Lilith: From Demoness to Dark Goddess
by Aaron Leitch (Khephera)
from
Khephera Website
Lilith: Queen of the Night, Mother of Demons, First Wife of Adam,
and one of my own patron Goddesses.
Unfortunately, I have found that
modern authors often leave much to be desired on the subject of Lilith. Modern interpretations of Her nature are presented as
historical, and the historical facts themselves are regularly
misrepresented.
-
Does She originate in ancient Sumeria, a maiden
connected to the Temple of Inanna?
-
Was She once a benevolent Mother
Goddess Herself, later demonized by patriarchal religious leaders?
-
Is it female strength She embodies, or has She persecuted women for
centuries via birth complications and crib death?
-
Was she actually
deleted from the story of Eden?
These are some of the questions,
myths, facts, and errors that will be covered in this essay-
hopefully laying to rest the many misconceptions that surround this
ancient and powerful figure.
I do not feel that any God or Goddess can be divorced from Their
sacred mythologies. As I have stated elsewhere, a mythology is the
soul of the God(s) it depicts. For instance, you and I both know
today that the Gods did not build the city of Babylon with Their own
hands. Yet, if one were to call upon the great Marduk, He would
gladly share with us his full memory of constructing the city.
Likewise, we know that Adam and Eve did not exist as the "first
humans." Yet, Lilith has full memory of Eden, the Fall, and every
other event depicted in Genesis and the various Judeo-Christian
legends.
It is thus that Lilith, though She is not now the vile and
disgusting archdemon envisioned by the early Judaic peoples, is
nevertheless affected by these conceptions of Her. Her darker
aspects, even the nastiest ones, are a part of Her regardless of
modern attempts to "liberate" Her from unpleasantness. Lilith was,
in fact, not originally a benevolent Goddess who was raped by
the patriarchy. However, I move slightly ahead of myself here.
Therefore, I will begin at the beginning.
The Historical Origin of Lilith
The first myth I wish to dispel is that Lilith was originally found
in the ancient land of Sumeria. Her roots do certainly extend that
far, but Lilith Herself is not to be found among that massive
pantheon of Gods and demons. In order to explain how both of these
particulars can be true at once, we must begin with some basic
lessons in ancient Sumerian language- specifically the development
of one word in particular:
In Sumerian, the word "Lil" means "Air."
Enlil, for instance, was
the Sumerian Lord (En) of Air (Lil). The oldest known term which we
might suggest relates to Lilith would be the plural word "Lili"
(feminine "Lilitu"), which was simply the same in Sumeria as our
modern generic word "spirits." In fact, it was quite common in
ancient languages for the same word for "air" or "breath" to be used
for "spirit," as the breath was thought to be the evidence of life;
the spirit of the person. Disembodied spirits, therefore, were
themselves composed of the same substance. The very word "spiritus"
is one such example - Latin for "to breath." The Hebrew "ruach" is
another identical example. This suggests, therefore, that the
Sumerian Lilitu were either a specific type of demon, or were simply
"spirits" in general.
Lilith is often described as having been a Sumerian succubus. And,
in fact, there were such creatures in Sumer-Babylonia who surely had
their part in the Hebrew conception of Lilith. These beings were
known as the "Ardat Lili." "Ardatu" was a term that described a
young woman of marrying age. Thus, the Ardat Lili were sexually
active female spirits - the succubae. It was believed that these night
demonesses were the cause erotic dreams, by which they robbed the
male of semen and spiritual vitality. Of course, there is also a
male version of this entity- the incubus- but we need not address
this creature here.
It is also interesting to note that the Sumerian word for
"wantonness" was "Lulu." The word for "luxuriousness" was "Lalu."
Also, the very word for "evil" was "Limnu." This has an obvious
relation to the word Lili (and Ardat Lili specifically); not just in
the similarity of pronunciation and spelling, but also in the very
definition of the words. Keep in mind that these ancient languages
did not possess the specific definition of our modern words. A
single word would indicate any one of a number of related concepts.
This does not exhaust the etymology of Lilith. However, the
word-play does not continue until the Hebrew Captivity in Babylon
(600 BCE), and I do not wish to jump ahead just yet. Still
concerning Sumer, there are two instances that are generally seen as
proof of Lilith’s existence there.
One is a legend, contained in
the Gilgamesh Epic, in which a female
demon takes residence within the Goddess Inanna’s sacred Tree of
Life- thus effectively stunting the Tree’s growth and production.
This demoness is supposed to be Lilith Herself, whom the hero
Gilgamesh finally forces out of the Tree and into the desert.
However, it turns out that there is no basis for assuming this
creature is Lilith, or even an Ardat Lili, after all. Apparently,
the misunderstanding arises from a mistake in translation made by
the historian and scholar Samuel Kramer. In the Epic, the demoness
in the Tree is described as "ki-sikil-lil-la-ke," which Kramer
suggested meant "Lila’s maiden, beloved, companion, or maid." (I
assume this is also the origin of Merlin Stone’s mistaken suggestion
that Lilith was the "maiden" of Inanna.) While the word for
air/spirit is obviously present, there is no indication of a Lilith-
anymore than the presence of the word "ki" (Earth) indicates the
Earth Goddess Ki. Perhaps Kramer was concentrating on the two
syllables "lil-la."
The second instance is the famous Sumerian plaque which depicts a
woman with owl talons and wings, standing upon two lions, with two
owls flanking her on either side. It has been assumed that this
figure is Lilith specifically because of the above (mis)translation
by Kramer (see bibliography) More specifically, the assumption was
made first, and Kramer’s work was provided as proof of Lilith’s
existence in ancient Sumeria. Of course, as the demoness of the Tree
is not Lilith, than surely neither is the woman depicted in the
sculpture.
Jumping ahead just a bit to a related point: In the Torah, there is
said to be one reference to Lilith- Isaiah 34:14. The verse
supposedly speaks of a screech owl, and this is said to indicate
Lilith by way of the above-mentioned plaque (and the owls depicted
thereon). This instance is even used to argue that Lilith’s name is
derived from the Hebrew term for "to screech." However, this is
probably not the case. Instead, the Biblical reference seems to come
directly from the term "Lilitu." It may very well be a direct
reference to Lilith, however the spelling must be noted: In the
Biblical passage the word is L I L I Th, while the name of Lilith is
properly spelled "L I L O Th" (which is actually a plural, and will
be covered later).
