Utukku
Encyclopedia
In 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
demon
s who were the offspring of Anu
and Antu
.
The evil utukku were called Edimmu
or Ekimmu; the good utukku were called shedu. One of the best known of the evil Utukku is Alû
.
. They were in the service of the underworld
, and were required to fetch home the fruit of the sacrifice
s and burnt offering
s, which generally consisted of the blood
, liver
, and other "sweetmeats" of the sacrificed animal
.
' fantasy
trilogy
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
Utukku appear in Dungeons & Dragons
in "Creature Catalog", Dragon
#89 (September 1984). It is an outsider from Tartarus that looks like a lion-like humanoid with a quilled mane and a scaly body. They sometimes come to the Prime Material Plane to spread misery and evil and to gather treasure.
Utukku makes an appearance in the video game Final Fantasy XI
as a ghost/wraith-class monster.
There are Utukku djinn in the Bartimaeus Trilogy
by Jonathan Stroud
.
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
or demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
that could be either benevolent or evil. In Akkadian mythology, they were referred to as utukki, were seven evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s who were the offspring of Anu
Anu
In Sumerian mythology, Anu was a sky-god, the god of heaven, lord of constellations, king of gods, Consort of Antu, spirits and demons, and dwelt in the highest heavenly regions. It was believed that he had the power to judge those who had committed crimes, and that he had created the stars as...
and Antu
Antu
In Akkadian mythology, Antu or Antum is a Babylonian goddess, derived from the older Sumerian Ki, though the cosmogony has been altered to suit a separate tradition. She was the first consort of Anu, and the pair were the parents of the Anunnaki and the Utukki...
.
The evil utukku were called Edimmu
Edimmu
The edimmu, read incorrectly sometimes as ekimmu, were a type of utukku in Sumerian mythology. They were envisioned as the ghosts of those who were not buried properly. They were considered vengeful toward the living and might possess people if they did not take into account certain taboos, such...
or Ekimmu; the good utukku were called shedu. One of the best known of the evil Utukku is Alû
Alû
Alû 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"...
.
Earlier form "UDUG"
The proper Sumerian form of the name is UDUG; Utukku is the Akkadian form. It is common to change /D/ to /t/ and /G/ to /k/ in converting Sumerian into Akkadian. The final /-u/ is the Akkadian nominative case-ending.Canonical exorcism expelling the evil sort of UDUG
The canon of exorcism of the evil UDUG is known as UDUG HUL, the Akkadian expansion of which (known in Akkadian as Utukkū Lemnūtu) is in sixteen tablets.Akkadian
They were siblings of the AnunnakiAnunnaki
The Anunnaki are a group of Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian deities...
. They were in the service of the underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
, and were required to fetch home the fruit of the sacrifice
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
s and burnt offering
Burnt Offering
Burnt Offering was a punk fanzine based in and around Northampton, England, from 1979 to 1980.In keeping with the DIY style of the time, Burnt Offerings house style was a mixture of badly-typed articles, ransom note effect lettering and cartoon drawings...
s, which generally consisted of the blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
, liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
, and other "sweetmeats" of the sacrificed animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
.
Popular culture
Utuk'ku is the name given to the wicked queen of the Norns in Tad WilliamsTad Williams
Robert Paul "Tad" Williams, born in San Jose, California, is the author of several fantasy and science fiction novels, including Tailchaser's Song, the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, the Otherland series, and The War of the Flowers....
' fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
Utukku appear in Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
in "Creature Catalog", Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#89 (September 1984). It is an outsider from Tartarus that looks like a lion-like humanoid with a quilled mane and a scaly body. They sometimes come to the Prime Material Plane to spread misery and evil and to gather treasure.
Utukku makes an appearance in the video game Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
as a ghost/wraith-class monster.
There are Utukku djinn in the Bartimaeus Trilogy
Bartimaeus Trilogy
Bartimaeus is a fantasy series by Jonathan Stroud consisting of a trilogy published from 2003 to 2005 and a prequel novel published in 2010. The titular character, Bartimaeus, is a five-thousand-year-old djinni, a spirit of approximately mid-level power...
by Jonathan Stroud
Jonathan Stroud
Jonathan Anthony Stroud is an author of fantasy books, mainly for children and young adults.-Biography:Born in 1970 in Bedford, England, Stroud began to write stories at a very young age. He grew up in St Albans where he enjoyed reading books, drawing pictures, and writing stories...
.