- 5 months ago
We all know the Biblical myth about Adam and Eve, the story that tells of our creation and the relationship between God and humanity. But what if there was another woman before Eve? One, called Lilith?
In the new episode of Secret Origins we will explore the myth about the first woman - the powerful and rebellious Lilith, and search for answers to was she was replaced by Eve and what's the symbolism behind her story. Welcome!
In the new episode of Secret Origins we will explore the myth about the first woman - the powerful and rebellious Lilith, and search for answers to was she was replaced by Eve and what's the symbolism behind her story. Welcome!
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CreativityTranscript
00:00We all know the biblical myth about Adam and Eve, the story that tells of our creation and the
00:08relationship between God and humanity. But what if there was another woman before Eve, one called
00:16Lilith? Who was she and what symbolism hides behind her story? We'll try to find out together
00:24in the new episode of Secret Origins. Welcome! According to Abrahamic religions, God created
00:32Adam, the first human, out of clay and breathed life into him. The Lord God formed the man from
00:40the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became
00:46a living being. But for Adam, no suitable helper was found, so the Lord God caused the man to fall
00:53into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up
00:59the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman, from the rib he had taken out of the
01:06man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh
01:13of my flesh. She shall be called woman, for she was taken out of a man. But isn't it weird
01:21and illogical that God created all living beings in pairs, a female and male, but only Adam
01:28was created alone. Deep within the history of Jewish mythology lies a tale of a figure,
01:35who defined the conventions of her time and embraced her own desires and independence.
01:41Her name is Lilith, Adam's first wife. From demonist to feminist icon, Lilith has undergone
01:48a myriad of interpretations and adaptations, making her one of the most enigmatic and intriguing
01:55figures in folklore. Who was she? And how did she gain her notoriety?
02:01In Jewish folklore, it is believed that Lilith was Adam's initial spouse. Although the Torah,
02:07the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, does not mention her, over
02:13time, she has been linked to Adam as a way of reconciling the different accounts of the
02:18creation story found in the book of Genesis. After parting from Adam, Lilith is portrayed
02:24as a demon or spirit who preys on children, women in childbirth and men who venture out
02:30alone at night. She is also associated with desire, independence and rebellion against male
02:36authority. But was she really a demon? Or is there more to her story that remains hidden
02:42from us? What was the origin of the Lilith myth and how has it evolved over time?
02:49Lilith's origin remains uncertain among scholars, although some suggest that she may have been
02:54influenced by Sumerian legends about female vampires. The myth of Lilith has its roots in ancient
03:01Mesopotamian and Babylonian cultures, where she was believed to be a demon or spirit associated
03:07with storms and wind. In Sumerian mythology, she was called Lilithu, a type of demon that preyed on
03:14babies and pregnant women. In this tradition, Lilith is described as a winged creature with a female
03:20form and is associated with the concept of uncleanliness and impurity. She is often used as a cautionary
03:28tale to warn against the dangers of disobedience and rebellion. But in Babylonian mythology,
03:34Lilith is also associated with the goddess Ishtar and is believed to have been a handmaiden to her.
03:42She is also associated with the idea of sexual desire and fertility. However, the most well-known
03:49version of the Lilith story can be found in the Jewish tradition. While Lilith is mentioned four times
03:55in the Babylonian Talmud, it wasn't until the alphabet banned Syrah, a medieval text from the 9th or 10th
04:02century that she became associated with the initial version of the creation story. The alphabet of Ben
04:08Syrah describes Lilith as Adam's first wife and provides a comprehensive account of her story.
04:16According to this story, Lilith was created by God from Earth's dust just like Adam and she believed
04:23that both of them should be treated the same manner. Although Lilith was supposed to live in the Garden of
04:29Eden with Adam, she was strong and independent and thought of herself as Adam's equal since she was
04:37created in the same way he was. Lilith responded, we are equal to each other in as much as we are both
04:46created from the earth. But they would not listen to one another. When Lilith saw this, she pronounced the
04:53ineffable name and flew away into the air. So, after leaving Adam, Lilith fled to the Red Sea where she
05:02mated with demons and gave birth to hundreds of demon offspring. Adam stood in prayer before his
05:08creator, sovereign of the universe. He said, the woman you gave me has run away. At once the Holy One,
05:16blessed be he, sent these three angels to bring her back. If she agrees to come back, fine. If not,
05:24she must permit one hundred of her children to die every day. The angels left God and pursued Lilith,
05:31whom they overtook in the midst of the sea, in the mighty waters, wherein the Egyptians were destined to
05:38drown. They told her God's word but she did not wish to return. The angels said, we shall drown you in the
05:45sea. Leave me, she said. I was created only to cause sickness to infants. If the infant is male,
05:52I have dominion over him for eight days after his birth and if female for twenty days. When the angels
06:00heard Lilith's words, they insisted she go back. But she swore to them by the name of the living and
06:05eternal God, whenever I see you or your names or your forms in an amulet, I will have no power over
06:12that infant. She also agreed to have one hundred of her children die every day. Accordingly,
06:18every day one hundred demons perish and for the same reason, Jewish people write the angels' names
06:24on the amulets of young children. When Lilith sees their names, she remembers her oath and the child
06:31recovers. Being left alone and unable to accept Lilith's refusal, Adam called upon God to create another
06:38maid for him, which resulted in the creation of Eve from Adam's rib, the story that we already know.
