Monday, March 12, 2012

LILITH

LILITH
"It was murder—strangulation—but one need not say that the claw-mark on Mrs. Suydam’s throat could not have come from her husband’s or any other human hand, or that upon the white wall there flickered for an instant in hateful red a legend which, later copied from memory, seems to have been nothing less than the fearsome Chaldee letters of the word “LILITH'".

"Somewhere dark sticky water was lapping at onyx piers, and once the shivery tinkle of raucous little bells pealed out to greet the insane titter of a naked phosphorescent thing which swam into sight, scrambled ashore, and climbed up to squat leeringly on a carved golden pedestal in the background."

"Satan here held his Babylonish court, and in the blood of stainless childhood the leprous limbs of phosphorescent Lilith were laved."
H.P. Lovecraft, The Horror At Red Hook

"Lilith is a demoness with a human appearance except that she has wings."
The Talmud; B. Nidda 24b

"She bedecks herself with all kinds of jewelry
like an abhorrent prostitute posing on the corner to seduce men.
The fool who approaches her--
she grabs him and kisses him, [Prov. 7:13]
pours him wine from the dregs, from the venom of vipers.
As soon as he drinks, he strays after her.
Seeing him stray from the path of truth,
she strips herself of all her finery that she dangled before that fool,
her adornments for seducing men:
her hair all arranged, red as a rose,
her face white and red,
six trinkets dangling from her ears,
her bed covered with fabric from Egypt,
on her neck all the jewels of the East,
her mouth poised, a delicate opening,
what lovely trappings!"
Zohar Sitrei Torah 1:147b-148b; Jacob's Journey

"This text was used to interpret a sculpture of a woman with bird talons for feet as being a depiction of Lilith."
Lowell K. Handy, Lilith; Anchor Bible Dictionary

"The devouring hag Lilitu, here rendered in painted terra cotta, was among the most terrible spirits of Sumerian mythology and a model for the Hebrew demon Lilith. Winged and taloned, she searched fro men to seduce and children to murder."
Mysteries Of the Unknown-Witches and Witchcraft


"This Lilith -- the Merciful One save us!-- has dominion over children who issue from a man who has intercourse at candlelight, or with his wife naked, or at times when he is forbidden to have intercourse."
Naftali Bacharach, Sefer Emek ha-Melech




5 comments:

  1. Ah Lilith, I was waiting for her. I like her visage. :)

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  2. This week is all Gods In Human Form...so get ready for a really weird not safe for work one tomorrow!

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  3. I like that it is made to disturb and not to titillate.

    Hmm... bad choise of words because somebody will like that image the wrong way. I like how it is not drawn as simple pin-up with wings but as something you would run away from wondering who spiked your drink with acid.

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    1. hhaha thanks man! Yeah I try to avoid titillation because I don't think HPL ever had that in mind. Even when there are references to sex in his stories it's always "mating" and never sexy. haha

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