Mušmaḫḫū, inscribed in Sumerian as MUŠ.MAḪ,

Akkadian Akkadian or Accadian may refer to: * Akkadians, inhabitants of the Akkadian Empire * Akkadian language, an extinct Eastern Semitic language * Akkadian literature, literature in this language * Akkadian cuneiform, early writing system * Akkadian myt ...

as ''muš-ma-ḫu'', meaning "Exalted/distinguished Serpent", was an ancient

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

n mythological hybrid of serpent, lion and bird, sometimes identified with the

seven-headed serpent The Seven-headed Serpent (from Sumerian muš-saĝ-7: snake with seven heads) in Sumerian religion was one of the Heroes slain by Ninurta, patron god of Lagash, in ancient Iraq. Its body was hung on the "shining cross-beam" of Ninurta's chariot (li ...

slain by

Ninurta , image= Cropped Image of Carving Showing the Mesopotamian God Ninurta.png , caption= Assyrian stone relief from the temple of Ninurta at Kalhu, showing the god with his thunderbolts pursuing Anzû, who has stolen the Tablet of Destinies from ...

in the mythology of the Sumerian period. He is one of the three horned snakes, with his companions, Bašmu and

Ušumgallu Ušumgallu or Ushumgallu ( Sumerian: ''ušum.gal'', "Great Dragon") was one of the three horned snakes in Akkadian mythology, along with the Bašmu and Mušmaḫḫū. Usually described as a lion- dragon demon, it has been somewhat speculativel ...

, with whom he may have shared a common mythological origin.

Mythology

In ''

Angim The work known by its incipit, Angim, "The Return of Ninurta to Nippur", is a rather obsequious 210-line mythological praise poem for the ancient Mesopotamian warrior-god Ninurta, describing his return to Nippur from an expedition to the mountai ...

'' or "Ninurta's return to Nippur", the storm god describes one of his weapons as "the seven-mouthed muš-mah serpent" (line 138), reminiscent of the Greek myth of

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adopt ...

and the seven headed

Lernaean Hydra The Lernaean Hydra or Hydra of Lerna ( grc-gre, Λερναῖα Ὕδρα, ''Lernaîa Hýdra''), more often known simply as the Hydra, is a snake, serpentine water monster in Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Le ...

he slew in the second of his

Twelve labours The Labours of Hercules or Labours of Heracles ( grc-gre, οἱ Ἡρακλέους ἆθλοι, ) are a series of episodes concerning a penance carried out by Heracles, the greatest of the Greek heroes, whose name was later romanised a ...

. An engraved shell of the Early Dynastic period shows Ninğirsu slaying the seven-headed ''mušmaḫḫū''. In the Epic of Creation, Enûma Eliš, Tiāmat gives birth (''alādu'') to mythical serpents, described as ''mušmaḫḫū'', "with sharp teeth, merciless fangs, instead of blood she filled their bodies with venom".''mušmaḫḫū'', CAD M2, pp. 127–128.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mushmahhu Characters in the Enūma Eliš Mesopotamian legendary creatures Mesopotamian demons Offspring of Tiamat Legendary serpents

Mythology

See also

References