Villu (deity)
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For the unrelated Indian storytelling, see Villu Paatu.
Villu' is a Mitanni fish-deity. Known today by few surviving clay statues of him as cult objects, Villu was a god of water with influence over droughts and thirst. He was used in a jurisdictional role, as people convicted in crimes involving anything to do with sea, water or blood would be stoned with the aforementioned statues to death (which is why there are hardly any recognizable statues found today). Were the criminal 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.
