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GOLEM,GOLEMS

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CHRONOLOGIA RORISPERGIUS

aled, and the ways of revelation and prophecy in general. sefer ha-shem("the book of the holy name, an exegesis of the names of god and, with hokhmah ha-nefesh, an analysis of ways by which connections are established between the soul and the divine world, together make up the 3rd part of sodei razayya. part 4 is a commentary on sefer yezirah containing detailed instructions for the creation of a golem. commentary on the sefer yetzirah called "pe'ullah ha-yetsirah("practice or practical application of. sefer ha-hokhmah, a major part of which is concerned with exegesis of holy names. 1165-1235 isaac the blind. provencal kabbalist. 1165-1240 ibn arabi (spanish muslim mystic poet) d.1166 abd al-qadir al-jilani founds one of the earliest sufi orders(prominent in india and north africa. d. 1170

by muslims, in the battle of ain jalut. joachite date of the anticipated apocalypse. 1264 albertus magnus, bishop of regensburg, writes de mineralibus 1265-1321 dante alighieri 1266 b.john duns scotus, scottish scholastic philosopher and theologian. 1266 roger bacon opus maius. 1267 roger bacon opus tertium first who anticipates angelic pope. 1268 sefer hayyim("book of life")r. ezra. connects the golem with the influence of the planets- after 1269 sordello italian troubadour. 1270-1340 nicholas of lyra, franciscan exegete. the report that he was of jewish descent dates only from the fifteenth century. turned to rashi for biblical interpretation. 1270 thomas aquinas is sympathetic to the idea of alchemical transmution in his summa theologia. 1270-1348 abner de burgos(aka alfonso de valladol

f the times (1614. 1578 francois de foix comte de candallegabriel harvey formed *areopagus* with edmund spencer, sir edward dyer and sir philip sidney. 1578-1645 johannes battista van helmont 1579-1651 arthur dee 1579 guillaume postel translates his 1543 work on euclid into french. 1580-1610 oswald croll 1580 rabbi loew of prague makes the golem 1581 dee and kelley start their "mystical experiments" guillaume postel dies 1582 john dee -polar chart dedicated to sir humphrey gilbert. jean gosselin, a follower of postel, wrote "la signification de l'ancien jeu des chartes pythagorique et la d claration de deux doutes qui se trouvent en comptant au jeu de paume, lesquelles connaissances ont t longtemps cach es par cy devant: mais depuis

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 1

orley rectory (1956, which raised doubts about the part played by price. goldney also discussed the evidence for charges that sir william crookes was misled or falsified his investigations into the mediumship of florence cook. sources: medhurst, r. g, and k. m. goldney. william crookes and the physical phenomena of mediumship. proceedings of the society for psychical research 54, 195 (march 1964. golem an artificial man-monster of jewish legend created from clay by a magic religious ceremony. the word golem was first used in talmudic references to the creation of adam to indicate formless matter before the inception of a soul. talmudic stories of the third and fourth centuries suggest that certain rabbis might have been able to create a manlike creature by magic that followed the divine pr

zeitung fur einsiedler (journal for hermits: the polish jews, after having spoken certain prayers and observed certain feast days, make the figure of a man out of clay or lime which, after they have pronounced the wonderworking shem-ham-phorasch over it, comes to life. it is true this figure cannot speak, but it can understand what one says and commands it to do to a certain extent. they call it golem and use it as a servant to do all sorts of housework; he may never go out alone. on his forehead the word aemaeth (truth; god) is written, but he increases from day to day and can easily become larger and stronger than his house-comrades, however small he might have been in the beginning. being then afraid of him, they rub out the first letters so that nothing remains but maeth (he is dead

easily become larger and stronger than his house-comrades, however small he might have been in the beginning. being then afraid of him, they rub out the first letters so that nothing remains but maeth (he is dead, whereupon he sinks together and becomes clay again. in the sixteenth century, such legends crystallized around rabbi judah loew of prague (ca. 1520.1609, who was said to have created a golem who not only worked as a servant but also saved the jews from persecution arising from false accusations of ritual murders. the tomb of rabbi loew may still be visited in the old jewish cemetery of prague in czechoslovakia. in the seventeenth century, such stories were recorded in a manuscript titled nifloet mhrl (miracles of rabbi loew, which formed the basis of the enchanting der prager go