However, these are not the only indications of Her mistaken
identity. For instance, the female on the Sumerian plaque holds not
one, but two sets of Ring and Rod - the Sumer-Babylonian signs of
authority. Inanna Herself is shown with these instruments when She
moves to conquer the Underworld. Also, note the presence of Lions,
which are signs of power and authority, as well as fertility.
These
also happen to be symbols associated with Inanna. It is most
unlikely that the lowly demon driven away by Gilgamesh would be
depicted among these holy symbols. Of course, others may argue that
owls are a principal motif in the image as well- and owls were
animals of bad omen and evil in Sumer-Babylonia. Thus, the plaque is
surely a mystery, but in any case there is no hard evidence to
support its identity as Lilith. One begins to wonder if this is not
Inanna Herself as associated with the Underworld...
Before I go on, I wish to insert some modern insight on this
subject. This plaque has been accepted as Lilith for quite a while
now. And, surely this will not cease for quite some time (sadly,
occultists are not always the first to research history from a
scholarly perspective). Even I can not glance at this image without
Lilith entering my mind, and I even interpret part of Her mythos by
way of this owl-taloned figure.
The modern association of Lilith
with this image has given it its own validity (the same must also be
said of the relation of Lilith with "to screech"), and therefore
does not need to be cast aside for practical purposes. However, the
historical facts should at least be understood and noted.
And so Lilith is not derived from the above two instances (the
plaque or the Epic of Gilgamesh) after all. Instead, She most likely
traces her roots strictly to the Lilitu and Ardat Lili- borrowed by
the Hebrews from the Babylonians during the captivity in about 600
BCE. However, it must be kept in mind that Ardat Lili simply meant
succubus, without indicating any specific being. This, then, brings
me to another often overlooked point: the name Lilith itself is, in
fact, an improper transliteration of the Hebrew. The Hebrew
lettering is Lamed (L), Yod (I), Lamed (L), Vav (O), Tau (Th).
The
"-ith" should be spelled "-oth," which is the Hebrew feminine plural
suffix. It may be that the earliest Hebrew references were not to
"Lilith," but to "the liloth" (the spirits)- a curious cross of a
Sumer-Babylonian word with a Hebrew suffix. More specifically, it
referred to female spirits, and thus was probably little more than
the Hebrew version of the Sumerian term Lilitu.
Yet, Lilith may have finally become a proper noun during or right
after the Captivity. This is possibly indicated in the numerous
Hebrew inscriptions, painted upon bowls, dated to around that time.
These inscriptions picture a particularly nasty looking demoness by
the name of Lilith, and the words are for protection against Her.
However, I have personally found no direct evidence to support
whether these bowls referred directly to one demoness or to a group
of demonesses. The etymology may suggest the latter, while the
existence of the singular Lilith in Hebrew mythos may suggest the
former.
Luckily, we do appear to have a clue as to how "The Liloth" finally
became "Lilith." This tentative answer lies in the Babylonian
demoness Lamashtu. This horrible creature was, among other things,
held responsible for "stealing babies from their mothers." More than
likely, this indicates crib-death and perhaps still-birth- as the
general concept of a demon in Babylon was more often than not an
explanation for medical problems and sickness.
As we know, crib
death was shockingly common in the ancient world, and thus Lamashtu
was one of the major, and most feared, demonic forces. She was,
perhaps, a large enough cultural influence to be adopted by other
peoples who had intimate contact with Babylon. People such as the
Hebrews, who adopted quite a few major concepts from the Babylonian
religion. Thus was Lilith’s birth - a demoness who attacked men in
the night, and women and babies during and after child-birth.
And, with this, the beginning is finished- while the story is just
begun. Lilith appears to have lived on in oral tradition until the
Talmudic times, where the popular mythos of Lilith is first
presented in response to a contradiction in the Torah. The work in
question is a tenth-century folktale called "The Alphabet of Ben Sira," where Lilith is presented as the first wife of Adam.
Male And Female, He Created Them…
Genesis 1: 27 reads- "And Elohim created Adam in His Image, in the
Image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Genesis 2:18 and 22 read- "And Yahweh said, ’It is not good for Adam
to be alone. I will make a fitting helper for him.’ ... And Yahweh
fashioned the rib that He had taken from the man into a woman; and
He brought her to the man."
Today, we know that Genesis I and II are two separate Creation
stories. Genesis II derives from a Sumerian story, while Genesis I
is a later creation of the Hebrew Priesthood (created by the
Deuteronomic School around 700 BCE). However, to a people who were
quite determined to take the Scriptures as ultimate Truth, such a
contradiction was not welcome at all. It demanded an explanation
that reconciled both stories.
Explanation number one is perhaps the best- Qabalistically speaking.
As we know, Adam was created to perfection. He was created in the
perfect image of "Elohim." Of course, God is not seen as being
either male or female, but as both at once. Even the Name Elohim is
a feminine word (Eloah- Goddess) with a masculine plural suffix
(-im). Thus, if God is male and female, the mother and the father,
then Adam (which translates as "Mankind") must also have originally
been male and female in one. To be otherwise would have been
unbalanced, and thus imperfect.
Of course, Adam was created in perfection, said to be greater than
even the Angels. In fact, according to this view, Adam was not a
human at all- but a Cosmic Being known as Adam Qadmon. He was the
Archetype upon which humans would later be based.
Now, enters the passages from Genesis II. Just as the Unity of God
was divided in two (the separation of the Waters by the Firmament)
to create the Universe, so too was mankind created by the separation
of the Archetypal Man into "its" two halves- male and female. Thus,
woman was separated from man, and Adam Qadmon became an unbalanced
creature- a human. This imperfection finally led to the Fall- which
was the manifestation of the human race from the archetypal to the
actual. The woman was called Eve, which literally translates as
"Life." Mankind was given Life, and the rest is history.
