A protective deity in Mesopotamian religion, Lamassu (also called Lama), is often depicted as a woman with a horned headdress, facing to her left with arms upraised. Her five-tiered skirt is decorated with cuneiform writing. The goddess Lama appears initially as a mediating goddess who precedes the orans and presents them to the deities. She is also associated with childbirth and childrearing, and is sometimes depicted with a child in her arms.

Lama is also associated with the Lamassu, sometimes even taking on the moniker as her name. However, the Lamassu are also separate entities, winged bulls or lions, that serve as protective creatures. Statues of Lamassu were often placed at the entrance of temples or important buildings to ward off evil. It’s unclear if the concept of Lama evolved into the Lamassu, or if the Lamassu were a separate myth meant to stand alongside Lama. 

One of the most famous depictions of the goddess Lama is the Stele of the Protective Goddess Lama, which is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This stele was dedicated to the goddess Inanna “for the life of” the Kassite king Nazi-Maruttash. The inscription on the stele also places a curse on anyone who would tamper with the stele or remove it from view. The goddess Lama is a complex and multifaceted deity who played an important role in Mesopotamian religion. She was a protector of the king and common folk, a mediator between humans and gods, and a symbol of fertility and childbirth.

Weapons

Lama is not typically associated with weapons. She is more commonly depicted as a protective deity who is associated with childbirth and childrearing. However, there are some instances where she is depicted with weapons. For example, in the Stele of the Protective Goddess Lama, she is shown holding a dagger in her right hand. This dagger may represent her power to protect her followers from harm.

In some other traditions, Lama is associated with the lion, which is a symbol of strength and power. The lion is often depicted as a weapon-wielding creature, and so it is possible that Lama’s association with the lion has led to her being associated with weapons in some traditions.

Family

It is unclear exactly what family she has. Assyrian mythology is some of the most ancient in the world, and it was recorded on stone tablets many of which are broken, damaged, or otherwise incomplete. There is some evidence that suggests they were a child of Tiamat, but nothing concrete. More of existing lore is based around the Lamassu creatures. Thus her genealogy remains relatively mysterious.

Pivotal Moment

Due to the lack of concrete lore, Lamassu lacks a concrete pivotal moment. But the statues of the Lamassu creatures can be found all over Mesopotamian ruins.