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Lilin

The Lilin (singular: lili or lilitu) are a class of nocturnal demons in ancient Mesopotamian and Jewish mythologies, characterized as hostile spirits that seduce men, prey on infants, and bring misfortune through association with storms, disease, and sexual predation. In Akkadian texts, they form part of a triad of wind-ruling demons including lili, lilitu, and ardat lili, roaming as ethereal wind spirits exerting influence less potent than gods but capable of inflicting physical and spiritual harm.^[1] These entities trace their earliest depictions to Sumerian and Babylonian sources in the third millennium BCE, where they appear as ethereal beings unable to bear human children yet embodying chaos and uncleanliness.^[2] In Jewish folklore, the Lilin evolved into night spirits closely tied to Lilith, the archetypal female demon portrayed as Adam's first wife who rebelled against submission and fled Eden, subsequently mating with other demons to produce these offspring. According to medieval texts like the Alphabet of Ben Sira (8th–10th century CE), Lilith is cursed to lose 100 demonic children daily, with the Lilin representing this progeny as succubi-like figures that tempt sleepers and endanger newborns, prompting protective amulets and incantations in Jewish tradition.^[3] Their role underscores themes of female autonomy, peril in the night, and the boundary between human and supernatural realms, influencing later Kabbalistic interpretations where they symbolize rebellion against divine order.

Origins and etymology

Linguistic roots

The linguistic origins of the term "lilin" lie in the ancient Mesopotamian languages of Sumerian and Akkadian, where it emerged as a designation for a class of supernatural spirits or demons associated with wind and night. In Sumerian, the root lil fundamentally denotes "wind," "air," or "spirit," often carrying connotations of ethereal or demonic entities that inhabit desolate or open spaces. A specific compound form, ki-sikil-lil-la-ke, appearing in the Sumerian poem "Gilgamesh and the Huluppu-Tree," part of the early Gilgamesh cycle, translates to "the maid of the lil" or "young woman of the spirit," referring to a female spectral being.^[4] The term ki-sikil-lil-la-ke has been variably translated and interpreted, sometimes as a proto-form of Lilith, though its original characterization may be more neutral. This term encapsulates the blending of gender (ki-sikil for "young woman") and supernatural essence (lil-la for "spirit"), laying the groundwork for later demonological nomenclature.^[4] As Sumerian influences permeated Akkadian, the terminology evolved into lilû (masculine, denoting a male demon or spirit) and lilītu or ardat lilî (feminine, signifying a "maiden of the lil" or female night spirit), with these forms frequently appearing together in cuneiform incantations to describe airborne or nocturnal entities. The class is referred to collectively as lilû demons in Akkadian texts, with plural forms like lilê, emphasizing their shared characteristics as a group rather than isolated figures. These Akkadian variants reflect phonetic adaptations of Sumerian roots while maintaining the core association with wind-like spirits. The term transitioned into Hebrew as lilit, a direct loanword from Akkadian lilītu, where the root lil similarly implies "wind" or "breath," extending to demonic connotations.^[5] In later Jewish texts, the plural lilin denotes a collective of such spirits, preserving the Mesopotamian sense of a demonic class without altering the foundational linguistic structure. This evolution connects to wider Semitic traditions of wind demon terminology, underscoring a shared conceptual heritage across Near Eastern cultures.^[5]

Historical attestations

The earliest attestations of Lilin appear in Sumerian literary texts from the early second millennium BCE, particularly in the poem "Gilgamesh and the Huluppu-Tree," part of the Sumerian Gilgamesh cycle. In this narrative, a female spirit designated as ki-sikil-lil-la-ke₄—interpreted as a proto-Lilitu or early form of a Lilin—establishes residence in the huluppu tree planted by the goddess Inanna, prompting intervention by Gilgamesh to expel it.^[6] These texts, composed around 2100–2000 BCE during the Ur III period, represent the first known literary references to such wind-related demonic entities in Mesopotamian tradition. Subsequent evidence emerges in Akkadian-language incantation tablets from the Old Babylonian period (c. 1800–1600 BCE), where Lilin (as lilītu, the feminine form of lilû) are explicitly named as night demons invoked in apotropaic rituals to ward off harm. These tablets, often containing spells against demonic assaults, describe Lilin alongside related spirits like ardat-lilî, emphasizing their role in protective magic.^[7] The linguistic root lilû underlies these Akkadian terms, denoting spectral wind demons in foundational Mesopotamian cosmology.^[8] Archaeological excavations provide material corroboration of these textual references. At Nippur, a key site of Sumerian scribal activity, tablets preserving the Gilgamesh cycle—including the Huluppu-Tree episode—were uncovered in temple libraries dating to the third and second millennia BCE, attesting to the early dissemination of Lilin lore. Similarly, digs at Nineveh yielded cuneiform tablets from the Library of Ashurbanipal (7th century BCE), including incantation series like Maqlû that reference lilû and lilītu in exorcistic contexts, highlighting their enduring presence in later Assyrian demonology.