ution arising from false accusations of ritual murders. the tomb of rabbi loew may still be visited in the old jewish cemetery of prague in czechoslovakia. in the seventeenth century, such stories were recorded in a manuscript titled nifloet mhrl (miracles of rabbi loew, which formed the basis of the enchanting der prager golem of chayim bloch, translated into english by harry schneiderman as the golem: legends of the ghetto of prague, published in vienna in 1925. the book contains photographs of the altneuschul and the monument to rabbi loew in prague. one of the legends related by bloch is the golem as water carrier, and there is a tradition that this story inspired goethe s ballad the sorcerer s apprentice during his visit to prague. the prague legends also stimulated production of the

hetto of prague, published in vienna in 1925. the book contains photographs of the altneuschul and the monument to rabbi loew in prague. one of the legends related by bloch is the golem as water carrier, and there is a tradition that this story inspired goethe s ballad the sorcerer s apprentice during his visit to prague. the prague legends also stimulated production of the german silent film der golem, directed by henrik galeen and paul wegener, released in 1915 and remade in 1920, as well as later czech and french films on the same theme. it also seems likely that golem legends may have influenced british novelist mary shelley in the creation of her famous novel frankenstein, first published in 1818. a later literary work influenced by the legend was the powerful occult novel the golem

in 1915 and remade in 1920, as well as later czech and french films on the same theme. it also seems likely that golem legends may have influenced british novelist mary shelley in the creation of her famous novel frankenstein, first published in 1818. a later literary work influenced by the legend was the powerful occult novel the golem, by gustav meyrink (1928. sources: bloch, chayim. der prager golem. translated by harry schneiderman as the golem: legends of the ghetto of prague. vienna, 1925. meyrink, gustav [g. meyer. the golem. london, 1928. reprint, new york, 1964. scholem, gershom g. on the kabbalah and its symbolism. new york: schocken books, 1965. sherwin, byron l. the golem legend: origins and implications. lanham, md: university press of america, 1985. wiesel, elie. the golem: t

o of prague. vienna, 1925. meyrink, gustav [g. meyer. the golem. london, 1928. reprint, new york, 1964. scholem, gershom g. on the kabbalah and its symbolism. new york: schocken books, 1965. sherwin, byron l. the golem legend: origins and implications. lanham, md: university press of america, 1985. wiesel, elie. the golem: the story of a legend. new york: summit books, 1983. winkler, gershon. the golem of prague. new york: judaica press, 1980. goligher circle a small spiritualist group in ireland that became the subject of a series of experiments by dr. w. j. crawford. the circle was created from a poor belfast family consisting of a father, four daughters, a son, and a son-in-law. the girls were all mediumistic, kathleen goligher (b. 1898) being the most noteworthy among them. the experim

f jewish immigrants into palestine, and this migration was intensified with the establishment of the state of israel on may 14, 1948. refugees from persecutions and the aftermath of two world wars brought the rich folklore of europe into the new homeland. stories of the hasidim. the miracle-working mystical rabbis and their followers.existed side by side with legends of the angel of death, or the golem created by rabbi loew of prague. as in the united states, mystical groups in israel have kept alive the study of kabbalah. the 1990s showed a resurgence of the study of jewish mysticism, when celebrities such as madonna and roseanne announced their studies publicly. beyond the legends of miracles and occult phenomena that have a basically mystical purpose, speculation on the afterlife is ali

