The Death in Whitechapel book release has caused quite the backup here at Monster of the Week. I mean, here it is, the middle of September, and we have yet to pay homage to our patron demon. Though to be fair, he’s kind of a slippery one to pin down, starting with his name. He answers to at least four names, including Dumuzid, Dumuzi and Thammus. But since I’ve always taken my cues from the august publication that is Monstropedia, for the purposes of this article, he shall be referred to only as Tammuz.
For my usage policy on generative AI, click here.
Origins of Tammuz
Regular readers of the Demon of the Month series know that most/all of these guys have celestial origins. Since most of those origins are rooted in non-Christian faiths, they were literally “demonized” over time. In the case of Tammuz, however, it’s the first time I can find more of the celestial background than the infernal. In fact, the only real source of demonology I could find on him was from the Demonology Fandom Wiki:
Originally a Sumerian god, when absorbed into Christian demonology [Tammuz] became a Fallen Angel, formerly of the Order of Archangels, and was assigned the infernal task of being the ambassador of Hell to Spain. This demon is said to have been the one who created the Holy Inquisition and invented artillery; he causes men to desire to hurt one another. He is most powerful during the month of September.
I’ll unpack some of these claims later. What’s relevant for this section is the first sentence. Because almost the entire entry for Tammuz on Wikipedia is dedicated to his Sumerian roots as the god of shepherds and agriculture.
According to Wikipedia, his consort Inanna, after being dragged to the underworld, observed Tammuz canoodling with slave girls and grew jealous at his failure to mourn her. She sent the demons to drag him to the Underworld in her place. Later, upon having a change of heart, she arranged a deal where Tammuz would only spend half the year in Hell and half with her while his sister took his place below. In Sumerian mythology, this cycle provides for the change of seasons.
NOTE: In certain religions, Tammuz is also the name for the month of July, which contains a festival that honors and mourns his death. However, given that Tammuz’s mythology corresponds to the change of seasons, I suspect the assignation of September has to do with the autumnal equinox where he either ends (or more likely begins) his six-month stint in the Underworld.
Appearance
While details are thin on what Thammuz looks like, it seems he was much adored by women, and Wikipedia does note his Greek equivalent, Adonis.
Good enough for me. Moving on.
Powers and Abilities
Once again, details are thin, and what I could find points mostly to celestial abilities. Of course, there’s the claim that he is the infernal ambassador to Spain. Whether he undertook this function before or after the Inquisition is unclear, but it has to be related somehow. Either he became ambassador to facilitate the action, or to control it once it had already begun, and he was tapped to control it. Given that he has a background in shepherding, it’s more than possible it was the second one.
How to Defeat Tammuz
There’s a valid argument to be made that you don’t really need to defeat Tammuz because he’s not really a demon, but a deity who got royally screwed over on a timeshare deal. Aside from the whole Spanish Inquisition mess, Tammuz seems to be the chillest of the demonic cohort. I suspect we have his beloved to thank for that.
Inanna, the Consort
Inanna (also know as Ishtar) resides in Heaven and is tied to the Roman goddess Venus (also know as Aphrodite in the Greek pantheon). As I outlined above, she taught Tammuz a pretty intense lesson about respect when she banished him to the Underworld, then backed it off to a half-year sentence when she decided she missed him. Not great for his sister, who had to take his place the other half the time. But alas, when it comes to mythology, a woman taking the punishment for a man’s faults is hardly new.
In any case, Tammuz seems more like a beleaguered god trying to make the best of a bad situation than a monster trying to actively cause harm. Which means maybe, just maybe, we can have a nice, quiet month before things really go crazy.
Happy Monday, monsters!