Characteristics in Mesopotamian demonology

Physical and behavioral traits

In Mesopotamian demonology, the Lilin, encompassing both male (Lilu) and female (Lilitu) variants along with related spirits like ardat lili, were primarily conceptualized as intangible wind spirits associated with nocturnal disturbances, often described as invisible or shadowy entities that traversed the night air. Their etymological roots in Sumerian terms for "wind" or "air" underscored this airy, elusive nature, rendering them difficult to detect or combat without ritual intervention. These demons were understood as the restless spirits of individuals who had died without completing key aspects of the human life cycle, such as marriage or parenthood, leading them to seek interaction with the living through demonic manifestations.^[8]^[9] Textual descriptions rarely provide detailed physical forms, emphasizing their ethereal and predatory qualities.^[10] Behaviorally, the Lilin were notorious for nocturnal attacks targeting sleeping individuals, exploiting vulnerabilities during the night to inflict harm. Female Lilitu were attributed with seductive powers, approaching men in dreams to provoke erotic emissions or nocturnal emissions, which could lead to physical weakening, illness, or even death through depletion of vital energies. In contrast, male Lilu focused on terrorizing women, causing fear-induced afflictions or infertility by similar dream intrusions, aligning with a gender-polarized dynamic where each targeted the opposite sex. These actions were not random but aimed at the unwary sleeper, manifesting as sudden gusts or unseen presences that disrupted rest and health.^[8]^[11] The powers of the Lilin were confined to mischief and localized harm, such as inducing temporary illnesses or psychological terror, without the capacity for widespread destruction or defiance of higher divine order. They were portrayed as subordinate to major deities like Enki (Ea in Akkadian), who held authority over chaotic forces, and proved powerless against incantations invoking these gods, which could dispel them swiftly. This hierarchy positioned the Lilin as minor demons within the broader pantheon, effective only in stealthy, opportunistic strikes but ultimately controllable through ritual means.^[8]^[10]

Role in incantations and rituals

In Mesopotamian magical practices, Lilin, as a class of nocturnal demons including the female Lilitu and related spirits, were explicitly invoked and bound in anti-demon incantations to avert their assaults. The Maqlû ("Burning") series, a canonical Akkadian ritual text from the first millennium BCE, names Lilu, Lilitu, and Ardat-lili among malevolent entities whose effigies were ritually burned to dissolve their power and redirect their harm back to the source of witchcraft. These incantations, recited over nine tablets during nighttime ceremonies, sought divine intervention from gods like Girra (fire god) and Ea to neutralize the demons' influence, particularly their nocturnal attacks on sleepers.^[7]^[12] Protective rituals against Lilin emphasized household safeguards during the Assyrian period (c. 900–612 BCE), incorporating clay figurines, bedtime spells, and inscribed amulets. Clay figurines of apotropaic deities or hybrids, such as Pazuzu—a wind demon invoked to counter Lilitu—were buried under thresholds, doorways, or floors to form a barrier against demonic entry, often accompanied by libations and incantations naming the Lilin to bind them in the underworld. Bedtime recitations of short spells, etched on tablets or spoken aloud, invoked protective spirits to ward off the demons' seductive nocturnal visits, while amulets of stone or metal bore apotropaic symbols and exorcistic formulas to be worn or placed near beds. These measures targeted the Lilin's behavioral traits, such as seduction leading to harm, ensuring personal safety without elaborate temple involvement.^[7]^[13] Lilin played a key societal role in Mesopotamian worldview by attributing unexplained misfortunes like sudden deaths and infertility to demonic interference, integrating these explanations into everyday household magic rather than formal divine worship. Communities viewed Lilin attacks as causes of impotence in men, sterility in women, infant mortality, and abrupt illnesses, prompting routine use of protective rites to maintain family health and reproduction. This pragmatic approach embedded anti-Lilin practices in domestic life, reinforcing social norms around vulnerability at night without elevating the demons to objects of veneration.^[7]

