Vampires: The Beginning?

Folk lore and mythologies abound for the beginnings of the vampire, and in my research I have found there to be many theories on how vampires came to be. Since records of ancient history are based upon scrolls of parchment, glyphs on stone or simply passed down stories, the lore of the ancient vampire is a sketchy tale to unravel. Equally daunting is the search for vampire like beings, as all these blood consuming or blood letting entities were simply known as evil spirits or demons. The evil spirits or demons were commonly given names, but none were ever called vampire, as such a word never existed until around the 18th Century AD.

I narrowed the trail to the 9th Century BC and the land of ancient Mesopotamia. This is definitely a time when all the lands had an abundance of lore and myths in regards to demons and spirits who robbed humans of blood and life. Ancient Babylonian myths were of the forefront with demons called Lilu. Since this name was also the word for wind, storms and darkness, depending on the context of its use, Lilu became the nocturnal demons that hunted and killed newborn babies and pregnant women, often times described in very bloody scenes. As time passed Lilu took on feminine forms. In Babylonian myth and in Hebrew myth Lilu became known as Lilitu. In turn Lilitu in the early Judaic period became Lilith.

It is in the beginning of time where we find the loose translations of the myth of Lilith. In the book of Genesis there are two complete different passages of God creating woman as a companion for Adam. These two separate entries also appear to have occurred at different times. Modern theologians would simply explain the two entries as a re-iteration of the making of Eve. The myth however reveals God made Lilith first to be Adam’s wife. But in a turn of events not foreseen, Lilith refused to be subservient to Adam. In her anger and frustration she uttered the word of God and left the Garden of Eden, leaving Adam lonely once again. God then sent 3 Angels to bring Lilith back or she will suffer the death of 100 of her children (demons) each day. Lilith did not return to Eden, God created a more obedient Eve and the path now divides as to the fate of Lilith.

In the more widely accepted path Lilith stays in the Red Sea and serves her never ending purpose of killing new born babies, boys within 10 days and girls within 20 days. Likewise she was to serve as a dream succubus, taunting and luring men into a dream world of sex. In a more sinister path Lilith is now the link to our modern day vampire. She, like previously explained, was to continue to give birth to demons, again loosing 100 per day to death, killing babies and expectant mothers and being a dream succubus. But she also plays a much larger role in being the mother of all vampires.

As this ominous myth progresses, the children of Adam and Eve are incorporated into the scenario. When Cain killed his brother out of jealousy, he was cast away and wondered the deserts being punished by God. One version has Cain as a horned mutant who eventually gets killed by a 7th generation relative. The other and more gruesome version has Cain being punished and in a state of preservation finds Lilith upon her island in the Red Sea and they unite. In their union they bear 3 children, demon children who are forever required to feed upon others to maintain their immortality.

The myths and lore surrounding Lilith had survived, in many forms and by many names, up until about the 17th century. In fact one form of protecting babies and expectant mothers survived up until about the 19th century, in the use of protection amulets. It is said that these amulets were to be engraved with the symbol or name of one of the 3 angels sent to retrieve Lilith. It was believed that with the amulet the child or expectant mother was safe from her death touch. There is also an association and some minor support to further the darkness of the myth that circumcision was directly linked to assist in warding off Lilith, for baby boys. Hence the 10 day-rule for when she could take their life.

Lilith may not have ever existed, nor could this myth even be the first direct link to our modern day vampires. But it is the lore of a belief system that takes us back to the widely believed beginning of time for the human race and possibly a myth providing us a picture of the future of the human race.