Explanation number two, though just as Qabalistically useful in its
own right, is nevertheless vastly more fun- especially
mythologically speaking. This is where Lilith enters the picture as
the first wife of Adam. The verse from Genesis I was thus explained
as a veiled hint to the entire Lilith affair. Genesis II:20 even
helps back this up- "And the man gave names to all the cattle and to
the birds of the sky and to all the wild beasts; but for Adam no
fitting helper was found."
The animals of the Earth had been created
for the strict purpose of being helpers to Adam, and Lilith was
among them. But, Lilith had failed, and no other beast even came
close to fulfilling the need (apparently Lilith was the only animal
enough like Adam to be a candidate at all). The next scene in the
Scripture is where Yahweh breaks down and decides to chance
separating Adam into his two halves of male and female.
Without worrying over specific developments of the tale, I will
simply relate the entire story as it came to be after all. Here,
then, is the story of Lilith.
The Mythos: Lilith’s Defiance
Now Lilith was the first wife of Adam, well before the creation of
Eve. She had been created along with him to be his helper, as the
Torah states "Male and Female He created them."
However, Lilith was not so suited as a companion for Adam. There was
little on which they could agree. In his attempt to mate with
Lilith, Adam demanded the missionary (or male-superior) position.
However, Lilith refused. Some say she claimed, "We were created
equal, and thus we shall make love in equal positions." In fact,
Lilith even attempted to be superior to Adam herself.
Adam replied that he, being the
Image of the Elohim, would not stoop
to such a level as to be subordinate to Lilith, who was simply one
of the many beasts of the field. She was created as his helper, he
insisted, and that is how she must remain.
Lilith, however, was far more than Adam had imagined. She went
straight away to
Yahweh, and used her prowess of seduction upon Him.
Yahweh, known for his soft heart toward women, was finally lulled
into revealing His sacred Name unto her. Thereupon Lilith pronounced
the Divine Name, and flew away from the Garden and Adam forever.
She took residence within a cave upon the shores of the Red Sea,
where to this day she finds Her shelter. Within, she accepted the
demons of the world as her lovers, and spawned many thousands of
demon children in only a short time. It is thus that the world
became populated with demons, and how Lilith came to be called the
Mother of Demons- wife of Asmodeus, the King of Demons. In this
aspect, she was called the Younger Lilith.
Adam, meanwhile, found that he regretted wishing Lilith away. He
went to Yahweh and pleaded his case for Her return. Yahweh agreed
that a creature of Eden should not so easily depart that realm, and
dispatched three Enforcer Angels to retrieve Her.
These three,
Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangeloph, soon found Lilith
within her cave, and demanded her return unto Adam by order of
Yahweh. If she refused, they informed her, they would slay one
hundred of her demon children each day until she decided to return.
Lilith exclaimed that even this fate was better than returning to
Eden and submission to Adam. As the Enforcers carried out their
threat, Lilith also made a terrible proclamation. In return for the
pain delivered upon her and her children, she would slay the
children of Adam. She swore to attack children, and even their
mothers, during child-birth. She also swore that all new-born
children were in danger of her wrath- baby girls for twenty days
after birth, and boys for eight. Not only this, but she vowed also
to attack men in their sleep. She would steal their semen to give
birth to more demon children, in order to replace those slain each
day.
However, even Lilith was not without feeling. She also made one
further promise: wherever she saw displayed the names of the three
Angels who opposed her, no one in that place would be in danger from
her actions.
And thus is the legend of Lilith. However, the story does not end
here by any means, and I will be adding to it as this essay
continues. I will go over the basic Hebraic interpretations (Folk
and Religious), the later Qabalistic interpretation, the modern
interpretation, and I will conclude with my own interpretation.
The Folk Interpretation
On this we need spend little time. The folk interpretation of this
myth is the most literal, and sees the myth as an actual event. In
this, Lilith is an actual demoness who is blamed for such things as
mothers dying in child-birth, still-birth, crib-death, "night-hag
syndrome," and erotic dreams among men.
The succubus aspect of Lilith is perhaps the most complicated. As we
know, the Judaic life was very strict, full of Divine Laws and
hundreds of ways in which a man might break them. Even an impure
thought was greatly unwanted, let alone impure actions. With sexual
release being such a taboo, it is no surprise that erotic dreams
were very common - and even more so were they feared. This was no
case of seeing a woman and being aroused.
This was (within a dream)
committing the full sexual act and enjoying it the entire time!
Being that it is not uncommon to dream of women one knows in waking
life - other men’s wives among them - the problem became an issue of
breaking the Ten Commandments. Finally, add to this the fact that
the real life result of these dreams was to be cursed as one who has
"spilled his seed." Yet, this was something that could never be
avoided by even the most pious men- and was thus going to be a
continuing source of guilt. The relief for this guilt was to blame
it on a succubus, Lilith.
And what of the demon children that Lilith spawned with one’s seed?
Why, upon death, these spirit children would hover around the
deceased’s household, demanding their rightful inheritance from the
estate (and, presumably, causing mischief when they are ignored).
This dynamic may have developed in answer to the hardships often
associated with death. There were even steps a family would take to
ensure the illegitimate demon-children were banished from the house
upon the husband’s death. Of course, Lilith was not the only
possible mother for these children. Jewish folk tales are teeming
with gullible men being tricked into marriages with beautiful demonesses.
Another important aspect of Lilith as succubus is called "night-hag
syndrome." When we sleep, our bodies produce a chemical which
effectively causes paralysis; thus ensuring we remain motionless as
we dream. It is also extremely common for this drug to work
ineffectively. When too little is produced, we often have dreams of
being restricted or barely able to move (the infamous "running
through molasses" nightmare). This is due to the fact that your
limbs are trying to move according to the dream, but are being
entangled under the body and in the bedclothes. When even less of
the chemical is produced, sleepwalking occurs.
On the other hand, too much of the drug might flood the body, or it
might simply not stop production soon enough before one awakes.
Those who have experienced this (and there are a great many of them,
myself included) report feeling "something" sitting upon them and
attempting to crush them. They can not move or speak, and sometimes
they can’t even breath. Of course, there is no visible attacker,
which makes the experience extremely frightening. Today we know that
this chemical imbalance is simply caused by stress or old age;
though it could still be considered Lilith (or simply a succubus) if
one considers a demon an imbalanced aspect of the Self or sickness.
