More On Lilith
The Children of Lilith
Within the Great Clans of the vampire world "The Illuminati" are also called "The Children of Lilith."
Direct lineage is claimed to the first wife of Adam. According to clan legend, The Creator of the Universe separated Adam and Lilith due to irreconcilable differences. A new wife was made for Adam (Eve). And a new assignment was given to Lilith.
The Creator with collecting and preserving knowledge charged her. The powers that are now considered vampiric were to assist her in her assignment. Those powers were passed both by the Blood and by her loins to her descendants and their descendants through history.
"The Children of Lilith" are unlike many of the Great Clans in that their law forbids them to kill. Instead they form intimate feeding circles to meet the needs of hunger.
"Children of Lilith" tend to be teachers, writers, publishers, editors, researchers, filmmakers and videographers, all professions that have to do with the collection and preservation of knowledge. In some form, they carry on the assignment first given to their Mother and preserved within the Twelve Laws:
"Seek the prize of knowledge. Hold it in trust for your progeny and the future."
Within the Great Clans of the vampire world "The Illuminati" are also called "The Children of Lilith."
Direct lineage is claimed to the first wife of Adam. According to clan legend, The Creator of the Universe separated Adam and Lilith due to irreconcilable differences. A new wife was made for Adam (Eve). And a new assignment was given to Lilith.
The Creator with collecting and preserving knowledge charged her. The powers that are now considered vampiric were to assist her in her assignment. Those powers were passed both by the Blood and by her loins to her descendants and their descendants through history.
"The Children of Lilith" are unlike many of the Great Clans in that their law forbids them to kill. Instead they form intimate feeding circles to meet the needs of hunger.
"Children of Lilith" tend to be teachers, writers, publishers, editors, researchers, filmmakers and videographers, all professions that have to do with the collection and preservation of knowledge. In some form, they carry on the assignment first given to their Mother and preserved within the Twelve Laws:
"Seek the prize of knowledge. Hold it in trust for your progeny and the future."
Lilith the Myth
As you may know the Esteemed Author introduces Lilith as the first vampire in the "Council of Three" story line. See the time line. Some people agree with that and some don't. Therefore, the Esteemed Author provided his reasoning for choosing her for such an honor.
According to Hebrew traditions, Lilith (that's the original spelling) was the first wife of Adam. She was made in God's own image, not from Adam's rib like Eve. This made Lilith Adam's equal. So, when it came time for Lilith to perform her wifely duties, she asked why she had to lie beneath Adam. Adam demanded she lie beneath him, but she would not, so she left Eden. Lilith went to the Red Sea and lay down with demons. There she produced demon offspring at the number of over a hundred a day. Tough woman. God sent angels to demand she return to Adam. She would not. God then punished Lilith by killing one hundred of her demon children daily. Lilith in turn vowed to kill infant children, but would spare them if the names of the angels were above the infants. This is probably where the vampire myth comes in. Originally Lilith strangled the infants, but in later telling it was changed to eating, devouring, drinking their blood, or what have you.
Some "legends" attribute her with being the first vampire, some with her being bearing the mark of Cain (that's a neat trick). Some attribute her with being the first succubus. Most however have Lilith being the murderer of infant children as well as the seducer of men. Lilith was a winged demon, usually associated with having the wings and talons of an owl. (Hence the animal form she turns into.) Her very name can find its origins in the Semitic word for night. So she is definitely a creature of the night.
Another place where the vampire legend could come in is when she is supposed to be the demoness that drank the blood and ate the flesh of the sons of Job. Solomon also reported Lilith as being the Queen of Sheba. Seems like this chick got around. I guess what I am trying to point out is that she is associated with so many different myths, that any one could be as valid as the next.
In COTC you'll later find out how this Lilith is and is not the Lilith of myth. As the Hebrew version of Lilith sprung from earlier Babylonian traditions (and even earlier than that), this Lilith has roots in a history that is older than religion itself.
As you may know the Esteemed Author introduces Lilith as the first vampire in the "Council of Three" story line. See the time line. Some people agree with that and some don't. Therefore, the Esteemed Author provided his reasoning for choosing her for such an honor.
According to Hebrew traditions, Lilith (that's the original spelling) was the first wife of Adam. She was made in God's own image, not from Adam's rib like Eve. This made Lilith Adam's equal. So, when it came time for Lilith to perform her wifely duties, she asked why she had to lie beneath Adam. Adam demanded she lie beneath him, but she would not, so she left Eden. Lilith went to the Red Sea and lay down with demons. There she produced demon offspring at the number of over a hundred a day. Tough woman. God sent angels to demand she return to Adam. She would not. God then punished Lilith by killing one hundred of her demon children daily. Lilith in turn vowed to kill infant children, but would spare them if the names of the angels were above the infants. This is probably where the vampire myth comes in. Originally Lilith strangled the infants, but in later telling it was changed to eating, devouring, drinking their blood, or what have you.
Some "legends" attribute her with being the first vampire, some with her being bearing the mark of Cain (that's a neat trick). Some attribute her with being the first succubus. Most however have Lilith being the murderer of infant children as well as the seducer of men. Lilith was a winged demon, usually associated with having the wings and talons of an owl. (Hence the animal form she turns into.) Her very name can find its origins in the Semitic word for night. So she is definitely a creature of the night.
Another place where the vampire legend could come in is when she is supposed to be the demoness that drank the blood and ate the flesh of the sons of Job. Solomon also reported Lilith as being the Queen of Sheba. Seems like this chick got around. I guess what I am trying to point out is that she is associated with so many different myths, that any one could be as valid as the next.
In COTC you'll later find out how this Lilith is and is not the Lilith of myth. As the Hebrew version of Lilith sprung from earlier Babylonian traditions (and even earlier than that), this Lilith has roots in a history that is older than religion itself.
Lilith, Demon-Vampire
Lilith is no ordinary vampire, but a Demon-Vampire. She's the only one though. So as a demon she possesses certain tricks like changing her eyes, raining down the plagues, and so forth.
Lilith has this bad habit of drinking the blood of people she really likes. She doesn't kill them or "turn" them. She just likes to have a piece of them within her. This also shows her if they are worthy of her respect. She has bitten Corrine and may one day bite Chelsea in this manner.
Lilith is lonely and she cries a lot. She also gets angry...a whole lot. The magazine gives her something to do, but it is still no more than a hobby. Rejoining the Council of Three will give Lilith purpose. It may not make her happy, but it will give her a sense that she is needed.
She hates vampires because most of them, in one way or another, are her children and are a constant reminder that she cannot have children of her own. Her hatred of them is also a reflection of how she feels about herself. So to befriend Lilith is like befriending a Tiger. The relationship can be very fruitful and wonderful, but you must always remember that she can and will rip your heart from your chest in an instant if she feels the need to do so. She doesn't do that as much as she used to, since our society frowns on cold-blooded murder, but she will not hesitate if sufficiently provoked.
Dracula and Lilith
Lilith does claim to have had a relationship with Vlad Dracula. According to her their "affair" began shortly after his resurrection as a vampire (1476 CE). He was strong, with a will that defied God. Lilith found this very attractive, as she too had ill feelings for God. However, while Lilith had dealt with her pain long ago, Dracula's lust for revenge against God blinded his judgment. The two separated not as enemies, but hardly as friends. Her dealings with Dracula reaffirmed her belief in the Council of Three, at least until World War One broke out.
After his second resurrection Dracula went mad and tried to create as much evil as he could. Oddly enough it was Lilith that came to the rescue. She ended his life and enclosed his ashes inside a silver urn. His was the last artifact that was housed within the vault of the Council of Three.
History
Lilith came into existence 30 000 years ago. She is a Demon-Vampire, which grants her extra magical abilities. Though she doesn't turn into a bat, she can turn into an owl. Lilith is the only Demon-Vampire, and she is progenitor of all Lilith-Vampires.
See Council of Three for Lilith's extensive involvement in making, breaking, and remaking the Council of Three.
After the Council of Three debacle, Lilith went into seclusion. She emerged back into public life in 1966. At that time, she changed the spelling of her name to distract attention form the myth. When she started her magazine in 1998, she named it after herself, Lilith. When asked about the misspelling, she replied that the magazine reflected her, not a myth. Of course, she did not divulge that she was the myth.
Lilith is no ordinary vampire, but a Demon-Vampire. She's the only one though. So as a demon she possesses certain tricks like changing her eyes, raining down the plagues, and so forth.
Lilith has this bad habit of drinking the blood of people she really likes. She doesn't kill them or "turn" them. She just likes to have a piece of them within her. This also shows her if they are worthy of her respect. She has bitten Corrine and may one day bite Chelsea in this manner.
