Mušḫuššu
Sign in to savethumb|260px|Mušḫuššu bas-relief in the [[Pergamon Museum]] The mušḫuššu (; formerly also read as or ) or mushkhushshu () is a creature from ancient Mesopotamian mythology. A mythological hybrid, it is a scaly animal with hind legs resembling the talons of an eagle, lion-like forelimbs, a long neck and tail, two horns on its head, a snake-like tongue, and a crest. The most famously appears on the Ishtar Gate of the city of Babylon, dating to the sixth century BCE.
Key facts
- Mythical creature.name
- Mušḫuššu
- Mythical creature.image
- Mušḫuššu on a vase of Gudea, circa 2100 BCE.jpg
- Mythical creature.caption
- Mušḫuššu holding a gate post on a vase of Gudea BCE. Louvre Museum
- Mythical creature.Grouping
- Mythological hybrid
- Mythical creature.AKA
- Sirrush
- Mythical creature.Folklore
- Babylonian mythology
- Mythical creature.Region
- Mesopotamia
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
5 sectionsContents
- History
- See also
- References
- Notes
- External links
thumb|260px|Mušḫuššu bas-relief in the [[Pergamon Museum]] The mušḫuššu (; formerly also read as or ) or mushkhushshu () is a creature from ancient Mesopotamian mythology. A mythological hybrid, it is a scaly animal with hind legs resembling the talons of an eagle, lion-like forelimbs, a long neck and tail, two horns on its head, a snake-like tongue, and a crest. The most famously appears on the Ishtar Gate of the city of Babylon, dating to the sixth century BCE.
The form is the Akkadian nominative of , 'reddish snake', sometimes also translated as 'fierce snake'. One author, possibly following others, translates it as 'splendour serpent' ( is the Sumerian term for 'serpent'). The older reading is due to a mistransliteration of the cuneiform in early Assyriology and was often used as a placeholder before the actual reading was discovered.