#mushussu

[draconesmundi]

Happy Dracones Monday! Mushussu!

Today's dragon is the Mushussu from ancient Mesopotamia, strongly associated with the hero Marduk. Modern interpretations of the Mushussu label it as a dragon (as it is a reptilian creature and 'dragon' is a catchall term) but very little is known or written about these guys in mythology. There are a few decorating the Ishtar Gates of Babylon alongside lions and aurochs, and a little mushussu is often found sitting obediently at the feet of Marduk like some sort of dog.

From this information, I've designed the Mushussu for Dracones Mundi to be a formerly domesticated species, but they have since become feral. Like city pigeons, but less urbanised. A deeply mysterious dragon!

#Mushussu #Dracones Monday #Dragons #Dracones Mundi #Dracones Mondays

[cryptid-quest]

Cryptid of the Day: Mushussu

Description: In 1902, Robert Koldewey unearthed the entrance to Babylon, known as the Ishtar Gate. The entrance was made in 6th century, and was decorated with three animals; bulls, lions and Mushussu, a Mesopotamian dragon. While some think the mushussu represented a real animal, like Sivatherium, others, such as Koldewey, think the creature was real.

#cryptids #Cryptid #cryptozoology #cryptid of the day #mushussu

[vsslxo]

Ancestral Fire

Guardian dragon and protector Mušḫuššu has been renowned through history, appearing on the famous Ishtar Gate in Babylon.

Happy year of the Dragon.

#year of the dragon #lny #lunar new year #cny #Mushussu #Ishtar #Babylon #ancient dragons #mythology #ancient history #channeled art #iconography #pagan #Sumeria #dragon #spiritual protection #magickal protection

[zonedelicious]

#art #furry art #housamo #housamo fanart #tokyo afterschool summoners #marduk #mushussu #I love my Iraqi short king

[celesteelalover]

#dragon art #dragon illustration #dragon #mushussu #furry art #furry oc

[howsublime]

Now that we are on the subject of dragons, here is my favorite one. I've done several drawings of the Mesopotamian Mušḫuššu dragon for penpals and recently decided to create a digital version. Here is the result so far.

#Mušḫuššu #mushussu #dragon #mesopotamia #babilon #my art #artists on tumblr #mythology #mythical creatures #line art #ishtar gate #son of Tiamat the primordial goddess of water #tiamat

[naomiruthwrites]

So I know Mushu from Milan was named after Mushu Pork BUT ALSO:

The star constellation of Hydra as a Babylonian Serpent-Dragon called Mushussu meaning “furious snake” (therealsamizdat)

And I am not imagining this Babylonian god being like: “I’m going to have a Disney character named after me, and no one can stop me.”

I mean…

… am I wrong?

#Mushu #mushussu #babylonian deities #theories #am I wrong though

[breelandwalker]

Is home soil something that could be effective in binding someone? I'm working on a jar spell, and my current idea involves burying a poppet's head upside down in their own home's soil like an ostrich so they mind their own business instead of mine. Trying cut down the holiday drama if I can.

Okay, this sounds BRILLIANT. Home soil is definitely a potent ingredient in spellwork, and this is an interesting use of the component.

Binding spells with similar intent that I know of include wrapping or stitching the mouth and eyes of a poppet and tying its' hands together. Related spells for improving a sour attitude sometimes involve sinking the puppet head-downward in a jar of sugar or honey. Could be additional elements to try if you wanted.

Good luck!

#mastabas-and-mushussu #witchblr #witchcraft #spells #witch community #Bree answers your inquiries

[good-morning-czernobog]

Bout time I colored this

General Mushussu, Marduk's right-hand man. With serpent body, eagle legs, and lion arms, he prefers to describe his species as "Dragon". The only one who has ever beaten him in combat is Marduk who he now serves loyally. That doesn't mean Mushussu isn't filled with his own ambitions. A major factor in Marduk's fall from grace as a hero, combat is the only thing that makes Mushussu feel alive. Should Marduk's plans come to fruition he's more than happy to bring his warmongering philosophies back to Mobius..

#my art #oc #sonic oc #he's basically senator armstrong #dragon #he's huge by mobian standards #if Marduk and Hermes are slightly taller than Vanilla then hes like 150% of that #sonic the hedgehog #mushussu the dragon

[czernos-art]

Another OC from that Sonic fic I wanna write some day, General Mushussu. Hes a Marduk's right-hand man and directs the Babylonian soldiers like a puppet master, maybe too much like a puppet master. This doesn't mean he isn't fierce in combat though. He's a hybrid dragon.

#czernos-art #sonic oc #general mushussu #sonic the hedgehog #tried to model him after Vector a little

[taibhsearachd]

I know you’re probably already getting bombarded with messages about your tattoo so please don’t feel pressured to answer quickly!

