Edimmu

Part of a series on
Ancient Mesopotamian religion
Religions of the ancient Near East Anatolia Ancient Egypt Mesopotamia Babylonia Sumer Persia Semitic Arabia Canaan
Primordial beings Tiamat and Abzu Lahamu and Lahmu Kishar and Anshar Mummu
Seven gods who decree Four primary Anu Enlil Enki Ninhursag Three sky gods Inanna/Ishtar Nanna/Sin Utu/Shamash
Other major deities Adad Dumuzid Enkimdu Ereshkigal Kingu Geshtinanna Lahar Marduk Nergal Ninurta
Minor deities Agasaya Anunnaki Asaruludu Ashnan Bel Enbilulu Isimud Lahar Mami/Nintu Mamitu Nabu Namtar Nanshe Nisaba Ningal Ninkasi Ninlil Ninshubur Ninsun Nuska Sarpanit Uttu
Demigods and heroes Adapa Enkidu Enmerkar Gilgamesh Lugalbanda Shamhat Siduri Atra-Hasis Ziusudra Apkallu (seven sages)
Spirits and monsters Udug Lamassu/Shedu Asag Edimmu Siris Anzû Humbaba Hanbi Kur Lamashtu Pazuzu Rabisu
Tales Atra-Hasis Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta Enūma Eliš Epic of Gilgamesh
v t

The edimmu or ekimmu,^[1] were a type of utukku in the Mesopotamian religion of Sumer, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia, similar in nature to the preta of the Hindu religions or the Jiangshan of Chinese 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 respect certain taboos, such as the prohibition against eating ox meat. They were thought to cause disease and inspire criminal behavior in the living, but could sometimes be appeased by funeral repasts or libations. The edimmu were also thought to be completely or nearly incorporeal, "wind" spirits that sucked the life out of the susceptible and the sleeping (most commonly the young).

In modern fiction[]

Games[]

• The magazine Dragon #25 (May 1979) includes ekimmu in an article which describes them as a form of a vampire and give stats for them to use for Dungeons & Dragons. They are described as being able to stay invisible, even while they are attacking.
• The ekimmas are a species of vampires in the 2015 game The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. They are depicted as large bat-like bipedal creatures that can turn partially invisible and haunt dungeons and ruins.
• Edimmus are monsters featured in the videogame RuneScape.

References[]

This article relating to a myth or legend from the ancient Middle East is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

• v
• t