Abyzou
Female demon blamed for miscarriages and infant mortality.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Abyzou is a female demon from the mythologies and folktales of the Near East and Europe, held responsible for miscarriages and the deaths of infants. Her actions were driven by envy, as she herself could not bear children. In Coptic Egypt, she is equated with Alabasandria, and in Byzantine tradition with Gylou. Surviving texts from ancient and early medieval syncretic magic describe her as having many—or virtually countless—names. Her name also appears as Abizou, Obizu, Obizuth, Obyzouth, and Byzou. On amulets, she is depicted with fish-like or serpent-like features. The most complete literary account of her comes from the *Testament of Solomon*, a demonological work dated by scholars anywhere from the 1st to the 4th century CE.
Scholar A.A. Barb linked Abyzou and similar female demons to the Mesopotamian concept of the primeval sea, Abzu. He argued that while her name seems to be a corrupted form of the Greek *ábyssos* (abyss), the original primeval sea was androgynous or asexual, later splitting into the male Abzu (fresh water) and the female Tiamat (seawater, known as Tehom in Genesis). Female demons, including the well-known Lilith, are often said to originate from this primeval sea. In Greek religion, deadly yet alluring female sea monsters—such as the Gorgons, sirens, harpies, and even water nymphs and Nereids—may also stem from this tradition. In the Septuagint, the Greek word *Abyssos* is treated as feminine, despite Greek nouns ending in *-os* usually being masculine. It refers to the dark, chaotic sea before Creation. In the New Testament’s Book of Revelation, it appears six times, translated as the “bottomless pit” of Hell rather than “the deep.” Barb argued that the Sumerian Abzu is essentially the “grandmother” of the Christian Devil.
In the *Testament of Solomon*, Abyzou (called Obizuth) is described with a greenish, gleaming face and disheveled, serpent-like hair, while the rest of her body is shrouded in darkness. King Solomon binds and interrogates a series of demons. Abyzou claims she never sleeps but wanders the world seeking women about to give birth, strangling newborns when she can. She also says she causes deafness, eye trouble, throat obstructions, madness, and bodily pain. Solomon orders her chained by her own hair and hung in public view before the Temple. The writer seems to have had the gorgoneion, or Medusa’s head icon, in mind
- Also known as
- Abizou, Obizu, Obizuth, Obyzouth, Byzou, Gylou, Gyllou, Gello, Alabasandria, Antaura
- Domain
- Childbirth, infant mortality, miscarriage, afflictions
- Depicted on
- Amulets with fish- or serpent-like attributes
- First literary depiction
- Testament of Solomon (dated 1st–4th century CE)
- Associated figures
- Lilith, Lamashtu, Lamia, Empusa, Estries
- Cultural sphere
- Near Eastern, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Byzantine, medieval European
Lore & Background
In the late antique Testament of Solomon, Abyzou (as Obizuth) is described as having a 'greenish gleaming face with dishevelled serpent-like hair'; the rest of her body is covered by darkness. When questioned by King Solomon, she says she does not sleep but wanders the world looking for women about to give birth, and given the opportunity will strangle newborns. She also claims to cause deafness, eye trouble, obstructions of the throat, madness, and bodily pain. Solomon orders her chained by her own hair and hung up in front of the Temple in public view.
Reader's Guide
Abyzou appears on several early Byzantine bronze amulets, often depicted with her hands tied behind her back, kneeling as she is whipped by a standing figure identified as Solomon or Arlaph (identified with the archangel Raphael). Medieval amulets show a variation with Abyzou trampled underfoot by a horseman, again identified as Solomon, Arlaph, or Sisinnios. In one magic-related text, the archangel Michael compels her to reveal the 40 names that can control her. In the Testament of Solomon, she declares she has ten-thousands of names and forms, and that if her name is written on a scrap of papyrus when a woman is about to give birth, 'I shall flee from them to the other world.' Variants on her name appear frequently in charms in ancient Greek, Hebrew, and Romanian. Her significance lies in her role as a personification of threats to childbirth and infant life, and in the syncretic magical traditions that sought to control her through naming and iconography.
Did You Know?
- Abyzou is identified with Alabasandria in Coptic Egypt and with Gylou in Byzantine culture.
- In the Testament of Solomon, Abyzou (as Obizuth) is described with a greenish gleaming face and dishevelled serpent-like hair.
- One medieval amulet depicts Abyzou trampled underfoot by a horseman, with the demon named as both Abizou and Anabardalea.
- In a Greek tale set in the time of 'Trajan the King', the demon Gyllou (identified with Abyzou) reveals her 'twelve and a half names'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Abyzou?
Abyzou is a female demon from Near Eastern and European folk traditions, held responsible for causing miscarriages and the deaths of infants. Her destructive behavior is attributed to envy, since she herself is unable to bear children.
What is Abyzou's domain or role in mythology?
She is linked to the dangers surrounding childbirth, including miscarriage, infant death, and various afflictions. In syncretic magical traditions she is treated as one of many dangerous spirits that could be bound, named, or invoked in ritual contexts.
What does Abyzou look like on amulets?
Surviving protective amulets portray her with fish-like or serpent-like features rather than a purely human form. These aquatic or reptilian traits are the most consistent visual markers across the artifacts where she appears.
What are Abyzou's alternative names?
She surfaces under a long list of spellings and equivalents, such as Abizou, Obizu, Obizuth, Obyzouth, Byzou, Gylou, Gyllou, Gello, Alabasandria, and Antaura. Ancient and early medieval magical texts describe her as possessing many or virtually countless names.
Where does Abyzou first appear in surviving literature?
The most complete literary account of her comes from the Testament of Solomon, a text generally dated between the first and fourth centuries CE. She also figures in Coptic and Byzantine magical traditions, where she is identified with figures like Alabasandria and Gylou.
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