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Pazuzu

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Ah, Pazuzu, one of the most misunderstood demons. Originating from Assyro-Babylonian mythology, Pazuzu was widely forgotten until the 1970s when The Exorcist came out as a book, then a classic movie. Pazuzu was mentioned in name in the book, but not in the film. Thus, many audiences took Pazuzu's word inside Regan McNeil that "I'm the DEVIL". John Boorman, who made the ill-recieved film sequal in 1977, was at least smart enough to recognise the statue and the talismans seen in the first film as Pazuzu, and pushed it in the audiences face that it was Pazuzu. Unfortunatly, the film was flawed (although I like it) and many people didn't buy it and continued to go on with "it was the devil, blah blah"...

Well, fortunately, thanks to the internet, intellegent people who do their research can find eachother and spead the word. Now, it's pretty much common knowlege that in The Exorcist, Regan McNeil was posessed by Pazuzu, not The Devil.

But who is Pazuzu? In the original mythology, Pazuzu was the demon of the South-west wind, who brought drought and famine during dry seasons and locusts during wet seasons (hence the locusts in Exorcist II). Despite this, he was also seen as protection against another demon, Lamashtu, who was known for menacing women during childbirth. Perhaps this is what Father Merrin meant by "evil against evil" when he found the Pazuzu amulet at the beginning of the film.
Why did William Peter Blatty choose Pazuzu? I have no idea... but I think it has something to do with his closed-minded Catholicness seeing only evil in other mythologies.

In drawing this, I researched many different visual interpretations of Pazuzu. I kept the basics: talons instead of feet, wings, scorpion's tail. I decided to draw a back view of him, which not many people do and at least saved me the embarassment of having to draw the... serpentine penis. :blush:. At least we get a good view of the scorpion tail. His head is turned menacingly towards us, and I decided to make his face, instead of the traditional animal-like, the white demon face that is flashed subliminally in The Exorcist. It pretty much ties the whole thing together.

Oh, let's see... for those who don't research, Pazuzu's arms are depicted as so, symbolizing life and death, creation and destruction. Another symbol of his paradoxial nature.

The sun is setting, and what seems to be a mere statue is alive, and a dust storm is stirring....
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Comments1
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D00Mk1tty14's avatar
Hmm... Interesting. I'm glad you decided to have him facing the other way, for obvious reasons. :crazy:

And I like the way he turns his head to glare at us. Just like in The Excorcist. Very clever. :clap: