Post by John on Jul 23, 2009 15:57:30 GMT -5
alot of people here sem to be acquanted with the story of Litlith. here, we had a discussion on anochrias forum,and i wanted to put it here. if you are not acquanteed with the legends, read what was posted.
i twas later added that she became one of the four wives of satan, baring children to him that produced demons.
it is a fascinating story, but not very scriptural.
shalom -john
lilith is acutally a jewish legend. it is only a superstition, not regarded as scripture by most. it was a midrash, which was a fictional story based on a real storyline to either (1) teach a lesson (2) have fun (3) speculate on scripture. Midrahim are often filled with wonderous stories that are fun to read, and make you laugh sometimes, but are not to be regarded as fact. but the legend goes as follows:
this is the sumerian version:
Before the stars were born
Before people built great cities
The great mountain Atlen shook
And bled fiery blood
As it gave birth to Lilitu
The land all around burned
Many animals and people died
When Lilitu opened her eyes
Lilitu saw the ashes of her birth
And wept tears like rain
Lilitu's tears became rivers and streams
Flowers grew where Lilitu walked
Trees grew where Lilitu sat
The ashes became fertile soil
And an orchard became Lilitu's home
In Lilitu's orchard many animals are
People came to live in paradise
Lilitu gave them grain and taught them to harvest
Lilitu made bread and beer
The people rejoiced, ate and drank
One day a great prince came to the land of Atlen
He spied Lilitu and wooed her
But Lilitu spurned and rejected him
The great prince became very angry
He spied two lions and killed them both
Lilitu wept for the lions
She cradled their heads in her arms
The lions awoke to her tears
The lions licked away her tears and became strong
They became Lilitu's loyal friends
The great prince saw this
And again he wooed Lilitu
But Lilitu became a bird
She flew away from him
Angry, the prince began hunting birds
Lilitu saw this and was upset
To spite the prince she spat at him
And mated with a serpent
Lilitu gave birth very quickly
Her child was like no other
The child had six arms
The child had a serpent's tail
The child was very strong
Lilitu called the child a marilitu
The Marilitu attacked the great prince
The great prince and the marilitu fought
The fought day and night
For night after night
And day after day
But neither could win the fight
Lilitu saw this and mated again
Another marilitu was born
And another and another
Two hundred and sixteen were born
In fear the great prince ran away
The people of the orchard rejoiced
The marilitu's farmed the land
The marilitu's protected the people
But the great prince swore vengeance
He cursed the mountain Atlen and its land
Atlen became angry at this curse
The mountain and the land shook
Atlen shook and bled and cried
Its fiery blood made fires
And its tears made floods
Afraid Lilitu turned into a great bird
She grasped people in her feet
She carried animals on her back
The marilitu's and the lions carried people too
Together they fled the land of Atlen
Lilitu went west and east
Lilitu went north and south
Finally she came to dry land
The people thanked Lilitu greatly
The people built statues in her honour
Lilitu wept for her lost home
Her tears formed two rivers
The rivers joined together
They flowed into the ocean
The people grew grain by the river
The people grew great orchards
They built buildings and towers of stone
The people grew healthy and the land rich
Merchants from far places travelled there
News of the wealth of the land grew
The great prince heard of the land
He sent his heralds to inquire of its lady
But Lilitu fed his heralds to her lions
The great prince sent an army
But the marilitu's destroyed his army
Finally the great prince went
When he saw the beautiful orchards
When he saw the six-armed marilitus
The great prince knew the lady was Lilitu
In fear he disguised himself as a woman
The great prince went to Lilitu's temple
His disguise fooled the people
But the lions knew his scent
The two lions warned Lilitu
So Lilitu prepared a trap
Lilitu summoned thirty-six young men
She filled a hall with thirty-six silver platters
She ordered thirty-six beasts slaughtered
At last she was ready
She invited the people to the feast
People came from all over the land
The great prince came too
The great prince arrived in disguise
But Lilitu knew him eagerly
She welcomed him as an honoured guest
The great prince accepted her hospitality
He sat before all the people
The thirty-six young men were brought forth
"Please choose a man," Lilitu commanded
Not wanting to be rude the great prince chose one
Lilitu bade the great prince to sit beside the young man
The silver platters were brought forth
The people feasted on the meat of thirty-six beasts
Great gifts were brough forth
Lilitu gave the gifts to the great prince
Confused the great prince accepted
Then the feast was finally over
Curious, the great prince questioned Lilitu
"Do you always give such grand gifts to strangers?"
