shedu

1 9.9

A guardian statue with a human head and animal body that stands by entrances

noun

Literature

: shedu

Scholars studied the inscriptions carved into the wings of the shedu for clues about Mesopotamian beliefs.

Examples

Tourists marveled at the detailed features of the shedu statues standing outside the reconstructed palace.
The shedu guarded the entrance to the ancient temple.
The museum displayed a massive shedu that once guarded the entrance to an ancient temple.
Many shedus were found in archaeological sites across Mesopotamia.
Ancient temples often displayed a statue of a shedu at the entrance to guard against evil spirits.
In Mesopotamian mythology, a shedu is depicted as a powerful guardian with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle.
He admired the intricately carved shedu that protected the doorway of the historic site.

Surface Forms

shedu singular

shedus plural

Etymology

Shedu comes from the ancient Akkadian word šēdu, which meant a 'protective spirit'. These spirits were shown as large statues—often a winged bull or lion with a human head—placed at doors to guard buildings, so shedu today means a guardian figure.