On the Typology of the Serpent-like Monsters Fighting Against the Hero in the Near Eastern Iconography of the 3rd — First Half 1st Millennia BC

Abstract

The paper gives the typology of the serpent-like monster images in the art of Western Asia of 3rd — first half 1st millennia BC. We’ve studied 14 such images, beginning with the Early Dynastic seals and ending with the Neo-Babylonian amulet, by comparison of 10 parameters, and established four main types of similar monsters: 7-headed, 2-headed with 2 paws, 1-headed with 2 paws and 1-headed legless one. 7- and 1-headed monsters are typical for Mesopotamian tradition, whereas 2-headed for (Eastern) Anatolian one. The Mesopotamian monsters could get two forelegs thanks to the interactions between these traditions that opens new horizons for studying the cultural interaction between Asia Minor and Mesopotamia.