"Only when someone is married," Lilitu answered
Realizing what had happened the great prince became angry
He ripped off his disguise
He drew his sword and his dagger
"Why have you made me marry this man?" he demanded
"Because you can never marry me," Lilitu answered
Enraged the great prince attacked Lilitu
The two fought endlessly for Lilitu was very strong
Whenever the prince would get too bold
Lilitu would change into a bird
The great prince fell to the ground and wept in despair
The great prince professed his love
He promised that he would never quit
He prepared to cut his own throat
Finally Lilitu grew tired of this game
She felt pity for the great prince
"I will grant you one kiss," Lilitu declared
Desperate the great prince accepted
The moment the great prince's kiss had been dealt
His body flooded with life and then death
So great was the pleasure of one kiss that he died
Lilitu wept for the great prince
But the great prince remained dead
Saddened Lilitu knew she could never love
No mortal man could taste her kiss and live
Her tears brought life, but her kiss brought death
From: www.lilithgallery.com/library/The_Legend_of_Lilith.html
and the jewish version (after the babylonian captivity):
For centuries Lilith, the Queen of the Night, has been blamed when a child or man dies without certain cause or when a woman refuses to be submissive to her husband. While the Legend of Lilith is not widely known today, it is not difficult to find information about the demoness. However, there are slight variations found from story to story. Here we will focus on the myth as found in Hebrew mythology, and we will particularly emphasize the similarities seen between Lilith and various vampires seen in literature today.
The Hebrew figure of Lilith was actually borrowed from Babylonian and Syrian myths. Lilitu was a Babylonian demon and a spirit of the night and of storms. Lamassu was a Sumerian goddess and the daughter of Anu, the god of Heaven. It is believed that Lilith is a combination of these two demons from earlier legends. However, for the purpose of our study, we will focus on the legend of Lilith found in Hebrew scriptures.
According to Hebrew scriptures, Lilith was Eves predecessor and therefore, the first wife of Adam. However, there are two variations on the Hebrew creation myth. The first states that God made man and woman out of the same material (earth or clay), at the same time, thus the two beings were equals in every way. The alternative version of this myth states that Adam was made of clay while Lilith was made of dirt and filth. However, regardless of her origin, the remainder of the myth proceeds much the same way.
Legends states when it was time for the two to have sexual intercourse, Adam insisted that Lilith take the more submissive position. This angered her and in frustration she called out the sacred and secret name of Yahweh. She was then granted wings and flew away. At Adams request, God sent three angels, named Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof, in search of Lilith to return her to the Garden of Eden. They found her in the company of demons near the Red Sea, but she refused to return to Adam. She was punished by God to give birth to thousands of deformed offspring, called lilim, a hundred of which would die per day. Upset by her punishment, she throws herself into the Red Sea. The three angels take pity on her and give her power over all newborn children. She has power of life or death over male children for eight days after which they are circumcised and over female children for twenty days. She was also given power over children born out of wedlock for an undetermined about of time. However, Lilith promised to spare children who had an amulet with the likeness and/or names of the angels in their rooms.