You mentioned planning a sleeve of ancient art. May I ask what you’re planning to include on it and why? I’m fascinated and, though I already loved your ice maiden before, your expertise and perspective gave me more reason to love her! I’m curious about your sleeve plans for that reason :D

I am, in fact, but this is actually a question that isn't going to be included in the pinned post I'm putting together, so I will happily answer it!

The next one I'm planning to get is this Minoan octopus on my forearm and a bit on my elbow, probably some time in October (I still need to make an appointment for it...). Another I definitely plan to directly replicate is a pair of lionesses from Chauvet cave (the two in the upper right of the image). Things I am pondering, and might find an artist to redraw in a more dynamic pose to fit between/curl around other tattoos on the sleeve while still trying to keep some of the original style include: a mushussu from the Ishtar Gate, a Set animal from Egypt, the Etruscan Chimera of Arezzo, probably something from the walls of Catalhoyuk (there's some neat leopards that I quite like), maybe an Assyrian lion because I am never not mesmerized by the way Assyrians carved lions...

Also it might not end up on the sleeve, probably gonna go somewhere else, but if I can find an artist I am positive can replicate the blown pigment pattern, I really really want a blown handprint like this. That particular photo is from Argentina, but they're found all over the world, this exact technique, basically everywhere in the world that Paleolithic human paintings remain, and I think the fact that one bit of culture was shared among apparently every human on earth at one time, for a long long time, no matter how far they wandered and how far they diverged from each other, is just... wonderful.

#tattoos #history #anthropology #archaeology #thank you for asking!!! #there is also a decent chance I have forgotten something I planned and will immediately remember in the morning #you know how it is

[emichii-the-mc]

A hero with the title of Calf of the Sun, Marduk is stoic, most of the time. Though he often carry himself as a brave warrior, even he can falter.

(Now under normal circumstances, I would have drawn Mushussu as well. But it was not a normal circumstance as my brain just... Couldn't process how to go about it. So they got left out to spare my sanity. Some other time maybe.)

#Tokyo Afterschool Summoners #Housamo #Marduk #TASday #fan art

[dorokora]

Meanwhile at Warmonger HQ

MC: "Okay, what's wrong with him?"

*points to Marduk halfway in Mushussu's mouth.*

Yoritomo: "He's distraught from not getting any spotlight and not being included in events."

Balor: "He just started sobbin, walked over to Mushussu, and told him to have at it."

Yoritomo: "It's actually happened several times now. He keeps forgetting when he gets swallowed so keeps doing it."

MC: "And why has nobody stopped him!?"

Tanetomo: "Consider it a form of endurance training."

Bertro: "We all placed bets on how long he would keep doing it."

Tanetomo: : "Yeah that too."

MC: ". . . . "

[draconesmundi]

How do these mad lads fit in dracones mundi? orobon, mushussu, melusine, stellio(dea), behemoth, leviathan(yes i am creationist, please don't judge), kongamato, ropen, kilin, moche dragon, and pig dragons

Orobon - extinct dracotherid, which is the family for my 'beast dragons', so it is a relative of the tatzelwyrm/stollenwyrm that lived in North Africa rather than Europe.

Mushussu - small draconid, still working out it's precise ecology and position in the family tree

Melusine - legends of 'dragon women' are based on the belly markings of the green wyvern, which resemble breasts and, in certain lights, the silhouette of a naked, snakelike woman. Green wyverns in Dragones Mundi are also responsible for vibria and vouivre legends - they cover the whole spectrum of dragon depictions from 'a dragon with boobs' to 'half dragon half woman'.

Stellio(dea) - I must confess I had to look this one up! I would need to research more before adding them, but it looks like they were a person turned into a lizard by the Gods in Greek mythology? Not necessarily a dragon species in Dracones Mundi, but I can research more and decide later.

Behemoth and Leviathan - I haven't included these, or Ziz, as species, because each of these was supposed to be a one-off in their own folklore. A single giant land beast, a single giant sea serpent, a single giant bird etc. I had the Leviathan in a previous draft as a very large serpent of a species which also included Tiamat - I may bring 'big serpents living in Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea' etc. Not sure where it went between drafts, if I'm honest, but I may be throwing west Asian sea serpents back in the mix. I have no plans for a Behemoth, and giant birds do exist in the world of Dracones Mundi but they are not dragons, so Ziz won't be a dragon.