In the old world, such things were known as rape by the succubus (or
Lilith).
It was thus- from crib death to night-hag syndrome- that we have
many examples of talismans against Lilith. The Hebraic bowls are the
earliest examples of this. Even more recent are the talismans which
bear the images of the three Angels and the Hebrew phrase: "Senoy,
and Sansenoy, and Semangeloph! Adam and Eve! Out Lilith!" These
would be hung over wedding beds as well as delivery tables and
cribs. In many cases the inscription was painted upon or over the
door to the place. All of this done as per the agreement Lilith made
with the three enforcer Angels.
The Religious Interpretation
At this point I will include a Christian addition to the Lilith
mythos. Though it may not figure into the Hebraic views of her, it
still relates. This addition concerns Lilith’s involvement with the
Fall from Eden.
Perhaps the most famous version of this Christian Lilith is the
Sistine Chapel paintings by Michelangelo. In this She is shown as a
half-woman half-snake, and is credited with being the very Serpent
who instigated the Fall from Eden itself. Apparently, Lilith was not
satisfied with her vows of revenge as they were, and decided to
attack Adam where he least expected it- through his new wife Eve.
Perhaps even an amount of jealousy is involved here.
Of course, it was Satan who was said to have been the serpent in the
Christian viewpoint. And, indeed, Lilith is said to be the wife of
Satan (or, from the Hebrew angle, the wife of Samael). The Serpent
was a joint effort between these two to take revenge upon Adam and
cause the fall from grace. Lilith provided the body of the serpent,
while Samael was the voice. As the wife of Samael (rather than
Asmodeus), she is known as the Elder Lilith.
I have all ideas that this Serpent-Lilith was a result of the
Rabbinical view of Lilith - she who seduces men from the True Path of
God - thus causing them to fall from grace as did Adam.
Within the Arabic mythologies of King Solomon, we meet Lilith on a
number of occasions, usually known as the Queen of Sheba. Solomon
had suspicions that this queen was in fact Lilith, and thus devised
a plan to know for sure. After inviting her for a visit to his
palace, he had the floor altered so as to appear as a pool of
ankle-deep water. When the queen arrived, she lifted her skirts to
walk through the pool, and Solomon was able to just barely glimpse
her overly-hairy legs.
This was the Rabbinical image of Lilith - a dark and beautiful
seductress from the waist up, yet hairy and ugly from the waste
down. In many cases, she is actually a male from the waste down.
This, of course, is the part of the body that would most be
concealed from view. Only one intimate with her would find out the
horrible truth- after it was too late.
Of course, this is a metaphor. Lilith represents that which appears
beautiful on the outside. She is sex, indulgence, and everything
that one desires to do which breaks the Judeo-Christian "Laws of
God." She is all of the things in life which tempts and seduces the
man into the ways of evil. Only after he is firmly within her grasp
does she reveal her true nature of ugliness. In this, Lilith far
pre-dates (and perhaps has something to do with) the Christian
concept of the Pan-like Satan.
The Qabalistic Interpretation
Here we find that the plot decidedly thickens. The Qabalists created
yet another chapter in the life of Lilith, which stems directly from
the above Religious ideas. As Lilith had come to represent those
things that God frowned upon, so too did she come to symbolize the
corrupt ways of the entire world at large. She was the lifestyle of
the Pagans around the Judaic Peoples, who did not frown upon sex,
indulgence, and fun. She symbolized all those who would break the
Torah, and she was anyone who would attack the Israelites. Most of
all, she was Babylon- the enemy holding the Israelite people
captive..
Before I continue, it is important to explain the principals
involved. Though these concepts developed well after the Second
Temple had been destroyed (in 70 AD), the Temple itself plays a
large role in the mythos. Also involved are Adonai (The Lord), and
His Bride the Shekinah (Hebrew for "Presence").
This mythos is a development of earlier Pagan ideas, where the union
of the male and female aspects of the universe are seen as paramount
to the continued existence of all creation. This was known as the
Sacred Marriage. In the Middle Eastern cultures, a newly anointed
king was ritually married to the Goddess (or mother of the land),
and thus to the kingdom itself. Likewise, the Qabalists depicted
Adonai as a king, and the Shekinah was [the people of] Israel
herself.
There was one singular place where Adonai would consent to join with
the Shekinah, one place holy enough to sustain the Divine Sex. That
place was the Temple of Solomon. Once in the year, the Couple would
join together within its walls, and the Divine Light of goodness and
increase shone throughout the world.
However, the Temple had been destroyed and its treasures carried
into foreign lands. With it went the perfect union of Adonai and His
kingdom. He withdrew from the world, refusing to meet the Shekinah
in an impure fashion. The Shekinah, who embodied the physical word
and thus could not withdraw from it, followed her people into
captivity by foreign nations, and was there raped by the enemy. This
"rape" was symbolic of mankind’s rape of the world and of the
Israelite people.
And here, once again, enters Lilith. As before stated, Lilith
symbolized the very foreign people who held the Shekinah captive.
Lilith embodied their evil ways- and now those evil ways were
allowed to remain in power. The reason for this lay in the fact that
Adonai, alas, could not be without a female partner. There could be
no God without- in some sense- Goddess. Thus, in an effort to
sustain a balance, Adonai took Lilith as His consort.
Being what She
was, Adonai felt no pity in uniting with Her in impurity. She was,
quite simply, His harlot. Thus it was that one half of the Divine
Force which sustained the Universe was tainted- allowing the evil of
mankind to reign supreme and unstoppable. Lilith was the Dark Shekinah - the polar opposite of that
Holy Goddess. She had made Her
final leap from demoness to Goddess - the Wife of God.
The Qabalist felt his duty was to strive to reunite the Shekinah
with Adonai, and thus cast Lilith away forever. The Sabbath was an
example of this. Because of the holiness of this day, Lilith had no
power to remain with Adonai, and was forced to retreat to the desert
where She screamed in pain until the day came to an end. (Remember
Lilith as related to the term "to screech" in Isaiah 34:14; this is
exactly where this concept has its birth.)
