Lilith
Symbols
Prostitution
Shapeshifting
Lilith was another name for the Babylonian Semiramis. Lilith was Lucifer's twin sister and bride.
Inanna came first, the goddess of the Sumerians. Ishtar came after, the goddess of the Babylonians and Assyrians....Ishtar and her cult are associated with sexuality including sacred sex and prostitution. Her symbol is the eight pointed star. Ishtar was known to have many lovers, however, she treated them cruelly.. http://paganpages.org/content/tag/ishtar/
Lilith is an ancient female demon/succubus said to strangle children, seduce young men then kill them. Some claim she was the creator of prostitution and the degrading of sex. ....Lilith totems are owl and lion.
The Curse Of Canaan: A Demonology Of History by Eustace Mullins
Owl Lion
Arms raised
Shen-ropes
We have in the Burney
relief an amalgamation of symbols and images that depict both Innana (the rod
and ring, the shugurra crown, the lions, the owls, the beads and bracelets) and
Lilith. Lilith's symbols are the draped wings, her frontal nakedness, owl-feet,
and also the horned crown. Clearly, the figure is that of Lilith, but some of
the symbols are associated with Innana/Ishtar. The Babylonian Ishtar usually has
wings, but they are always outstretched, never folded as Lilith's. The overall
message is one of active sexuality, fertility, and dominion over nature with all
its inherent oppositions- birth and death, peace and violence, animal and human.
http://analogicalplanet.com/Pages/ContentPages/Sidebars/BurneyRelief.html
Interestingly enough, most speculate that the Lamia from Greek myth came from the Lilith myth. The Lamia was a snake/woman shapeshifter that would lead men to there doom. the Lamia is often considered a vampire, of sorts, certainly a succubus. One interesting thing though is that many depictions of the Adam and Eve in artwork reveal a serpent with a woman's torso. The devil in female form...or Lilith...or the same? http://michaeldemeng.blogspot.com/2009/09/daughters-of-lilith.html
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sumer_anunnaki/esp_sumer_annunaki15a.htm
Lilith can be found in Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Caananite, Persian,
Hebrew, Arabic and Teutonic mythology. She has the epithets 'Dame Donkey-Legs,
Vixen Bogey, Blood Sucker, Woman of Harlotry, Alien Woman, Impure Female, End of
all Flesh, End of Day, bruha, strega, Witch, hag, snatcher and enchantress'.
Also serpent, donkey, owl, screeching night-jar, strix and the 'soul of every
living creature that creepeth'.
Lilith is very much equated with
owls, she is a shape-shifter and can turn herself into a screech-owl. Owls are
creatures of the night (although they can see and hunt during the day despite
popular opinion); they have fantastic eyesight and hearing. The ridged edge of
their feathers and the velvety growth on them enables the owl to fly silently
and to swoop on her prey in surprise. They have access to and strength in a
realm that other creatures don't.
In Jewish Mythology Lilith was the
first wife of Adam, she was beautiful and seductive. However, she refused to be
subserviant to Adam but insisted on being on top during sex. Adam refused to
grant her equality and she flew off to the Red Sea where she collected a family
of demon children around her. God would not accept such rebellion and sent three
angels to bring her back to Adam to be a good wife but she refused. She was a
rebellious character, living her own life and staying true to herself, yet being
defamed and demonized as a result. She is related to darkness but is not evil,
rather is outside the concept of black and white, good and evil.
She was said to steal men's semen
via nocturnal emissions (succubus motif) in order to create a demon brood and of
snatching away new-born babies - girls until the 21st day and boys until the 8th
day of death were considered her prey. The 8th day is the day of circumcision
for a boy in Jewish tradition.
Originally Lilith was considered to
have devine character, she was considered a Shedim. Later on the Shedim were
'demonized', were demoted to the rank of demons or evil spirits. This process is
a familiar one that occurs with the rise of a new religion, where 'older'gods
are devalued and demonized. As Judeo-Christian religion perceives the feminine
as dangerous, goddesses such as Lilith became sources of evil influence.
http://www.philhine.org.uk/art/sculpture_lilith.html
Castrating It seems that Lilith was also connected to the arch-angel Samuel. Adam and his demanding ways were just too much for Lilith and she started to look elsewhere for love. The angel Samuel and Lilith were lovers, but their children were demons because their union was considered unholy. This is where the lilitu come into play. As punishment for this union, Lilith was cast out as a female demon of the night and poor Samuel was castrated. http://otherworldmystery.com/tag/ishtar
Lilith (with Satan the serpent)
Lilith (with Satan the serpent), painting by John Collier (1892)
Fillippino Lipi's
Michelangelo
Hugo van der Goes
Ishtar symbol
The star of Ishtar at the Manitoba Legislative Building
