After the discovery of the remains of the ancient Near East and the decipherment of cuneiform in the 19th century, the translation of Mesopotamian literary texts and rituals made these mythological figures public knowledge.
This introduced the demon Pazuzu into popular culture. This terrifying figure spanned the 20th century and continues to haunt our imagination to this day.
Why is Pazuzu so popular?
The popularity of the demon Pazuzu may be due to the fact that he seems like a familiar figure to us. He resembles the devil and reminds us of the creatures found in medieval bestiaries and church gargoyles. His remote and exotic origins also make him ideal for the worlds of the imagination and fantasy.
The film The Exorcist rescues the demon from obscurity
After 3,000 years in oblivion, Pazuzu reappeared for the first time in the horror film The Exorcist, which was released in the United States in 1973, adapted from the William Peter Blatty novel of the same name. The demon Pazuzu is awakened by an archaeologist excavating a site in Iraq. It arrives in the United States where it haunts a little girl. The film made the demon famous and it went on to inspire characters in comic books, video games and roleplay games.
Associated media
Open Media Library