Utukku

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Ancient Mesopotamian religion
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Ancient Mesopotamian religion
Primordial beings Abzu & Tiamat Lahmu & Lahamu Anshar & Kishar Mummu
Seven gods who decree Four primary Anu Enlil Ki Enki Three sky Ishtar Sin Sama
The great gods Adad Anunnaki Asaruludu Ashnan Enbilulu Enkimdu Ereshkigal Inanna Lahar Nanshe Nergal Nidaba Ningal Ninkasi Ninlil Ninsun Ninurta & his heroic mace Nusku Uttu
Demigods & heroes Adapa Enkidu Enmerkar Geshtinanna Gilgamesh Lugalbanda Shamhat Siduri Tammuz Atra-Hasis
Spirits & monsters Good beings Kingu Kishar Mamitu Siris Zu Evil beings Humbaba Asag Edimmu Hanbi Kur Lamashtu Namtar Pazuzu Rabisu
Tales from Babylon Enûma Eliš Atra-Hasis Marduk & Sarpanit Agasaya Bel Kingu Mami Nabu
Other traditions
Arabian Levantine Near Eastern religions
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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 demons who were the offspring of Anu and Antu.

The evil utukku were called Edimmu or Ekimmu; the good utukku were called shedu. Two of the best known of the evil Utukku were Asag (slain by Ninurta) and Alû.

Etymology

The proper Sumerian form of the name is UDUG; Utukku is the Akkadian form.^[1] 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.

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.^[2]^[3]

Mythology

Akkadian

They were siblings of the Anunnaki. They were in the service of the underworld, and were required to fetch home the fruit of the sacrifices and burnt offerings, which generally consisted of the blood, liver, and other "sweetmeats" of the sacrificed animal.

Popular culture

Utuk'ku is the name given to the wicked queen of the Norns in Tad Williams' 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 in the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, acting as prison guards in the British Tower of London. They are portrayed as a type of djinn, and are depicted as especially dim-witted despite their strength, both of which are at odds with the typical mainstream depiction of these entities.

The American black metal band "Absu" has a track on their self titled album entitled "Ye Utukku spells". The lyrics contain references to Sumerian deities and mythology, including the Utukku.

Notes

External links

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