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One story is that God created Adam and Lilith as twins
joined together at the back. She demanded equality with Adam, failing to achieve
it, she left him in anger. This is sometimes accompanied by a Muslim legend that
after leaving Adam Lilith slept with Satan, thus creating the demonic Djinn.
In another version of the myth of Lilith, she was Adam's first wife before Eve.
Adam married her because he became tired of coupling with animals, a common
Middle-Eastern herdsmen practice, though the Old Testament declared it a sin
(Deuteronomy 27:21). Adam tried to make Lilith lie beneath him during sexual
intercourse. Lilith would not meet this demand of male dominance. She cursed
Adam and hurried to her home by the Red Sea.
Adam complained to God who then sent three angels, Sanvi, Sansanvi and
Semangelaf, to bring Lilith back to Eden. Lilith rebuffed the angels by cursing
them. While by the Red Sea Lilith became a lover to demons and producing 100
babies a day. The angels said that God would take these demon children away from
her unless she returned to Adam. When she did not return, she was punished
accordingly. And, God also gave Adam the docile Eve.
According to some Lilith's fecundity and sexual preferences showed she was a
Great Mother of settled agricultural tribes, who resisted the invasions of the
nomadic herdsmen, represented by Adam. It is felt the early Hebrews disliked the
Great Mother who drank the blood of Abel, the herdsman, after being slain by the
elder god of agriculture and smithcraft, Cain (Genesis 4:11). Lilith's Red Sea
is but another version of Kali Ma's Ocean of Blood, which gave birth to all
things but needed periodic sacrificial replenishment.
Speculation is that perhaps there was a connection between Lilith and the
Etruscan divinity Lenith, who possessed no face and waited at the gate of the
underworld along with Eita and Persipnei (Hecate and Persephone) to receive the
souls of the dead. The underworld gate was a yoni, and also a lily, which had
"no face." Admission into the underworld was frequently mythologized as a sexual
union. (see Tantrism) The lily or lilu (lotus) was the Great Mother's
flower-yoni, whose title formed Lilith's name.
Even though the story of Lilith disappeared from the canonical Bible, her
daughters the lilim haunted men for over a thousand years. It was well into that
Middle Ages that Jews still manufactured amulets to keep away the lilim.
Supposedly they were lusty she-demons who copulated with men in all their
dreams, causing nocturnal emissions.
The Greeks adopted the belief of the lilim, calling them Lamiae, Empusae
(Forcers-In), or Daughters of Hecate. Likewise the Christians adopted the
belief, calling them harlots of hell, or succubi, the counterpart of the incubi.
Celebrant monks attempted to fend them off by sleeping with their hands over
their genitals, clutching a crucifix.
Even though most of the Lilith legend is derived from Jewish folklore,
descriptions of the Lilith demon appear in Iranian, Babylonian, Mexican, Greek,
Arab, English, German, Oriental and Native American legends. Also, she sometimes
has been associated with legendary and mythological characters such as the Queen
of Sheba and Helen of Troy. In medieval Europe she was proclaimed to be the
wife, concubine or grandmother of Satan.
Men who experienced nocturnal emissions during their sleep believed they had
been seduced by Lilith and said certain incantations to prevent the offspring
from becoming demons. It was thought each time a pious Christian had a wet
dream, Lilith laughed. It was believed that Lilith was assisted in her
bloodthirsty nocturnal quests by succubi, who gathered with her near the
"mountains of darkness" to frolic with her demon lover Samael, whole name means
"poison of God" (sam-el). The Zohar, the principal work of the Kabbalah,
describes Lilith's powers at their height during the waning of the moon.
According to legend Lilith's attraction for children comes from the belief that
God took her demon children from her when she did not return to Adam. It was
believed that she launched a reign of terror against women in childbirth and
newborn infants, especially boys. However, it also was believed that the three
angels who were sent to fetch her by the Red Sea forced her to swear that
whenever she saw their names or images on amulets that she would leave the
infants and mothers alone.
These beliefs continued for centuries. As late as the 18th century, it was a
common practice in many cultures to protect new mothers and their infants with
amulets against Lilith. Males were most vulnerable during the first week of
life, girls during the first three weeks. Sometimes a magic circle was drawn
around the lying-in-bed, with a charm inscribed with the names of the three
angels, Adam and Eve and the words "barring Lilith" or "protect this newborn
child from all harm." Frequently amulets were place in the four corners and
throughout the bedchamber. If a child laughed while sleeping, it was taken as a
sign that Lilith was present. Tapping the child on the nose, it was believed,
made her go away.
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Of Adam's first wife, Lilith, it is told
(The witch he loved before the gift of Eve,)
That, ere the snake's, her sweet tongue could deceive,
And her enchanted hair was the first gold.
And still she sits, young while the earth is old,
And, subtly of herself contemplative,
Draws men to watch the bright net she can weave,
Till heart and body and life are in its hold.
The rose and poppy are her flowers; for where
Is he not found, O Lilith, whom shed scent
And soft-shed kisses and soft sleep shall snare?
Lo! as that youth's eyes burned at thine, so went
Thy spell through him, and left his straight neck bent,
And round his heart one strangling golden hair.
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
(Translated Hebrew text)