Lilith, Demon of Seduction and Death
Lilith (Lili, Lilitu) was a demon of chaos, sexual seduction, and general ungodliness. Her appearance in global mythology is somewhat debated — and claims of her origin range from 2,000–5,000 years ago — but I will follow the thread I found most intriguing. It starts with her likeness in Sumerian stories, with her name spreading through Babylonian, Hittite, Akkadian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek, Hebrew, and Christian tales.
In early Mesopotamian tales, lilitu were a class of spirits — associated with storms, disease, and death — that preyed upon women and children. The word lilitu evolved into various words, such as Lili, Lilith, Lila, Lamia, and the proper noun Lilith. The concept of lilitu also progressed from a group of demons to a specific woman. Her role within stories has varied — in Egypt, she was equivalent to the title “child-killer” — but a common theme seems to be a combination of a sexy seductress and an aggressive, lethal monster. She’s also reasonably consistently associated with the night, owls, and pregnancy and/or infant related harm.
Within Hebrew folklore, her role evolved from a demon that came at night to sleep with men, to a woman who slept with the first human (Adam) during a 130-year separation from his wife (Eve). Around 1000 years ago, in The Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith took on the additional mantel of being Adam’s first wife. The text claims she was banished from Eden (an earthly paradise) for what essentially amounted to her views of independence and equality; however, this writing was likely the first occurrence of the ideas it put forth and was satirical.
Oddly enough, it was the satirical version of Lilith that was the springboard to make her a modern-day symbol of feminism (within specific circles). It is strange to see a character slowly change from a demon that slaughters children — and engenders chaos — at night to a paragon of modern female equality. A more apt symbol might be Skadi from the Norse mythos.
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