It was during this time
that Adonai had the best chance of reuniting with the Shekinah- and
the Qabalist did all he could to help through purity and devotional
invocation. This symbolism is even hinted at in the Christian Book
of Revelation, where the Whore of Babylon is supplanted in power by
the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.
This was the final outcome of the legends of Lilith, and here you
have Her mythos in full: First wife of Adam, wife of Asmodeus, wife
of Samael, the Serpent of the Tree of Knowledge, and finally the
wife of God. From here, I will briefly explain Her modern
interpretation, and you will see why I disagree with most of it so
strongly.
The Modern Interpretation: Feminism
Today Lilith has been adopted by the Neopagan community. Most
specifically by those with a feminist angle. Their main focus is
upon Lilith’s choice to fly from paradise, and even suffer the death
of hundreds of Her children, rather than live under submission to
Adam. In this, She represents feminine defiance and strength. Her
resulting attack on men in the night is the revenge of the woman
upon the men who have harmed Her.
This, in and of itself, is worthwhile (and plays a large part in my
own interpretation). However, this is not all there is to the figure
of Lilith. This interpretation totally ignores a large part of Her
mythos- not the least of which being Her attacks on mothers and
babies. The groups which put forth this view would also have us
believe that Lilith was, in fact, a great Goddess within Sumeria.
The "proof" of this is the above mentioned plaque, and we have
already seen how this is simply not so. It is even said that Lilith
was a maiden, in service to Inanna, who stood without the Temples
and invited men to enter and partake of the sacred sex with the
Priestesses. For this, not one shred of archeological evidence has
been offered of which I am aware.
Along with this, the myth in which
Gilgamesh drives the demoness out
of the Tree of Life is said to be symbolic of the Patriarchal God
driving the Goddess away. This is, in my opinion, pure silliness.
Anyone who puts the slightest study into Sumerian culture will find
that there was hardly any degradation of women occurring there. The
exact same thing can be said for the Babylonians who followed, and
even the earliest Hebrews themselves. It is true that the warrior
traditions and kingship of early civilization began to focus upon
masculine Deities, but the idea that hatred of women came
immediately with this is not founded.
Unfortunately, there is a modern trend in which the "liberation" of
any evil feminine mythological character is attempted. According to
this view, there were originally no male Gods among mankind in the
ancient world. Likewise, this view insists, there were absolutely no
evil female characters in any mythology. Once God-worship had been
invented by "power-hungry war-mongers," that is when all the
mythologies were re-written to show how evil the Goddesses were.
An example often given to prove this is the Babylonian Mother Goddess Tiamat
- depicted in the creation epic as the enemy of Lord Marduk. Indeed, Tiamat (demonized in the text) does seem to be a
later version of the Sumerian Nammu (a benevolent Mother Goddess).
The overthrow of Tiamat by Marduk is often described as warfare
between Goddess religion and God religion. In reality, however, the
tale is a depiction of warfare between younger Gods and older
Gods.
Gender does not play a specific role in the epic- and both male and
female characters play roles on both sides of the battle.
Another example is the
Egyptian War God Set; who was also possibly a
primordial benevolent Goddess (Set literally translates as "Lady").
Therefore, the battle between Horus and Set might be depicted as
male versus female, or primordial Mother versus young male usurpers.
Though, once again, a review of the actual stories do not reveal
such a distinction. (More than likely, the story of the battle
between Horus and Set is a depiction of solar eclipse.)
When they stand alone, these can be convincing examples for the
"liberation" standpoint. However, I must also remind the reader that
there are also convincing examples of the existence of Atlantis, and
of alien intervention in the creation of humans. Such facts are
taken from history, isolated, and held as proof of the silliest
concepts imaginable. In my opinion, this is comparable to isolating
Bible verses in order to prove one’s religious convictions- without
reading the stories in context.
However, I do wish to make something clear at this point. I am not
speaking against the concept of feminism here. I do not ignore the
damage done to women over the years- mostly thanks to the
Deuteronomic School of the Hebrews, and the Church of the
Christians. I am not speaking against interpreting mythologies in
new and different ways (as my own interpretation of the Lilith
mythos will show). That is, after all, what mythology is all about.
What I am speaking against here is shoddy scholarship.
And, more
than this, the attempt to push off personal opinions, half-truths,
political agendas, and even outright lies as actual history. I will
gladly interpret mythologies for use in the modern world, but I also
A) acknowledge the original interpretations, and B) make sure that
my interpretation takes the older ones into account. Again, I point
out that a God and its mythology are inseparable. If I evoke Lilith,
She will not conform utterly to what I expect or wish. Yes, She will
be affected by my expectations and my interpretation of Her nature,
but this merely accounts for one half of the interaction between
myself and the Goddess.
And with this I move on to my final goal: an interpretation of
Lilith for the modern world. This is based not only on the
scholarship above, but also on my own experience of this seductive
beauty. And now, let us meet Lilith.
The Lilith of Today
Adam literally translates as "mankind." He is all of us- male and
female, young and old. He is, basically, civilization. Adam is the
Image of the Divine; he, and all physical things, are the final
result of Divine manifestation. On the Qabalistic Tree of Life, Adam
is Malkuth (Kingdom), the physical world. In Qabalistic psychology,
Malkuth refers to the conscious mind. Thus, Adam represents our
waking consciousness, or ego. Adam is everything about us that
imposes "proper behavior" within society.
Lilith, created along with him, is the Shadow Self. She is our
subconscious, that part of us that is most animal like, defiant,
uncivilized, passionate, and basically natural. She is sex. She is
everything that our (currently corrupted) society frowns upon; a
society that has been taught for thousands of years to suppress
everything within that is most natural and enjoyable. She is just as
described in the religious interpretation- she is Babylon (or, as
Crowley spells Her Name:
Babalon).
Eve is also our subconscious. However, she is that small part of our
inner-selves over which our conscious selves have gotten full
control. She has no free will of her own- being wholly a part of
Adam. She is that part of ourselves that, as a civilized people, we
will show to others. Eve is what has been programmed into us as
"acceptable." She is the polar opposite of Lilith. She and Lilith
together form the whole of the inner Self.