06:44According to some versions of this story, Lilith was jealous of Adam and Eve because they lived in
06:50peace and happiness in the Garden of Eden. Plotting to take revenge on the pair, she transformed her
06:56into a serpent and returned to the garden, where she convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit,
07:02which resulted in Adam and Eve having to leave the paradise. As a result of her rebellion, Lilith
07:08became a figure of fear and male violence in Jewish folklore associated with witchcraft, seduction and
07:15death. Can we find similar stories about Lilith in other cultures and religious traditions?
07:22Lilith is not mentioned directly in the Bible, but some Christian writers have referenced her as a
07:27symbol of temptation and sin. In Islamic tradition, Lilith is believed to be the mother of jinn or
07:34supernatural creatures. In some images in art, Lilith is portrayed standing on the back of two lions,
07:41which she seemed to bend according to her will. Throughout history, she was being depicted in many
07:48works of art as well as on plaques and reliefs, especially in Babylon, where she was said to have
07:54originated. On some reliefs, she's portrayed with the upper body of a woman and the tail of a serpent
08:01instead of a lower body, much like Echinda in Greek mythology. In the 90th and 20th century, Lilith
08:08was rediscovered by feminist writers and scholars who saw her as a symbol of female empowerment and
08:15rebellion. In this context, she came to represent the struggle for women's rights and the rejection of
08:22patriarchal authority. Could we find more about Lilith in the meaning of her name? The exact origin of
08:29the name Lilith is uncertain and debated among scholars. Some believe that the name may have
08:35originated from the Sumerian word Lilitu, which referred to a type of female demon or vampire.
08:42Another possibility is that the name Lilith is derived from the Akkadian word Lilu, which means wind,
08:49spirit or ghost. This would connect Lilith to a broader mythological tradition of female spirits
08:56and demons that were believed to inhabit the world of the dead. Others suggest that the name may have
09:03come from the Hebrew word Lil, which means night and thus Lilith could be translated as night creature or
09:11creature of the night. So regardless of its exact origin, the name Lilith has come to be associated with a
09:18powerful and mysterious figure who embodies both the allure and the danger of the night and the unknown.
09:26As a dark shadow figure, Lilith has often been associated with animals like owls, snakes and other
09:33nocturnal creatures. But how do they contribute to her symbolic significance?
09:38Firstly, these animals are often associated with darkness, mystery and the unknown which are all
09:45qualities that are attributed to Lilith. In many cultures, owls are seen as symbols of wisdom and knowledge,
09:52while snakes are often associated with transformation and rebirth. By associating Lilith with these animals,
09:58her symbolic significance is enhanced as she becomes a representation of feminine wisdom, intuition,
10:06hidden knowledge, transformation and rebirth. But Lilith's connection to the archetypal figure of the serpent
10:12can point to another association. As we know from the Bible, the serpent can represent temptation and
10:19sin as well as sexuality. Similarly, Lilith can represent the power of the feminine and the desire for
10:25autonomy and independence. By linking Lilith with animals that are free, untamped and unbound by human
10:32conventions, her symbolic significance is heightened as she becomes a representation of the untamed,
10:39wild aspects of human psyche that are often repressed and denied. But let's go back to ancient Sumeria,
10:47their creation myth, also known as the erudogenesis and the Anunnaki. The ancient civilization of the
10:53Sumerians believed in pantheon of gods, the Anunnaki, who were also known as the ones who came from the sky.
11:01In most esoteric versions of the Sumerian creation myth, the Anunnaki came to earth to mine gold and then
11:08created humans to perform the task. The creation of humans happened by genetically engineering the
11:14human race using their own DNA. Anunnaki, the god of water, knowledge and creation together with his
11:20counterpart, sister Ninhurzak, mixed their own DNA with that of a homo erectus to create a man and a
11:29woman in their image. Initially, humans were not allowed to reproduce as the populations needed to be
11:36controlled. However, after seeing how his own creation was exploited as slaves by his brother Enlil,
11:42who was the chief god of the Sumerian pantheon, Anki decided to teach humans how to mate. According to
11:49the Terra papers by Robert Morning Sky, initially there was equality between the male and the female
11:56counterparts and women were equal to men. However, at one point, Marduk, the son of god Anki, rebelled
12:03against the prime god Enlil and overthrew him. After establishing his rule over earth, the Terra
12:10papers explained that Marduk, in order to solidify his power, removed the feminine element and rewrote
12:17history in a way that gave power only to the male part. Well, Lilith and Adam were equal, suggesting an
12:24initial parity between the masculine and feminine aspect. But then something changes. Lilith is demonized,
12:31and when Eve appears, she, being created from Adam, is already subordinate to him since her creation.
