In the Enuma Elish Babylonian Creation Myth, Tiamat is furious by the betrayal of her offspring. Her children the Old Gods goad her to make war on the Young Gods, who killed her partner Abzu. The young gods have taken over the world and give the elders no respect.
Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure
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Grief-stricken by the death of Abzu at the hands of the Young Gods she unfurls her vengeance. From her body spring monsters and dragons of poison. She raises a terrible army and sends her monsters to tear her offspring to pieces.
Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure
Only the great Marduk can stand up to the terrible creatures born from the poisonous wrath of Tiamat. Marduk tells the Young Gods he'll destroy the forces of Chaos, embodied by Tiamat and her hateful army, if they make him their King. They agree.
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Marduk is believed by some to originally be Igigi, and raised by the Gods to an elevated status. Igigi are the servants of the Gods before humans.
Read: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure
By the time of the Creation Myth Marduk is a young, bold and handsome hero on his way up the stairway of fame. He becomes a God of creation, water, agriculture, justice, medicine, and magic.
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Girding his loins he battles his way through demon armies and one by one locates the creatures of evil. Tiamat's eleven monsters are
Musmahhu - a horned snake: Furious
Ushumgallu - a horned snake: Exalted
Basmu - a horned snake: Venomous
Umu-dabrutu - a raging storm
The mushussu - a snake-dragon
Lahamu - a hairy beast-man
Ugallu - a lion-demon
Uridimmu - a lion-human hybrid
Girtablullu - a scorpion-man
Kulullu - a fish-man (merman)
Kusarikku - a bull-man
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Marduk subdues the lot of them. He binds them, and makes them recreate the world which has been destroyed. The work of Creation purges them of evil. It takes Marduk twelve days to vanquish Tiamat and her monsters, which is the origin of the 12 Days of Zagmuk.
Some, like Ugallu, Girtablullu and Kusarikku, become powerful benevolent protection dieties. Marduk is often seen with his loyal snake-dragon animal mushussu, also the symbolic animal of Marduk's son Nabu, the scribe god.
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Marduk defeats the mushussu while the animal is under control of the god Tishpak. The mushussu is much older than the Enuma Elish Creation Myth and first appears in early Sumer. Wisdom is one of its attributes.
Below is the image of Marduk most commonly referenced in Babylon and Mesopotamian religion. Adorned with symbols, stars and headdress, an older, bearded Marduk in long robes stands with the mushussu.
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Marduk is a controversial figure in biblical lore, associated with the rebellious king Nimrod. As time passes Marduk often finds himself in conflict with Yahweh, and his deific reputation goes up in smoke.
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