Lilith is not mentioned by name in the Authorized Version of the Bible. In Isaiah 34:14, she is referenced only as a screech owl who rests among the wild beasts of the island. In the Revised Version, she is called the night-hag. She is also assumed to be the Queen of Sheba, Abrahams concubine Hagar, and one of the two women seeking Solomons wisdom over the custody of an infant. It is also possible that she could be Zipporah, a winged and clawed creature, who was Moses first wife. The Gnostic Mandeans, who have their origin with John the Baptist, believe that Lilith was Zahriel, the daughter of the King and Queen of the Underworld. According to their teachings, she is married to the Son of Light and their offspring have knowledge of both Heaven and Hell. In the Gnostic tradition, she is not a demon who preys on children, but a kindly woman who comes to women during childbirth and comforts them. Most importantly, however, Lilith is known as the Queen of the Succubi. This means she is known to seduce and couple with any man who is alone in his bed at night. She takes their semen and blood and sucks out their energy. It is easy to see how this implies that she is the first known vampire. It is impossible to overlook the similarities seen between Lilith and various vampires in literature.
Common themes amongst female vampires are that they are beautiful, sensual, and bisexual. Unlike their male counterparts, it is not supernatural powers, which make them dangerous but these characteristics of raw beauty and seduction. These are characteristics mortal women may possess, but vampires thrive on. Beauty is an attribute that empowers female vampires because it allows man and women to trust them. Beauty lures the female vampires victimtheir power lies in their ability to seduce both sexes. They enjoy sex, and do so with either man or woman. In some ways, this makes them even more powerful. In many of the texts reviewed this semester, there are similarities between female vampires and Lilith.
In Le Fanus Carmilla, the vampire is able to intrude upon Laura and her family using her beauty alone. Carmilla demands a level of intimacy with Laura that leads Laura to question if Carmilla may really be a man disguised as a woman who wants to pursue her. This hint to bisexuality implies that Carmilla, being sexually insatiable by only men, must pursue woman as well. Lilith could not be sexually satisfied by Adam, and found satisfaction elsewhere after she was kicked out of the Garden of Eden. The fact that Carmilla was mistaken for a man is also comparable to Lilith. Lilith was equal to Adam and would not submit to him. In society, when a woman does not play the role of the weaker sex, she is comparable to a man. She is resented because she is supposedly trying to be male.
In Christabel and Geraldine, the vampire Geraldine feeds on emotions. In Christabel, Geraldine preys upon Christabel and her fathers vulnerability. In Geraldine, Geraldine feeds upon the emotion of her victim. She takes away the feelings the victim had towards the father of her child, whether the emotions are good or bad. In both stories, Geraldine is able to allure her victims through her sexuality and beauty. They are attracted to her because of this indescribable beauty. In Geraldine, Geraldine feeds upon Chris during homosexual intercourse; the vampires nourishment is the victims unborn child. This is identical to the belief that Lilith also feeds upon very young children.
In The Hunger, Miriam is the creator and destroyer. She creates vampires, then gets rid of them by placing them in boxes when they age. When she creates a vampire, it is as if they are her children. When they age, she gets rid of them as Lilith destroyed her own children. During the bedroom scene between Sara and Miriam, Sara looks boyish with her short hair and Miriam is seen as the more feminine of the two. However, Miriam is the lead throughout this intimate scene. This equates to how Lilith is female, yet wanted to have the lead role during intercourse with Adam.
Lastly, in Bram Stokers Dracula, Lucy is almost the complete embodiment of Lilith. Lucy possesses the qualities of being beautiful and sexy like other female vampires. She is very promiscuous, not being satisfied by just one mans proposal but three. Lucy is also extremely feminine, yet this is where her power lies. She is unable to care for herself, but the men who love her cater to her every need throughout her illness. When she becomes a vampire, she becomes much stronger and instead uses her femininity to attract prey. Like Lilith, the vampire Lucy is strong, powerful, and only feeds on children.
After examining the similarities between Lilith and other female vampires, it is easy to see the connection. The legend of Lilith states that she was the first woman to ever walk the earth. After her exile from the Garden of Eden, she was doomed to forever prey on newborn children and suck the blood and life fluids from men. For this reason, she is the earliest known force of evil, thus making her the perfect image of the mother of all vampires.
