Lilu (mythology)
Encyclopedia
Akkadian, Sumerian, Babylonian
In the Sumerian king listSumerian king list
The Sumerian King List is an ancient manuscript originally recorded in the Sumerian language, listing kings of Sumer from Sumerian and neighboring dynasties, their supposed reign lengths, and the locations of "official" kingship...
the father of Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh was the fifth king of Uruk, modern day Iraq , placing his reign ca. 2500 BC. According to the Sumerian king list he reigned for 126 years. In the Tummal Inscription, Gilgamesh, and his son Urlugal, rebuilt the sanctuary of the goddess Ninlil, in Tummal, a sacred quarter in her city of...
is said to be a lilu.
The wicked UtukkuStephen Herbert LangdonUtukkuIn Sumerian mythology, the utukku were a type of spirit or demon that could be either benevolent or evil. In Akkadian mythology, they were referred to as utukki, were seven evil demons who were the offspring of Anu and Antu....
who slays man alive on the plain.
The wicked AlûAlûAlû is one of the Utukku, vengeful spirits in the lore of the ancient Assyrians.Stephen Herbert Langdon cites a translation of a cuneiform script by Major-General Sir H. C. Rawlinson. From v Pl. 50, A, line 42: "Whom in his bed the wicked Alû covered,/Whom the wicked ghost by night overwhelmed"...
who covers (man) like a garment.
The wicked Etimmu, the wicked GallûGalluIn Sumerian and Akkadian mythology, Gallu is a great underworld demon or devil.Gallu demons hauled unfortunate victims off to the underworld...
, who bind the body.
The Lamme (LamashtuLamashtuIn Mesopotamian mythology, Lamashtu was a female demon, monster, malevolent goddess or demigoddess who menaced women during childbirth and, if possible, kidnapped children while they were breastfeeding. She would gnaw on their bones and suck their blood, as well as being charged with a number of...
), the Lammea (Labasu), who cause disease in the body.
The LilûLiluLilu is a village in Tabivere Parish, Jõgeva County, Estonia. It has a population of 37 ....
who wanders in the plain.
They have come nigh unto a suffering man on the outside.
They have brought about a painful malady in his bodyHuman bodyThe human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...
.
Stephen Herbert Langdon
Stephen Herbert Langdon was an American-born British Assyriologist. Born to George Knowles and Abigail Hassinger Langdon in Monroe, Michigan, Langdon studied at the University of Michigan, participating in Phi Beta Kappa and earning an A. B. in 1898 and an A. M. in 1899...
1864
Dating of specific Akkadian, Sumerian and Babylonian texts mentioning lilu (masculine), lilitu (female) and lili (female) are haphazard. In older out-of-copyright sources, such as R. Campbell Thompson's The Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia (1904) specific text references are rarely given. An exception is K156 which mentions an ardat lili Jo Ann Scurlock and Burton R. Andersen (2005) see the origin of lilu in treatment of mental illness.
Possible Jewish associations
It is disputed whether, if at all, the Akkadian word lilu, or cognates, is related to the disputed Hebrew word liyliythLilith
Lilith is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts. However, Lowell K. Handy notes, "Very little information has been found relating to the Akkadian and Babylonian view...
in Isaiah 34:14, which is thought to be a night bird by some modern scholars such as Judit M. Blair. The Babylonian concept of lilu may be related to the Talmudic concept of Lilith
Lilith
Lilith is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts. However, Lowell K. Handy notes, "Very little information has been found relating to the Akkadian and Babylonian view...
(female) and lilin
Lilin
Lilin or lilim are demonic legendary creatures in Akkadian mythology and shedim in Jewish folklore.-Etymology:The following is disputed:* The masculine of lili is lilu...
(female).