(Let me point out that this interpretation of Adam and Eve/Lilith as
the conscious and subconscious is a rather old one. The Lovers Card
of the Tarot uses this symbolism, with the addition of an Angel who
represents the Higher Self.)
Samael, meanwhile, is the Archangel of Gevurah (Severity) upon the
Tree of Life. He is the embodiment of Divine Severity. He is the
Prince of the Seraphim- those Fiery Serpents who, at one point,
Yahweh sent to punish the Israelites (see the book of Exodus), and
to purify by fire those who wished to enter the Temple (see the book
of Isaiah). Samael is hardship.
Lilith’s demon spawn represent our own personal demons. They are
neurosis and harmful (self-destructive or criminal) behavior. They
are the imbalances in the mind that can lead to our destruction.
Such are the characters of the Lilith mythos. The above
interpretations of them must be held in mind at all times through
the following. If so, certain aspects of the myth begin to make a
certain kind of modern sense.
For instance, Adam’s insistence that he mate with Lilith in the
missionary position becomes the civilized mind’s attempt to reign in
and suppress the animal within- to be superior to it. Likewise,
Lilith’s own insistence on mating in a superior position is the
lower will’s attempt to dominate the rational self. Lilith’s flight
from Eden, and into the cave, is the banishment of our natural
animal instincts to the dark recesses of our minds. Even when Adam
wishes She would come back, it is too late and the damage has been
done.
What damage is this? Lilith spawned thousands of demon children.
These demons are born within the locked away and forgotten parts of
our minds. Even though we attempt, as the Angelic Enforcers, to hunt
down and slay as many of them as we can, the tide is too great to be
turned. We have attempted to suppress that which can not be
suppressed. Lilith, in Her darkness, has grown Her (owl’s)
talons. By nature a beautiful creature - as our natural selves are in
fact beautiful - Lilith now has the means and motive to rip us to
tiny shreds. She attacks us while we sleep; and with our semen- the
facts and deeds of our daily lives- she spawns more and more demons.
Before she is finished, she will slither her way back into our
minds - as the Serpent in the Garden. Our conscious selves rarely see
it coming; while we are occupied with our day to day foolishness-
Lilith will be sweet-talking Eve into taking the fatal bite. She
will attack us below the surface, in that part of ourselves we have
long-since thought conquered. One moment we suddenly find ourselves
with break-downs, outbursts, causing harm to others, and social and
personal ruin. We have experienced the Fall from Grace.
This also applies on a greater social level, not simply within the
mind of the individual. When viewing the myth from the wider angle,
we see where Samael comes into play. What happens when the things
that are natural and beautiful are suddenly labeled as wrong? They
then begin to attract the dregs of society. Once there were Goddess
Temples with priestesses adept in the arts of sexual magick.
Now, we
have prostitution, strip-clubs, and brothels which are viewed as
seed-beds of physical abuse, drug abuse, and disease. The people who
frequent these places are labeled as dirty and immature people with
little to no social value. Individuality and self expression is now
corrupted into gang activity and the anarchy of social outcasts.
Children who display this individuality spend their time in the
principal’s office or suffer worse punishments. They are labeled as
"problem children," and so problem children they believe they are.
Here the Rabbinical view of Lilith must be considered, where
corruption is so often deceptively tempting or beautiful on the
outside. The sleazy clubs, the gangs, the criminal behavior are all
very seductive. The glamorous people are the rebels who break laws
and harm others. Bonnie and Clyde, Billy the Kid, Al Capone- these
are our heroes. Yet, if we allow Lilith to seduce us with Her
beauty, she will finally show us the ugliness that lies under her
dressing. This is when she rips into us with her talons. The
gangster is executed, and thus ends his glory. The prostitute has
her throat cut, or dies of an overdose. And the man who frequents
the brothel dies a lonely old man because a real relationship was
ever beyond him.
Of course, all of these are extremely corrupted and impaired views
of reality. This is the marriage of Lilith to Samael. This dark
Angel of strife is Lilith’s talons. He is the hairy male lower half
of her body. These things which are so beautiful and natural
actually BECOME dirty and harmful, merely at the insistence of those
who wish them to be such. This, in turn, fuels the view that these
things are harmful in and of themselves. Society literally eats
itself from the inside out- and this is the marriage of Lilith to God.
As in the Qabalistic interpretation, the flow of Divinity has
been tainted; Samael/Lilith is in control, and what is natural has
been twisted into evil. Lilith should be our ally, and yet we are
pitted in combat against her. If Adam can not be forced to accept
his Lilith, then Lilith will destroy him. But, those in control of
our society maintain that control through the suppression of Lilith-
our defiance and freewill- and they would sooner see us destroyed
than to lose that control.
And here enters yet another character in the mythos: Cain. It is
little known that Cain was born not of Adam and Eve but of Eve and
the Serpent during the Temptation. Thus, Cain is actually the child
of the interaction between Eve and Lilith/Samael. The clashing of
the acceptable and non-acceptable, or the overrunning of the mind by
its own neuroses. In short, Cain- full of hate, jealousy, and anger
which finally explodes into murder- represents the very inhibited
society thus far described.
This is not a new concept, of course, as
Cain has long been said to be the ancestor of the corrupt majority
of the world’s population. For instance, Hebraic legend insists that
it was the Cainite women who seduced the Angelic Watchers and gave
birth to the Nephalim (Giant creatures, one of whom was Asmodeus
Himself) (Genesis 6:1-4f).
Cain’s brother Able, who was born of Adam and Eve proper, is the
world that could have existed if not for the intervention of Cain.
On the other hand there is also Seth, the third son of Eve (also
fathered by Adam), who is said to be the ancestor to the pious
minority of the world. The Gnostics for instance, who felt they had
the Knowledge to purify themselves (of the Samael/Lilith influence),
and thus return to a state of grace, described themselves as
descendants (or even embodiments) of Seth. Able, then, is the
Paradise that could have been; Cain is the corruption that slew that
dream, and Seth is the hope of a return to utopia.
