Exploring Lilith
The vague knowledge of the story of Lilith as the Adam's first wife (from Christian mythology) who rebelled against him or her depiction in modern pop-culture as the Queen of Hell or Dark Goddess just wasn't enough for me, so, in October 2020 I got into exploring her through 5 articles on my Patreon page and crafting 5 different Lilith dolls. She is a controversial character and there is plenty of conflicting information, stories and legends about her origins and character. Each of my 5 Liliths had a different edge of her personality highlighted and accentuated:
1. The One who stands her ground. The Adam's First Wife. This is Lilith who refused to be submissive, rebelled against the God who created it all and chose independence on harsh terms instead of submissive life in the Garden of Eden. It's a Judaic tale, the most popular story of Lilith known today, and the one that plays a significant role in understanding and depictions of Lilith today. She is the one who says 'no' and owns her voice and chooses to follow her own truth, even if it requires a price to pay.
2. Lilith the Demon, Queen Mother of Demons - the demonized woman, the one who creates chaos, flies on the wind, serves as a demonic opposite of the perfect woman Eve, is known as the Mother of Demons, children eating monster and succubus. With this Lilith I stepped a bit into ancient Mesopotamia, long before the Jewish tale of Lilith was born.
3. Lilith the Seductress - the enchantress, who leads the poor men off of their good, honest ways (not without a sarcastic tone here). The sexually aware woman, the one who doesn't fear her own sexuality, the one who enchants by simply loving and enjoying herself. The temptress, the forbidden apple. The woman aware of her sexuality and owning her own body. The woman who loves herself.
4. Lilith the Warrior and Protectress, icon of equal rights activism. In 1960s Jewish feminists started to re-examine Lilith's role as a demon, and it changed her status in the world. From there Lilith was raising up as a feminist icon and still is on the rise in the front line of claiming a feminine identity that's independent of patriarchal ideas of what, how and who she has to be. Nowadays she doesn't stand up just for women. She is an icon to empower anyone to express and claim their identities that are different from what the society expects from them.
5. Lilith the Witch. Dark Goddess. Queen of Darkness and Night, matroness of witchcraft as she is often seen. She is also another version and embodiment of Hecate - Greek goddess associated with witchcraft, nighttime and creatures of the night, magick, Moon and doorways that symbolize transition - another patroness for witches.
Full stories published on my Patreon page.