Lilith is lonely and she cries a lot. She also gets angry...a whole lot. The magazine gives her something to do, but it is still no more than a hobby. Rejoining the Council of Three will give Lilith purpose. It may not make her happy, but it will give her a sense that she is needed.
She hates vampires because most of them, in one way or another, are her children and are a constant reminder that she cannot have children of her own. Her hatred of them is also a reflection of how she feels about herself. So to befriend Lilith is like befriending a Tiger. The relationship can be very fruitful and wonderful, but you must always remember that she can and will rip your heart from your chest in an instant if she feels the need to do so. She doesn't do that as much as she used to, since our society frowns on cold-blooded murder, but she will not hesitate if sufficiently provoked.
Dracula and Lilith
Lilith does claim to have had a relationship with Vlad Dracula. According to her their "affair" began shortly after his resurrection as a vampire (1476 CE). He was strong, with a will that defied God. Lilith found this very attractive, as she too had ill feelings for God. However, while Lilith had dealt with her pain long ago, Dracula's lust for revenge against God blinded his judgment. The two separated not as enemies, but hardly as friends. Her dealings with Dracula reaffirmed her belief in the Council of Three, at least until World War One broke out.
After his second resurrection Dracula went mad and tried to create as much evil as he could. Oddly enough it was Lilith that came to the rescue. She ended his life and enclosed his ashes inside a silver urn. His was the last artifact that was housed within the vault of the Council of Three.
History
Lilith came into existence 30 000 years ago. She is a Demon-Vampire, which grants her extra magical abilities. Though she doesn't turn into a bat, she can turn into an owl. Lilith is the only Demon-Vampire, and she is progenitor of all Lilith-Vampires.
See Council of Three for Lilith's extensive involvement in making, breaking, and remaking the Council of Three.
After the Council of Three debacle, Lilith went into seclusion. She emerged back into public life in 1966. At that time, she changed the spelling of her name to distract attention form the myth. When she started her magazine in 1998, she named it after herself, Lilith. When asked about the misspelling, she replied that the magazine reflected her, not a myth. Of course, she did not divulge that she was the myth.
Lilith & Vampirism
There has always been a very great difference in the morals and ethics of vampyres. If you spend any amount of time speaking to them, you'll find that those who claim to be vampiric have widely different beliefs and practices, ranging from the cold-blooded serial killer to the very warm and friendly, occasionally even Vegan, role model. This is one of the primary reasons that there is so much misinformation out there, and that ignorance is still living and breathing in the vampiric community. What I set forth to do in this article (and hopefully accomplish), is to bring together a series of common philosophies that are positive. Many of these beliefs will be unacceptable to some, but they are the groundwork that much of the Lilith Tradition is laid upon. Although Lilith has always been portrayed in a negative light, like many of us, there are several positive interpretations that follow below.
First, Lilith has always been a symbol of passion and of action. In ancient myth, she left Adam upon hearing that he wished her to be submissive to him; instead of complying, she gave birth to independence (especially feminine independence) and the power to control both your situation and your environment. Like the mythical Lilith, all vampyres should strive to maintain a constant and comfortable environment, surrounding themselves with those who do not seek to control or dictate their actions. One way I relate this, is to the constant stories of vampyre-makers and vampyre-cults. Never allow yourself to fall into a situation where you believe another is responsible for your creation; what you were and what you are now, is still you, and it's still highly debatable as to whether anyone has the power to make anybody into a vampyre.
Also, like the mythical Lilith, a vampyre is always responsible for their actions and the places they allow themselves to end up. A vampyre (any individual, actually) has the power to look at their current situation, and spot the negative influences and attributes of their life; whether they allow these things to form and shape their future is up to them, and they should always strive to better their environment. If one lives in, and is constantly surrounded by, the negative, then only corresponding thoughts and actions will develop of it.
Second, throughout the various myths and superstitions of Lilith, she has always been judged by what type of a character she played, and her actions in the story or myth. At times, Lilith has been a child-killer and at others, she has been a protector of the innocent (again, especially women). Like wise, all vampyres will be judged (most directly, in my beliefs, by the law of karma) for who they become and what actions they take part in. It is not enough to relate your behavior to your nature, and maintain that this makes you an innocent. If it is in your nature to kill or harm, then make a point of changing the individual that you are internally, and avoiding at all costs following that inborn nature. If, on the other hand, you inherited an instinct that causes you to protect and guide others, then exploit it, and make use of your natural gifts (not doing so should be a crime!). The point here is that every vampyre is responsible for, and in charge of, their own self-evolution and actions.
For the third point, I bring the mythical Lilith into modern times. In this day and age, Lilith has become a patron and heroine in many modern interpretations. No longer will you find her the subject of superstitious fear, but you can instead see her in positions of power and of leadership. Her name was chosen to be a positive symbol to women everywhere of feminine power in music (i.e. the Lilith Fair). She has become a role model for quite a few individuals including myself (The Lilith Shrine, or even this web page, among the many others, serves as an example). You'll even find her in modern literature, no longer a demon or a monster, but instead a powerful, responsible, and moral heroine. Whether she has really changed or not (if she even exists on a level we can comprehend), in the modern world Lilith has taken on the responsibility that comes along with power.
I'll bring these principles down to a more reachable level now, as I relate them to the vampyre society and individual. If we do have the power that we claim to have, as a result of our natures or our work in life, then use it responsibly. It is the responsibility (again with the responsibility thing!) of every vampyre to use their power towards a positive end. Inaction and inactivity are just as bad as using what power you have towards a negative end. If you indeed do gain power from your state (i.e. vampirism or empathy, or even social worker or president!) or from your worship of Lilith as a Goddess (especially, in my mind), then you should use that power for the good of yourself, your loved ones, others around you, the world's environment, or anything else positive that you can think of!
To close off this article, I'll rephrase the key points to living in tune with the natural world and with the Goddess Lilith (as I see her). First, a vampyre is responsible to control their own environment, and the positive and negative elements they allow within it. Second, a vampire is responsible for their own evolution and actions, as well as their inner psychology and natures, and to ensure that they develop in a positive and beneficial manner. Finally, a vampyre is responsible for using what power they do have ethically and morally, and to make a positive change in the world for the many, and not the few (it may be beneficial to you to own slaves, but it does not benefit the many).
As a final note, in retrospect, I'd like to draw attention to a few points about the Lilith Tradition philosophy. First, this is meant to be an extremely positive philosophy, and is intended to guide those individuals (vampyre or not) who wish to worship Lilith as a patron Goddess in a positive and natural way. Second, (and this has been bothering me for some time, because I was afraid that I couldn't make sense out of my own beliefs) this stands as the only (to date) representation of what the Lilith Tradition is based on, and what it means. And finally, after looking through various sources, to my knowledge the Lilith Tradition is most definitely a pagan spiritual path, and may even qualify as Wiccan (in terms of the Principles of Belief set down by the Council of American Witches, which I agree with immensely).
There has always been a very great difference in the morals and ethics of vampyres. If you spend any amount of time speaking to them, you'll find that those who claim to be vampiric have widely different beliefs and practices, ranging from the cold-blooded serial killer to the very warm and friendly, occasionally even Vegan, role model. This is one of the primary reasons that there is so much misinformation out there, and that ignorance is still living and breathing in the vampiric community. What I set forth to do in this article (and hopefully accomplish), is to bring together a series of common philosophies that are positive. Many of these beliefs will be unacceptable to some, but they are the groundwork that much of the Lilith Tradition is laid upon. Although Lilith has always been portrayed in a negative light, like many of us, there are several positive interpretations that follow below.
First, Lilith has always been a symbol of passion and of action. In ancient myth, she left Adam upon hearing that he wished her to be submissive to him; instead of complying, she gave birth to independence (especially feminine independence) and the power to control both your situation and your environment. Like the mythical Lilith, all vampyres should strive to maintain a constant and comfortable environment, surrounding themselves with those who do not seek to control or dictate their actions. One way I relate this, is to the constant stories of vampyre-makers and vampyre-cults. Never allow yourself to fall into a situation where you believe another is responsible for your creation; what you were and what you are now, is still you, and it's still highly debatable as to whether anyone has the power to make anybody into a vampyre.
Also, like the mythical Lilith, a vampyre is always responsible for their actions and the places they allow themselves to end up. A vampyre (any individual, actually) has the power to look at their current situation, and spot the negative influences and attributes of their life; whether they allow these things to form and shape their future is up to them, and they should always strive to better their environment. If one lives in, and is constantly surrounded by, the negative, then only corresponding thoughts and actions will develop of it.
Second, throughout the various myths and superstitions of Lilith, she has always been judged by what type of a character she played, and her actions in the story or myth. At times, Lilith has been a child-killer and at others, she has been a protector of the innocent (again, especially women). Like wise, all vampyres will be judged (most directly, in my beliefs, by the law of karma) for who they become and what actions they take part in. It is not enough to relate your behavior to your nature, and maintain that this makes you an innocent. If it is in your nature to kill or harm, then make a point of changing the individual that you are internally, and avoiding at all costs following that inborn nature. If, on the other hand, you inherited an instinct that causes you to protect and guide others, then exploit it, and make use of your natural gifts (not doing so should be a crime!). The point here is that every vampyre is responsible for, and in charge of, their own self-evolution and actions.
For the third point, I bring the mythical Lilith into modern times. In this day and age, Lilith has become a patron and heroine in many modern interpretations. No longer will you find her the subject of superstitious fear, but you can instead see her in positions of power and of leadership. Her name was chosen to be a positive symbol to women everywhere of feminine power in music (i.e. the Lilith Fair). She has become a role model for quite a few individuals including myself (The Lilith Shrine, or even this web page, among the many others, serves as an example). You'll even find her in modern literature, no longer a demon or a monster, but instead a powerful, responsible, and moral heroine. Whether she has really changed or not (if she even exists on a level we can comprehend), in the modern world Lilith has taken on the responsibility that comes along with power.
I'll bring these principles down to a more reachable level now, as I relate them to the vampyre society and individual. If we do have the power that we claim to have, as a result of our natures or our work in life, then use it responsibly. It is the responsibility (again with the responsibility thing!) of every vampyre to use their power towards a positive end. Inaction and inactivity are just as bad as using what power you have towards a negative end. If you indeed do gain power from your state (i.e. vampirism or empathy, or even social worker or president!) or from your worship of Lilith as a Goddess (especially, in my mind), then you should use that power for the good of yourself, your loved ones, others around you, the world's environment, or anything else positive that you can think of!
To close off this article, I'll rephrase the key points to living in tune with the natural world and with the Goddess Lilith (as I see her). First, a vampyre is responsible to control their own environment, and the positive and negative elements they allow within it. Second, a vampire is responsible for their own evolution and actions, as well as their inner psychology and natures, and to ensure that they develop in a positive and beneficial manner. Finally, a vampyre is responsible for using what power they do have ethically and morally, and to make a positive change in the world for the many, and not the few (it may be beneficial to you to own slaves, but it does not benefit the many).
As a final note, in retrospect, I'd like to draw attention to a few points about the Lilith Tradition philosophy. First, this is meant to be an extremely positive philosophy, and is intended to guide those individuals (vampyre or not) who wish to worship Lilith as a patron Goddess in a positive and natural way. Second, (and this has been bothering me for some time, because I was afraid that I couldn't make sense out of my own beliefs) this stands as the only (to date) representation of what the Lilith Tradition is based on, and what it means. And finally, after looking through various sources, to my knowledge the Lilith Tradition is most definitely a pagan spiritual path, and may even qualify as Wiccan (in terms of the Principles of Belief set down by the Council of American Witches, which I agree with immensely).
1) The Dual Aspect of Lilith
Of all the motifs in Jewish mythology, none - other than that of the Messiah - remains so vivid to this day as the myth of Lilith. She occupies a central place among the demonic images of Judaism because she is by far the most distinctive figure among this religion's numerous evil spirits.
Originally, Lilith was an archaic goddess who, on her very first appearance in the historico-religious tradition, presented just one single aspect: that of a terrible mother-goddess. However, this character changed in the course of the development of the myth. By the time of the Talmudic-Rabbinic and Graeco-Byzantine traditions at the latest, Lilith had acquired a strange dual aspect. Depending on whether she is faced with a man or a woman, one or other side of her becomes more apparent. Faced with a man, the aspect of the divine whore or, psychologically speaking, that of the seductive anima comes more to the fore. To a woman, however, she will present above all the aspect of the terrible mother. As the anima figure, Lilith attempts to seduce not only the first man, Adam, but also all men, even today - because, according to one of Jewish mysticism's ancient traditions, she is immortal. She will meet her death only on the Day of Judgement.
As the terrible, devouring mother, she tries to harm pregnant women and to steal their newborn children. She is always poised to kill the child so that she can drink its blood and suck the marrow from its bones. This aspect of Lilith is already conveyed in early texts, in which she is called "the strangler."
There are definite historico-religious and psychological reasons why the aspect of the divine whore and seductive anima only appeared much later, historically speaking. The feminine always appears first within the development of consciousness in the form of the Great Mother, who is a bipolar, archetypical figure, in that she contains the aspect both of the nurturing, caring mother and of the terrible, devouring mother. The figure of the anima was only detached from the mother figure in a later phase of consciousness.
The figure of Lilith as we encounter her in Jewish literature is, however, by no means restricted exclusively to Jewish mythology. She occurs among both Semitic and non-Semitic peoples - among the Babylonians, Assyrians, Jews and Arabs on the one hand and among the Sumerians and Hittites on the other. But only in Jewish mythology has the Lilith myth existed for more than two and a half thousand years and has even managed to develop still further. Indeed, its radiations can be traced into the most immediate present: even today, for apotropaic reasons, Orthodox Jewish families, especially in the East and South, hang various amulets in the maternity room or round the necks of the mother and her newborn child to protect them from the dangerous machinations of this ill-omened, demonic figure.
The two sides of Lilith had already been personified in Babylonian literature, in the two goddesses Lamashtû and Ishtar, out of which the figure of Lilith crystallized. For this reason, I have designated them as the Lamashtû aspect and the Ishtar aspect.
The Babylonian goddess Lilitû later underwent several strange transformations within the Jewish tradition. First, she lost her original divine character and became a colorless, nocturnal desert ghost.
To attain a deeper understanding of Lilith's transformations, it is necessary to make a short digression into Jewish, and from there back still further into Babylonian teachings on demons. Starting from this point, it is possible to illuminate the two opposing aspects of Lilith.
In Jewish literature, Lilith is one of the numerous demons who are mentioned in the Bible, the Talmud and Rabbinic tradition. But even outside this canonical literature, in apocryphal and pseudepigraphic works, in the Aramaic magic texts of Nippur, in Gnostic and Mandaean literature, as well as later in Jewish Mysticism and Jewish popular belief, Lilith occupies a considerable space.
Jewish demons occur under quite different names. One moment they are described as spirits (Ruchot), the next as pests (Masiqim) and the next as destroyers (Chabalim). They can be grouped under the collective name Shedim, sing. Shed, Aramaic Shida, i.e., demons. Shedim are either benevolent and helpful, or - more frequently - dangerous troublemakers. On the whole, the demons who meet humans and have dealings with them are male, but now and then there are female ones. From time to time, too, there are goblins or poltergeists - generally harmless and benevolent, though in the habit of teasing humans.
The Hebrew word Shed can almost certainly be traced back to the Akkadian word Shedû, which for its part corresponds to the Sumerian word Aladû. In Babylonia, the Shedû was originally a predominantly chthonic deity who was worshipped as a bull with a bearded human head. The ideograms for bull and Shedû are identical. At the same time, however, they are also the same as that for Nergal, the Babylonian rule of the underworld and the kingdom of the dead, so that it may be assumed that the Shedû also had some connection with the souls of the dead.
Since the Shedû is always represented as a winged bull, it is to be presumed that, as well as his chthonic aspect, he possessed a spiritual aspect. Facing the male Shedû is the female Lamassû or Lama, called Kal in Sumerian and whom the Sumerians portrayed as a winged cow. In contrast to the rather negative or ambivalent Shedû, Lamassû is always a kindly and helpful being. Shedû and Lamassû were erected at the gate of the palace of King Assurnazirpal, and on his accession to the throne, King Assarhaddon prided himself on having set up Shedû and Lamassû to the right and left of the palace entrance as guardians of the royal house and tutelary gods of the Assyrian people. The Sumerian Lamassû was later included in the Babylonian pantheon, though in so doing she - like Shedû - underwent certain transformations, because she was changed into a demon and worshipped as the great and terrifying mother-goddess Lamashtû, who has lost almost all her positive features.
a) The Lamashtû Aspect
Lamashtû is one of the two original images that left their mark on the figure of Lilith. She has many features in common with Lilith. Both watch the pregnant woman vigilantly - especially when she is in labor. They try not only to harm her personally, but also to steal her newborn child from her and to kill it. On amulets, both goddesses were named together and enjoined to leave mother and child alone.
A birth scene is depicted in an impression of a Babylonian cylinder seal from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, published by Stephen H. Langdon and which shortly after was also described by Bruno Meissner. According to an interpretation given by C. Frank, in this scene, a woman in labor is being attacked by demons led by Lamashtû. However, this interpretation is disputed by Meissner.
A few authors have already pointed to a close connection between Lamashtû and Lilith. According to F. Perles, it even appears that:
"... in the Jewish consciousness above all, Lamashtû and Lilith are almost identical."
However, this could hardly be the case, since Lilith - along with her Lamashtû aspect - also has other characteristics that Lamashtû lacks completely. On the other hand, it is true that, in the Lilith myth, the Lamashtû aspect is historically older. For this reason, we ought to consider this Babylonian goddess somewhat more closely.
Unlike other frequently rather hazily portrayed Near Eastern goddesses, the personality of the goddess Lamashtû is defined with absolute clarity. The best sources for an understanding of this figure are the so-called Labartû texts published by D.W. Myhrman. The texts have been corrected and expanded in certain respects over the last few decades.
In these sources, Lamashtû is always invoked as a goddess. Her father is the Babylonian god of heaven, Anû, and thus she is, generally called simply "daughter of Anû." She is the "chosen confidante" of Irnina, a goddess who is related to the Sumerian Inanna and the Babylonian Ishtar.
The Labartû texts say:
"Her abode is on the mountains, or in the reedbeds. Dreadful is her appearance. Her head and her face are those of a fearsome lion, white as clay is her countenance, she has the form of an ass, from her lips pours spittle, she roars like a lion, she howls like a jackal. A whore is she. Fearsome and savage is her nature. Raging, furious, fearsome, terrifying, violent, rapacious, rampaging, evil, malicious, she overthrows and destroys all that she approaches. Terrible are her deeds. Wherever she comes, wherever she appears, she brings evil and destruction. Men, beasts, trees, rivers, roads, buildings, she brings harm to them all. A flesh-eating, bloodsucking monster is she."
Of all the motifs in Jewish mythology, none - other than that of the Messiah - remains so vivid to this day as the myth of Lilith. She occupies a central place among the demonic images of Judaism because she is by far the most distinctive figure among this religion's numerous evil spirits.
Originally, Lilith was an archaic goddess who, on her very first appearance in the historico-religious tradition, presented just one single aspect: that of a terrible mother-goddess. However, this character changed in the course of the development of the myth. By the time of the Talmudic-Rabbinic and Graeco-Byzantine traditions at the latest, Lilith had acquired a strange dual aspect. Depending on whether she is faced with a man or a woman, one or other side of her becomes more apparent. Faced with a man, the aspect of the divine whore or, psychologically speaking, that of the seductive anima comes more to the fore. To a woman, however, she will present above all the aspect of the terrible mother. As the anima figure, Lilith attempts to seduce not only the first man, Adam, but also all men, even today - because, according to one of Jewish mysticism's ancient traditions, she is immortal. She will meet her death only on the Day of Judgement.
As the terrible, devouring mother, she tries to harm pregnant women and to steal their newborn children. She is always poised to kill the child so that she can drink its blood and suck the marrow from its bones. This aspect of Lilith is already conveyed in early texts, in which she is called "the strangler."
There are definite historico-religious and psychological reasons why the aspect of the divine whore and seductive anima only appeared much later, historically speaking. The feminine always appears first within the development of consciousness in the form of the Great Mother, who is a bipolar, archetypical figure, in that she contains the aspect both of the nurturing, caring mother and of the terrible, devouring mother. The figure of the anima was only detached from the mother figure in a later phase of consciousness.
The figure of Lilith as we encounter her in Jewish literature is, however, by no means restricted exclusively to Jewish mythology. She occurs among both Semitic and non-Semitic peoples - among the Babylonians, Assyrians, Jews and Arabs on the one hand and among the Sumerians and Hittites on the other. But only in Jewish mythology has the Lilith myth existed for more than two and a half thousand years and has even managed to develop still further. Indeed, its radiations can be traced into the most immediate present: even today, for apotropaic reasons, Orthodox Jewish families, especially in the East and South, hang various amulets in the maternity room or round the necks of the mother and her newborn child to protect them from the dangerous machinations of this ill-omened, demonic figure.
The two sides of Lilith had already been personified in Babylonian literature, in the two goddesses Lamashtû and Ishtar, out of which the figure of Lilith crystallized. For this reason, I have designated them as the Lamashtû aspect and the Ishtar aspect.
The Babylonian goddess Lilitû later underwent several strange transformations within the Jewish tradition. First, she lost her original divine character and became a colorless, nocturnal desert ghost.
To attain a deeper understanding of Lilith's transformations, it is necessary to make a short digression into Jewish, and from there back still further into Babylonian teachings on demons. Starting from this point, it is possible to illuminate the two opposing aspects of Lilith.
In Jewish literature, Lilith is one of the numerous demons who are mentioned in the Bible, the Talmud and Rabbinic tradition. But even outside this canonical literature, in apocryphal and pseudepigraphic works, in the Aramaic magic texts of Nippur, in Gnostic and Mandaean literature, as well as later in Jewish Mysticism and Jewish popular belief, Lilith occupies a considerable space.
Jewish demons occur under quite different names. One moment they are described as spirits (Ruchot), the next as pests (Masiqim) and the next as destroyers (Chabalim). They can be grouped under the collective name Shedim, sing. Shed, Aramaic Shida, i.e., demons. Shedim are either benevolent and helpful, or - more frequently - dangerous troublemakers. On the whole, the demons who meet humans and have dealings with them are male, but now and then there are female ones. From time to time, too, there are goblins or poltergeists - generally harmless and benevolent, though in the habit of teasing humans.
The Hebrew word Shed can almost certainly be traced back to the Akkadian word Shedû, which for its part corresponds to the Sumerian word Aladû. In Babylonia, the Shedû was originally a predominantly chthonic deity who was worshipped as a bull with a bearded human head. The ideograms for bull and Shedû are identical. At the same time, however, they are also the same as that for Nergal, the Babylonian rule of the underworld and the kingdom of the dead, so that it may be assumed that the Shedû also had some connection with the souls of the dead.
Since the Shedû is always represented as a winged bull, it is to be presumed that, as well as his chthonic aspect, he possessed a spiritual aspect. Facing the male Shedû is the female Lamassû or Lama, called Kal in Sumerian and whom the Sumerians portrayed as a winged cow. In contrast to the rather negative or ambivalent Shedû, Lamassû is always a kindly and helpful being. Shedû and Lamassû were erected at the gate of the palace of King Assurnazirpal, and on his accession to the throne, King Assarhaddon prided himself on having set up Shedû and Lamassû to the right and left of the palace entrance as guardians of the royal house and tutelary gods of the Assyrian people. The Sumerian Lamassû was later included in the Babylonian pantheon, though in so doing she - like Shedû - underwent certain transformations, because she was changed into a demon and worshipped as the great and terrifying mother-goddess Lamashtû, who has lost almost all her positive features.
a) The Lamashtû Aspect
Lamashtû is one of the two original images that left their mark on the figure of Lilith. She has many features in common with Lilith. Both watch the pregnant woman vigilantly - especially when she is in labor. They try not only to harm her personally, but also to steal her newborn child from her and to kill it. On amulets, both goddesses were named together and enjoined to leave mother and child alone.
A birth scene is depicted in an impression of a Babylonian cylinder seal from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, published by Stephen H. Langdon and which shortly after was also described by Bruno Meissner. According to an interpretation given by C. Frank, in this scene, a woman in labor is being attacked by demons led by Lamashtû. However, this interpretation is disputed by Meissner.
A few authors have already pointed to a close connection between Lamashtû and Lilith. According to F. Perles, it even appears that:
"... in the Jewish consciousness above all, Lamashtû and Lilith are almost identical."
However, this could hardly be the case, since Lilith - along with her Lamashtû aspect - also has other characteristics that Lamashtû lacks completely. On the other hand, it is true that, in the Lilith myth, the Lamashtû aspect is historically older. For this reason, we ought to consider this Babylonian goddess somewhat more closely.
Unlike other frequently rather hazily portrayed Near Eastern goddesses, the personality of the goddess Lamashtû is defined with absolute clarity. The best sources for an understanding of this figure are the so-called Labartû texts published by D.W. Myhrman. The texts have been corrected and expanded in certain respects over the last few decades.
In these sources, Lamashtû is always invoked as a goddess. Her father is the Babylonian god of heaven, Anû, and thus she is, generally called simply "daughter of Anû." She is the "chosen confidante" of Irnina, a goddess who is related to the Sumerian Inanna and the Babylonian Ishtar.
The Labartû texts say:
"Her abode is on the mountains, or in the reedbeds. Dreadful is her appearance. Her head and her face are those of a fearsome lion, white as clay is her countenance, she has the form of an ass, from her lips pours spittle, she roars like a lion, she howls like a jackal. A whore is she. Fearsome and savage is her nature. Raging, furious, fearsome, terrifying, violent, rapacious, rampaging, evil, malicious, she overthrows and destroys all that she approaches. Terrible are her deeds. Wherever she comes, wherever she appears, she brings evil and destruction. Men, beasts, trees, rivers, roads, buildings, she brings harm to them all. A flesh-eating, bloodsucking monster is she."
