Edimmu: The Mesopotamian Wind Demon That Steals Life

The Edimmu (sometimes transcribed as ekimmu) is a class of malevolent supernatural entity originating in ancient Mesopotamian religion, prominent in the traditions of Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, and Babylonia. They belong to a broader category of spirits known as utukku, which could be either benevolent or evil.

The Edimmu are specifically the evil ghosts of those who were denied proper burial rites or who died a violent, untimely, or otherwise unsavory death, leaving them unable to find rest in the Underworld.

These restless spirits were feared by the living as vengeful, incorporeal entities often described as “wind” spirits. They were believed to roam the Earth for eternity, causing misfortune, disease, and criminal impulses in humans.

The danger posed by an Edimmu could sometimes be mitigated through appeasement rituals, such as funeral repasts and libations, or countered with the ritual knowledge wielded by exorcist priests (ašipū).

---

---

Key Takeaways

Attribute	Details
Names	Edimmu, ekimmu
Title	Vengeful Ghost, Evil Wind Spirit
Origin	Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian (Ancient Mesopotamia)
Gender	Ambiguous, generally referred to as a spirit
Genealogy	No clear lineage, results from a specific manner of death
Role	Haunter of the living, bringer of misfortune, cause of disease and possession
Associated Deity/Figure	No specific association; Ea (Enki) as god of wisdom and patron of exorcists could oppose them
Brings	Disease, misfortune, criminal behavior, death, life-sucking, possession
Weaknesses	Proper burial of mortal remains, funeral repasts, libations, exorcism and ritual knowledge of the exorcist-priest (ašipū)
Realm/Domain	Earth (roaming the land due to exclusion from the Underworld)
Weapon/Item	None, described as incorporeal wind spirits
Symbolism	The consequence of disrespecting funerary rites, restless death
Sources	Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian incantation texts and magical literature

Who or What is an Edimmu?

The Edimmu is a spectral entity in Ancient Mesopotamian mythology, typically understood as the ghost of a deceased person whose soul is barred from entering the Underworld.

This exclusion was typically the result of the body not receiving a proper funeral or burial, or the individual having died a violent, unnatural death, such as murder or drowning. Because they cannot find peace in the afterlife—often described as the “House of Darkness”—Edimmu are condemned to wander the Earth eternally, becoming malevolent and vengeful toward the living.

They are classified as a type of utukku, a generic term for a spirit or demon that could be good or bad, with Edimmu representing the distinctly evil variation.

Their primary activity was to cause harm, whether by infecting the living with disease, inspiring criminal conduct, or simply sucking the life force, especially from those who were vulnerable or sleeping, most commonly the young.

“Edimmu” Meaning

The term Edimmu is derived from the Akkadian word ekēmu, which translates to “to seize,” “to take away,” or “to carry off.” Therefore, Edimmu can be literally interpreted as “The Seizer” or “The one who takes away,” directly referencing their primary malevolent action of sucking or seizing the life force from humans.

How to Pronounce “Edimmu” in English

The name Edimmu is typically pronounced with the stress on the first syllable. A common approximate pronunciation in English is “eh-DIM-moo.”

The “e” at the beginning is pronounced like the “e” in “bed,” the “di” is like the “dim” in “diminish,” and the final “mu” is pronounced like the “moo” in “moon.”

---

---

Origins

The concept of the Edimmu is firmly embedded in the Mesopotamian belief system, which recognized a distinct and often frightening afterlife.

The Mesopotamian Underworld (Irkalla or Kurnugia) was universally imagined as a dreary, dark place from which return was impossible. Those who died were expected to reside there. However, a crucial element for their peaceful rest was the observance of proper funerary rites.

The Edimmu originated from the souls of the dead who, for various reasons, failed to gain admittance to this Underworld or were otherwise unable to find peace:

• Lack of Burial/Proper Rites: The most common origin was an individual whose body was left unburied, mutilated, or who did not receive the necessary funerary rituals, libations, and care from surviving family.
• Violent or Unnatural Death: Dying through murder, drowning, or other non-natural, untimely means could result in the soul becoming a restless Edimmu.
• Neglect: If there was no surviving family to care for the soul or if those who vowed to care for the grave failed to do so, the soul could turn into an Edimmu.

In effect, the Edimmu are a manifestation of the societal and religious consequences of failing to uphold one’s duty to the dead, reflecting the crucial importance of funerary practices and ancestor veneration in Mesopotamian culture.

They were thought to have existed in Mesopotamian belief as far back as 4000 BC, initially feared by the Assyrians and later by the Babylonians and Sumerians.

