Many people know the biblical legend according to which the first woman on Earth was Eve - the wife of Adam, created from his rib. However, in some sources related to the Jewish tradition, you can find a mention of a certain Lilith, who was created even before Eve. In the kabbalistic theory, Lilith is the first wife of Adam, the same character is found in some Arab myths.
After parting with Adam, Lilith becomes an evil demon, kidnapping and killing newborn babies. Her very name means "night", and therefore Lilith is associated with all negative aspects of the dark time of day. This is horror, fear of the dark, unbridled sensuality, connection with the otherworldly, dead world.
Lilith - woman or demon?
Relatively recently, Lilith has become a symbol of the feminist movement, although previously she was only compared with a succubus - a demon that generates lust.
Lilith in the Bible, Talmud and other ancient sources
It is believed that the myths about this demoness originated in the ancient Near East, where she was known as the "dark maiden" or "spirit of the wild". The name Lilith is found in the ancient Sumerian legend "Inanna's Descent into the Underworld", which dates back to 3000 BC.
It is believed that Lilith entered not only the Israeli tradition, but even the Bible. In particular, the prophet Isaiah described a certain inhospitable desert with the following words: “There goats and demons will greet each other, there a violent wind will sweep over the land and there Lilith will find peace” (Isaiah 34:14). However, some researchers believe that the word "lilith" the prophet called not a demon, but just a night owl.
Sculpture depicting Lilith.
In the Talmud, Lilith is represented as the embodiment of vicious sexuality. In particular, the Babylonian Talmud says: "It is forbidden for one person to sleep in the house, so that Lilith does not take possession of it." There is a legend that Lilith is able to impregnate herself with male sperm and then give birth to demonic offspring.
Is Lilith the willful wife of Adam?
According to this legend, Lilith did not want to obey her husband, because she realized that she was the same creation of Jehovah, like Adam. She uttered the secret name of God and flew away from her husband. Adam complained to Yahweh about the rebellious wife, and three angels were sent in pursuit of the fugitive, who overtook her near the shores of the Red Sea.
This is how Lilith was represented in the Middle Ages.
However, Lilith categorically refused to return to Adam, for which she was punished by the angels. There are three different versions of this punishment:
- According to one legend, Lilith is doomed to sterility.
- According to another version, she can only give birth to demon children.
- The third version - a hundred of her children will die every night
In Jewish traditions, it is Lilith who is responsible for the infertility of women or for the damage to women in labor. In addition, this demoness replaces newborn children, drinks their blood and sucks out the bone marrow. However, a special amulet in the form of a tablet with her name (according to another version, with the names of three angels) helps to protect herself from the intrigues of the dark Lilith.
How the demoness became a symbol of freedom
It is quite obvious that such an ambiguous character as Lilith challenges the established foundations of a patriarchal society. She, so to speak, stands for the equality of men and women, which is unacceptable for the Abrahamic religions. After all, Lilith not only refuses to obey her husband, in addition, she challenges God!
In ancient times and in the Middle Ages, Lilith was a source of fear, over time, her name was overgrown with more and more terrifying legends. However, as the centuries passed, society became less puritanical, chauvinist and patriarchal (at least in those countries that are commonly called "secular").
And so she is portrayed today.
Today the name "Lilith" has become a kind of synonym for a free woman. The character was named after the LILITH FAIR music festival, as well as the independent Jewish magazine Lilith Magazine, which strikingly combines such conflicting ideologies as Judaism and feminism. Thus, the former “demoness” and mythical child-kidnapper completely changed her status and became a symbol of freedom and equality.