In other texts, it says that she watches the pregnant woman most vigilantly and tries to snatch the newborn child from her. Some time before the birth, she appears in the maternity room so as to tear the child from the mother's body. Then she begins to torment the child "now with heat and fire, then with fever and shivering."
Images from a magic conception of the world are the basis of the Babylonian magic and incantation texts against Lamashtû, of which a large number have been preserved. In magic, two elements are almost always combined: on the one hand, the sorcerer-priest - who functions as an exorcist - uses incantations to invoke and conjure the goddess; on the other, certain ritualistic magic practices are involved. That is why, in Babylonia, there was a distinction between shiptû and epeshû, and similarly, in the Greek magic papyri, between logos and pragma.
The magic practices consist mostly in an analogous magic carried out according to precise instructions. Various prescriptions for this are given in the Labartû texts. One, for example, advises making a clay figure of the goddess. Twelve loaves and other foods should then be placed before this figure as sacrificial offerings. The figure of a black dog should be placed before the clay figure. After three days, during which the goddess will leave the body of the person she has bewitched and enter the clay figure, this last should be smashed with a sword and the pieces buried in a corner of the city wall, but not before the whole area has been consecrated with flour water. The provision of a pair of sandals to carry the goddess across the river or the sea is also part of the magic practices, whose aim is to drive away Lamashtû or render her harmless. Other prescriptions recommend the preparation of a ship by the priest, in which a picture of Lamashtû, together with pictures of black and white dogs - animals sacred to Lamashtû - should be placed in the hope that the river will carry the ship, and the goddess, away forever. Other magic practices consist in the making of amulets. These are composed of different-colored ribbons and bands wrapped around precious stones. They were tied round the newborn child's neck, wrists and ankles and were intended to protect it.
Quite specific texts, which the priest recited in an order established by tradition, belong to the invocations and incantations.
In the Babylonian magic and amulet texts, Lamashtû is seldom mentioned by herself. Mostly, she appears with a group of other related gods or demons. In an incantation text against the so-called Uttuke group, it says:
"He, upon whom the evil Uttukû threw himself,
He, whom the evil Alû suffocated in his bed,
He, whom the evil Etimmû overpowered in the night,
He, whom the evil Gallû threatened,
He, whose limbs the evil Ilû tore apart,
He, whom Lamashtû seized and dominated,
He, whom Labashû overpowered,
He, whom Ahhazû held fast, etc."
Among the demons listed, Uttukû and Labashû are known to be fever demons, while Etimmû (alternative spelling: Ekimmû) is some kind of spirit of death. Ahhazû means something like predator, grasper, grabber, while Ilû is the general term for a god or devil. However, it is not easy to tell the individual demons in the group apart; indeed, it is not even possible to say with any degree of certainty what sex they are, which points to the archaic character of this image. Some are neither male nor female, some have changed sex over the course of time. Some seem merely to be different sides of the character of Lamashtû.
What makes these incantation texts particularly interesting are two demons who have a close connection with Lilith, namely Alû and Gallû.
Alû was originally an asexual demon, who later took on female characteristics. Alû is a demon without mouth, lips and ears, half man, half devil. At night, he roams the streets like a masterless dog. Then he creeps into people's bedrooms and terrifies them while they sleep. Alû also appears in Jewish texts under the name Ailo. In these, he is one of the secret names of Lilith. However, in other texts, Ailo is described as the daughter of Lilith, who has had a liaison with a man. That demons have sexual relations with men and produce devil children as a result is an idea which occurs in all the Semitic religions. Thus, for example, the pre-Islamic, Arabic, demon literature contains similar liaisons between men and djinn. This idea is also well-known in the Talmud and in Mandaean Gnosticism. Later, too, the notion was taken up in Kabbalistic literature. According to Kabbalistic belief, demons don't actually have a body of their own, because the Sabbath intervened before its creation. They need a human body in order to reproduce. As a result, Lilith uses the drops of sperm which are ejaculated during sleep or marital intercourse so as to:
"...create a body for herself from the sperm which is dropping into the void."
In this connection, G. Scholem refers to a Kabbalistic rite - part of which is still practised today - which was carried out at burials in Jerusalem:
"Ten Jews danced round the dead man and recited a psalm, which was commonly accepted in Jewish tradition as a psalm of protection against demons."
Obviously, what is involved here is an archaic, apotropaic rite, which is directed at those children of the dead man he fathered by a demon. These congregate on the death of their father and demand their paternal inheri-tance. Now and again, they hurl abuse at the dead man's legitimate children or even attempt to attack them physically. This was also the reason why certain 16th-century Kabbalists forbade the sons of the dead man to take part in his funeral.
Another - female - demon of the Uttukû group, who also has a close connection with Lilith, is Gallû. Occasionally, this name, like that of Uttukû, is used simply as a general term for all demons, and these are called "evil Uttuke" or "evil Galli":
"Gallû, the spirit that threatens every house,
Brazen Gallûs, seven are they,
They grind the land like flour,
They know no mercy,
Rage at the people,
Eat their flesh,
Let their blood flow like rain,
They never stop drinking blood."
In amulet texts, sometimes it is Lamashtû, sometimes Gallû and sometimes Lilith who is invoked and conjured. Gallû later appeared as Gello, Gylo or Gyllou in Graeco-Byzantine mythology, in which Gyllou has become a child-stealing and child-killing female demon. This figure was also taken up by Jewish mythology, as Gilû. Like Ailo, or Alû, Gilû is also a secret name for Lilith. According to Bernhard Schmidt, belief in the Gylloudes is still fully alive in present-day Greece.
The Babylonian magic spells, which were supposed either to drive away the demons who brought illness or other troubles or to render them harmless, had to be recited in a precise order over the individual limbs of the person who had been bewitched, in order to be effective. This is because demons attack only one particular part of the body at any one time - for example, Uttukû the shoulder, Alû the breast, Gallû the hand, Assakû the head and Namtarû the throat. Familiarity with the effects of the demons and, above all, knowledge of their secret names, was supposed to protect people from their machinations.
Images from a magic conception of the world are the basis of the Babylonian magic and incantation texts against Lamashtû, of which a large number have been preserved. In magic, two elements are almost always combined: on the one hand, the sorcerer-priest - who functions as an exorcist - uses incantations to invoke and conjure the goddess; on the other, certain ritualistic magic practices are involved. That is why, in Babylonia, there was a distinction between shiptû and epeshû, and similarly, in the Greek magic papyri, between logos and pragma.
The magic practices consist mostly in an analogous magic carried out according to precise instructions. Various prescriptions for this are given in the Labartû texts. One, for example, advises making a clay figure of the goddess. Twelve loaves and other foods should then be placed before this figure as sacrificial offerings. The figure of a black dog should be placed before the clay figure. After three days, during which the goddess will leave the body of the person she has bewitched and enter the clay figure, this last should be smashed with a sword and the pieces buried in a corner of the city wall, but not before the whole area has been consecrated with flour water. The provision of a pair of sandals to carry the goddess across the river or the sea is also part of the magic practices, whose aim is to drive away Lamashtû or render her harmless. Other prescriptions recommend the preparation of a ship by the priest, in which a picture of Lamashtû, together with pictures of black and white dogs - animals sacred to Lamashtû - should be placed in the hope that the river will carry the ship, and the goddess, away forever. Other magic practices consist in the making of amulets. These are composed of different-colored ribbons and bands wrapped around precious stones. They were tied round the newborn child's neck, wrists and ankles and were intended to protect it.
Quite specific texts, which the priest recited in an order established by tradition, belong to the invocations and incantations.
In the Babylonian magic and amulet texts, Lamashtû is seldom mentioned by herself. Mostly, she appears with a group of other related gods or demons. In an incantation text against the so-called Uttuke group, it says:
"He, upon whom the evil Uttukû threw himself,
He, whom the evil Alû suffocated in his bed,
He, whom the evil Etimmû overpowered in the night,
He, whom the evil Gallû threatened,
He, whose limbs the evil Ilû tore apart,
He, whom Lamashtû seized and dominated,
He, whom Labashû overpowered,
He, whom Ahhazû held fast, etc."
Among the demons listed, Uttukû and Labashû are known to be fever demons, while Etimmû (alternative spelling: Ekimmû) is some kind of spirit of death. Ahhazû means something like predator, grasper, grabber, while Ilû is the general term for a god or devil. However, it is not easy to tell the individual demons in the group apart; indeed, it is not even possible to say with any degree of certainty what sex they are, which points to the archaic character of this image. Some are neither male nor female, some have changed sex over the course of time. Some seem merely to be different sides of the character of Lamashtû.