Depictions in Jewish folklore

Association with Lilith

In the Alphabet of Ben Sira, a satirical Jewish midrash dated to the 8th–10th century CE, Lilith is portrayed as Adam's first wife, created from the same earth as him and thus demanding equality. After refusing to lie beneath him during intercourse, she utters God's ineffable name, flies away from the Garden of Eden to the Red Sea, and subsequently mates with demonic entities or fallen angels, giving birth to the Lilin as her numerous demonic offspring.^[2]^[14] Talmudic references further establish Lilin as the brood of Lilith, depicting them as a vast multitude of night demons. For instance, the Babylonian Talmud in tractate Niddah 24b describes a miscarried fetus resembling a "lilith"—a winged female demon with a human face—implying Lilin as harmful spirits born from Lilith's unions, reinforcing their collective identity as her progeny in early rabbinic demonology.^[15]^[11] Kabbalistic literature, particularly the Zohar compiled in the 13th century, elaborates on Lilin as Lilith's direct children, who inherit her rebellious nature and opposition to divine harmony. In passages such as Zohar I:14b and I:54b, Lilith is the demonic queen and mother of these spirits, who emerge from her exile and illicit couplings, perpetuating chaos as extensions of her defiance against creation's order.^[2]^[16]

Threats to humans and protective measures

In Jewish folklore, the Lilin, offspring of Lilith, posed significant threats to human infants, particularly male newborns in their first eight days of life, by strangling, kidnapping, or causing sudden death, often attributed to crib death or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).^[17]^[18] Female infants were believed vulnerable for up to twenty days.^[18] These demonic entities were also thought to induce illness in young children and, as succubi-like spirits, to seduce adults—especially men—through nocturnal visitations in dreams, leading to spiritual or physical harm.^[19] Lilith, regarded as the mother of the Lilin, was held responsible for these attacks as vengeance against Adam and Eve's descendants.^[20] To counter these dangers, medieval Jewish grimoires and folk traditions prescribed protective amulets inscribed with the names of three guardian angels—Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof—who were said to have compelled Lilith's oath not to harm protected children.^[19]^[20] These amulets, often made of parchment or metal and hung over cribs or worn around the neck, invoked the angels' authority to repel the Lilin, with Lilith reportedly vowing, "If you insert the names of the three angels... I promise not to harm even one hair on their heads."^[20] Additional measures included red ribbons tied around the infant's wrist or bedpost to deflect the evil eye associated with Lilith's influence, and postpartum incantations reciting the angels' names or protective psalms like Psalm 121 to create a verbal barrier against demonic intrusion.^[21]^[17] In Eastern European Ashkenazi Jewish communities, beliefs in the Lilin's role in causing crib death persisted, with customs emphasizing vigilance during the vulnerable postpartum period.^[17]^[18] Mothers or midwives would draw a protective circle around the mother's bed during labor to enclose and safeguard the newborn from Lilith's minions, sometimes extending this by circling the crib counterclockwise while reciting incantations.^[17] Other practices involved placing a knife, lit candles, or Torah passages nearby to further deter the Lilin, reflecting a blend of ritual and symbolic defense rooted in Talmudic and Kabbalistic traditions.^[17]

Cultural legacy

Influence on later demonology

The concepts of night demons in Jewish folklore, including the Lilin associated with seduction and harm, were transmitted into medieval Christian demonology through Latin translations of Kabbalistic and Talmudic texts, where they contributed to the formulation of succubi as female demons that engaged in nocturnal sexual assaults on humans.^[22] These influences shaped classifications of demonic entities in inquisitorial literature, particularly in the Malleus Maleficarum (1487) by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, which describes succubi collecting semen from men to enable incubi to impregnate women, echoing Lilin traits of nocturnal predation while adapting them to Christian theology on demonic reproduction.^[11]^[23] In Renaissance grimoires, Lilin-like spirits appear in evocation rituals for protection or control, as seen in the Clavicula Salomonis (Key of Solomon), a 14th- or 15th-century text that references Lilith—progenitor of the Lilin—as queen of the obscene Gamaliel order, adversarial to virtuous spirits and invoked in bindings against debauchery.^[24] This portrayal positions Lilin entities within Solomonic magic as controllable nocturnal forces, blending Jewish demonological elements with Christian ceremonial practices to ward off temptations of lust and harm.^[2] By the 19th century, occultists such as Éliphas Lévi reinterpreted Lilin concepts within hermetic traditions, framing Lilith and her demonic offspring as manifestations in the astral light—a universal ethereal medium—symbolizing dualities like victory and death or purity and temptation, as detailed in his Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie (1854–1856).^[25] Lévi's synthesis portrayed these spirits as psychological and cosmic forces accessible through ritual imagination, influencing later Western esotericism by elevating ancient night demons to symbolic astral entities in magical theory.^[26]