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 2

ose members practiced various occult disciplines. meyrink translated nature s finer forces by rama prasad, one of the first works to introduce tantra to a popular audience in the west. in 1903 he published his first collection of short stories. many of his writings have themes of fantasy or occultism, with echoes of e. t. a. hoffmann, edgar allan poe, and franz kafka. his best-known novel was der golem (1915; translated by m. pemberton as the golem, 1928. this is a brilliant and strangely disturbing book concerned with the kabala and the occult, based on prague legends of the golem, a mysterious manmonster said to have been created from clay by rabbi judah loew of prague in the seventeenth century. the book had added power in relating to the real-life background of golem legends, which rem

disturbing book concerned with the kabala and the occult, based on prague legends of the golem, a mysterious manmonster said to have been created from clay by rabbi judah loew of prague in the seventeenth century. the book had added power in relating to the real-life background of golem legends, which remained popular in the prague ghetto, the site of rabbi loew s grave. a german silent film the golem, directed and scripted by paul wegener, was produced in 1920, adapted very loosely from meyrink s novel. meyrink converted from protestantism to buddhism and spent many years in occult investigations, including experiments in alchemy. he was present at some of the seances of baron albert von schrenck-notzing in munich with the medium eva c. meyrink also practiced yoga and claimed to have ach

HINE P OVEN READY CHAOS

and force the monster into it, and unloosen the skeins of form; moments of weakness, wanting and waiting, desire ignited by imagination. manufacturing my own junk, my own addiction. if this is wading through qlipothic muck then so be it. but out of this muck i wove a conversation, a story with no chance of a happy ending. a story which clouded my will, which blurred my eye. i made this monster; a golem born of my own longings& shortcomings, and now i will take it apart, piece by piece, draining the pus from knotted passions. we are but knots in a cord. untie them and we slip easily across the aeons into nebulous dreams. 51 oven-ready chaos emotional engineering we are bound by our own past, bound to repeat patterns; programs written long ago. flowcharted in an infant s crabbed hand; meshed

INITIATION INTO HERMETICS

l protect him. or forward messages to him, etc. there is no need to quote all the possibilities, because all of them are individual and depend on the desires that the magician wants to be realized with the help of the elementaries. the speaking pictures, columns and statures in the temples of the ancient may certainly be interpreted as an outgrowth of elementaries magic. the legend concerning the golem, who is said to have been created by the wise rabbi low in prague likewise goes back to the creation of elementaries. but in the case of golem the creation has been produced with the rites of the quabbalah. anybody who knows of quabbalistic mysticism is informed about these facts. the synthesis remains the same as quoted in this method. method 3: before i explain the practice of the third me

KARR DON NOTES ON EDITIONS OF SEFER YETZIRAH IN ENGLISH

abbalah and major trends are not the extent of scholem s work. see, in contrast, on the kabbalah and its symbolism (new york: schocken books, 1965) and on the mystical shape of the godhead (new york: schocken books, 1991. 20073 21 elsewhere, scholem discusses sy s role in the formation of kabbalah (pp. 46-8, its influence on the german hasidim (pp. 97-8, its development as a manual for creating a golem (pp. 102-3, its links with merkabah mysticism (117-8, and notes on the commentaries on sy of joseph ben shalom (p. 224, isaac the blind (pp. 257-8, and nahmanides (pp. 388-9. on the kabbalah and its symbolism. german original: zur kabbala und ihrer symbolik. zurich: rhein-verlag, 1960; english translation: new york: schocken books, 1969. chapter 5. the idea of the golem the reader may also p

ale jerusalem: jason aronson inc, 1998. in moshe idel s ambitious absorbing perfections: kabbalah and interpretation (new haven london: yale university press, 2002, there are several discussions of sy, as in (page 34ff) sefer yezirah and linguistic creational processes and the subsequent through the conclusion of chapter 1, the world-absorbing text, and elsewhere* it was by means of the sy that a golem (artificial human) was made. on this, see moshe idel, golem: jewish magical and mystical traditions on the artificial anthropoid (albany: state university of new york press, 1990. on idel s and scholem s conclusions regarding the roots of the golem tradition, see peter sch fer, the magic of the golem: the early development of the golem legend, in journal of jewish studies, vol. xlvi, nos. 1

KARR DON NOTES ON THE STUDY OF EARLY KABBALAH JEWISH MYSTICISM IN ENGLISH

interpretation (jason aronson, 1994. herrmann, klaus, gan unknown commentary on the book of creation (sefer yezirah) from the cairo genizah and its re-creation among the haside ashkenaz, h in creation and re-creation in jewish thought [festschrift in honor of joseph dan on the occasion of his seventieth birthday, edited by rachel elior and peter schafer. tubingen: mohr siebeck, 2005. idel, moshe. golem: jewish magical and mystical traditions on the artificial anthropoid [suny series in judaica. albany: state university of new york press, 1990: chapter 5, gashkenazi hasidic views on the golem. h. kanarfogel, ephraim. gmysticism and asceticism in italian rabbinic literature of the thirteenth century, h in kabbalah: journal for the study of jewish mystical texts, vol. 6, edited by d. abrams a

