After cutting Tiamat's body into pieces, Marduk used them to create the heavens and the earth. Then he killed her by shooting an arrow into her belly. As Marduk approached, Tiamat opened her mouth to swallow him, but Marduk threw a storm into Tiamat's mouth and prevented her from closing it. Then he rode out in a chariot to do battle with Tiamat in the form of a dragon. Ea then enlisted the help of his son Marduk, who destroyed the legions of monsters Tiamat created as her army. Tiamat's son Ea (pronounced AY-uh, also known as Enki) soon challenged and killed Apsu, but he could not defeat Tiamat. She also gave birth to all manner of beasts, such as serpents and scorpion-people. Major MythsĪt the beginning of the universe, Tiamat and Apsu (pronounced AHP-soo), the spirit of fresh waters, gave birth to all the gods. She is the mother of the gods, and her body was used to make the world. She is mentioned in the Babylonian (pronounced bab-uh-LOH-nee-uhn) creation story called the Enuma Elish, found inscribed on clay tablets dating back to around 1100 bce. Tiamat was an ancient goddess of salt waters and chaos, or disorder.
