THE RELIGIOUS INTERPRETATION

At this point I will include a Christian addition to the Lilith Mythos. Though it may not figure into the Hebraic views of her, it still relates. This addition concerns Lilith's involvement with the Fall from Eden.

Perhaps the most famous version of this Christian Lilith is the Sistine Chapel paintings by Michealangelo. In this She is shown as a half-woman half-snake and is credited with being the very Serpent who instigated the Fall from Eden itself. Apparently, Lilith was not satisfied with her vows of revenge as they were, and decided to attack Adam where he least expected it— through his new wife, Eve. Perhaps even an amount of jealousy is involved here.

Of course, it was Satan who was said to have been the serpent in the Christian viewpoint. And, indeed, Lilith is said to be the wife of Satan (or, from the Hebrew angle, the wife of Samael). The Serpent was a joint effort between these two to take revenge upon Adam and cause them to Fall from grace. Lilith provided the body of the serpent, while Samael was the voice. As the wife of Samael (rather than Asmodeus), she is known as the Elder Lilith.

I have all ideas that this Serpent-Lilith was a result of the Rabbinical view of Lilith—She who seduces men from the True Path of God, thus causing them to fall from grace as Adam did.

Within the mythologies of King Solomon, we meet Lilith on a number of occasions, usually known as the Queen of Sheba. Solomon had suspicions that this queen was in fact Lilith, and thus devised a plan to know for sure. After inviting her for a visit to his palace, he had the floor altered so as to appear as a pool of ankle-deep water. When the queen arrived, she lifted her skirts to walk through the pool, and Solomon was able to just barely glimpse her overly-hairy legs.

This was the Rabbinical image of Lilith—a dark and beautiful seductress from the waist up, yet hairy and ugly from the waist down. In many cases, she is actually a male from the waste down. This, of course, is the part of the body that would most be concealed from view. Only one intimate with her would find out the horrible truth—after it was too late.

Of course, this is a metaphor. Lilith represents that which appears beautiful on the outside. She is sex, indulgence, and everything that one desires to do which breaks the Laws of God. She is all of the things in life which tempts and seduces the man off of the Path of God, and into the ways of evil. Only after she has seduced the man, and he is firmly within her grasp, does she reveal her true nature of ugliness. In this, Lilith far predates the Christian concept of the Pan-like Satan.

To the title page of Lilith
Back to the previous part
Forward to the next part


The Goddess in Training HomepageThe Lilith ShrineThe Jewish Pagan Resources PageCatlandThe Beast Bot

sign my guestbook Guestbook by Lpageview my guestbook

want to discuss lilith? check out my message board for discussions of lilith and more!