MICHAEL TSARION ATLANTIS ALIEN VISITATION AND GENETIC MANIPULATION

or, the omen, the time bandits, the devil rides out, quatermass, dr. who,blake s seven, space 1999, star trek, the last wave, they live, it came from outer space,the brain from the planet arrous, the creature w alks among us, w ar of the worlds, thetripods, six million dollar man, freejack, tron, planet of the apes, the eiger sanction,the time machine, things to come, cabinet of dr. caligari, the golem, android, five mil-lion y ears to earth, star wars, he-man: masters of the universe, what planet are youfrom, fifth element, fallen, independence day, moonraker, and jacob s ladder) in earlier chapters, we reviewed theories of how alien beings arrived and colonized theplanet earth, influencing her entire history. we also looked into the probable mannerin which evil came into the world and in

on267 appendix c: suggested areas of research leonardo da vinci (1452-1519) creator of many ideas for machinery and weaponry. under patronage from the most powerful families of the renaissance of which he was a key figure. said to have created the shroud of turin for the savoy family. his famous notebooks are now in the posses-sion of bill gates of microsoft.rabbi judah loew (1609) creator of the golem, an automaton made from clay and operated by magic.michael maier (1568-1622) diplomat and doctor, involved in bringing alchemical ideas into the political arena.claudio monteverdi (1567-1643) composer.sir isaac newton (1642-1727) heavily involved in alchemy.paracelsus (1493-1541) founder of homeopathy.giambattista della porta (1535-1615) sorcerer involved in metallurgy, perfected the camera

RUBY TABLET OF SET

red. there was a strong germanic element in the rituals of the early church of satan, deriving from the musical imagery of richard wagner and from the visual imagery of weimar-era expressionism (max reinhardt, hans poelzig. the significance of the trapezoid itself came from its suggestion of perspective and the distortion of that perspective in such u.f.a. films as cabinet of dr. caligari and der golem. from ritual use of similar angles and planes in such ceremonies as "die elecktrischevorspielen (in the satanic rituals, anton lavey made observations resulting in his "law of the trapezoid: all obtuse angles are magically harmful to those unaware of this property. the same angles are beneficial, stimulating, and energizing to those who are magically sensitive to them. in the december v clov

TEXE MARRS CODEX MAGICA SECRET SIGNS MYSTERIOUS SYMBOLS AND HIDDEN CODES OF THE ILLUMINATI

e figure representing lady justice, holding a banner with the 33rd degree double-headed eagle and the triangle of freemasonry. the androgyne, a combination creature of male and female, symbolizes the hermaphrodite principle of the two-faced entity or two-headed eagle. in the jewish cabala, this strange creation of the feminine and masculine principle is known as "adam kadmon" both adam and eve, a golem. this conjunction of opposites is part of the science of alchemy, or hermeticism, and is especially beloved by occult magicians. in witchcraft, it is known as the joining of sun and moon, and sacred sex rituals are common. janus, roman two-faced "god of the sun" was said to be the "keeper of the keys" to the invisible spirit world. hislop (the two babylons) called him "the source and fountai

of book "chaldean magic" highlights the importance of the star of david to occult ritual and magic. chaldean magic magical signs of the jewish cabala 435 436 codex magica the magic of the cabala calls for many uses of the occultic star. both the five pointed star and six-pointed star are used by jewish magicians who work the cabala formulas and rituals. an enduring cabalistic tale is that of the golem. in medieval times, it was taught that by use of the magic word and by other means, an inanimate man made of clay or dust could be made to come alive. a huge and powerful monster, or beast, the golem would then do the magician's bidding. in 1920, the classic film der golem created a stir. directed by paul wegener, der golem depicted the monster variously wearing either the five-pointed star