Genealogy

The Edimmu is not a genealogical entity in the same way as many other mythical demons or deities. It does not possess a divine or demonic parentage. Its existence is a consequence of a specific socio-religious and ritual failure concerning a human death, making its “lineage” tied to the circumstances of its transformation from a human soul into a spirit.

Sources

The primary information concerning the Edimmu is derived from a vast body of Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian magical and religious texts, including incantations and ritual procedures recorded on clay tablets. These sources detail the behaviors of the evil spirit and prescribe the methods for its exorcism or appeasement.

What Does Edimmu Look Like?

The physical description of the Edimmu in ancient Mesopotamian texts emphasizes its incorporeal nature. The Edimmu is typically not depicted with a fixed, monstrous form like other demons. Instead, it is consistently described as a “wind spirit”—a nearly or completely bodiless entity.

This makes it difficult to ascertain a consistent physical appearance beyond its classification as an invisible, intangible force. Its body is likened to wind or a gust of air, allowing it to move freely through the air and to pass through walls, locked doors, and other solid objects.

When it attacks, it is the spirit’s unseen presence that is felt, often described as able to suck the life force from its victims, particularly children and those sleeping or otherwise vulnerable.

Unlike many ancient Mesopotamian demons—often depicted with composite animal and human parts—the Edimmu‘s terror lies in its unseen, intangible, and pervasive nature as the restless soul of a wronged or neglected dead person.

Enemies, Rivals, and Allies

As a solitary, restless spirit tied to the circumstances of its human life and death, the Edimmu does not have a formal network of mythical allies or rivals in the same sense as the powerful, named cosmic demons or gods.

The primary relationship of these demons is one of enmity toward the living. Its very existence is predicated on its inability to find rest, which fuels its desire for vengeance and its general malevolence against the human world.

Based on this, their chief adversaries are the exorcist priests (ašipū), whose ritual knowledge and incantations—often invoking the wisdom and authority of gods like Ea (Enki)—are the only known means of controlling, appeasing, or expelling the spirit.

While not a direct ally, the Edimmu belongs to the class of evil spirits known as utukkū lemnūtu (or “evil demons”), often listed alongside others such as the Lilû (a male night demon), the Lilītu (a female night demon, later inspiration for Lilith), and the demoness Lamashtu.

These spirits collectively represent the hostile, chaotic forces that prey on humanity.

Edimmu Myths, Legends, and Stories

The Edimmu are not central figures in large, cohesive narratives such as epic poems (such as Gilgameš or Enūma Eliš). Instead, they feature prominently in Mesopotamian magical and ritual texts.

These texts are not narrative myths but rather exorcism literature and diagnostic reports that describe these demons’ activities and the rituals required to counter them.

---

---

The Attack of the Unburied Soul

In ancient texts, there’s a spirit called the Edimmu that starts its attack by sneaking into the homes of the living. This spirit has a ghostly, wind-like form, which allows it to slip through closed doors and solid walls without being noticed.

The Edimmu is restless and troubled because it hasn’t received a proper burial, which keeps it wandering forever. It seeks to share its pain with the living, especially preying on the vulnerable, like children or those who are asleep. When it strikes, it drains the life force from its victims, causing them to feel ill with symptoms such as fever and fatigue, which can lead to a gradual decline in health.

Additionally, the Edimmu is thought to bring misfortune to homes and can even influence people to act against social or religious rules. For example, it might tempt someone to eat ox meat when it’s not allowed.

Throughout these stories, the main idea is that giving the dead a respectful burial is very important, highlighting the deep cultural belief in honoring those who have passed away.

Edimmu Powers and Abilities

The powers of these ancient demonic entities are directly tied to their nature as vengeful spirits.

They are formidable because of their intangibility and capacity to inflict illness and misfortune from a realm beyond physical reach. The Edimmu‘s strength lies in its relentless, pervasive malevolence, driven by its status as a wronged and restless soul.

Their powers and abilities include:

• Revenge and Misfortune: The general ability to bring misfortune and calamity upon a household or individual.
• Incorporeal Movement: The ability to move through solid objects like walls, doors, and other physical barriers due to its nature as a wind spirit.
• Life Siphoning: The power to “suck the life out” of victims, particularly the young and the sleeping, resulting in exhaustion, illness, and ultimately, death.
• Disease Infliction: The capacity to cause various forms of disease, sickness, and fever in the living.
• Invisibility/Impalpability: The spirit is often unseen and cannot be physically attacked or constrained by mundane means.
• Mental and Behavioral Influence: The ability to inspire criminal behavior and a failure to respect religious taboos in the living (such as the prohibition against eating ox meat).
• Possession: The power to possess the living, especially those who have transgressed certain taboos.

