Lilith  

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'''Lilith''' is a [[mythology|mythological]] female [[Mesopotamia]]n storm [[demon]] associated with wind and was thought to be a bearer of [[disease]], [[illness]], and [[death]]. The figure of Lilith first appeared in a class of wind and storm demons or spirits as ''Lilitu'', in [[Sumer]], circa 3000 BC. Many scholars place the origin of the phonetic name "Lilith" at somewhere around 700 BC. Lilith appears as a night demon in Jewish lore and as a [[screech owl]] in the [[King James Version of the Bible|King James version]] of the [[Bible]]. '''Lilith''' is a [[mythology|mythological]] female [[Mesopotamia]]n storm [[demon]] associated with wind and was thought to be a bearer of [[disease]], [[illness]], and [[death]]. The figure of Lilith first appeared in a class of wind and storm demons or spirits as ''Lilitu'', in [[Sumer]], circa 3000 BC. Many scholars place the origin of the phonetic name "Lilith" at somewhere around 700 BC. Lilith appears as a night demon in Jewish lore and as a [[screech owl]] in the [[King James Version of the Bible|King James version]] of the [[Bible]].
 +==Lilith in the Victorian period==
 +[[File:Lady-Lilith.jpg|thumb|250px|''Lady Lilith'' by [[Dante Gabriel Rossetti]].]]
 +The [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood]], which developed around 1848, were greatly influenced by Goethe's work on the theme of Lilith. In 1863, [[Dante Gabriel Rossetti]] of the Brotherhood began painting what would be his first rendition of "Lady Lilith", a painting he expected to be his "best picture hitherto" [[Symbol]]s appearing in the painting allude to the "femme fatale" reputation of the Romantic Lilith: [[poppy|poppies]] (death and cold) and white [[rose]]s (sterile passion). Accompanying his ''Lady Lilith'' painting from 1863, Rossetti wrote a [[sonnet]] entitled ''Lilith'', which was first published in Swinburne's pamphlet-review (1868), ''Notes on the Royal Academy Exhibition'':
 +<blockquote>
 +Of Adam's first wife, Lilith, it is told<br />
 +(The witch he loved before the gift of Eve,)<br />
 +That, ere the snake's, her sweet tongue could deceive,<br />
 +And her enchanted hair was the first gold.<br />
 +And still she sits, young while the earth is old,<br />
 +And, subtly of herself contemplative,<br />
 +Draws men to watch the bright web she can weave,<br />
 +Till heart and body and life are in its hold.<br />
 +The rose and poppy are her flower; for where<br />
 +Is he not found, O Lilith, whom shed scent<br />
 +And soft-shed kisses and soft sleep shall snare?<br />
 +Lo! As that youth's eyes burned at thine, so went<br />
 +Thy spell through him, and left his straight neck bent<br />
 +And round his heart one strangling golden hair.<br />
 +(Collected Works, 216)
 +</blockquote>
 +The poem and the picture appeared together alongside Rossetti's painting ''Sibylla Palmifera'' and the sonnet ''Soul's Beauty''. In 1881, the ''Lilith'' sonnet was renamed "''Body's Beauty''" in order to contrast it and ''Soul's Beauty''. The two were placed sequentially in ''The House of Life'' collection (sonnets number 77 and 78).
 +
 +Rossetti wrote in 1870:
 +{{quote|Lady [Lilith]...represents a Modern Lilith combing out her abundant golden hair and gazing on herself in the glass with that self-absorption by whose strange fascination such natures draw others within their own circle."|Rossetti, W. M. ii.850, D.G. Rossetti's emphasis<ref name=feminism/>}}
 +
 +This is in accordance with Jewish folk tradition, which associates Lilith both with long hair (a symbol of dangerous feminine seductive power in both [[Jewish]] and [[Islamic]] cultures), and with possessing women by entering them through mirrors.<ref>"Lilith's Cave," Lilith's Cave: Jewish tales of the supernatural, edited by Howard Schwartz (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988) [http://art.net/Studios/Poets/Schlong/lilithmyth.html]</ref>
 +
 +The [[Victorian literature|Victorian]] poet [[Robert Browning]] re-envisioned Lilith in his poem "Adam, Lilith, and Eve". First published in 1883, the poem uses the traditional myths surrounding the triad of Adam, Eve, and Lilith. Browning depicts Lilith and Eve as being friendly and complicitous with each other, as they sit together on either side of Adam. Under the threat of death, Eve admits that she never loved Adam, while Lilith confesses that she always loved him:
 +
 +{{quote|As the worst of the venom left my lips,<br />
 +I thought, 'If, despite this lie, he strips<br />
 +The mask from my soul with a kiss — I crawl<br />
 +His slave, — soul, body, and all!|Browning 1098}}
 +
 +Browning focused on Lilith's emotional attributes, rather than that of her ancient demon predecessors.<ref>Seidel, Kathryn Lee. [http://weberstudies.weber.edu/archive/archive%20A%20%20Vol.%201-10.3/vol.%2010.2/10.2Seidel.htm The Lilith Figure in Toni Morrison's ''Sula'' and Alice Walker's ''The Color Purple'']</ref>
 +
 +Scottish author [[George MacDonald]] also wrote a fantasy novel entitled ''[[Lilith (novel)|Lilith]]'', first published in 1895. MacDonald employed the character of Lilith in service to a spiritual allegory about sin and redemption{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}. Many of the traditional characteristics of Lilith mythology are present in the author's depiction: Long dark hair, pale skin, a hatred and fear of children and babies, and an obsession with gazing at herself in a mirror. MacDonald's Lilith also has vampiric qualities: She bites people and sucks their blood for sustenance.
 +
==See also== ==See also==
* [[Daemon (mythology)]] * [[Daemon (mythology)]]

