LEGEND - The Legend of Lilith
From Redrum Coffee House

Lilith in her dark glory first appears in a Sumerian version of "The Gilgamesh Epic", believed to date back to the 40th century B.C. She appears there as the demon Lilith, who had built her house in the center of a huluppu tree that the goddess Innana hoped to use to build her throne and bed. Earlier references to Lilith are difficult to determine because the plural for "demon" in ancient Sumerian/Assyrian languages is "lilim" or "lilitu". With the many different aspects of the name, references to demons in general and specific references to Lilith as a goddess, there has been a lot of room for misinterpretation during the centuries.

In "The Alphabet of ben Sira", we see the first modern reference to the Lilith myth that has held strong. Written in approximately 10 or 11 A.D., Lilith appears here as the first wife of Adam. They argued, in particular about the fact that Lilith refused to take a submissive sexual position to Adam since they were *both* created from the earth equally. She said the sacred name of God, and flew into the air. God sent three angels after her because Adam was angry that the woman God created for him had left. When the three angels approached Lilith, she said that she was created for the sole purpose of harming children. She promised then to not harm any baby wearing an amulet with the names of the three angels. She then "took it upon herself" to see that a hundred of her demon offspring were to die every day.

Slightly aside from that legend is the aspect of Lilith that is associated with Ishtar, who seduces men and leads them astray. It is almost impossible to ignore the similarity between ancient versions of the word "lilith" and the greek word "lamia". From the lamia legend was born the succubus, a night demon responsible for seducing men in their sleep, resulting in nocturnal emissions. It is believed that Lilith can steal the semen from mens' beds at night, from which she is able to conceive her demon offspring.

But where does this association as "the mother of vampires" come from? Perhaps just from the close kinship that Lilith has with demons who drink the blood of their victims. One typical reference to Lilith on an amulet places her in a conversation with the prophet Elijah:

Elijah asks Lilith, "Where are you going?" Lilith replies, "I am going to the woman's house and to the child she is carrying, to take it from her, to drink its blood, to drain the marrow from its bones and to devour its flesh."

Related to several Babylonian demons including Lamashtu and Ishtar, Lilith developed from several influences, and went on to influence several other goddesses throughout various pantheons. One demon Lilith is connected to is Gallu, part of the Babylonian "Uttku" group of demons along with Lamashtu. Sometimes, Gallu or Galli and Uttuke are used as collective names for all demons, as mentioned in this Kabbalist writing:

"Gallu, the spirit that threatens every house, Brazen Gallus, seven are they, They grind the land like flour, They know no mercy, Rage at the people, Eat their flesh, Let their blood flow like rain, They never stop drinking blood.

It is easy to see how Lilith became part of the modern vampire mythos considering the basis from which she developed into a dark goddess of death, seduction and domestic destruction.

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