against the gods, the Mushussu was captured by Marduk and transformed from chaos weapon into sacred guardian. Its image, a serpent with lion forelegs and eagle hindlegs, stood watch in glazed brick along the Ishtar Gate of Babylon.
Mythology & Lore
Tiamat's Monster
The Mushussu ("furious snake") was among the eleven monsters that Tiamat created to wage war against the younger gods. A serpent-bodied creature with lion forelegs and a horned head, forked tongue flicking. Tiamat armed her creations and set them at the head of her forces: "She created the Viper, the Dragon, and the Sphinx, the Great-Lion, the Mad-Dog, and the Scorpion-Man, mighty lion-demons, the Dragon-Fly, and the Centaur, bearing weapons that spare not."
When Marduk defeated Tiamat and conquered her monstrous army, he did not destroy them. He bound the Mushussu to his own will. The creature became his sacred guardian.
The Ishtar Gate
The Mushussu appeared on cylinder seals and kudurru boundary stones where it enforced divine property curses. Its largest surviving monument is the Ishtar Gate, constructed by Nebuchadnezzar II around 575 BCE. Rows of Mushussu in brilliant yellow-gold glaze march against deep blue backgrounds, alternating with aurochs sacred to the storm god Adad. During the Akitu New Year festival, worshippers processing through the gate walked between ranks of these guardians.
Before Marduk, the Mushussu had served other gods: Ninazu of the underworld and Tishpak of Eshnunna. Each time, the creature passed to the more powerful deity. When Marduk claimed it, the dragon's long history of shifting allegiance reached its end.
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