Thank the Gods that things are not necessarily quite as bad as all
of that. There are respectable brothels and men’s (and women’s!)
clubs. There are those who display self-expression in childhood who,
somehow through all of the abuse, still grow up to become respected
artists of all kinds. There are those who understand the sacredness
of sex. In short, there are those few who have refused Samael’s
marriage to Lilith. Instead, they have invited Lilith to return to
the Garden- promising Her that She can play mistress just as much as
Adam plays master. They have attempted to join Lilith and Eve, and
to return them both to their rightful place within Adam. They strive
to become Adam Qadmon- that Supernal Man(kind) who is greater even
than the Angels. They strive for the state of Seth.
Of course, few of us have attained that success. Though, perhaps a
reconciliation will one day occur. Perhaps in that time a person
could be natural, individual and even a little rebellious without
being labeled a criminal for doing so. Of course, no utopia will
ever exist in full. However, just as the Medieval Qabalist strove to
unite God and His Shekinah, so too should we strive to unite Eve and
Lilith, and both of them with Adam within ourselves. Only then will
we have the power to rebuild the inner Temple, and aid the
Shekinah’s return to Adonai. Only then will the "children of Seth"
have a chance to reign.
This is my view of Lilith. She is the Mother of the Night, and all
the dark beauty that lies within it. Lilith is the hidden mysteries
which society would rather I not know. I am Adam, and I have
rejected my foolish concepts of superiority over Lilith. Of course,
Lilith has Her dark side. If I allow Her to rule over me, She would
drain my vitality as a succubus. She would rule me to the point of
being little more than a thoughtless animal, useless and perhaps
harmful within a human society. Instead, I accept Lilith in
equality; in both darkness and light.
Append I: The Names of Lilith
During the section on the religious interpretation of Lilith- or the
Rabbinical interpretation- I indirectly hit on the Solomonic legends
of Lilith (The Queen of Sheba). Here I wish to elaborate somewhat on
this aspect, as it is a rather important one in getting to know Her.
In the Solomonic Legends, the Queen of Sheba was a very prominent
figure. Much like Asmodeus, Lilith was an adversary to Solomon.
However, unlike Asmodeus - who’s wish was to dethrone Solomon - Lilith
simply enjoyed testing Solomon’s wisdom. She constantly arrived in
his royal court with puzzles, riddles, and specific dilemmas in
unceasing attempts to find fault in his abilities to serve the
throne.
This, in fact, makes Lilith one of the Satans- those dark Angels who
test us and accuse us of our failures. If (the Rabbinical) Lilith
could not seduce one off of the true path, then She would literally
attempt to ruin one upon that path. This rings very close to the
instance in the New Testament where a group of exorcists attempt to
cast out demons in the names of various prophets of the past. The
demons replied that they knew these Prophets, and added, "But who
are you?"
Unlike Solomon to the Queen of Sheba, these exorcists had
no good answer- and the demons tore them apart. Solomon always had a
good answer- that is to say, he always knew the solutions to Her
puzzles. In fact, it would seem that Solomon accepted the true
nature of Lilith, because he actually enjoyed Her visits; and the
opportunity to try himself at Her puzzles. He understood the
necessity of these tests to keep him polished and on his toes. But,
then again, Solomon was known for his Wisdom.
Of course, it would not be fair to neglect including an example of
one of the Queen of Sheba’s puzzles. Already mentioned was the
meeting between the two in which Solomon tricked Her into revealing
Her true nature. However, Lilith was often much more subtle. In one
instance, She took the form of a prostitute and claimed motherhood
to another prostitute’s baby. Eventually, the matter was brought to
the court of the king. Solomon heard both sides of the story, but
this solved nothing. Both women were adamant, and told wholly
different stories to back their claims.
However, king Solomon was not to be outdone. Instead, he ordered a
swordsman to approach the throne. Because the matter could not be
otherwise resolved, he declared that the baby should be cut in half
so that each woman could have an equal share. As the sword was
raised, one woman shouted for him to halt. She admitted that she was
not truly the mother, and that she did not wish for the baby to die
on her account. Solomon immediately gave the baby to her- knowing
that only the real mother would give the baby away rather than watch
it die. Lilith, on the other hand, was foiled again.
Yet another Solomonic tradition is outlined in "The Testament of
Solomon." This is a work that describes Solomon’s efforts to summon
a number of demons, and find out their various names, forms,
actions, and (most importantly) the Angels who oppose them. Lilith
was among these summoned demons. (As a note, there is a similar
legend in which Elijah encounters Her and demands Her Names.)
She
told Solomon that Her opposing Angel is Raphael - which makes sense
when we recognize that Lilith’s name refers to "spirit" or "air,"
and Raphael is the Kherub of Air. Lilith is the enveloping fog,
while Raphael is the clear-sky breeze.
As for Her various Names -
taken from various sources - they are as follows:
-
Abeko,
-
Abito,
-
Abro,
-
Abyzu,
-
Ailo,
-
Alu,
-
Amiz,
-
Amizo,
-
Amizu,
-
Ardad
Lili,
-
Avitu,
-
Batna,
-
Bituah,
-
Eilo,
|
-
Gallu,
-
Gelou,
-
Gilou,
-
’Ik,
-
’Ils,
-
Ita,
-
Izorpo,
-
Kakash,
-
Kalee,
-
Kali,
-
Kea,
-
Kema,
-
Kokos,
-
Lamassu,
|
-
Lilith,
-
Odam,
-
Partasah,
-
Partashah,
-
Patrota,
-
Pods,
-
Podo,
-
Raphi,
-
Satrina,
-
Talto,
-
Thiltho,
-
Zahriel,
-
Zefonith.
.
|
Append II: The Experience of Lilith
I.
I stood often upon the shore of this small lake in the heart of
Florida. It was always late- far into the darkest hours of the
night- and I stood wrapped in the icy embrace of Mother Lailah
(Night). Her children sang and chirped and buzzed to me as they
always have from the shadowy places among the grass and reeds, and
often a cool breeze skittered across the lake to blow away the
insects and the muggy heat. Many times had I stood here, communing
with the lake, reciting love poems to Levanah (Luna), taking in the
jewel-studded view of the southern nighttime skyline, and gazing at
Venus in the early hours of dawn.