Kongamato and Ropen - I had forgotten that Kongamato existed! Might be adding them, might not. In previous drafts I didn't want to include too much cryptozoology and had strict rules on what counted as a 'mythological dragon', but most recent draft has dragons based on pop culture so I can include more cryptids, if I wish. I avoided the Ropen because I remember there was a clear paper trail of a cryptozoologist paying locals to make up statements about the animal rather than it being a creature genuinely sighted/creature from folklore. It has been a long time since I looked into cryptozoology, I cannot remember the details closely, so if I am incorrect here please ignore this! I will only include Kongamato and Ropen if I have time, as I already have a lot of dragons to write about!

Kilin - Kilin do exist in Dracones Mundi, but not as a species of dragon. This was down to an arbitrary rule of 'no hooved dragons'. There are hooved crocodylomorphs in the fossil record, it would be easy for me to do hooved dragons, but I limited the scope of dragons just to make the project easy for myself to write and draw. Kilins can easily be dragons, just not in Dracones Mundi. They are a mammal with pangolin-like scales.

Moche Dragon - oh!!! Thank you for pointing this one out, I don't have enough dragons in Peru, I will look into this further!

Pig Dragons - I am unsure on how to make a pig dragon - possibly a juvenile form of another Chinese dragon, as the depictions of pig dragons are serpentine and in a kind of fetal position? It probably won't get it's own species but may be a life stage of another dragon species

Thank you for the ask!

#Asks

[coinandcandle]

Tiamat Deity Guide

We’re digging into the Old Gods today, folks. Buckle up!

Who is Tiamat?

Tiamat is a Goddess from Babylon. She is the Goddess of the sea, magic and primordial chaos. Together, Tiamat and Abzu (the Sweet Sea, or fresh water) mingled and made the Gods. Tiamat is often depicted as a giant serpent or snake, though no true representation from Mesopotamia exists as far as we know. The Hellenistic version of Tiamat shows her as having the upper body of a woman but has legs made of snakes. Other interpretations of her are of a woman with a human upper body and the body of a snake, a dragon, as well as a half reptilian woman.

Parents and Siblings

No Parents or Siblings

Lovers or Partners

Abzu/Apsu

Children

All the Sumerian Gods

as well as monsters known as Tiamat’s Creatures:

Musmahhu, Usumgallu, Basmu – three horned snakes, Furious, Exalted, and Venomous

Umu-dabrutu – a raging storm

Mushussu – a snake-dragon

Lahamu – a hairy beast-man

Ugallu – a lion-demon

Uridimmu – a lion-human hybrid

Girtablullu – a scorpion-man

Kulullu – a fish-man (merman)

Kusarikku – a bull-man

Epithets

Thalatta (Greek)

The Glistening One

She who bore them all

Notes

Though there weren’t any cults dedicated to Tiamat, her fight with Marduk was important during the Akītu festival and some believe that a performance of this battle was held during the festival.

Tiamat was known as a Mother of the Gods first in the Enuma Elish, but later became the story’s antagonist after her husband was murdered by the younger gods. In this latter half she embodied primordial chaos. It is in this myth that she takes on the form of a sea serpent or dragon.

The younger gods killed Abzu because he had planned on killing them in some stories, in others they overheard a conversation between him and Tiamat where he suggests she do away with them since she was the one who created them. Tiamat says no to this and urges her husband to not fight with the younger gods.

She set dragons who’s bodies where filled with poison against her opponents.

Tiamat and Nammu/Namma aren’t really the same deity, Tiamat took on the role of Nammu/Namma later. The two are very different in literature, however.

It was said that after her defeat, Marduk tore Tiamat’s body in half to create heaven and earth.

Her crying eyes became the Tigris and Euphretes rivers and her tail became the Milky Way

Her name may come from the word tiamtum meaning “sea”.

Modern Deity Work

Since there were no cults specifically dedicated to Tiamat, and there aren’t too many resources on modern day worship/deity work with her, here are a few things I found while researching her.

Correspondences

Rocks/Stone/Crystals

Sea glass

Onyx

Herbs/Plants

Dragon’s Blood

Animals

Snake

Dragon

Symbols

Dragon

Offerings

Sea water and sea related things

Fresh water

Candles

Wine

Sea salt

Fruits

Meat

Music

Acts of Devotion

Dance for her

Sing for her

Research her culture and stories

Swim in the ocean

References and Further Reading

Tiamat - World History Encyclopedia

Tiamat - Wikipedia

Tiamat - Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses

The Seven Tablets of Creation by Leonard William King (via Sacred-Texts)

Alster 1999, "Tiamat"

Katz 2011, "Reconstructing Babylon"

Lambert 2013 Babylonian Creation Myths

Vanstiphout 1992, "Enuma Elish as a Systematic Creed"

Namma - Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses

#tiamat #tiamat deity guide #deity guide #deity deep dive #witchcraft

[justlarkin]

Okay, but Mushussu is built like someone's alcoholic uncle. He looks like the type of guy who'd steal money from his step-children.

#shut up lark