Tiamat
Tiamat West AsiaThe Babylonian she-dragon, the original of which was the Sumerian monster Labbu, begot and destroyed by Enlil. Enuma Elish contains an account of what the universe was like before the events took place which resulted in the creation by Marduk of a new world order. At first there were only the mingled waters of Abzu, the abyss of sweet water, Tiamat, the salt-water ocean, and Mummu, the mists hovering above their surfaces. Abzu and Tiamat were the parents of the first gods, Lahmu and Lahamu, whose own children were Anshar and Kishar, and grand-children, Anu and Ea. The commotion introduced in the universe by these younger deities annyed Abzu and Tiamat, who, on Mummu's advice, planned to destroy their progeny. When Ea knew of this he used his magical powers to thwart their attack and may have even killed Abzu. Final deliverance was achieved through Ea's son Marduk, who was born in the sweet water.
When news of the fearsome...
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