What makes these incantation texts particularly interesting are two demons who have a close connection with Lilith, namely Alû and Gallû.
Alû was originally an asexual demon, who later took on female characteristics. Alû is a demon without mouth, lips and ears, half man, half devil. At night, he roams the streets like a masterless dog. Then he creeps into people's bedrooms and terrifies them while they sleep. Alû also appears in Jewish texts under the name Ailo. In these, he is one of the secret names of Lilith. However, in other texts, Ailo is described as the daughter of Lilith, who has had a liaison with a man. That demons have sexual relations with men and produce devil children as a result is an idea which occurs in all the Semitic religions. Thus, for example, the pre-Islamic, Arabic, demon literature contains similar liaisons between men and djinn. This idea is also well-known in the Talmud and in Mandaean Gnosticism. Later, too, the notion was taken up in Kabbalistic literature. According to Kabbalistic belief, demons don't actually have a body of their own, because the Sabbath intervened before its creation. They need a human body in order to reproduce. As a result, Lilith uses the drops of sperm which are ejaculated during sleep or marital intercourse so as to:
"...create a body for herself from the sperm which is dropping into the void."
In this connection, G. Scholem refers to a Kabbalistic rite - part of which is still practised today - which was carried out at burials in Jerusalem:
"Ten Jews danced round the dead man and recited a psalm, which was commonly accepted in Jewish tradition as a psalm of protection against demons."
Obviously, what is involved here is an archaic, apotropaic rite, which is directed at those children of the dead man he fathered by a demon. These congregate on the death of their father and demand their paternal inheri-tance. Now and again, they hurl abuse at the dead man's legitimate children or even attempt to attack them physically. This was also the reason why certain 16th-century Kabbalists forbade the sons of the dead man to take part in his funeral.
Another - female - demon of the Uttukû group, who also has a close connection with Lilith, is Gallû. Occasionally, this name, like that of Uttukû, is used simply as a general term for all demons, and these are called "evil Uttuke" or "evil Galli":
"Gallû, the spirit that threatens every house,
Brazen Gallûs, seven are they,
They grind the land like flour,
They know no mercy,
Rage at the people,
Eat their flesh,
Let their blood flow like rain,
They never stop drinking blood."
In amulet texts, sometimes it is Lamashtû, sometimes Gallû and sometimes Lilith who is invoked and conjured. Gallû later appeared as Gello, Gylo or Gyllou in Graeco-Byzantine mythology, in which Gyllou has become a child-stealing and child-killing female demon. This figure was also taken up by Jewish mythology, as Gilû. Like Ailo, or Alû, Gilû is also a secret name for Lilith. According to Bernhard Schmidt, belief in the Gylloudes is still fully alive in present-day Greece.
The Babylonian magic spells, which were supposed either to drive away the demons who brought illness or other troubles or to render them harmless, had to be recited in a precise order over the individual limbs of the person who had been bewitched, in order to be effective. This is because demons attack only one particular part of the body at any one time - for example, Uttukû the shoulder, Alû the breast, Gallû the hand, Assakû the head and Namtarû the throat. Familiarity with the effects of the demons and, above all, knowledge of their secret names, was supposed to protect people from their machinations.
All magic spells begin formally with the word Shiptû, i.e., incantation. Thereafter, there follow invocations of the various demons or characteristics of a particular demon. Finally comes the demand that they should depart. For example, it says about Lamashtû:
"Shiptû. Lamashtû, daughter of Anû, is her first incantation.
The second: Sister of the gods of the streets.
The third: Sword that splits the head.
The fourth: She who sets fire to wood.
The fifth: Goddess whose face is terrifying.
The sixth: Confidante and chosen one of Irnina.
The seventh: May you be conjured by the great gods:
That you may fly away with the bird of the heavens."
In addition to the Labartû texts, a further series of similar magic and incantation texts was published later by Erich Ebeling.
Sometimes, the amulets against Lamashtû contain similar incantations and sometimes they carry pictorial representations of the goddess. Some of these amulet texts were published by Frédéric Thureau-Dangin. Since then, whole series of similar texts have been discovered in various museums and published. For the most part they are similar to the Shiptû texts which had already been discovered. Thus, it says of Lamashtû:
"Dreadful is she, headstrong is she, she is a goddess, terrible is she. She is like a leopard (?), the daughter of Anû. Her feet are those of (the bird) Zu, her hands are dirty, her face is that of a powerful lion. She rises out of the reedbed. Her hair is loose, her breasts are bare. Her hands are caked with flesh and blood. She forces an entry through the window, she slides in like a snake. She enters the house, she leaves the house again."
The figure of Lamashtû or - as she is also known - of Lammea later entered Greek mythology as Lamia. According to one version, Lamia was a Phrygian queen; according to another tradition, she was the daughter of a king of the Laistrygons in Libya. She was the beloved of Zeus, to whom she bore a number of children. Hera pursued her out of jealousy and envy and killed all her children except Skylla. From grief, Lamia lost her beauty; and out of jealousy of all mothers who had babies, she tried to seize these children. She has the ability to take out her eyes, so that these remain on watch and can keep a lookout for children while Lamia sleeps. Lamia was depicted as a creature with the body of a snake and the head of a beautiful woman. In antiquity, the name Lamia meant - like Lilith - on the one hand a single being, on the other a multitude of female, child-stealing demons. According to Schmidt, even today in Greece there is a belief that:
"If a youth, especially a well-proportioned one, sings or whistles on the beach at midday or midnight, the Lamia of the sea rises out of the deep and tries to persuade him to become her husband and to come into the water with her, through the promise of a blissful life. If the youth refuses, she kills him."
"Shiptû. Lamashtû, daughter of Anû, is her first incantation.
The second: Sister of the gods of the streets.
The third: Sword that splits the head.
The fourth: She who sets fire to wood.
The fifth: Goddess whose face is terrifying.
The sixth: Confidante and chosen one of Irnina.
The seventh: May you be conjured by the great gods:
That you may fly away with the bird of the heavens."
In addition to the Labartû texts, a further series of similar magic and incantation texts was published later by Erich Ebeling.
Sometimes, the amulets against Lamashtû contain similar incantations and sometimes they carry pictorial representations of the goddess. Some of these amulet texts were published by Frédéric Thureau-Dangin. Since then, whole series of similar texts have been discovered in various museums and published. For the most part they are similar to the Shiptû texts which had already been discovered. Thus, it says of Lamashtû:
"Dreadful is she, headstrong is she, she is a goddess, terrible is she. She is like a leopard (?), the daughter of Anû. Her feet are those of (the bird) Zu, her hands are dirty, her face is that of a powerful lion. She rises out of the reedbed. Her hair is loose, her breasts are bare. Her hands are caked with flesh and blood. She forces an entry through the window, she slides in like a snake. She enters the house, she leaves the house again."
The figure of Lamashtû or - as she is also known - of Lammea later entered Greek mythology as Lamia. According to one version, Lamia was a Phrygian queen; according to another tradition, she was the daughter of a king of the Laistrygons in Libya. She was the beloved of Zeus, to whom she bore a number of children. Hera pursued her out of jealousy and envy and killed all her children except Skylla. From grief, Lamia lost her beauty; and out of jealousy of all mothers who had babies, she tried to seize these children. She has the ability to take out her eyes, so that these remain on watch and can keep a lookout for children while Lamia sleeps. Lamia was depicted as a creature with the body of a snake and the head of a beautiful woman. In antiquity, the name Lamia meant - like Lilith - on the one hand a single being, on the other a multitude of female, child-stealing demons. According to Schmidt, even today in Greece there is a belief that:
"If a youth, especially a well-proportioned one, sings or whistles on the beach at midday or midnight, the Lamia of the sea rises out of the deep and tries to persuade him to become her husband and to come into the water with her, through the promise of a blissful life. If the youth refuses, she kills him."
From "Hebrew Myths" by Robert Graves and Raphael Patai:
Some say the God created man and woman in His own image on the Sixth Day, giving them charge over the world, but that Eve did not yet exist. Now, God had set Adam to name every beast, bird and other living thing. When they passed before him in pairs, male and female, Adam --being already like a twenty-year-old man-- felt jealous of their loves, and though he tried coupling with each female creature in turn, found no satisfaction in the act. He therefore cried: "Every creature but I has a proper mate!" and prayed God would remedy this injustice. [1]
God then formed Lilith, the first woman, just as He had formed Adam, except that he used filth and sediment instead of pure dust. From Adam's union with this demoness, and with another like her named Naamah, Tubal Cain's sister, sprang Asmodeus and innumerable demons that still plague mankind. Many generations later, Lilith and Naamah came to Solomon's judgement seat, disguised as harlots of Jerusalem. [2]
Adam and Lilith never found peace together, for when he wished to lie with her, she took offence at the recumbent position he demanded. "Why must I lie beneath you?" she asked. "I also was made from dust, and am therefore your equal." Because Adam tried to compel her obedience by force, Lilith, in a rage, uttered the magic name of God, rose into the air and left him.
