lets start with lilith
(1/1)
MystDragon:
something to start this section with.. lilth
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~humm/Topics/Lilith/
Kabbala: Lilith the Seductress
In the following passages Lilith is revealed in her role as succubus. Her job in this guise is to sleep with men (which they experience as wet dreams), or otherwise collect their semen. Then she becomes pregnant from them and bears demonic children. This process begins with Adam who attempts celibacy for a period of time. That separation from his wife leaves him vulnerable to Lilith (and Naamah, who functions similarly). There may, in this, be an underlying invective against the practice of celibacy as part of religious dedication. Celibacy was obviously a part of Christianity at the time and the story teller may hope to prevent its catching on in Jewish circles. Lilith may also collect semen even from the marriage bed, though. The sage must be careful to ensure that she is denied access to the bedroom through both proper modesty and the performance of prophylactic rituals. Naamah, like Lilith, is a demon-seductress. In that sense their roles appear identical. Naamah, however, doesn't have Lilith's baby-stealer(/corrupter) role.
Zohar 3:76b-77a
For 130 years Adam kept separate from his wife and did not beget. After Cain killed Abel, Adam did not want to copulate with his wife. Rabbi Yose said: "From the hour in which death was decreed upon him and upon the whole world, he said 'Why should I beget children for terror?' and instantly separated from his wife." And two female spirits [Lilith and Naamah] would come and copulate with him and bear children. and those whom they bore are the evil spirits of the world who are called the Plagues of Mankind. And they lead the sons of man astray, and dwell in the doorway of the house, and in the cisterns and in the latrines.... But if the holy name Shaddai with supernal crowns is found in the doorway of a man's house, they all flee and go away from there. And we have learned that in the hour in which man descended to the earth in the supernal image, in the image of the Holy One, and the higher and lower beings saw him, they all approached him and proclaimed him king over this world. After the Serpent mounted Eve and injected filth into her, she gave birth to Cain. From thence descended all the wicked generations in the world. And the abode of demons and spirits is from there and from his side. Therefore, all the spirits and demons have one half from man below, and the other half from the angels of the supernal realm. Thereafter Adam begot on those spirits daughters who are the beauty of those above and those below. And all went astray after them. And there was one male who came into the world from the spirit of Cain's side, and they called Tubal-Cain. And a female came forth with him, and the creatures went astray after her, and her name was Naamah. From her issued other spirits and demons. and they hover in the air and tell things to those others found below. And this Tubal-Cain brought weapons of killing into the world. And this Naamah became aroused and adhered to her [evil] side. And to this day she exists, and her abode is among the waves of the great sea. And she comes forth, and makes sport with the sons of man, and becomes hot from them in the dream, in that desire which a man has, and she clings to him, and she takes the desire and from it she conceives and brings forth other kinds [of spirits] into the world. And those children whom she bears from the sons of man come to the women, and they conceive from them and bear spirits. And all of them go to Lilith the Ancient, and she rears them.... (Patai81:456f) And she goes out into the world and seeks her children. And she sees the sons of man and clings to them, in order to kill them, and to become absorbed into the souls of the children of the sons of man, and she goes off with that child. But three holy spirits arrive there and fly before her and take that child from her and place him before the Holy One, blessed be He, and there he studies before Him. Therefore the Tora warns, Be sacred (Lev. 19:2). If a man is holy, he is not harmed by her, for the Holy One, blessed be He, orders those three holy angels whom we have mentioned, and they guard that child, and she cannot harm him. But if a man is not holy, and draws a spirit from the impure side, then she comes and makes sport with that child, and when she kills him she penetrates that soul [which departs from the child] and never leaves it.... (Patai81:466) At times it happens that Naamah goes forth into the world to become hot from the sons of man, and a man finds himself in a connection of lust with her, and he awakens from his sleep and takes hold of his wife and lies with her. And this desire comes from that lust which he had in his dream. Then the child that she begets comes from the side of Naamah, for the man was driven by his lust for her. And when Lilith comes and sees that child, she knows what happened, and she ties herself to him and brings him up like all those other sons of Naamah. And she is with him many times, but does not kill him. This is the man who becomes blemished on every New Moon, for she never gives him up. For month after month, when the moon becomes renewed in the world Lilith comes forth and visits all those whom she brings up, and makes sport with them, and therefore that person is blemished at that time. (Patai81:457f)
remember to be good and play nice..
hillbilly:
Interesting reading! Thanks for the post & the link, it is appreciated! :)
Riggs:
Lilith - in Jewish tradition, where she originated, Lilith is the female demon, enemy of infants, bridge of the evil angel Sammael (Satan). She predated Eve, had martial relations with Adam, and must thus be regarded as our first parent's first wife. According to Rabbi Eliezer, Lilith bore Adam every day 100 children. The ZOhar describes Lilith as "a hot fiery female who at first cohabited with man" but when Eve was created, "flew to the cities of the sea coast," where she is "still trying to ensnare mankind" She has been identified (incorrectly) with the screech owl in Isaiah 34:14. In the cabala she is the demon of Friday and is represented as a naked woman whose body terminates in a serpents tail. While commonly regarded as the creation of rabbis of the early Middle Ages, first traceable mention of Lilith occurs in the 10th century folktale called teh Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith is in fact drawn from lili, female demonic spirits in Mesopotamian demonology, and known as ardat lili. The rabbis read Lilith into Scripture as the 1st temptress as Adam's demon wife and as the mother of Cain. In Talmudic lore, as also in the cabala, most demons are mortal, but Lilith and two other notorious female spirits of evil(Naamah and Agrat bat Mahlat) will "continue to exist and plauge man until the Messianic day, when God will finally extirpate uncleanliness and evil from teh face of the earth." In Scholem's article on one of the medieval writers in the magazine Mada'e Ha Yahadut, Lilith and Sammael are said to ahve "emanated from beneath the throne of Divine Glory, the legs of which were somewhat shaken by their activity." It is known of course that Sammael (satan) was once a familiar figure in Heaven, but not that Lilith was there also, assisting him. Lilith went by a score of names, 17 of which she revealed to Elijah when she was forced to do so by the Old Testament prophet.
Names of Lilith as revealed to Elijah:
Abeko Abito Amizo
Batna Eilo Ita
Izorpo Kali Kea
Kokos Lilith Odam
Partasah Patrota Podo
Satrina Talto
additional names:
Abro Abyzu Ailo Alu
Amiz Amizu Ardad Lili Avitu
Bituah Gallu Gelou Gilou
'Ik 'Ils Kalee Kakash
Kema Lamassu Lilith Partashah
Petrota Pods Raphi Satrina
Thiltho Zahriel Zefonith
Davidson, Gustav " A Dictionary of Angels: Including Fallen Angels" Free Press, NY, NY, 1967; Pg 174-175, 351-352
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