This illustration dates to around 1898 and shows a scene from Assyrian mythology. At right is a winged figure. At left is a winged human-headed bull. Each is a genius, which the Assyrians depicted as bulls with human heads, men with birds' heads, and winged men. While they are not all-powerful deities, they are endowed with super-human powers. They had the power to ward off evil spirits. Here, the symbolism includes the power of these deities to protect the walls and gates of the city. The pince-cone in the right hand of the figure at right would have been filled with holy water and would be u
This illustration dates to around 1898 and shows a scene from Assyrian mythology. At right is a winged figure. At left is a winged human-headed bull. Each is a genius, which the Assyrians depicted as bulls with human heads, men with birds' heads, and winged men. While they are not all-powerful deities, they are endowed with super-human powers. They had the power to ward off evil spirits. Here, the symbolism includes the power of these deities to protect the walls and gates of the city. The pince-cone in the right hand of the figure at right would have been filled with holy water and would be used to sprinkle the wate ron visitors - symbolically.
Size: 4560px × 3937px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: ancient, assyria, assyrian, assyrians, bull, deities, deity, folklore, genius, legend, men, myth, mythology, nin, protective, religion, spirits, winged
