Edimmu

Part of a series on
Ancient Mesopotamian religion
Religions of the ancient Near East Anatolia Ancient Egypt Mesopotamia Babylonia Sumer Iranian 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 Enmesharra Ereshkigal Ki Kingu Geshtinanna Lahar Marduk Nergal Ninurta Šulpae
Minor deities Agasaya Anunnaki Asaruludu Ashnan Ashgi Bel Dumuzi-abzu Enbilulu Erra Erragal Gibil Hendursaga Igigi Isimud Išum Kajamanu Lahar Laṣ Lisin Lugala'abba Mami/Nintu Mamitu Maštabba Nabu Namtar Nanshe Nindara Ninmarki Nisaba Ninazu Ningal Ningirida Ningirima Ninkasi Ninkilim Ninlil Ninmug Ninšar Ninsikila Ninšubur Ninsun Nuska Paniĝinĝarra Sarpanit Shul-utula Šubula Šulpae Tišpak 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 Ušum Bašmu Mušmaḫḫū Ušumgallu Seven-headed serpent Humbaba Hanbi Kur Lamashtu Lilu Pazuzu Rabisu
Tales Myths An = Anum Atra-Hasis Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta Enūma Eliš Epic of Gilgamesh
Terms Dingir Sukkal
v t e

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 1990 role-playing game "Night Life" offers Ekimmu as an NPC Race (and an optional selection for the player character's undead race selection at the start of the game). They are described as being created "when someone vows to look after the grave of the deceased and then fails to."
• 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.

Graphic novel

• In Hellblazer volume 22, Constantine is given the skin of a 200-year old ekimmu by another ekimmu named Julian who has taken on the appearance of a pre-teen British schoolgirl. He heats it up and makes a salve to rub on the scabs of a skin condition he gets because of something which happened in Liverpool. It is said to be similar to an opiate and helps the pain.

References

This page was last edited on 30 April 2024, at 18:07