12:39Doesn't this replacement in the following story sound convenient for a male dominant world? What
12:45if we look beyond the literal interpretation of the myth of Lilith? As a symbol of an overlooked and
12:51ignored feminine aspect, is it possible that throughout time, people have used the image of Lilith to
12:58demonize the shadow part of themselves, the one they cannot face and prefer to hide? And so,
13:04in a way, can Lilith point to aspects in ourselves that we tend to run away from.
13:10The myth of Lilith as a creature of the night has been interpreted throughout the lens of psychology,
13:16particularly in the field of Jungian psychology. According to this view, Lilith represents the
13:22archetype of dark feminine or the shadow aspect of the psyche, the soul. What is the psyche? The word
13:29psyche originally means soul or spirit, but in the psychology of Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist and
13:36founder of analytical psychology, one's psyche can be seen as their total personality and encompasses
13:43all one's thoughts, behaviors, feelings and emotions. Or as he says, the totality of all psychic processes,
13:50conscious as well as unconscious. Carl Jung was interested in the symbolism of Lilith and her
13:56relevance to the human psyche. Jung saw Lilith as a potent symbol of the unconscious or a representation
14:03of the anima, which is the feminine aspect of the male psyche. So how does the myth of Lilith relate to
14:10the integration of unconscious aspects of ourselves? Jung believed that psychotherapy should help people
14:18bring their unconscious thoughts and experiences into their conscious awareness, leading to a better
14:23self-understanding and more fulfilling life. For this, he said, until you make the unconscious conscious,
14:32it will direct your life and you will call it fate. This quote suggests that our unconscious thoughts,
14:38feelings and desires have a significant impact on our lives even if we're not aware of them. Until we
14:45become aware and acknowledge these unconscious influences, we will continue to be driven by them
14:51and we may even mistake their impact on our lives for fate or destiny beyond our control. Furthermore,
14:58the story of Lilith can also be seen as a metaphor for the process of individuation or the development of
15:05a fully integrated and authentic sense of self. By refusing to be subjugated by Adam or any other external
15:12authority, Lilith represents the power of the individual to assert their own unique identity and
15:18autonomy. In that way, in psychoanalysis, the story of Lilith represents the power of the unconscious to
15:25challenge and transform the conscious self and has inspired many to explore the depths of their own
15:32psyches in search for greater self-awareness and integration. So, who was Lilith so inconvenient to?
15:41And what would have happened if Lilith remained with Adam? If she'd stayed, we might have seen a more equal
15:47partnership between men and women and most importantly between the masculine and feminine principle of
15:53creation. Because everything in nature has both sides, yin and yang and when the balance is tilded, things
16:00inevitably will go in the wrong way. Could the great flood be prevented then? If Lilith's story has been altered to fit the needs of
16:09those who rule, how about the alternation of all human history throughout time? Do the historical
16:15accounts accurately and objectively present what really happened back in time? What would our world
16:21look like if we knew the real truth? We know that throughout history, various groups and individuals
16:28have sought to control or manipulate narratives for their own purposes, such as maintaining power or
16:35promoting a specific ideology. And one clear example is the New Testament of the Bible, in which only four
16:42strictly chosen Gospels are included, while all the Gnostic Gospels which tell about the real teachings of
16:49Jesus have been omitted and classified as heresy. Lilith's story can be seen as a cautionary tale about the dangers of
16:57unequal power, dynamics and the importance of mutual respect, balance and consent, but also it shows us that
17:04we should not trust anything blindly. Rather, we should always think critically, approach historical accounts
17:11with critical eye and understand the context in which they were written. This includes examining multiple
17:18sources, considering different perspectives and being aware of potential biases and falsifications.
17:26It also calls to embrace the full spectrum of human experience, including the parts of ourselves and
17:32others that are often suppressed or denied. Lilith's mythology can teach us a great deal about human
17:39psyche and our relationship with the unknown. Her story can be seen as a warning against denying or repressing
17:46the aspects of ourselves, as doing so can lead to feelings of anger, resentment and rebellion. Instead,
17:54Lilith's myths encourage us to embrace the full range of our emotions and desires, even those that
18:00are considered taboo or unconventional. Lilith's association with the night, darkness and the unknown
18:07can be seen as a reminder that there is always more to ourselves and the world around us than we can see
18:14or understand. If we acknowledge the mystery and complexity of life, we can open ourselves up to new
18:24things, rather than living in fear or ignorance. We bow before you and thank you for watching
18:30another episode of Secret Origins. Keep your minds open and until we meet again...
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