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Asag - Stone Demon
A demon so hideous that fish boiled alive when he entered the river. He bred an army of stone warriors. The god Ninurta barely defeated him. Asag was ancient Sumer's ultimate monster.
Ancient
Mesopotamia
0 Asag was a monstrous demon from Sumerian mythology, so terrifying that his presence made water boil.
The Legend
According to documented mythology:
Asag:
- Was a hideous demon
- Made fish boil in rivers
- Created an army of stone warriors
- Fought against the god Ninurta
- Represented chaos and disease
Description
Asag was:
- So ugly water boiled near him
- A creature of the mountains
- Father of stone demons
- Associated with disease
- Perhaps the first “stone giant”
The Battle
Ninurta vs. Asag:
- Ninurta was sent to defeat him
- The battle was epic
- Asag commanded rock soldiers
- Ninurta eventually won
- He piled stones to create mountains
Legacy
Asag represents:
- Ancient fears of disease
- Chaos versus order
- The mountains’ dangers
- Early monster mythology