Tradition / Region: Mesopotamian Mythology, Iraqi Mythology
Alternative names: Edimmu, occasionally Ekimmu
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Edimmu are restless spirits of the dead in ancient Mesopotamian belief. They are the ghosts of those who received no proper burial or whose funeral rites were neglected. Unable to find peace, they wander among the living, filled with bitterness and hunger.
These spirits were feared for their hostility toward mankind. They brought disease, misfortune, and madness, and were believed capable of influencing people toward criminal acts. Those who violated certain taboos, such as the prohibition against eating ox meat, were considered especially vulnerable to their attacks.
Edimmu were thought to be almost incorporeal beings, more like winds or invisible shadows than physical creatures. They drifted through the darkness and preyed upon the weak, the sleeping, and especially the young, drawing away their life force.
Although dangerous, the spirits could sometimes be appeased. Funeral meals, offerings, and libations made in honor of the dead might calm their anger and provide them with the sustenance they lacked in the afterlife.
Unlike many monsters that dwell in distant places, the Edimmu were believed to arise from neglected ancestors and forgotten dead. Invisible and insubstantial, they haunted the world like hungry winds, forever seeking the peace denied to them in death.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Edimmu. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 20, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edimmu