If you’re a fan of horror films, you probably remember the Pazuzu statues that appeared throughout William Peter Blaty’s Exorcist films. The figures in question depicted a humanoid creature with bat-like (or even moth-like) wings, a face resembling a lion, and in some instances a long serpentine phallus which wrapped around its waist or down one leg. The images we are most familiar with (especially in film representations) are of statues and small figurines which depict the demon with one hand raised, the other extended downward, which symbolized the interplay between life and death, or creation and destruction. In a historical context, Pazuzu represented the king of the demons of the wind. However, I have begun to notice reports stemming from the East African Republic of Tanzania, specifically in the Zanzibar region, involving a more recent cryptozoological phenomenon that mirrors many characteristics of the Sumerian Pazuzu legends.

According to Wikipedia, “Pazuzu is the god of the southwest wind known for bringing famine during dry seasons, and locusts during rainy seasons. Recent research suggests Pazuzu may have been associated with a cold, northeasterly wind. Pazuzu was said to be invoked in amulets which combat the powers of the malicious goddess, and hated rival, Lamashtu, who was believed to cause harm to mother and child during childbirth.”

It is interesting to note here how, though considered an evil being by the ancient Assyrians, Pazuzu nonetheless was believed to serve a beneficial purpose to humans who prescribed to the mythos which involved him. True, Pazuzu was considered malevolent by the Assyrians, though the manner in which the demon fought against Lamastu allowed him to provide, according to Assyrian beliefs, a beneficent role as a protector against pestilential winds. Therefore, it was not uncommon for amulets depicting the demon to be placed in and around houses, or even worn as pendants around the necks of pregnant women.

Though Pazuzu’s beneficial qualities may play into the demon’s character in Assyrian myths, I would rather focus at present on some of the more malevolent characteristics Pazuzu possessed (no pun intended), including those of a sexual nature, in comparison to reports of a modern creature known as “Popobawa”.

This month’s issue (October ‘08) of Fortean Times features the Popobawa creature on its cover, and the article within describes the monster as “Zanzibar’s Bat-winged terror.” Very reminiscent of Mothman in its appearance, the Popobawa creature is an evil, bat-like humanoid known specifically for its sexual attacks against humans. Often described as an ogre-like monster with a extremely large penis, the article even makes the reference to Popobawa being a “phantom serial rapist” of sorts, citing numerous reports where the creature, interestingly, is often accused of attempting to sexually assault both female and male victims. In addition to the terrible attacks, the creature is even said to “speak” to its victims, warning that it will return if they fail to discuss the encounter with others.

The frightening nature of the sexual attacks Popobawa has become known for remind me of several “demonic” representations from cultures around the world which bear a long, serpentine phallus like the statue representations of Pazuzu (and perhaps to a lesser degree, Popobawa’s fetish with inseminating humans might even be contrasted with pregnant Assyrian women wearing Pazuzu amulets around their neck before child birth, though Pazuzu was never directly associated with being a fertility god).  Often in terms of dream interpretation, as well as cultural symbology, rape and sexual assault represent a sense of invasion, or even of subconscious manifestations of personal attacks against oneself. Could there be some kind of pressure in the regions of Zanzibar and Tanzania that could be causing a sense of “invasion” that has lead many individuals, especially those among the male population, to sense that they are being invaded? Along these same lines, psychologist Carl Jung supposed that UFO sightings were actually the result of tensions growing between the west and the Soviet Union during the Cold War era. How likely is it that, throughout history, frightening creatures might have manifested when pressures, political or otherwise, have threatened people in times of despair? Or, do creatures including the Popobawa have little to do with demonic representations like Pazuzu, aside from both being winged monstrosities?