in 1920, the classic film der golem created a stir. directed by paul wegener, der golem depicted the monster variously wearing either the five-pointed star with one point up (white magic) or two points up (satanic. also the six pointed star of david played a part in the film's plot as a jewish rabbi, rabbi low, using the secret word "aemact" brought life and breath into the artificial man. in der golem, rabbi low employs the magic word and the pentagram star to bring life to the creature. der golem's film crew used this drawing as a model. magical signs of the jewish cabala 437 438 codex magica this album was advertised in christian retailing magazine in february 2002, but me handsign of the person seems to be cabalistic. horror fiction novelist stephen king with his hands in exactly the s

THE GALE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE UNUSUAL UNEXPLAINED VOL 3

hat emerged from the darkness. saber-toothed tigers stalked them; cave bears mauled them, and rival hominid species struggled against them for survival. ancient nightterrors surface in the dreams and imaginations of present-day humans, and sometimes the monsters turn out to be real. 57 chapter exploration apelike monsters bigfoot orang pendek skunk ape yeti creatures of the night chupacabra ghoul golem imp incubus jersey devil succubus vampire werewolf monsters of land, sea, and air dragons loch ness and other lake monsters sea serpents thunderbirds wee folk and their friends elves fairies gnomes goblins gremlins leprechauns menehune mermaids nisse selkies trolls actors who faced (or became) movie monsters introduction some psychologists have suggested that there is something within the hu

mind: a psychoanalyst looks at the supernatural. new york: new american library, 1968. hurwood, bernardt j. vampires, werewolves, and ghouls. new york: ace books, 1968. mack, carol k, and dinah mack. a field guide to demons, fairies, fallen angels, and other subversive spirits. new york: henry holt, 1998. masters, r. e. l, and eduard lea. perverse crimes in history. new york: julian press, 1963. golem the golem is the frankenstein monster of jewish tradition, but it is created from virgin soil and pure spring water, rather than the body parts of cadavers. it is also fashioned by those who purify themselves spiritually and physically, rather than heretical scientists in foreboding castle laboratories who bring down electricity from the sky to animate their patchwork human. once the golem h

oratories who bring down electricity from the sky to animate their patchwork human. once the golem has been formed, it is given life by the kabbalist placing under its t h e g a l e e n c y c l o p e d i a o f t h e u n u s u a l a n d u n e x p l a i n e d 72 mysterious creatures t h e g a l e e n c y c l o p e d i a o f t h e u n u s u a l a n d u n e x p l a i n e d mysterious creatures 73 the golem of prague (1920) was directed by paul wegener (getty images) tongue a piece of paper with the tetragrammaton (the four-letter name of god) written on it. according to certain traditions, the creation of a golem is one of the advanced stages of development for serious practitioners of kabbalah and alchemy. instructions for fashioning a golem according to the talmudic tradition was set down so

of a golem is one of the advanced stages of development for serious practitioners of kabbalah and alchemy. instructions for fashioning a golem according to the talmudic tradition was set down sometime in the tenth century by rabbi eliezar rokeach in the book of formation, and in his modern adaptation of the ancient text, rabbi aryeh kaplan stressed that the initiate should never attempt to make a golem alone, but should always be accompanied by one or two learned colleagues for it can become a monster and wreak havoc. when such a mistake occurs, the divine name must somehow be removed from the creature s tongue and it be allowed to revert to dust. t h e g a l e e n c y c l o p e d i a o f t h e u n u s u a l a n d u n e x p l a i n e d 74 mysterious creatures boris karloff in the 1931 prod