From: www.lsu.edu/faculty/jpullia/lilith.htm
like i said, very interesting. i love reading jewish midrashim. one of the modrn midrshim i read was just for fun:
it claimed that the reason for the tower of babel was because the people wer trying to answer a little girls question: does God have a big toe?
lol
shalom - john
this is the sumerian version:
Before the stars were born
Before people built great cities
The great mountain Atlen shook
And bled fiery blood
As it gave birth to Lilitu
The land all around burned
Many animals and people died
When Lilitu opened her eyes
Lilitu saw the ashes of her birth
And wept tears like rain
Lilitu's tears became rivers and streams
Flowers grew where Lilitu walked
Trees grew where Lilitu sat
The ashes became fertile soil
And an orchard became Lilitu's home
In Lilitu's orchard many animals are
People came to live in paradise
Lilitu gave them grain and taught them to harvest
Lilitu made bread and beer
The people rejoiced, ate and drank
One day a great prince came to the land of Atlen
He spied Lilitu and wooed her
But Lilitu spurned and rejected him
The great prince became very angry
He spied two lions and killed them both
Lilitu wept for the lions
She cradled their heads in her arms
The lions awoke to her tears
The lions licked away her tears and became strong
They became Lilitu's loyal friends
The great prince saw this
And again he wooed Lilitu
But Lilitu became a bird
She flew away from him
Angry, the prince began hunting birds
Lilitu saw this and was upset
To spite the prince she spat at him
And mated with a serpent
Lilitu gave birth very quickly
Her child was like no other
The child had six arms
The child had a serpent's tail
The child was very strong
Lilitu called the child a marilitu
The Marilitu attacked the great prince
The great prince and the marilitu fought
The fought day and night
For night after night
And day after day
But neither could win the fight
Lilitu saw this and mated again
Another marilitu was born
And another and another
Two hundred and sixteen were born
In fear the great prince ran away
The people of the orchard rejoiced
The marilitu's farmed the land
The marilitu's protected the people
But the great prince swore vengeance
He cursed the mountain Atlen and its land
Atlen became angry at this curse
The mountain and the land shook
Atlen shook and bled and cried
Its fiery blood made fires
And its tears made floods
Afraid Lilitu turned into a great bird
She grasped people in her feet
She carried animals on her back
The marilitu's and the lions carried people too
Together they fled the land of Atlen
Lilitu went west and east
Lilitu went north and south
Finally she came to dry land
The people thanked Lilitu greatly
The people built statues in her honour
Lilitu wept for her lost home
Her tears formed two rivers
The rivers joined together
They flowed into the ocean
The people grew grain by the river
The people grew great orchards
They built buildings and towers of stone
The people grew healthy and the land rich
Merchants from far places travelled there
News of the wealth of the land grew
The great prince heard of the land
He sent his heralds to inquire of its lady
But Lilitu fed his heralds to her lions
The great prince sent an army
But the marilitu's destroyed his army
Finally the great prince went
When he saw the beautiful orchards
When he saw the six-armed marilitus
The great prince knew the lady was Lilitu
In fear he disguised himself as a woman
The great prince went to Lilitu's temple
His disguise fooled the people
But the lions knew his scent
The two lions warned Lilitu
So Lilitu prepared a trap
Lilitu summoned thirty-six young men
She filled a hall with thirty-six silver platters
She ordered thirty-six beasts slaughtered
At last she was ready
She invited the people to the feast
People came from all over the land
The great prince came too
The great prince arrived in disguise
But Lilitu knew him eagerly
She welcomed him as an honoured guest
The great prince accepted her hospitality
He sat before all the people
The thirty-six young men were brought forth
"Please choose a man," Lilitu commanded
Not wanting to be rude the great prince chose one
Lilitu bade the great prince to sit beside the young man
The silver platters were brought forth
The people feasted on the meat of thirty-six beasts
Great gifts were brough forth
Lilitu gave the gifts to the great prince
Confused the great prince accepted
Then the feast was finally over
Curious, the great prince questioned Lilitu
"Do you always give such grand gifts to strangers?"
