Asakku

The asakku were described in Sumerian literature as demons born from the forbidden union of An (heaven) and Ki (earth). They were particularly associated with mountain regions and were commanded by a king named Asakku (also Asag). In the Sumerian epic Lugal-e, the god Ninurta battles the stone-bodied Asakku demon-king and his army of stone warriors in the mountains.

Individual asakku were invisible, lodging inside the human body like a possessing force. The king Asakku was described as a monstrous being with a stone body, warrior-like and of immense size, commanding an army of lesser demon-stones.

Caused fever, headache, and bodily deterioration by entering the body. The king Asakku could make fish die in rivers and plants wither. Associated with specific diseases such as 'hand of the asakku' — a recognized disease category in Babylonian medicine.