Pazuzu Statue from The Exorcist Movie | 6" Resin Replica Collectible Figure

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Images of Pazuzu are similar to those of other Mesopotamian demons, but with some distinct characteristics. Pazuzu’s head takes on a more rectangular shape and features horns, heavy eyebrows, a two-pronged beard, and an open canine-like mouth displaying his teeth and tongue. Like Pazuzu, Humbaba was used as a protector deity, with depictions of his frightening head being used to ward off evil. [23] It could therefore be speculated that the Pazuzu heads replaced those of Humbaba. [23] Humbaba fell from favour in the Late Bronze Age, [12] shortly before Pazuzu emerged, although the two do not share any great iconographic connection, [17] making it unlikely that Pazuzu could have evolved from the earlier deity. In the Highlander television series, the statue of Pazuzu is used during a storyline in which Duncan MacLeod duels a Satan-like being. Left: Bronze statuette of the demon Pazuzu. Mesopotamia. 8th–7th century B.C. Musée du Louvre, Paris, Département des Antiquités Orientales (MNB 467); Right: Roberto Cuoghi. Šuillakku, 2008. Frontispiece from Gioni, Massimiliano and Margot Norton, eds. Roberto Cuoghi: Šuillakku Corral. New York: New Museum, 2014 Most ancient Near Eastern demons have fallen into obscurity—mighty creatures like Humbaba, for instance, no longer provoke the fearful response they did in Mesopotamia during the early first millennium B.C. In fact, visitors to our galleries of ancient Near Eastern art tend to find Humbaba friendly and unassuming, a far cry from the terrifying adversary in the Epic of Gilgamesh who guards the Cedar Forest.

Wiggermann, Frans (2007-01-01). "The Four Winds and the Origins of Pazuzu". Academia.edu . Retrieved 2022-03-26. A balanced phase, in the Old Babylonian Period, when cylinder seal designs often mix images (gods, symbols, and other motifs) of good and bad associations with respect to mankind.Linda Blair received her Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination before it was widely known that previous Supporting Actress winner Mercedes McCambridge had actually provided the voice of the demon. By Academy rules once Blair was given the nomination it could not be withdrawn, but the controversy about Blair being given credit for another actress' work ruined her chances of winning the award.

Pazuzu is a fictional character who is the main antagonist in The Exorcist horror novels and film series, created by William Peter Blatty. Blatty derived the character from Assyrian and Babylonian mythology, where the mythic Pazuzu was considered the king of the demons of the wind, and the son of the god Hanbi. In The Exorcist, Pazuzu appears as a demon who possesses Regan MacNeil. He is imagined as an especially frightening figure capable of scaring off any lesser demon or ghost. Pazuzu is represented in statuettes and engravings with bulging eyes in a canine face, a scaly body, snake-headed penis, the talons of a large bird, and enormous wings. In the opening scenes of The Exorcist he is depicted accurately in the life-sized statue the priest looks upon in the ancient city of Hatra.In The Beginning and Dominion, the victims possessed by Pazuzu are played by Izabella Scorupco and Billy Crawford respectively, and the voices of Pazuzu are Rupert Degas in the former film and Mary Beth Hurt in the latter. To the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, however, demons were simply spirits. The word itself derives from the Greek word for spirit, “daimon,” and refers to lesser immortal beings that act as supernatural intermediaries between gods and humans. Demons might be sent to punish mortals, or else to encourage them to fulfill their duties. Another speculation is that rather than Bes and Pazuzu having a common origin point, Pazuzu was an offshoot of Bes. [23] In popular culture [ edit ] The ancient god — also seen in The Exorcist, mind you — looks like a monstrous figure with wings. During Bloodbath, you see a giant Pazuzu statue in the blood-red river. Then, in the Daylight finale, you’ll clearly see how the alien vampires resemble it.

Just let me say that I have a connection here in New Orleans, that has ori ginal Pazuzu pieces in his collection – 22 of them to be accurate. He is a medical professional, a protector of human life, and finds great comfort and protection by having Pazuzu in his home, in the hospital where he works, and on his personal adornments. In Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, the victims possessed by Pazuzu are played by Izabella Scorupco and Billy Crawford respectively, and the voices of Pazuzu are Rupert Degas in the former film and Mary Beth Hurt in the latter. According to William Friedkin, the subliminal shots of the white faced demon are actually rejected makeup tests for Regan's possessed appearance. Ken Nordine was considered for the demon's voice, but William Friedkin thought it would be best not to use a man's voice. Pazuzu has two chief aspects. Firstly as a demon of the home, as a domestic spirit, [3] and secondly as the wandering wind demon, [3] traversing the mountains, where he presents as a more wild character.Pazuzu has been featured in numerous spoofs/parodies. A notable example is Scary Movie 2, in which the scenes of the exorcism of Regan are spoofed in the prologue. The character was also spoofed in the film Repossessed; Linda Blair starred in the film and reprised her role as the demon. And while full-body statuettes of the demon certainly exist, it is far more common to see his likeness portrayed only as a head, usually as an amulet or an adornment on other pieces of jewelry. The ancient Assyrians and Babylonians regarded Pazuzu as an evil demon of the underworld who could control the wind, bringing famine during the dry seasons and storms and locusts during the rainy season. Ancient humans tried to offset Pazuzu’s destructive nature by offering prayers to him, hoping that he would contain the winds and use them for more benevolent purposes. Pazuzu’s Dichotomous Nature The demon mask used in the movie Onibaba (1964) inspired Friedkin to use a similar design for the makeup in the shots.

Notably, while numerous statuettes of Pazuzu have been discovered throughout the years, no one has ever found a full-sized statue of the demon. It was believed by the Assyrians and Babylonians that depicting the likeness of a being from the underworld attracted that being’s attention. William Peter Blatty's creations of Pazuzu and The Exorcist were based on a heavily reported series of 1949 events in St. Louis, Missouri concerning the possession of a 14-year-old known as " Robbie Mannheim" (or sometimes "Roland Doe"). Blatty, who was a student at Georgetown University, read about the story in Washington, D.C. newspapers and created The Exorcist twenty years later. [2]

Pazuzu first appeared in William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist in 1971. [1] The novel is about a 12-year-old girl, Regan MacNeil, possessed by a demon. The demon is later revealed to be Pazuzu; though never explicitly stated to be the demon, two references were made about his statue, which was uncovered in the prologue by Father Lankester Merrin in northern Iraq. After Regan's mother worries about her daughter being possessed, Merrin and Karras arrive at her house and perform an exorcism on Regan and successfully force the demon out of Regan's body. In their struggle to free Regan from the thrall of Pazuzu, both priests perish. One theory posits a connection in their names as well - that Bes, like Pazuzu, could have been derived from the king name Bazi [28] - although Pazuzu's name has not yet been proven to have originated from Bazi, [23] nor, it is speculated, has Bes's name been proven to be of foreign origin. [28] Other protective demons [ edit ] Pazuzu is the god of the southwestern wind and who is associated with the plague. [1] Pazuzu was invoked in apotropaic amulets, which combat the powers of his rival, [30] the malicious goddess Lamashtu, who was believed to cause harm to mother and child during childbirth. Although Pazuzu is considered an evil spirit, he was called upon to ward off other malicious spirits. He would protect humans against any variety of misfortune or plague. [31] Origin and history [ edit ]