"Only when someone is married," Lilitu answered
Realizing what had happened the great prince became angry
He ripped off his disguise
He drew his sword and his dagger
"Why have you made me marry this man?" he demanded
"Because you can never marry me," Lilitu answered
Enraged the great prince attacked Lilitu
The two fought endlessly for Lilitu was very strong
Whenever the prince would get too bold
Lilitu would change into a bird
The great prince fell to the ground and wept in despair
The great prince professed his love
He promised that he would never quit
He prepared to cut his own throat
Finally Lilitu grew tired of this game
She felt pity for the great prince
"I will grant you one kiss," Lilitu declared
Desperate the great prince accepted
The moment the great prince's kiss had been dealt
His body flooded with life and then death
So great was the pleasure of one kiss that he died
Lilitu wept for the great prince
But the great prince remained dead
Saddened Lilitu knew she could never love
No mortal man could taste her kiss and live
Her tears brought life, but her kiss brought death
From: www.lilithgallery.com/library/The_Legend_of_Lilith.html
and the jewish version (after the babylonian captivity):
For centuries Lilith, the Queen of the Night, has been blamed when a child or man dies without certain cause or when a woman refuses to be submissive to her husband. While the Legend of Lilith is not widely known today, it is not difficult to find information about the demoness. However, there are slight variations found from story to story. Here we will focus on the myth as found in Hebrew mythology, and we will particularly emphasize the similarities seen between Lilith and various vampires seen in literature today.
The Hebrew figure of Lilith was actually borrowed from Babylonian and Syrian myths. Lilitu was a Babylonian demon and a spirit of the night and of storms. Lamassu was a Sumerian goddess and the daughter of Anu, the god of Heaven. It is believed that Lilith is a combination of these two demons from earlier legends. However, for the purpose of our study, we will focus on the legend of Lilith found in Hebrew scriptures.
According to Hebrew scriptures, Lilith was Eves predecessor and therefore, the first wife of Adam. However, there are two variations on the Hebrew creation myth. The first states that God made man and woman out of the same material (earth or clay), at the same time, thus the two beings were equals in every way. The alternative version of this myth states that Adam was made of clay while Lilith was made of dirt and filth. However, regardless of her origin, the remainder of the myth proceeds much the same way.
Legends states when it was time for the two to have sexual intercourse, Adam insisted that Lilith take the more submissive position. This angered her and in frustration she called out the sacred and secret name of Yahweh. She was then granted wings and flew away. At Adams request, God sent three angels, named Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof, in search of Lilith to return her to the Garden of Eden. They found her in the company of demons near the Red Sea, but she refused to return to Adam. She was punished by God to give birth to thousands of deformed offspring, called lilim, a hundred of which would die per day. Upset by her punishment, she throws herself into the Red Sea. The three angels take pity on her and give her power over all newborn children. She has power of life or death over male children for eight days after which they are circumcised and over female children for twenty days. She was also given power over children born out of wedlock for an undetermined about of time. However, Lilith promised to spare children who had an amulet with the likeness and/or names of the angels in their rooms.
Lilith is not mentioned by name in the Authorized Version of the Bible. In Isaiah 34:14, she is referenced only as a screech owl who rests among the wild beasts of the island. In the Revised Version, she is called the night-hag. She is also assumed to be the Queen of Sheba, Abrahams concubine Hagar, and one of the two women seeking Solomons wisdom over the custody of an infant. It is also possible that she could be Zipporah, a winged and clawed creature, who was Moses first wife. The Gnostic Mandeans, who have their origin with John the Baptist, believe that Lilith was Zahriel, the daughter of the King and Queen of the Underworld. According to their teachings, she is married to the Son of Light and their offspring have knowledge of both Heaven and Hell. In the Gnostic tradition, she is not a demon who preys on children, but a kindly woman who comes to women during childbirth and comforts them. Most importantly, however, Lilith is known as the Queen of the Succubi. This means she is known to seduce and couple with any man who is alone in his bed at night. She takes their semen and blood and sucks out their energy. It is easy to see how this implies that she is the first known vampire. It is impossible to overlook the similarities seen between Lilith and various vampires in literature.