But tonight was different.
Lailah’s embrace was deep and frigid.
There were no stars or moon, no skyline, and no sky. There was no
song from the grass and reeds about me, and no gentle breeze rushing
over me from the water. The lake stretched out (for what little
distance I could see) still and black as the dark Abyss itself. The
night was dark, black, still as death, and over the surface
slithered a deep fog that swallowed the world. A verse from Genesis
arose within me: "And a mist moved upon the face of the deep…," and
within it fluttered the Shadows of the Qliphoth. The world held its
breath. Lilith had arrived.
I stood upon the edge of
the abyss, the helpless subject of the
mighty Queen of the Night. She reached toward me slowly and
seductively, yet always just beyond my own reach. She called to me
softly from deep within the swirling mists. She is a siren, a
succubus, and my bestial male spirit answered the call. It was pure
pleasure- a burst of dark power. Yet, it was also pain as I willed
against Will to stay my feet. More than once I nearly yielded to the
temptation to simply walk into the blackness. My heart seemed to
tell me, "You can go forth. You will not sink. You would be safe."
Of course, I knew better.
I knew that if I stepped forward I would
sink into that cold water- the lake that was no longer my friend. I
knew that hypothermia would quickly set in, and that I would have
little hope of even knowing in which direction the shore waited. I
could very well die, with the land no more than a few feet away.
Even more frightening was that I didn’t believe I would care! I
wanted to feel the icy water envelope me, to sink into its silent
depths and into oblivion beyond.
Yet, at the same time, I nearly believed I could walk safely across
the surface of the pool. More so, I desired to fly into the fog; I
wanted to take wing and join the demonic children of Lilith who
swarmed within. I needed to hunt, stalk, pounce, and to bite. I
wanted to feel the fear of prey flood over me, adding strength to
the pain of my own desire, and to experience the shudder of their
final ecstasy- that sudden peace and contentment that comes to all
once death is inevitable. Suddenly I wanted to exert power and force
over others. I wanted the taste of fear and pain.
And yet I knew that a single step in that direction would mean my
own loss within the abyss before me. I would not live to hunt down
my prey. I was no free predator, but a domesticated animal. With a
sigh I wondered if this is how our own pets feel - who in distant
ages were mighty hunters- as they beg at our tables, and are patted
on their heads. With that I regained my senses somewhat, and backed
away from the dark Lady before me.
Out of breath I whispered how
much I loved and desired Her, and then bowed and slunk away. Soon I
was myself again - this had happened before, and would happen in the
future. Anywhere the fog could creep upon me, especially over bodies
of still and deep water, Lilith would find me and once again try Her
seduction upon me. She would ever attempt to lead this son of Eve
into the Blackness of the Kingdom of Shells. Perhaps the male child
is not so safe after the eighth day from birth...
The above is what might be expected from the male experience of the
Queen of Night. What more could one expect from She who seduced the
Divine Name from Yahweh Himself, and traditionally bears somewhat of
a grudge against Adam (Mankind)?
Another thing that I have noted was the intuitive feeling I had that
Lilith was the fog itself. It was, in fact, later that I learned the
name "Lilith" traces back to a Sumerian word for "Air." The
Lilitu
of Sumer are supposed to be night-time air spirits, and according to
my direct experience, this is exactly what they were, and what Lady
Lilith is today. But, more than just "air," She is the thickening
mists that can cause a person to stray blindly from the path and
into Her dark embrace. It seems the Rabbis were right...
II.
A woman who may have stood in my place, lost within that gray-white
haze, would surely have experienced something different from what I
described. While I can’t provide you with a description of such an
experience, I can at least speak on some women’s issues with which
Lilith might be deeply and darkly involved.
I recently spoke to a (female) devotee of
Lilith, and suggested the
possibility of the Dark Queen’s involvement in the issue of
abortion; especially viewing Her in Her aspects as both succubus and
baby-killer. Perhaps Lilith is even the patron Goddess of abortion.
This may seem a bit extreme, and is certainly an extremely touchy
issue. However, I feel there may be some merit to the idea. Not more
than a few days after I mentioned this to my friend, I came across
these words concerning Lilith and abortion on the Internet:
On the other hand, there is a modern metaphor for "baby killing"
that adequately places us in the quandary and conflict of power vs.
violence... abortion. To those opposed, it is clearly murder. But to
those who claim the right to choose... well, look at the phrase
"right to choose." Those who fight for the right to choose abortion
fight for the right to have control over their bodies, over control
over when and how they bestow the gift of life, and when and how
they will take what kind of responsibility for the outcome of their
sexuality.
Those who fight to make abortion illegal once again see
this as an irrelevant argument. The woman’s body and life are
incidental when compared to the potential life she carries inside
her... at least, this is how a Daughter of Lilith would see
it... someone who is, themselves, opposed to abortion simply see it
as a question of life and death. Choices of life and death. These
are the kinds of choices Lilith asks us to make. Knowing, full well,
that there are no right answers... or wrong answers... only *our*
answers.
Bibliography
The Lilith Shrine,
http://www.lilitu.com/lilith/
The Story of Lilith,
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu:80/~humm/Topics/Lilith/alphabet.html
From The Alphabet of Ben Sira Question #5 (23a-b), Tr. Norman
Bronznick (with David Stern & Mark Jay Mirsky) (Stern90)
The Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia, by Reginald Campbell
Thompson July 1973, AMS Press; ISBN: 0404113532
Semitic Magic : Its Origins and Development, by R. Campbell Thompson Samuel Weiser; ISBN: 0877289328
Babylonian Magic and Sorcery: Being the Prayers of the Lifting of
the Hand, by Leonard W. King Samuel Weiser; ISBN: 0877289344
The Hebrew Goddess, by Raphael Patai, Merlin Stone (Designer) Wayne State Univ Pr; ISBN: 0814322719
Lilith’s Cave : Jewish Tales of the Supernatural, by Howard
Schwartz, Uri Shulevitz Oxford Univ Pr (Trade); ISBN: 0195067266
Gilgamesh and the Huluppu-Tree: A reconstructed Sumerian Text, by S.
N. Kramer University of Chicago 1938
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