. new york: boulevard, 1997. radford, tim. frankenstein may have been based on scots scientist. the guardian, may 1, 2002 [online] http//www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4404697,00.html. veitch, jennifer. so who is behind the monster? edinburgh evening news, may 3, 2002 [online] http//www.edinburgh news.com/capitalcity.cfm?id=476592002. who was the inspiration for dr. frankenstein? the most famous golem is yossele, the creature said to be created by judah loew ben bezalel (1525 1609) to help protect the jews of prague from the libel that the blood of a christian child was used during the passover seder. there are many accounts of how yossele saved jews from reprisals directed against them by those citizens who had been incited by the anti-semitic libel. once the golem had served its purpose

ic libel. once the golem had served its purpose, the rabbi locked it in the attic of prague s old-new synagogue, where it is widely believed that the creature rests to this day. the synagogue survived the widespread destruction directed against jewish places of worship by the nazis in the 1930s and early 1940s, and it is said that the gestapo did not even enter the attic. a statue of yossele, the golem of prague, still stands at the entrance to the city s jewish sector. m delving deeper frankenstein and the golem. jewish gothic [online] http//www. jewishgothic.com/golem.html. kaplan, aryeh. sefer yetsirah: the book of creation in theory and practice. new york: samuel weiser, 1990. unterman, alan. dictionary of jewish lore and legend. london and new york: thames and hudson, 1991. winkler, g

gue, still stands at the entrance to the city s jewish sector. m delving deeper frankenstein and the golem. jewish gothic [online] http//www. jewishgothic.com/golem.html. kaplan, aryeh. sefer yetsirah: the book of creation in theory and practice. new york: samuel weiser, 1990. unterman, alan. dictionary of jewish lore and legend. london and new york: thames and hudson, 1991. winkler, gershon. the golem of prague. new york: judaica press, 1994. imp in old english impe means a young plant shoot or a tree sapling. over the years, the word came to refer to smallish entities that were direct offspring of the devil and sent from hell to do evil deeds to humans on earth. imps might well be called junior demons, and one of their principal assignments, according to christian authorities, was to dis

n pious nuns appeared before the tribunals, attesting to their affliction by persistent incubi that tried to persuade them to break their vows of chastity. epidemics of demon possession and erotomania swept such convents as loudon, louviers, auxonne, and aixen-provence. t h e g a l e e n c y c l o p e d i a o f t h e u n u s u a l a n d u n e x p l a i n e d 76 mysterious creatures themost famous golem is yossele, that was allegedly created by judah loew ben bezalel (1525 1609) to help protect the jews of prague. t h e g a l e e n c y c l o p e d i a o f t h e u n u s u a l a n d u n e x p l a i n e d mysterious creatures 77 david j. skal, author of the monster show: a cultural history of horror (1997, has made the observation that the history of horror entertainment closely parallels the

TYSON DONALD NEW MILLENNIUM MAGIC

the spirits will draw on the hidden powers of the higher self of the magus and grow stronger day by day, until at last they are too powerful to command; for spirits grow stronger at the expense of the magus, who correspondingly weakens. the liberated spirits will work all manner of mischief, from malice or exuberance, and will torment the magus unmercifully unto death. the jewish folk tale of the golem should be taken as a warning. the golem was a type of homunculus, a telesmatic image that had been infused into a life-sized figure of clay to give it power over the material world" in one version of the story, its cre- ator, rabbi loew of prague, allowed it to keep its form longer than necessary because it was obedient and subservient to him. but all the while, the golem grew in power, unti

TYSON DONALD THE POWER OF THE WORD

ects and solitary magicians continued to rely upon its potency as the foundation of all their works. in the middle ages, ba'alai shem, or masters of the name, employed tetragrammaton to heal the sick and banish evil spirits. one such ba'al shem was the great jewish magician rabbi loew of prague, who breathed life into lifeless clay by means of the power of the ihvh and with it created the dreaded golem. during the renaissance, xiv tetragrammaton johannes reuchlin and other christian kabbalists transformed tetragrammaton into the esoteric fivefold name of jesus and proclaimed it the key to all the mysteries. alchemists employed it prominently in their emblems, as did visionary mystics such as robert fludd and jacob boehme. almost all the great figures in occultism over the past two centurie

elestial or divine spirits and gods, and among these godly names the strongest are the names of supreme deity. but the greatest and most potent name of all is tetragrammaton, which is not merely a title, but the actual pattern and essence of god. it follows that in magic tetragrammaton can be used to command all lesser names. this is why it was held in such esteem by kabbalists. the legend of the golem, an artificial man created out of clay by rabbi loew of prague in the year 1580, gives useful insight as to how tetragrammaton may have been used by the ba'alei shem of the middle ages. very troubled in his mind about how to protect the jews of prague against the malicious libels of a priest named thaddeus, who preached their destruction, rabbi loew used his knowledge of kabbalah to obtain a

