Villu (deity)

Villu is a Mitanni (Hurrian) fish-deity. Villu is depicted as a god of water with influence over droughts and thirst. Villu is known today only by a few surviving clay statues which were cult objects. He was used in a jurisdictional role, as people convicted in crimes involving the sea, water or blood would be stoned to death with the Villu statues. Because of this, the surviving statues are hardly recognizable. The surrounding mythology held that if the criminal were to be punished in any other way, Villu would decrease the river flow, causing drought and famine. Following the conquest of Mitanni by the Hittites, his cult and the punishment declined.