Adam complained to God: "I have been deserted by my helpmeet." God at once sent the angels Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof to fetch Lilith back. They found her beside the Red Sea, a region abounding in lascivious demons, to whom she bore 'lilim' at the rate of more than one hundred a day. "Return to Adam without delay," the angels said, "or we will drown you!" Lilith asked: "How can I return to Adam and live like an honest housewife, after my stay beside the Red Sea?" "It will be death to refuse!" they answered. "How can I die," Lilith asked again, "when God has ordered me to take charge of all newborn children: boys up to the eighth day of life, that of circumcision; girls up to the twentieth day. None the less, if ever I see your three names or likenesses displayed in an amulet above a newborn child, I promise to spare it." To this they agreed; but God punished Lilith by making one hundred of her demon children perish daily; [3] and if she could not destroy a human infant, because of the angelic amulet, she would spitefully turn against her own. [4]
Some say that Lilith ruled as queen in Zmargad, and again in Sheba; and was the demoness who destroyed Job's sons. [5] Yet she escaped the curse of death which overtook Adam, since they had parted long before the Fall. Lilith and Naamah not only strangle infants but also seduce dreaming men, and one of whom, sleeping alone, may become their victim. [6]
Notes:
[1] Divergences between the Creation myths of Genesis I and II, which allow Lilith to be presumed as Adam's first mate, result from a careless weaving together of an early Judean and a late priestly tradition. The older version contains the rib incident. Lilith typifies the Anath-worshipping Canaanite women, who were permitted pre-nuptial promiscuity. Time after time the prophets denounced Israelite women for following Canaanite practices; at first, apparently, with the priests' approval -- since their habit of dedicating to God the fees thus earned is expressly forbidden in Deuteronomy XXIII:18. Lilith's flight to the Red Sea recalls the ancient Hebrew view that water attracts demons. "Tortured and rebellious demons" also found safe harbourage in Egypt. Thus Asmodeus, who had strangled Sarah's first six husbands, fled "to the uttermost parts of Egypt" (Tobit VIII:3), when Tobias burned the heart and liver of a fish on their wedding night.
[2] Lilith's bargain with the angels has its ritual counterpart in an apotropaic {1} rite once performed in many Jewish communities. To protect the newborn child against Lilith --and especially a male, until he could be permanently safeguarded by circumcision-- a ring was drawn with natron, or charcoal, on the wall of the birthroom, and inside it were written the words: "Adam and Eve. Out, Lilith!" Also the names Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof (meanings uncertain) were inscribed on the door. If Lilith nevertheless succeeded in approaching the child and fondling him, he would laugh in his sleep. To avert danger, it was held wise to strike the sleeping child's lips with one finger -- whereupon Lilith would vanish.
[3] 'Lilith' is usually derived from the Babylonian-Assyrian word 'lilitu,' 'a female demon, or wind-spirit' -- one of a triad mentioned in Babylonian spells. But she appears earlier as 'Lillake' on a 2000 BC Sumerian tablet from Ur containing the tale of _Gilgamesh and the Willow Tree_. There she is a demoness dwelling in the trunk of a willow tree tended by the Goddess Inanna (Anath) on the banks of the Euphrates. Popular Hebrew etymology seems to have derived 'Lilith' from 'layil,' 'night'; and she therefore often appears as a hairy night-monster, as she also does in Arabian folklore. Solomon suspected the Queen of Sheba of being Lilith, because she had hairy legs. His judgement on the two harlots is recorded in 1 Kings III:16. According to Isaiah XXXIV:14-15, Lilith dwells among the desolate ruins in the Edomite Desert where satyrs ("se'ir"), reems {2}, pelicans, owls {3}, jackals, ostriches, arrow-snakes and kites {4} keep her company.
[4] Lilith's children are called 'lilim.' In the _Targum Yerushalmi_, the priestly blessing of Numbers VI:26 becomes: "The Lord bless thee in all thy doings, and preserve thee from the Lilim!" The fourth-century AD commentator Hieronymous identified Lilith with the Greek Lamia, a Libyan queen deserted by Zeus, whom his wife Hera robbed of her children. She took revenge by robbing other women of theirs.
[5] The Lamiae, who seduced sleeping men, sucked their blood and ate their flesh, as Lilith and her fellow-demonesses did, were also known as 'Empusae,' 'forcers-in'; or 'Mormolyceia,' 'frightening wolves'; and described as 'Children of Hecate.' A Hellenistic relief shows a naked Lamia straddling a traveller asleep on his back. It is characteristic of civilizations where women are treated as chattels that they must adopt the recumbent posture during intercourse, which Lilith refused. That Greek witches who worshipped Hecate favoured the superior posture, we know from Apuleius; and it occurs in early Sumerian representations of the sexual act, though not in the Hittite. Malinowski writes that Melanesian girls ridicule what they call 'the missionary position,'{5} which demands that they should lie passive and recumbent.
[6] 'Naamah,' 'pleasant,' is explained as meaning that 'the demoness sang pleasant songs to idols.' 'Zmargad' suggests 'smaragdos,' the semi-precious aquamarine; and may therefore be her submarine dwelling. A demon named Smaragos occurs in the _Homeric Epigrams_.
- pps 65 - 69
{1} Apotropaic. "Intended to ward off evil."
{2} Reems. Thanks to Diccon Frankborn (dickney@access.digex.net) for the following:
The reem -- properly, re'em, pronounced roughly "ray-em" -- was the aurochs, the largest and most dangerous wild ox that ever lived.
{3} The owl is particularly sacred --if that's the right word-- to Lilith. A Sumerian relief, now popularly available in reproduction, shows her with owl's feet, standing on the backs of a pair of lions and holding the Sumerian version of the Ankh in each hand.
{4} Kites. A carrion-bird, related to the vulture. (Archive Editorial Note: This is an error. Kites are not carrion-eaters, and while they are raptors like vultures, they are not in the vulture family. They are in the hawk and eagle family.)
{5} Now you know where the term comes from!
Some say the God created man and woman in His own image on the Sixth Day, giving them charge over the world, but that Eve did not yet exist. Now, God had set Adam to name every beast, bird and other living thing. When they passed before him in pairs, male and female, Adam --being already like a twenty-year-old man-- felt jealous of their loves, and though he tried coupling with each female creature in turn, found no satisfaction in the act. He therefore cried: "Every creature but I has a proper mate!" and prayed God would remedy this injustice. [1]
God then formed Lilith, the first woman, just as He had formed Adam, except that he used filth and sediment instead of pure dust. From Adam's union with this demoness, and with another like her named Naamah, Tubal Cain's sister, sprang Asmodeus and innumerable demons that still plague mankind. Many generations later, Lilith and Naamah came to Solomon's judgement seat, disguised as harlots of Jerusalem. [2]
Adam and Lilith never found peace together, for when he wished to lie with her, she took offence at the recumbent position he demanded. "Why must I lie beneath you?" she asked. "I also was made from dust, and am therefore your equal." Because Adam tried to compel her obedience by force, Lilith, in a rage, uttered the magic name of God, rose into the air and left him.
Adam complained to God: "I have been deserted by my helpmeet." God at once sent the angels Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof to fetch Lilith back. They found her beside the Red Sea, a region abounding in lascivious demons, to whom she bore 'lilim' at the rate of more than one hundred a day. "Return to Adam without delay," the angels said, "or we will drown you!" Lilith asked: "How can I return to Adam and live like an honest housewife, after my stay beside the Red Sea?" "It will be death to refuse!" they answered. "How can I die," Lilith asked again, "when God has ordered me to take charge of all newborn children: boys up to the eighth day of life, that of circumcision; girls up to the twentieth day. None the less, if ever I see your three names or likenesses displayed in an amulet above a newborn child, I promise to spare it." To this they agreed; but God punished Lilith by making one hundred of her demon children perish daily; [3] and if she could not destroy a human infant, because of the angelic amulet, she would spitefully turn against her own. [4]
Some say that Lilith ruled as queen in Zmargad, and again in Sheba; and was the demoness who destroyed Job's sons. [5] Yet she escaped the curse of death which overtook Adam, since they had parted long before the Fall. Lilith and Naamah not only strangle infants but also seduce dreaming men, and one of whom, sleeping alone, may become their victim. [6]
Notes:
[1] Divergences between the Creation myths of Genesis I and II, which allow Lilith to be presumed as Adam's first mate, result from a careless weaving together of an early Judean and a late priestly tradition. The older version contains the rib incident. Lilith typifies the Anath-worshipping Canaanite women, who were permitted pre-nuptial promiscuity. Time after time the prophets denounced Israelite women for following Canaanite practices; at first, apparently, with the priests' approval -- since their habit of dedicating to God the fees thus earned is expressly forbidden in Deuteronomy XXIII:18. Lilith's flight to the Red Sea recalls the ancient Hebrew view that water attracts demons. "Tortured and rebellious demons" also found safe harbourage in Egypt. Thus Asmodeus, who had strangled Sarah's first six husbands, fled "to the uttermost parts of Egypt" (Tobit VIII:3), when Tobias burned the heart and liver of a fish on their wedding night.