i loew of prague in the year 1580, gives useful insight as to how tetragrammaton may have been used by the ba'alei shem of the middle ages. very troubled in his mind about how to protect the jews of prague against the malicious libels of a priest named thaddeus, who preached their destruction, rabbi loew used his knowledge of kabbalah to obtain a dream oracle from god, who ordered him to create a golem of clay to defend israel. loew called to him two disciples with the qualities he required. one had been born with the power of the fire element. the other had been born with the power of the water element. loew himself had been gifted at birth with the power of air. it was necessary, he told the disciples, that all four elements be provided if such a creation was to succeed. he further infor

required. one had been born with the power of the fire element. the other had been born with the power of the water element. loew himself had been gifted at birth with the power of air. it was necessary, he told the disciples, that all four elements be provided if such a creation was to succeed. he further informed them that he had been given ten words containing a combination of names by which a golem might be formed. the three prayed and meditated for seven days. then, at "four after midnight" they went to the riverbank and used wet clay to fashion the figure of a man three cubits (about five feet) long lying on its back. the three stood at the feet of the golem facing it. loew ordered the disciple who had been gifted at birth with the power of the fire element to walk around the golem s

hree stood at the feet of the golem facing it. loew ordered the disciple who had been gifted at birth with the power of the fire element to walk around the golem seven times clockwise while reciting a "combination of letters" loew had given him. immediately, the clay figure began to glow like a bed of live coals. then the second disciple gifted with the water element walked seven times around the golem reciting a different combination of hebrew letters. steam issued from the body and cooled it. hair grew from the head of the golem, and upon the tips of its fingers appeared fingernails. rabbi loew himself circled the body seven times sunwise, reciting yet another combination of letters. the three kabbalists stood together at the foot of the golem and recited the words from genesis 2:7-"and

elf circled the body seven times sunwise, reciting yet another combination of letters. the three kabbalists stood together at the foot of the golem and recited the words from genesis 2:7-"and he breathed into his nostrils the breath 40 tetragrammaton of life, and the man became a living soul" the writer of the legend explains that, in the air of the breath, there must be found fire and water. the golem opened his eyes and rabbi loew ordered him to stand up. it is significant that, although the golem could see, hear, and understand, he "did not have the power of speech in his mouth" ten years following its creation, when the golem had accomplished its task and the jews of prague were safe once again, rabbi loew decided it was time to dissolve the artificial man back into clay. he summoned t

t is significant that, although the golem could see, hear, and understand, he "did not have the power of speech in his mouth" ten years following its creation, when the golem had accomplished its task and the jews of prague were safe once again, rabbi loew decided it was time to dissolve the artificial man back into clay. he summoned the same two disciples, who met him in the attic room where the golem lay sleeping on a cot. this time every action that had been done in the creation of the golem was reversed. the three stood together at the head of the golem rather than at his feet. they walked seven times around his cot in succession, this time beginning by walking down past the left side of the golem, whereas in the creation ritual they had begun their circumambulations by walking up past

od together at the head of the golem rather than at his feet. they walked seven times around his cot in succession, this time beginning by walking down past the left side of the golem, whereas in the creation ritual they had begun their circumambulations by walking up past the right side. each recited the same "combinations of letters" but in reverse order. at the conclusion of this circling, the golem lay inert upon his cot "like a lump of hardened clay" this legend is from the book of the miracles of r. loew, published in piotrkov in 1909 (see raphael patai, gates to the old city [avon, 19801, pp. 636-42. the numerology in the legend is highly instructive. loew is given ten words of power by god that enable the creation of the artificial man. these were probably the divine names of the t

roth are not the descriptive titles kether, chokrnah, binah, and so on; neither are they the spheres on the glyph of the tree of the kabbalah. the true sephiroth are nothing other than the ten names of god. all the rest is window dressing-an attempt to make the meanings and relationship of these ten names more comprehensible. all four of the elements are said to be required in the creation of the golem because four is the number of manifest being. the rabbis sought to create a physical man, not an ideal one. however, the "elements" of loew and his disciples represent, not the four physical elements which are all present in the clay of the golem's body, but the three active qualities or forces, represented in the kabbalah by the three hebrew mother letters, aleph (h, mem (d),a nd shin (w. s

