Introduction
Welcome. This is a blog decidated to my senior thesis concerning the mythological history of Lilith in comparison to the fictional literature using Lilith as a character since the Romantic period. It...
View ArticleOrigins: Isaiah 34:14
The first and only mention of Lilith in canonical scripture is found in Isaiah 34:14 which reads as follows:Wildcats shall meet withhyenas,goat-demons shall call to each other;there too Lilith...
View ArticleOrigins: Talmud
Lilith is mentioned several times in the Talmud."Rab Judah citing Samuel ruled: If an abortion had the likeness of Lilith itsmother is unclean by reason of the birth, for it is a child but it has...
View ArticleOrigin: Alphabet of Ben Sira
Having now examined the Bible and Talmud, we arrive at the Alphabet of Ben Sira which holds perhaps the quinessential story of Lilith. The text is dated between the 8th and 10th centuries of the common...
View ArticleRomantic Lit - Goethe's Faust
The first time that we see Lilith used as a literary character, rather than a figure of religious mythology used within text, is in Goethe's Faust. The mention here is intensely breif, but it is still...
View Article20th Century Media - Lilith: A Metamorphosis
Forgive me for jumping around chronologically. As it is summer I do not have easy access to my materials and sources and am dependent on a friend of mine who attends Princeton University to deliver me...
View Article20th Century: Back to Methuselah
So we are jumping back in time a little bit today and focusing on the play "Back to Methuselah" written in 1921. The play itself divides into five acts, the first act focusing on Adam and Eve, acts 2...
View Article19th Century - Lilith by George MacDonald
Returning to the 19th century, today's focus rests on the novel Lilith by George MacDonald. I will confess it was a book that I did not enjoy much and would not read if not writing this thesis, but it...
View Article19th Century: Body's Beauty
Dante Gabriel Rossetti is a bit of a fan boy for Lilith, all things considered. Not only did he paint the painting “Lady Lilith,” he also wrote several poems explicitly about her. The first one,...
View Article19th Century - Eden's Bower by D.G. Rossetti
Another poem that Rossetti wrote about Lilith was “Eden’s Bower.” The poem is quite lengthy and I will not repeat it here, but it is a more vivid description of Lilith than what is described in Body’s...
View Article19th Century: Adam, Lilith and Eve by R. Browning
Browning is another poet to write on the subject of Lilith, but his portrayal is very different from the works of Rossetti. His poem, Adam, Lilith and Eve is almost a positive version of Lilith.Adam,...
View ArticleLilith – John Collier
Art is another area that Lilith received prominence in, especially after the pre-Ralphite movement. The painting in question here is entitled Lilith and was done by John Collier. Like other paintings...
View Article19th Century: Lady Lilith by D.G. Rossetti
In addition to numerous poems about Lilith, D.G. Rossetti also produced two paintings entitled “Lady Lilith.” One piece is an oil painting, the other done in water colours. The painting depicts a pale...
View Article19th Century: Lilith by Kenyan Cox
The painting entitled Lilith by Kenyan Cox is another 19th century depiction of the demon. Done in two panels, the top panel depicts a scene similar to the work of John Collier with the serpent wrapped...
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