Thursday, October 23, 2003

Lamassu

Lamassu, Neo-Assyrian Empire, Musée du Louvre, Paris

Lamassu, Neo-Assyrian Empire, c. 721–705 BC Musée du Louvre
Rue de Rivoli
Quartier Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“Lama, Lamma, or Lamassu is a Assyrian protective deity. Lamma, protective winged deity, Sumerian Isin-Larsa period (2000–1800 BC). Initially depicted as a goddess in Sumerian times, when it was called Lamma, it was later depicted from Assyrian times as a hybrid of a human, bird, and either a bull or lion—specifically having a human head, the body of a bull or a lion, and bird wings, under the name Lamassu. In some writings, it is portrayed to represent a goddess. A less frequently used name is shedu, which refers to the male counterpart of a lamassu.[6] Lamassu represent the zodiacs, parent-stars or constellations.” (Lamassu, Wikipedia)

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