Pazuzu Statue
The ancient statue that signals the demon's presence.
The Pazuzu statue is a fictional object that appears in the novel and film The Exorcist. In the novel, a statue of Pazuzu is uncovered in the prologue by Father Lankester Merrin during an archaeological dig in northern Iraq. In the film, Father Merrin finds a ruined statue of the demon during an archaeological dig in Iraq at the beginning of the story. The statue briefly appears during the attempted exorcism of Regan. The object is associated with the demon Pazuzu, who possesses the 12-year-old girl Regan MacNeil.
Quick Facts
- Associated entity
- Pazuzu (Demon King)
Lore & Background
The Pazuzu statue first appears in William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel The Exorcist, where it is uncovered by Father Lankester Merrin in northern Iraq during the prologue. The statue is never explicitly stated to be the demon, but two references are made about it. The statue briefly appears during the exorcism of Regan. The demon Pazuzu is derived from Assyrian and Babylonian mythology, where the mythic Pazuzu was considered the king of the demons of the wind and the son of the god Hanbi. In the story, Pazuzu appears as a demon who possesses Regan MacNeil.
Reader's Guide
The Pazuzu statue functions as a narrative object that signals the demon's presence in the story. In the novel, it is uncovered by Father Merrin in northern Iraq during the prologue. In the film, Merrin finds a ruined statue of the demon during an archaeological dig in Iraq at the beginning. It is associated with the demon Pazuzu, who possesses the 12-year-old girl. The object does not have any active power in the story; it serves as a visual link between the ancient mythology and the modern possession. Its appearance in the film is brief, and it is not used by the characters as a tool or weapon.
More in Rituals & Artifacts
Elsewhere in The Exorcist
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