"LILITH, A Story Of A Babylonian Mother-In-Law Or An Ex-Wife?" Topic

A) Is the Mesopotamian story of a night creature that comes and devours you and your children just an early tale of an angry mother-in-law, or is it more about a psychotic and childless ex-wife? What do the oldest inscriptions and records show as to its real origin?

B) And have you ever used such an Ancient mythological creature in your games? If so, how?

Inquiring (Freudian?) minds want to know. :)

Dan
TMP link
TMP link

Some say she was the first Vampire. And was Adam's wife before Eve.

Of course I can't say if those resources are 100% accurate …

Again … I was not there … so …

I have always said, that if one can dig back far enough, you will find the single root of all religious beliefs.

Nick

So which one is it, the angry mother-in-law, or the psychotic ex-wife? Or is there something else, more ancient even, at the core of the Mesopotamian Lilu/Lilitu* "screech owl" myth? :)

Dan
* link
link

Only Lilith I know

I was lucky. I actually had a great mother-in-law and I'm saying that knowing my wife will never see this post, ever!

I read somewhere that historians speculate that stories like this probably echo real events that were probably carried out by ancient serial killers.

Tgunner

That could well be true! But don't tell that to those who claim prehistoric man was a pure, peaceful, noble, and "civilized" being, with none of the characteristics we apparently have today. :)

Dan
PS. I was also fortunate, and think my mother-in-law is awesome.

My mother-in-law was always like Dr. Jekyll to me.

Could it be that Lilith was, in fact, of extraterrestrial origin, a non-human visitor who used Adam as a sexual plaything and became bitter and violent when he fell in love with her human rival, Eve?

and of course this is the foundation for Lilith Faire the godmother music fest of all man hating females go figure

LOL.

Dan

Could it be that Lilith was, in fact, of extraterrestrial origin, a non-human visitor who used Adam as a sexual plaything and became bitter and violent when he fell in love with her human rival, Eve?

Sounds very reasonable to me … But IIRC, according some very old biblical texts(?), etc. Not to get too "randy", ribald, graphic, etc. Lilith wanted to be "on top" during "relations" and that was against God's(?) will(?). As Adam was told to do "it" with him "on top" … So she was "banished". For not following God's wishes(?). I.e. from the link below :

She said, "I will not lie below," and he said, "I will not lie beneath you, but only on top. For you are fit only to be in the bottom position, while I am to be the superior one." Lilith responded, "We are equal to each other inasmuch as we were both created from the earth."

I kid you not, that is what I heard on History Channel, and elsewhere, etc. … I couldn't make that up … seriously …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith Hey … I was not there … I'm only telling you all what "others" have said … !

and of course this is the foundation for Lilith Faire the godmother music fest of all man hating females go figure

I think you are correct Jim …

LOL. I don't think God cares one iota who's on top. Too funny, though I'm sure it was a very serious matter to those who came up with that idea.

Well I always love to hear what makes different people tic, now and in the past. Sometimes it can help explain a lot, and sometimes it confuses the hell out of me. But either way it's very entertaining.

Dan

I seem to recall reading that until the Jewish religion the vast majority of female deities were of the more benevolent kind, protective, nurturing. After they mention Eve and Lilith and various female demons, you see female deities that do survive the introduction of monotheistic faiths become more negative and less popular …

But now it looks like the Mesopotamian evil vampiric female screeching night owl deity that preys on men and children predates the Jewish post-captivity version though, by at least a couple of thousand years.

Was that ancient Mesopotamian author (priest/priestess) just having a little fun writing about monsters, or did something utterly creepy happen to him/her? :)

Dan

…clearly, it was aliens…