Lilith On Screen: From Demon to Feminist Hero
Lady Lilith - Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Whether you're religious or a fan of supernatural television, chances are you've heard of Lilith. In religious lore, she was Adam's first wife before Eve, created at the same time as Adam, not from him. However, she was cast out by both God and Adam due to her disobedience, and willfulness. From there, she was tempted by the devil to do his bidding and became the first demon, and went on to create more demons.
Most have heard some version of the above narrative. It paints Lilith as a villain who goes on to terrorize mankind. However, more and more stories have begun to change her story and ask a few simple questions. What if Lilith isn't evil? What if she was just a strong woman, and Adam threw a tantrum, so God reacted? What if she just wanted to be equal?
It's questions like those above that have helped transform Lilith into a feminist icon, especially in television and film. Most recently I watched Pure, another episode in Hulu's Into the Dark anthology series. It follows teen, Shay, as she attends her first purity weekend with her father and half-sister. There, a tyrannical Pastor spews patriarchal purity nonsense that I would hope even made Christians watching cringe. Shay's half-sister, Jo, is tired of the nonsense. She reveals to Shay that she discovered a book all about Lilith that tells the "truth." The girls and their friends sneak away at night to summon Lilith, just for fun, but thanks to the addition of Shay, the ritual works.
At first, Lilith terrifies Shay. Lilith is portrayed visually as a terrifying character. She has pale skin and red hair, but her smile is what does it. She literally smiles from ear to ear, as she stares ominously at Shay. Think the Joker from Batman without the makeup. However, soon Shay realizes that Lilith is the only one who can protect her and her friends from the torturous, sexist men in attendance. Lilith wants to use Shay as a vessel to bring about the reckoning, which is Lilith's way of righting the wrongs of men against women. It's clearly going to be bloody, but after hearing the Pastor slut shame, and lock the girls in a cage, bloodshed feels right. As Shay accepts Lilith's calling it's clear Lilith will never let harm come to Shay or her friends again. This coincides with the belief that Lilith is fiercely loyal to her followers, and will bring pain and destruction to anyone who tries to hurt them. By the end of the film, Lilith goes from misunderstood, terrifying villain, to the hero.
In The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Lilith, again, is portrayed as a villain also referred to as Madam Satan. However, throughout the second season, she slowly begins to take her power back from the Dark Lord. In short, Lilith remembers what a badass she is, and decides to help Sabrina, in turn helping herself. Much like Lilith in Pure, Madam Satan begins and is depicted as our protagonist's enemy but ends up a savior.
The above are examples of Lilith's revival in horror and supernatural genres. Seeing her depicted in them makes sense, but her transformation into a hero of sorts transcends genres when you consider that positive versions of Lilith exist in places we'd least expect. Consider Leeloo of The Fifth Element. When I first heard of the comparison, I thought it was far fetched, but when considering the following, the parallels are there.
Historically, Lilith is seen as a being that devours children, not much different from Pennywise the clown. She is set out to claim revenge and is a destroyer. However, the Fifth Element challenges the historical notion of Lilith while making clear connections to her. Leeloo is a savior, and a life bringer. She looks precisely like historical depictions of Lilith. Pale skin, red hair. She's a powerful supernatural being and contains perfect DNA. As the first woman, Lilith would also have perfect DNA. There's a line in the film that hints that Leeloo was engineered just like Lilith. Furthermore, in some legends, Lilith is considered a Fifth element because she claims dominion over all four natural elements. Leeloo is the divine light, the fifth element in the film.
Whether depicted as a vampire, spirit, demon, or witch, Lilith has claimed her space on our screens. However, as the times change, she is the perfect example of the fact that there is often more than meets the eye when it comes to "evil" women in lore. Television and filmmakers know it. Personally, I welcome the depictions. Lilith is a symbol of strength and femininity all in one, and it's not always in an obvious way. We could always use more strong female characters in horror and beyond. So, as we wait for her next incarnation, in the name of all things spooky, I'll just say, Hail Lilith.
Deanna Gomez is a Cinema and Television Studies lecturer and Editor in Chief of the WODC blog. She helms the Spooky Bitches horror column and is host of The Spooky Bitches Podcast.