the god Anbu, which later conflated into Hanbu. (Pazuzu's father.) The theory goes that, given the connection between Anbu and Hanbu, it could be that the name Pazuzu is a construction of the following kings names: Ba-zi-Zi-zi. Absorbed functions of Humbaba Like Pazuzu, Humbaba was used as a protector deity, with depictions of his frightening head being used to ward off evil. It could therefore be speculated that the Pazuzu heads replaced those of Humbaba. Humbaba fell from favour in the Late Bronze Age, shortly before Pazuzu emerged, although the two do not share any great iconographic connection, making it unlikely that Pazuzu could have evolved from the earlier deity. Derived from Bes Another speculation is that rather than Bes and Pazuzu having a common origin point, Pazuzu was an offshoot of Bes. In popular culture His most notable appearance in western popular culture is in the 1971 novel The Exorcist and the film of the same name. In both instances, Pazuzu is supposedly the evil spirit that possesses the young girl Regan MacNeil. The game House of Ashes from The Dark Pictures Anthologies by developer Supermassive Games includes many depictions of Pazuzu. See also Edimmu Enlil Kilili Lilitu Lulal Ugallu Umū dabrūtu References Bibliography External links Figure of Pazuzu - Oriental Institute of Chicago Bronze head of Pazuzu - British Museum through Google museum Pazuzu: Beyond Good and Evil - Metropolitan Museum of Art Mesopotamian gods Mesopotamian demons Evil gods Drought gods Sky and weather gods Wind gods Mesopotamian underworld