Lilith - The Demon Queen

The Queen of Demons and Vampires, Lilith originated from the Hebrew Bible. However, the initial concept of such a demon goes much, much further back to an Assyrian demon known as Lilitu. This demoness is sexually insatiable, prowling the night in search of men to seduce and corrupt. According to the Hebrew creation story, Lilith was Adam's first wife, created from the same dust to be his equal. But they found that they soon had problems, to say the least. Lilith refused to submit to Adam, wanting to be in the dominant position (in other words, on top) while they made love. Adam refused to allow this, so Lilith fled and hid herself in a cave by the Red Sea. There, she engaged in intercourse with demons, giving birth to one hundred demons a day. These demons are known as the Lilin. At Adam's request, God sent three angels to bring her back, and not only did Lilith refuse, but she cursed at them. The angels warned her that they would slay one hundred of her unholy offspring each day if she didn't cooperate. In retaliation, Lilith vowed that not only would she never again resume a domestic lifestyle, but would henceforth drink the blood of newborn children and copulate with men whilst they slept. She did agree, however, that she would spare the life of any infant that had the names of the three angels (Sanvi, Sansanvi, and Semangelef) written where she could see them (this could be inscribed on a wall or engraved into an amulet).

It is said that parents may also protect their children by inscribing the words "Adam and Eve, barring Lilith" within a charcoal circle, drawn on a wall. There are two biblical verses that refer to Lilith. One may be found in the Book of Isaiah, who speaks of "the night hag," who dwells in the wild with the beasts. In Psalms 91:5, God promises to protect His children from "the terror by night."

It is believed that Lilith is almost as old as Satan himself, and that she cannot be slain by mere human hands alone. However, there are ways to ward off and banish the demoness. A circle of pure sea salt (or any salt that does not contain any impurities) will keep her at bay, as will pure iron that has been hammered cold, without the use of a forge or heat (such an object might inflict some degree of harm on Lilith).

According to an ancient Aramaic text (Aramaic being the language that was spoken by Jesus Christ), when a writ of divorce is served on her and she is commanded to go forth stripped, her power is taken from her. Forcing Lilith to stand in front of a mirror will deprive her of the illusion that disguises her. Her hideous true form will be revealed, and the demoness will be forced to flee. As mentioned in passing previously, an amulet that is inscribed with the names of the three angels (Sanvi, Sansanvi, and Semangelef) will protect an individual from her attentions. The names should be inscribed in Hebrew for maximum effectiveness. It is said that this method has yet to fail. Either way, beware of this whore of the night.

Sources

Illes, Judika. Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright ©2009 by Judika Illes.