The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-10-28
ADAMS FIRST WIFE.
Revival OF Strangely Interesting oil
Legend.

Eve the accursed apple; while Adam,
leaning over Eve, seems more fascinated
by the fair temptress than by the golden
fruit. On the right, an angel is driving
from Paradise the unhappy par, who fell
before temptation that none but angels
could resist. The serpent-woman is sup
posed to he a mere fancy OF the artist,
but it is something much more interest,"
ing and important; for it may be said to
have originated in what Biblical critics
call the Zionist and Jehovist accounts of
the creation. In the first of these (Gene.
sis l., ~ we read: $50 God created man
in his own image, in the image of God
created he him; male and female created
he them.' In the second Genesis H.,
81, 221 we read: ''And the Lord God
caused deep sleep to fall upon Adam,
and he slept; and he took one OF his RIBS,
and closed up the flesh instead thereof.
And of the rib, which the LORD God had
taken from man, made he q woman, and
brought her to the man." This apparent
contradiction, or difference, gave rise to q
curious Hebrew myth which we will now
present-in condensed torm-as mar
rated by Mr.. NJ. D. Conway. in his
"Demonology and Devil Love-" That
author draws his material from Eisen-
menger's ''Entdeckes Judenthum, )" where
it is accompanied by sample references
to rabbinlcal authorities"
The serpent-woman of the Sistine fres-
co is none other than Lilith, the first
wife of Adam. The name is derived
from the Hebrew LII, which means
might" It occurs in the Bible only
once-1salah xxxiv., 14-where it is trans
lated "screech-owl.' In the Vulgate it
is rendered "Lamia," aud in Luther's
Bible, "kobold," or goblin, ghost, night
specter. The legend says that Adam S
first conversation with Lilith was devot-
ed to the question of matrimonial rights,
he claiming to be her superior and mas
ter. She denied the claim on the ground
that both were created at the same time,
which forbade the idea OF any superior
ity or mastership on his part. The re-
suit was quarrel, followed by an eter-
nal separation. Lilith pronounced Ger
tain magical words which brough her
wings, with which she flew out of Eden
and out of sight. Whereupon Adam
cried unto the Lord, saying, master of
the world, the woman whom thou didst
give me has flown away" Three angels
were then sent in search of the lost one.
They found her floating in the air over the
Red STA, but in answer to all their ar
guments in favor of return she said that
Paradise was no Paradise to her if she
was to be the servant of an autocratic
spouse. The angels went back and re-
ported, and were again sent. Again she
refused, and they then doomed her to be
the mother of many children, all of whom
would die in infancy. The terrible pen
atty drove her to despair, and she was
about to commit suicide, when the celcs-
tial messengers promised hcr-:by way of
compensation she should have full
power over all children from birth up to
the 18th day, she promising never to dis
turb any babes who were under their
protection. So the charm hung round
the necks of the Hebrew infants the
three angels-Senoi, Sansenoi Samman-
gelof. Li(lth is supposed to exercise
a malignant care over all children born
out of wedlock. She also has especial
power on the first day of the month and
on the Sabbath evening. In old times
among the Jews it was believed that
when child laughed in it's sleep Lilith
was with it, and the little sleeper was
then struck three blows on the nose this
sentence being thrice repeated. "Away
cursed Lilith thou hast no place here :!
Adam, now the first grass-widower,
had Eve made for him out Of the rib;
and the second wife, remembering her
humble origin, became that model Of
obedience which all OF her daughters do
not initiate. Meanwhile-so runs the
legend-the devils were created and their
chief was fallen angel-Samsel-who
had been flaming serpent, leader of the
Seraphim. He witnessed with envy and
haired the happiness of the young couple
in Eden, and found in Lilith q ready
sympathizer and congenial companion.
They were married, and celebrated their
unhallowed nuptials by conspiracy
against Adam aud Eve. The temptation
OF the latter was said to be the work of
Lillth, who persuaded the serpent on
guard at the gate of Eden to lend her
his body, and in that body she did the
deadly mischiof-and it is to be hoped,
fully satisfied her womanly wrath.
Hence the curse upon the serpent, which
also may have included the keeping
of Lilith forever in the shape she had
assumed. This probably was the orr
gin of the notion, mentioned by an
ancient commentator, that while the
serpent was yet erect it had a virgin, g
head. It is so represented in some illus
trated mediaeva! missals, from whence We
have no doubt Michael Angelo derived
his idea. Other traditions declare that
Lilith regained her original form; was al
ways young, marvelously beautiful and
gorgeously dressed. She was-or is
what is now called decided blonde; and
her glorious golden hair an irresistible
attraction. According to the same au-
thority she was the mother OF Leviathan,
and all the other most celebra-
ted and aristocratic devils. Mephist-
opheles is thought to have had LiIith in
his eye when he warns Faust gainst the
lovely witch who appears at the Walpurg-
is night orgie. A more modern poet,
says:
The rose and poppy are her flowers; for
is he not found, o, Lilith, whom ehed scent
And softshed kisses and soft sleep shall snare
Lo! as that youths eyes burned at thine, 60
went
Thy spell through him, and left his straight
And round his heart one stranglipg golden
hair"
The "Lamia" of John Keats is based
on the story of serpcntmaiden in
Crete, whose earth-bern husband WITH
cred and died in her embrace. The name
Of Lamia was long used to frighten ltal-
ian children, as that of Lilith was by
Hebrew nurses. Singularly enough, in
one of the Egyptian sculptures in the
British museum, representing the Osiri-
an on his road to heaven, his soul in the
form of a human-headed bird is seen
drinking the water of lite poured out
from jar by the serpent-goddess who
coils around the second sycamore; her