The Legend of Lilith

 With my second book Lilith coming out any day now (it’s almost a week late due to unforeseen delays), I thought I’d share the myth that inspired my first horror novel.  There are many stories surrounding this ancient legend, but I’ll stick with the one that I worked from.

Lilith was created at the same time as Adam (you know, the guy from the biblical Garden of Eden), though not quite the same way.  Adam was formed of dust, while Lilith was made from mud.  God made them to be equal in every way.  However, when it came to who would be in the superior position during intimate moments, negotiations fell by the wayside.  Adam tried to force Lilith to be on the bottom, but she definitely possessed a woman-on-top personality.  Furious that her mate would try to subjugate her, she stormed out of the Garden of Eden. 

Adam immediately petitioned God for a more subservient mate, as he wasn’t quite ready to evolve into an equality-minded guy.  It was at this point God brought forth Eve from Adam’s rib.  And we all know how obedient she turned out, having decided a particular fruit should be added to their diets despite the Almighty’s dictates against it.

Meanwhile, Lilith made her way to the Red Sea, where she met up with the fallen angels.  Perhaps they didn’t mind a dominant woman, because she got up close and personal with these rebellious ones.  Legend says Lilith gave birth to demonkind, particularly the succubi – female demons who used sex to feed on the lives of human men.  Lilith herself is usually classified as a succubus, because she too visits men for sex and energy.  While consorting with fallen angels should probably be considered a pretty heinous sin, Lilith remains immortal because she was never guilty of having eaten from the Tree of Knowledge.  She got out of the whole death sentence issue, having left the Garden of Eden before that serpent could offer her the naughty, lease-breaking fruit. 

Lilith was often the cause attributed to the deaths of newborns in earlier times.  She was supposedly killing them because of her hatred for Adam and his children, having been denied her rightful place on Earth.  As late as the 18th century, it was a common practice in many cultures to protect new mothers and their infants with amulets against Lilith. Males were most vulnerable during the first week of life, girls during the first three weeks. Sometimes a magic circle was drawn around the cradle, with a charm inscribed with the names of three angels, Adam and Eve, and the words "barring Lilith" or "protect this newborn child from all harm."

So that’s where my villainess springs from.  I hope you enjoy her evil as much as I did.  You can get an ebook copy from NewConcepts Publishing when it comes out, and from distributors like Kindle and Nook approximately 8 weeks later.  Happy reading!