Episode 05
The Demon They Wore for Protection
Ancient families placed the face of Pazuzu near women in labor because his destructive power could repel Lamashtu, a demon blamed for miscarriage and infant death. Mariana and Tyson examine the amulets, incantations, medical risks, and modern horror story that reversed Pazuzu's original role.
Coming Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Episode 05 is finished and scheduled. It runs about 29 min. Show notes, chapters and the full transcript go up with the audio.
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Ockelwog reconstruction. Built from a frontal museum photograph. The front is the best-supported face; the sides and back are inferred. Not a research scan.
The evidence
Head of Pazuzu
A small bronze head with a loop for hanging. Families wore Pazuzu's face because one demon could drive another away.
- Date
- c. 800–600 BCE
- Place
- Northern Iraq
- Held
- British Museum, London
- Catalog
- BM 132964