[2] Lilith's bargain with the angels has its ritual counterpart in an apotropaic {1} rite once performed in many Jewish communities. To protect the newborn child against Lilith --and especially a male, until he could be permanently safeguarded by circumcision-- a ring was drawn with natron, or charcoal, on the wall of the birthroom, and inside it were written the words: "Adam and Eve. Out, Lilith!" Also the names Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof (meanings uncertain) were inscribed on the door. If Lilith nevertheless succeeded in approaching the child and fondling him, he would laugh in his sleep. To avert danger, it was held wise to strike the sleeping child's lips with one finger -- whereupon Lilith would vanish.
[3] 'Lilith' is usually derived from the Babylonian-Assyrian word 'lilitu,' 'a female demon, or wind-spirit' -- one of a triad mentioned in Babylonian spells. But she appears earlier as 'Lillake' on a 2000 BC Sumerian tablet from Ur containing the tale of _Gilgamesh and the Willow Tree_. There she is a demoness dwelling in the trunk of a willow tree tended by the Goddess Inanna (Anath) on the banks of the Euphrates. Popular Hebrew etymology seems to have derived 'Lilith' from 'layil,' 'night'; and she therefore often appears as a hairy night-monster, as she also does in Arabian folklore. Solomon suspected the Queen of Sheba of being Lilith, because she had hairy legs. His judgement on the two harlots is recorded in 1 Kings III:16. According to Isaiah XXXIV:14-15, Lilith dwells among the desolate ruins in the Edomite Desert where satyrs ("se'ir"), reems {2}, pelicans, owls {3}, jackals, ostriches, arrow-snakes and kites {4} keep her company.
[4] Lilith's children are called 'lilim.' In the _Targum Yerushalmi_, the priestly blessing of Numbers VI:26 becomes: "The Lord bless thee in all thy doings, and preserve thee from the Lilim!" The fourth-century AD commentator Hieronymous identified Lilith with the Greek Lamia, a Libyan queen deserted by Zeus, whom his wife Hera robbed of her children. She took revenge by robbing other women of theirs.
[5] The Lamiae, who seduced sleeping men, sucked their blood and ate their flesh, as Lilith and her fellow-demonesses did, were also known as 'Empusae,' 'forcers-in'; or 'Mormolyceia,' 'frightening wolves'; and described as 'Children of Hecate.' A Hellenistic relief shows a naked Lamia straddling a traveller asleep on his back. It is characteristic of civilizations where women are treated as chattels that they must adopt the recumbent posture during intercourse, which Lilith refused. That Greek witches who worshipped Hecate favoured the superior posture, we know from Apuleius; and it occurs in early Sumerian representations of the sexual act, though not in the Hittite. Malinowski writes that Melanesian girls ridicule what they call 'the missionary position,'{5} which demands that they should lie passive and recumbent.
[6] 'Naamah,' 'pleasant,' is explained as meaning that 'the demoness sang pleasant songs to idols.' 'Zmargad' suggests 'smaragdos,' the semi-precious aquamarine; and may therefore be her submarine dwelling. A demon named Smaragos occurs in the _Homeric Epigrams_.
- pps 65 - 69
{1} Apotropaic. "Intended to ward off evil."
{2} Reems. Thanks to Diccon Frankborn (dickney@access.digex.net) for the following:
The reem -- properly, re'em, pronounced roughly "ray-em" -- was the aurochs, the largest and most dangerous wild ox that ever lived.
{3} The owl is particularly sacred --if that's the right word-- to Lilith. A Sumerian relief, now popularly available in reproduction, shows her with owl's feet, standing on the backs of a pair of lions and holding the Sumerian version of the Ankh in each hand.
{4} Kites. A carrion-bird, related to the vulture. (Archive Editorial Note: This is an error. Kites are not carrion-eaters, and while they are raptors like vultures, they are not in the vulture family. They are in the hawk and eagle family.)
{5} Now you know where the term comes from!
[ Your Text Here ]
In the earliest days the minions of heaven freely walked among the children of men. It was common for the first generations from Adam to invoke the messengers of the Creator, for they were not just guardians but friends. So when an angel approached our Mother nothing was thought special. The messenger's name was Semjaza. Semjaza was a Watcher. (We also call them the Gregori.) The duty of the Watchers were to instruct man in the ways of nature and the Creator. A conversation with a Watcher always meant good news or a special request, so Mother eagerly greeted the angel. The heavenly minion brought greetings from the One, as was the custom. Then, in a more somber tone, asked a very special favor. The angel wished to pleasure Mother for the express purpose of having her bear to the Watchers a child. Her first reaction was surprise. Lilith did not think that the hosts of Heaven were interested in such things. She thought perhaps that the angel might be jesting, but the angel assured her that the request was indeed earnest. Mother asked the Watcher for time to think about this special request. Because of its unusual nature and magnitude the angel understood and agreed to return at a later time for her answer. Lilith prayed to the Creator about the strange but special request. Although she was confused, she was also honored. Many times Mother asked for guidance from heaven, but on this matter, the Creator was strangely silent. Semjaza returned on the appointed day and asked again if Lilith would bear an angelic child. Since there had been no Divine inspiration to guide her, Lilith turned down the angel's request. The messenger departed. Lilith thought no more about the strange request or about the angel who had made it. Time passed and a heavenly host again visited Lilith. This angel, called Armaros also requested that mother birth a child, but this time she was offered some explanation. Armaros explained to Lilith that the Minions of heaven were neither male nor female and created fully-grown. None of the angels had ever, or would ever, know the joys of childhood. Since the heavenly Host could not reproduce amongst themselves, they thought to experience this joy with an earthly female. For the second time Mother denied a behest from a celestial visitor. Mother again sought guidance from her Maker. Again she received only silence. That evening the mightiest of the Gregori appeared for an audience with Lilith. Arakiel appealed directly to Lilithís femininity and maternal instincts. The daughter of Earth, and the minion of heaven coupled. The angel pleasured Lilith in ways that mortal man would never know, bringing the ecstasies of heaven to earth. As was the purpose, Mother found herself with child. The Creator, who had been silent up to now, called before the throne all of the minions of the Gregori. The One was very displeased with the behavior of this select band of angels. Instead of guiding mankind, these angels had been tempted by the allure of something they did not have, and could not do. In anger, the Almighty cast the Watchers out of heaven. From Lilith's loins she bore a girl child. Mother gave her the name Leyla, which means night, for she was conceived by the light of the stars. Lilith waited many months for Arakiel to return and claim his offspring. Time passed. Leyla grew in beauty and in the wisdom of her mother. One day as mother and child were tending to the gardening of paradise Arakiel appeared before them. The angel delighted in the child that had been produced from their union, and the three stayed together for many days. Mother had feared that the long absence of the angel meant the heavens were displeased with Leyla's birth. Mother had many questions for the sire of her child. "Why had her delivery been so easy and so fast compared to the delivery of Eve? Why had the angel stayed away for so long? Why had her Maker not spoken to her? What would be the effect on the child of her angelic parentage? Would she and the angel couple again?" Arakiel spoke to Lilith through the night and well into the next day. The angel spoke of the Gregoriís joy at Leylaís birth, of the delight of being part of the childís conception, and of the special gifts that Leyla would posses because of her angelic lineage. As angels are immortal, so too would be the product of the angelic union. The daughter of Arakiel would know all of the natural signs of the earth just as Arakiel did, and she would have all of the gifts given to Lilith by the Creator, as well. All that had transpired since the last visit was revealed. The angel told Lilith of the Creators anger with their action and the price that the Watchers now had to pay for the mating with the female of earth. Arakiel spoke of a place that had been prepared for the Gregori far enough away from man so the Watchers could no longer be tempted, yet close enough so that they could fulfill their duty. Arakiel bade the mother of his child to "Teach her well." With those final words the angel kissed her and was gone. Leyla grew to womanhood and birthed her own line. True to the angels foretelling, Leyla and the generations born to her have the gifts of Lilith and the gift of immortality. This, my daughter, is the origin of the legends of the vampire's eternal life.
