A to Z of Witches. L

L is for Lilith

Lilith by Isra2007

I have talked about Lilith. A lot actually.
Last year I talked about Lilith and her roll as the mother of the demons The Lilim.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2013/04/l-is-for-lilith-and-lilim.html

I talked about her and her relationship to demons and Vampires a couple of times.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2009/11/every-angel-is-terrifying.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2011/01/season-of-witch-episode-2.html

I made her the cover of my Eldritch Witchery book.  So yes. I am a fan.

Lilith has always been a part of my game worlds.  In some like Buffy and Ghosts of Albion she is a behind the scenes player dealing with "children" the vampires, demons, witches and the Slayer.
In my old school games she is the mother of demons, but also the first to rebel against the powers of good. She was a human but no longer. She has been raised to the power of a god because she knows so many magical secrets.

Here she is for the Pathfinder RPG and pretty much how I use her in other games too.

Lilith

Titles: The Mother of Demons, Witches, and Vampires
Alignment:  Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Magic, Demons
Worshipers: Witches, Lilim, Vampires
Cleric Alignments
LG NG CG
LN N CN
LE NE CE
Domains: Evil, Magic, Knowledge/Secrets
Favored Weapon: Dagger

Lilith is considered to be the Mother of Demons, Vampires and Witches.

History
Lilith was the first human woman. She rebelled against the gods that created her and now controls armies of demons.  The gods won't work against her or strike her down because she knows all their True Names.

Relationships
Lilith has no true friends because most fear her.  She is known to ally herself with the Goddess Ereshkigal since both have similar portfolios and areas of concern.  Some even claim that Lilith spent some time as Ereshkigal's handmaiden.  Others claim she served Astártē or Ishtar.

Appearance and Emissaries
Lilith always appears as a young very attractive woman.  Most often with long flaming red hair.  It is claimed her true form is that of a ancient hag with long, but sparse wild black hair, talons, fangs and the feet of a predatory bird.  Either or neither could be her true form

Servants

Naamah - Known as the Daughter of Lilith Naamah is either a demon, a human or something else.  She is honored in her right as either the Patroness of Whores or the Patroness of Those Who Hunt the Night (slayers of the undead).  Her title as The Daughter of Lilith, as opposed to just a daughter of Lilith, is significant.  She may be her first true daughter or she may be her first human daughter.

Abyzou - Another daughter of Lilith. She is a powerful Lilitu Demon. She takes pleasure in possessing others and destroying them from the inside out.

Church of Lilith
Lilith has no formal religion outside that of her demons and witches. Even these do not worship her but instead regard her as their mother.
Through her daughter Lilith is also seen as the protector of harlots and whores.
There are those who also view Lilith as triumph of humankind, in particular womankind, over the tyranny of the gods.  She can in this aspect even have worshipers that are otherwise good in alignment.

Worshipers and Clergy
Lilith is worshiped primarily by witches but also by demonic clerics and wizards.

Temples and Shrines
Temples and shrines to Lilith are small affairs.  Usually a stone relief hidden away.  Since most gods of light and many other gods despise Lilith her shrines are destroyed by their followers.

Holy Texts
As witches the worshippers of Lilith hold their own Books of Shadows as their holy texts, but a few are are considered to be helpful to understanding Lilith.

The Splendor - The foundation text on which many of the Gods of Light have based their own holy texts.  The Splendor mentions Lilith as one of the first demon of darkness. For this reason many religions will see Lilith as threat to their religion.

The Enochian Tablets - More details on the life and rebirth of Lilith. Written in an ancient angelic script that is difficult for many sages to translate. Also discusses her relationship to the divine and the demonic.  It also details the origins of Those Who Hunt the Night.

Holidays

Witches of Lilith celebrate the phases of the moon, the new moon in particular.

ETA: Julia Mathews is doing Lilith today too. She also talks about the moon named Lilith.

More posts about Lilith here:
L is for Lilith and Lilim
Every Angel is Terrifying: The Secret and True Origins of the Slayer
- Pseudo Slayers
Going Up to Hell: Cosmology
Sympathy for the Succubus
- Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Let's Talk About Sex(y)
E is for Eodemon
The Dragon and the Phoenix: Episode 7
Season of the Witch: Episode 2



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