Connections to Other Entities

Name	Genealogy	Type	Appearance
Lamashtu	Babylonian/Assyrian	Demoness of Disease and Childbirth	Lion-headed demoness with a hairy body, donkey’s head, lion’s claws, and often standing on a donkey.
Pazuzu	Assyrian/Babylonian	Wind Demon/Protector	Hybrid creature with a dog-like face, scaly body, four falcon-like wings, lion’s forepaws, and a scorpion’s tail.
Lilîtu	Sumerian/Akkadian	Succubus/Night Demoness	Female spirit, sometimes depicted as a beautiful woman or a winged demoness who preys on men and children.
Galla	Sumerian/Akkadian	Underworld Demons	Demonic police/henchmen of the Underworld, typically numerous, depicted as fearsome and often seizing their victims.
Utukku	Mesopotamian	General Spirit/Demon Class	Broad category; the evil ones (utukkū lemnūtu) are often grotesque, composite creatures.
Preta	Hindu/Buddhist	Restless Ghost/Hungry Ghost	Suffering, often emaciated spirit with a huge belly and tiny mouth, symbolizing eternal hunger and thirst.
Jiangshi	Chinese	Revenant/Hopping Vampire	A reanimated corpse, typically dressed in a Qing Dynasty official’s uniform, that hops to move.
Wight (Draugr)	Norse/Old English	Undead Corpse/Revenant	A reanimated dead body, often bloated or blue-black, possessing superhuman strength and able to cause disease.
Anzû	Sumerian/Akkadian	Divine Monster/Storm Demon	Gigantic bird, often with a lion’s head, capable of stealing the Tablet of Destinies.
Tiamat	Babylonian	Primordial Chaos Monster	Vast sea serpent or dragon, the personification of the saltwater ocean and primordial chaos.

Rituals, Amulets, and Protective Practices

In ancient Mesopotamia, the presence of an Edimmu was considered a serious spiritual crisis requiring immediate ritual intervention.

The practices associated with these demons were rooted in the belief that the spirit was acting out of necessity and grief over its improper death and lack of funerary care. Therefore, rituals were primarily focused on appeasement and rectification of the original wrong, allowing the spirit to find peace and depart the world of the living.

Incantations and Ceremonies

The ceremonies against the Edimmu were complex procedures performed by the ašipū. These rituals often followed a diagnostic phase to determine the specific spirit afflicting the victim. They involved a combination of incantations, libations, and symbolic offerings.

Key ceremonial practices included:

• The Funeral Repast and Libation: The most critical ritual was to symbolically give the Edimmu what it lacked: a proper burial meal and drink. The exorcist would offer a funeral repast (food) and libations (water or other liquids) in a ritually pure manner, often to the Earth or a specific designated area. This act was designed to satisfy the ghost’s hunger and thirst, providing it with the sustenance it needed to pass into the Underworld.
• The Ritual of Proper Burial: In cases where the body’s neglect was the issue, the ceremony often included a symbolic or actual burial of the remains, or an effigy of the deceased, on consecrated ground. This was the ultimate step toward the permanent destruction or pacification of the spirit, as it corrected the ritual failure that had given rise to it.
• Invoking Divine Authority: The ceremony always included incantations that invoked powerful, benevolent deities, particularly the god of wisdom and magic, Ea (Enki), to confer the ritual power and authority needed to compel the demon to depart.

Amulets and Talismans

The primary defense against the Edimmu was not a physical amulet or talisman worn on the body, but rather the correct execution of the funerary rites and the powerful ritual acts of the exorcist. Since these demonic entities were immaterial, they were also less susceptible to physical charms designed to repel material or semi-material demons.

However, the general protective measures used in Mesopotamian households and on vulnerable individuals would have served as a collective defense against all evil spirits, including the Edimmu.

These general apotropaic practices included:

• Protective Figurines: Burying or placing clay figurines of benevolent protective demons or spirits (apkallu, ugallu, etc.) around the house to ward off evil.
• Amulets of Protective Deities: Wearing amulets depicting powerful deities or demons known for their protective qualities against evil, such as Pazuzu, who, despite being a demon himself, was often invoked to protect against other demons (like Lamashtu).
• Ritual Use of Water: Water, as a domain of Ea, the god of wisdom and exorcism, was integral to ritual purification, a key element in countering all malevolent spiritual influences.

---

---

Frequently Asked Questions