Common themes amongst female vampires are that they are beautiful, sensual, and bisexual. Unlike their male counterparts, it is not supernatural powers, which make them dangerous but these characteristics of raw beauty and seduction. These are characteristics mortal women may possess, but vampires thrive on. Beauty is an attribute that empowers female vampires because it allows man and women to trust them. Beauty lures the female vampires victimtheir power lies in their ability to seduce both sexes. They enjoy sex, and do so with either man or woman. In some ways, this makes them even more powerful. In many of the texts reviewed this semester, there are similarities between female vampires and Lilith.
In Le Fanus Carmilla, the vampire is able to intrude upon Laura and her family using her beauty alone. Carmilla demands a level of intimacy with Laura that leads Laura to question if Carmilla may really be a man disguised as a woman who wants to pursue her. This hint to bisexuality implies that Carmilla, being sexually insatiable by only men, must pursue woman as well. Lilith could not be sexually satisfied by Adam, and found satisfaction elsewhere after she was kicked out of the Garden of Eden. The fact that Carmilla was mistaken for a man is also comparable to Lilith. Lilith was equal to Adam and would not submit to him. In society, when a woman does not play the role of the weaker sex, she is comparable to a man. She is resented because she is supposedly trying to be male.
In Christabel and Geraldine, the vampire Geraldine feeds on emotions. In Christabel, Geraldine preys upon Christabel and her fathers vulnerability. In Geraldine, Geraldine feeds upon the emotion of her victim. She takes away the feelings the victim had towards the father of her child, whether the emotions are good or bad. In both stories, Geraldine is able to allure her victims through her sexuality and beauty. They are attracted to her because of this indescribable beauty. In Geraldine, Geraldine feeds upon Chris during homosexual intercourse; the vampires nourishment is the victims unborn child. This is identical to the belief that Lilith also feeds upon very young children.
In The Hunger, Miriam is the creator and destroyer. She creates vampires, then gets rid of them by placing them in boxes when they age. When she creates a vampire, it is as if they are her children. When they age, she gets rid of them as Lilith destroyed her own children. During the bedroom scene between Sara and Miriam, Sara looks boyish with her short hair and Miriam is seen as the more feminine of the two. However, Miriam is the lead throughout this intimate scene. This equates to how Lilith is female, yet wanted to have the lead role during intercourse with Adam.
Lastly, in Bram Stokers Dracula, Lucy is almost the complete embodiment of Lilith. Lucy possesses the qualities of being beautiful and sexy like other female vampires. She is very promiscuous, not being satisfied by just one mans proposal but three. Lucy is also extremely feminine, yet this is where her power lies. She is unable to care for herself, but the men who love her cater to her every need throughout her illness. When she becomes a vampire, she becomes much stronger and instead uses her femininity to attract prey. Like Lilith, the vampire Lucy is strong, powerful, and only feeds on children.
After examining the similarities between Lilith and other female vampires, it is easy to see the connection. The legend of Lilith states that she was the first woman to ever walk the earth. After her exile from the Garden of Eden, she was doomed to forever prey on newborn children and suck the blood and life fluids from men. For this reason, she is the earliest known force of evil, thus making her the perfect image of the mother of all vampires.
From: www.lsu.edu/faculty/jpullia/lilith.htm
like i said, very interesting. i love reading jewish midrashim. one of the modrn midrshim i read was just for fun:
it claimed that the reason for the tower of babel was because the people wer trying to answer a little girls question: does God have a big toe?
lol
shalom - john
i twas later added that she became one of the four wives of satan, baring children to him that produced demons.
it is a fascinating story, but not very scriptural.
shalom -john