, who had the gift of water (mem, would have recited the letters of the fixed ivhh, hhiv, vihh, and hhvi. finally, rabbi loew himself, who had the mediating gift of air (aleph, would have tied these extremes together by reciting the letters of the mutable ihhv, hvih, vhhi, and hlvh. it is possible that words of power other than the twelve banners of tetragrammaton were used in the creation of the golem. however, the permutations of the name would seem the most appropriate choice for this ritual, which imitates the creative act of supreme deity. it is worth noting that the golem, although he could see, hear, and understand what was happening around him, did not possess the gir of speech. since the golem was created not by god, but by men who were themselves the creations of god, the spark o

th noting that the golem, although he could see, hear, and understand what was happening around him, did not possess the gir of speech. since the golem was created not by god, but by men who were themselves the creations of god, the spark of divinity that lies within each living human being was not passed on to him. even though he looked like a man, he was a mere simulacrum. the 42 tetragrammaton golem could never have made another golem by magic, because the word which is in god and humans was not within him. this lack of a creative divine spark is symbolized by the muteness of the golem. it would seem that the author who recorded this legend of the golem (patai thinks it was judah rosenburg, who is listed on the title page of the miracles of r. loew as the editor) made an error in descri

another golem by magic, because the word which is in god and humans was not within him. this lack of a creative divine spark is symbolized by the muteness of the golem. it would seem that the author who recorded this legend of the golem (patai thinks it was judah rosenburg, who is listed on the title page of the miracles of r. loew as the editor) made an error in describing the dissolution of the golem. although it is said explicitly that "everything we did then was the reverse of what we had done at the creation of the golem (gates to the old city, p. 640, if the instructions are followed, they result in sunwise circumambulation (unless the golem was lying on his face. clearly the circumambulation should begin at the head and proceed counterclockwise seven times, against the course of the

plicitly that "everything we did then was the reverse of what we had done at the creation of the golem (gates to the old city, p. 640, if the instructions are followed, they result in sunwise circumambulation (unless the golem was lying on his face. clearly the circumambulation should begin at the head and proceed counterclockwise seven times, against the course of the sun, in order to return the golem to clay. i have taken the trouble to discuss the golem legend at such length because it illustrates the use of tetragrammaton among the jewish ba'alai shem of the middle ages. although this ritual of the kabbalah would not actually cause a clay figure to become flesh and blood, it would induce a celestial intelligence to enter into that clay figure and reside within it, where it could be con

th because it illustrates the use of tetragrammaton among the jewish ba'alai shem of the middle ages. although this ritual of the kabbalah would not actually cause a clay figure to become flesh and blood, it would induce a celestial intelligence to enter into that clay figure and reside within it, where it could be consulted as an oracle on important questions. this is likely the truth behind the golem legend. rabbi loew probably created a manlike statue, then used the magic of the kabbalah to induce an angel of god to dwell within it and act as a protective and tutelary spirit for the jews of prague during their time of trial. there are two aspects to any name, both of which must be considered in magic-the internal name and the uttered name. the internal name is what we understand the mea

LINDOW JOHN NORSE MYTHOLOGY A GUIDE TO THE GODS HEROES RITUALS AND BELIEFS

ction of warrior initiation: under the tutelage of an elder warrior, the initiant gslays h a made monster. i find the theory attractive even though there is nothing in snorri fs text to indicate that thjalfi fs status changes after the encounter with mokkurkalfi, which we would expect in an initiatory context. made monsters turn up in all sorts of cultures, not always in initiatory contexts (e.g, golems. according to the thorsdrapa of the tenth-century skald eilif godrunarson, thjalfi accompanied thor on his journey to the giant geirrod. the ninth and tenth stanzas seem to show thjalfi clinging to thor as the river vimur rises, but neither of them is fearful. apparently eilif thought thjalfi participated in the struggles with geirrod and his daughters alongside thor. a half-stanza that edi

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