The Dragon Stone

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Location:
Babylon, Near East

Images:

Description:
Tiamat is a Babylonian monster. She is a personification of the sea and appears in the creation myth Enuma Elish. The appearance of Tiamat is unclear, but there is a Babylonian seal showing a serpent-like creature which may have been Tiamat. This issue is clouded by a number of images being identified as Tiamat which may not have been her after all. The Enuma Elish does not describe her appearance in detail, though it implies she has only one head and that she had legs.

Enuma Elish
Tiamat lived in the primordial chaos that existed before the creation of the world. She mingled with Apsu (a personification of fresh water), and the first generation of gods was born. One of these gods, Enki, killed Apsu. Tiamat wanted to avenge Apsu by destroying the gods. She gathered an army of monsters. The older gods were so terrified when they saw Tiamat, and her army, that they accepted the offer of the younger god Marduk. He offered to kill Tiamat on the condition that his supremacy was recognised. Marduk killed Tiamat in battle and used her body to make the universe. He used the blood of Kingu, leader of Tiamat's army and her second husband, to make mankind.

Other Dragon Stone Pages:

• Enuma Elish Extracts

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