Representations in modern media

In the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), the term "Lilin" refers to humanity as a whole, portraying humans as the descendants of the Second Angel, Lilith, and thus the 18th Angel in the series' lore.^[27] This designation, introduced by the character Kaworu Nagisa, underscores the narrative's exploration of human origins and existential conflicts, where Lilin possess the Fruit of Knowledge in contrast to the Angels' Fruit of Life, driving central plot elements like the Human Instrumentality Project.^[27] The concept integrates mythological elements of Lilith's spawn, reimagining Lilin as flawed, individualistic entities fated for collective evolution.^[27] In Marvel Comics, Lilin appear as a race of demons spawned by Lilith, the Mother of Demons, with characters like Blackout embodying their antagonistic traits in supernatural storylines. Blackout, a Lilin descendant, first emerges as a henchman for the villain Deathwatch, clashing with Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch) in the 1990s Ghost Rider series, where his shadow manipulation and vampiric abilities highlight the Lilin's infernal heritage.^[28] His disfigurement by hellfire and subsequent vendettas, including the murder of Ghost Rider's sister Barbara Ketch, cement his role in ongoing conflicts within the Midnight Sons group, extending into later arcs like Ghost Rider: Heaven's on Fire.^[28] These depictions often draw on mythological succubus traits, portraying Lilin as seductive yet destructive forces that threaten human souls.^[28] In video games, Lilin feature as a playable unit in The Battle Cats, introduced as an Uber Rare Cat during the Cyber Academy Galaxy Gals gacha event in Version 10.8 (2021).^[29] This character, a researcher-themed demon with abilities including 100% shield piercing and surge attacks effective against Angel and Aku enemies, can be unlocked via Rare Cat Capsules, adding strategic depth to tower defense gameplay through her demonic offensive capabilities.^[29] Her design evokes folklore-inspired peril, emphasizing Lilin's role as a formidable, otherworldly adversary in modern interactive media.^[29]

