Nimrud Gate (Metropolitan Museum).
A winged bull with a human head, known as shedu, from Khorsabad. Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.
Lamassu in the northeastern palace of Ashurnatsirpala II.
Lamassu from the British Museum.
Lamassu are mythical creatures like the sphinx with the head of a man, the body of a lion or bull, and eagle's wings that once guarded cities in Mesopotamia. They were considered powerful creatures that served as a clear reminder of the king's power, and were also a symbol of guardian spirits for the entire people.
Colossal statues of Lamassu were discovered during excavations of the Assyrian capitals founded by King Ashuratsirpal II (ruled between 883 - 859 BC) and King Sargon II (ruled from 721 to 705 BC).
The famous winged sphinxes from Nimrud in Iraq (the ancient city of Kalhu), which guarded the city gates, were destroyed by ISIS in 2015. Other sculptural images of mythical animals belong to the cities of Dur Sharrukin (now Khorsabad, Iraq).
Promotional video:
In every major city, Lamassu was guarded by a city gate. At the same time, another winged sphinx was made to guard the entrance to the throne room. The Mesopotamians believed that the Lamassu was scared away by the forces of chaos and brought peace to people's homes. In Akkadian, lamassu meant guardian spirit.
Celestial beings
Lamassu is often found in the art and mythology of Mesopotamia. The first lamassu discovered was created around 3000 BC. e. Lamassu is also called limassi, alad and shedu. Sometimes the Lamassa was depicted as a female deity, but usually he had a male head. Women's lamassu were called aspasu.
Lamassu, a celestial being, is often identified with Inara, the Hatti-Hurrian goddess of wild steppe animals, daughter of the storm god Teshuba. She corresponds to the Greek goddess Artemis.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh and Enuma Elish, both Lamassu and Aspasu (Inara) are mentioned as symbols of the starry sky, constellations and the zodiac. It doesn't matter in female or male form, lamassa are always represented by the stars, constellations or the zodiac.
Lamassu and Shedu cults were very common among the inhabitants of Mesopotamia from the Sumerian to Babylonian period. They have been associated with the guardians of the kings in various cults. The Akkadians associated Lamassa with the god Papsukkal, and the god Isum (the fire god, the messenger of the Babylonian gods) with the shedu.
Mythical Guardians Influencing Christianity
Lamassu were the guardian spirits not only of kings and palaces, but also of every individual. People felt safer if their guardian spirit was nearby, so the lamassa was carved on clay tablets, which were buried under the threshold of the house.
A house in which a lamassu was present was considered a more favorable place than one where there was no guardian spirit. Archaeological research shows that Lamassu occupied a very important place in all the cultures that inhabited the lands of Mesopotamia and nearby.
As mentioned, the Lamassu first appeared in the royal palaces of Nimrud during the reign of Ashurnatsirpal II and disappeared at the end of the reign of Ashurbanipal between 668 and 627 BC. The reason for the disappearance of the Lamassu from the buildings is unknown.
The ancient Jewish people inherited the iconography and symbolism of previous cultures and also revered the Lamassa. The Prophet Ezekiel wrote about the Lamassu, describing him as a fantastic creature with the body of a bull or lion, the wings of an eagle and the head of a man.
During the early Christian period, the four Gospels also related to each of these components. Moreover, the Lamassu may have been the reason for the use of the lion not only as a symbol of a brave and strong tribal leader, but also as a guardian.
Majestic monuments
Lamassu still stand proudly on their plinths. They are carved from solid stone blocks. The oldest monumental sculptures made of alabaster reach a height of 3 - 4 meters.
There are notable differences in body shape between the early Lamassu and the sculptures of the later period. The former had the body of a lion, while the lamassu from the palace of King Sargon II had the body of a bull. Another interesting detail is that they smile at Sargon's Lamassu.
In 713 BC. Sargon founded his capital, Dur Sharrukin. He decided that guardian spirits should be on each side of the seven gates as guards. They were not only guardians and impressive decorative components, but also performed an architectural function, bearing part of the weight of the arch.
Sargon II took a great interest in the Lamassu. During his reign, a large number of sculptures and monuments of these mystical sphinxes were created. During this period, the body of the lamassu was more prominent. The head had bull ears and a male face with a beard and thin mustache.
During excavations led by Paul Bott in early 1843, archaeologists discovered several sculptures that were sent to France to the Louvre Museum. Then, perhaps, the Europeans first saw the mystical sphinxes of Mesopotamia.
Lamassu is currently on display at the British Museum (London), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), and the Oriental Institute (Chicago). Life-size copies of the figures are on display in the State Museum of Fine Arts named after A. S. Pushkin in Moscow.
During operations in Iraq and Iran in 1942-1943. the British army even chose the lamassa as their symbol. Lamassu is still popular in modern culture. They appear in The Chronicles of Narnia by Lewis, the Disney movie Aladdin, and in computer games.