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Lilith is a fictional character in Christian mythology - sometimes believed to be the first wife of Adam - who in the 1990s and 2000s has come to epitomize the image of the strong and independent woman.

The passage in Genesis 1:27 — "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (before describing a mate being made of Adam's rib and being called Eve in Genesis 2:22) is believed to be the indication that Adam had a wife before Eve.

A medieval reference to Lilith as the first wife of Adam is the anonymous The Alphabet of Ben Sira, written sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries. Lilith is described as refusing to assume a subservient role to Adam during sexual intercourse and so deserting him ("She said, 'I will not lie below,' and he said, 'I will not lie beneath you, but only on top. For you are fit only to be in the bottom position, while I am to be the superior one.'"). Lilith promptly uttered the name of God, took to the air, and left the Garden, settling on the Red Sea coast. As a side note, this places Lilith in a unique position, for she left the Garden of her own accord and before the Fall of Man, and so is untouched by the Tree of Knowledge. However, according to legend, she also knows the "true name of God".

A demon

Lilith is a mythological female Mesopotamian storm demon associated with wind and was thought to be a bearer of disease, illness, and death. The figure of Lilith first appeared in a class of wind and storm demons or spirits as Lilitu, in Sumer, circa 3000 BC. Many scholars place the origin of the phonetic name "Lilith" at somewhere around 700 BC. Lilith appears as a night demon in Jewish lore and as a screech owl in the King James version of the Bible.

Lilith in the Victorian period

[[File:Lady-Lilith.jpg|thumb|250px|Lady Lilith by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.]] The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which developed around 1848, were greatly influenced by Goethe's work on the theme of Lilith. In 1863, Dante Gabriel Rossetti of the Brotherhood began painting what would be his first rendition of "Lady Lilith", a painting he expected to be his "best picture hitherto" Symbols appearing in the painting allude to the "femme fatale" reputation of the Romantic Lilith: poppies (death and cold) and white roses (sterile passion). Accompanying his Lady Lilith painting from 1863, Rossetti wrote a sonnet entitled Lilith, which was first published in Swinburne's pamphlet-review (1868), Notes on the Royal Academy Exhibition:

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 web she can weave,
Till heart and body and life are in its hold.
The rose and poppy are her flower; 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.
(Collected Works, 216)

The poem and the picture appeared together alongside Rossetti's painting Sibylla Palmifera and the sonnet Soul's Beauty. In 1881, the Lilith sonnet was renamed "Body's Beauty" in order to contrast it and Soul's Beauty. The two were placed sequentially in The House of Life collection (sonnets number 77 and 78).

Rossetti wrote in 1870: Template:Quote

This is in accordance with Jewish folk tradition, which associates Lilith both with long hair (a symbol of dangerous feminine seductive power in both Jewish and Islamic cultures), and with possessing women by entering them through mirrors.<ref>"Lilith's Cave," Lilith's Cave: Jewish tales of the supernatural, edited by Howard Schwartz (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988) [1]</ref>

The Victorian poet Robert Browning re-envisioned Lilith in his poem "Adam, Lilith, and Eve". First published in 1883, the poem uses the traditional myths surrounding the triad of Adam, Eve, and Lilith. Browning depicts Lilith and Eve as being friendly and complicitous with each other, as they sit together on either side of Adam. Under the threat of death, Eve admits that she never loved Adam, while Lilith confesses that she always loved him:

Template:Quote

Browning focused on Lilith's emotional attributes, rather than that of her ancient demon predecessors.<ref>Seidel, Kathryn Lee. The Lilith Figure in Toni Morrison's Sula and Alice Walker's The Color Purple</ref>

Scottish author George MacDonald also wrote a fantasy novel entitled Lilith, first published in 1895. MacDonald employed the character of Lilith in service to a spiritual allegory about sin and redemptionTemplate:Citation needed. Many of the traditional characteristics of Lilith mythology are present in the author's depiction: Long dark hair, pale skin, a hatred and fear of children and babies, and an obsession with gazing at herself in a mirror. MacDonald's Lilith also has vampiric qualities: She bites people and sucks their blood for sustenance.

See also




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