References

[1]
[PDF] Lilith - IRIS
Akkadian texts mention a triad of demons: Lili,. Lilitu and (w)ardat Lili as ruling over the winds and living in ruins (Frey-Anthes: 181-83). The latter two ...
[2]
(PDF) Goddesses and Demons - Academia.edu
... Sumerian word lil, meaning "air, spirit." They haunted the open spaces and deserts. They were sexually predatory, but incapable of "normal" sexual activity ...
[3]
(PDF) "Inanna and the Huluppu Tree": One Way of Demoting a Great ...
5. The Sumerians called her ki-sikil-lil-la, in Semitic Akkadian, (w)ardat-lilla or ardat-lili; both phrases mean “Young Woman Spirit” (Douglas Frayne, ...Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology<|control11|><|separator|>
[4]
(PDF) The Transformations of a Goddess: Lillake, Lamashtu, and Lilith.
Nov 10, 2019 · Is the Hebrew and later Jewish figure of Lilith a syncretization of the figures of Lillake, Lilītu, Ardat Lilî, Bilulu, and Lamashtu?Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology
[5]
A trio of female demons - Sumerian Origins
... plural according to variations in the earliest ... A lilu or lilû is a masculine Akkadian word for a spirit, related to Alû, demon. ... lilin (female). Lamashtu's ...Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology
[6]
a tale of two sisters: the image of eve in early rabbinic literature and
The first and most developed cluster pres- ents Lilith as a nocturnal she-demon. ... Demonic Mimesis in Early Jewish Mysticism (Albany: SUNY Press, 2015).
[7]
[PDF] gilgamesh and the huluppu-trev - The University of Chicago
Historical and religiotis texts from the temple library of Nippur. (1914). CT. British Museum. Cuneiform texts from Babylonian tablets, &c, in the British ...
[8]
[PDF] Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia
The identification of specific named gods and demons in Mesopotamian art naturally has implications for our appreciations of the mythological nar- ratives ...Missing: Lilin | Show results with:Lilin
[9]
[PDF] Lilith unsexed - Journal des Médecines Cunéiformes
Similarly, it seems clear that Babylonian/Assyrian lilû and lilītu denote a demon type rather than individual (named) demons in Pazuzu incantations. For a ...
[10]
Lilith - Biblical Archaeology Society
Lilith was Adam's first wife, before Eve. When Adam insisted she play a subservient role, Lilith grew wings and flew away from Eden.Related Reading In Bible... · Become A Bas All-Access... · NotesMissing: Lilin | Show results with:Lilin
[11]
[PDF] M A Q L U
55. lúlilu lu-u flilitu lu-u ardat lili. Lilu or Lilitu or Ardat Lili lu-u li-'-bu si-bit šadi or Fever, the Sibit Šadi disease, lu-u be-en-nu ri-hu-ut dšul ...
[12]
Mesopotamian Magic in the First Millennium B.C.
Dec 1, 2018 · ... clay figurines as a means of guarding their homes. Found at a number of Neo-Assyrian sites—including Ashur, Nineveh, Nimrud, and Babylon—these ...
[13]
Lilith - Jewish Virtual Library
LILITH, a female demon assigned a central position in Jewish demonology. She appears briefly in the Sumerian Gilgamesh epic and is found in Babylonian ...
[14]
[PDF] Lilith, the female demon, is found all over ancient Babylonian ...
Lilith is a female demon from Babylonian mythology, who evolved from an evil mother to a desert ghost, child-killing demon, and succubus, and was used to ...
[15]
Niddah 24b
**Summary of Niddah 24b (Lilith/Demons Content):**
[16]
https://www.sefaria.org/Zohar.1.14b?lang=bi
[17]
Birth and Birthing - YIVO Encyclopedia
The demon Lilith (Yid., Lilis) was considered the most damaging and threatening force to the mother and baby. According to ancient Jewish mythology, Lilith— ...
[18]
No Children Allowed: Introducing Lilith, the Jewish Vampire Queen
Nov 7, 2017 · Thus, according to Jewish tradition, Lilith is believed responsible for crib death. Boy are especially vulnerable to her influence until the ...Missing: Ashkenazi circling counterclockwise
[19]
Who Are You, Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof?
Feb 12, 2020 · The angels' very names—Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof—are seen as safeguards against Lilith's actions. The amulets contain written text ...
[20]
[PDF] Disarticulating Lilith: Notions of God's Evil in Jewish Folklore
Mar 12, 2015 · 'If you insert the names of the three angels, Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof, in an amulet and tie this charm around your children's neck ...
[21]
Amulet for the Protection of Pregnant Women and Newborn Children
Dec 2, 2021 · The tradition of placing a red ribbon or string around a baby's wrist exemplifies another tradition meant to ward off the evil eye (ayin harah).
[22]
Demons & Demonology - Jewish Virtual Library
... Christian medieval demonology about succubi and incubi. They are based on the assumption (contrary to the talmudic opinion) that these demons have no ...
[23]
Succubus Mythology, Characteristics & Interpretations - Study.com
In some Jewish mythologies and folklore, Lilith is thought to be the original female demon. ... This depiction was popularized in the Malleus Maleficarum ...
[24]
The Key of Solomon: Appendices: Ancient Fragment of the K...
They correspond to true ideas. They have for adversaries the Gamaliel or obscene, whose Queen is Lilith, the Demon of debaucheries. The tenth Number is ten. ...Missing: references scholarly
[25]
[PDF] Transcendental magic, its doctrine and ritual,
The author of the Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie was born in humble circumstances about the year 1810, being the son of a shoemaker. Giving evidence of ...
[26]
(PDF) Eliphas Levi and the Influence of the Astral Light on Victorian ...
This paper explores the influence of Eliphas Lévi's concept of the Astral Light within the context of Victorian occultism.Missing: Lilin entities<|control11|><|separator|>
[27]
Lilin - EvaWiki - An Evangelion Wiki - EvaGeeks.org
Oct 25, 2019 · They are a variation of humanity that arose from Lilith and possesses the Fruit of Knowledge, contrasted with Adam's children, who possess the Fruit of Life.<|control11|><|separator|>
[28]
Blackout (Lilin) Powers, Enemies, History - Marvel.com
Blackout became obsessed with obtaining revenge on the Ghost Rider. He eventually learned the Ghost Rider's true identity and murdered his sister, Barbara ...
[29]
Lilin (Uber Rare Cat) - The Battle Cats Wiki - Miraheze
Oct 7, 2025 · Lilin is an Uber Rare Cat that can be unlocked by playing the Rare Cat Capsule during the Cyber Academy Galaxy Gals event.