Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

Lilith: Quintessential Bad Girl Or Simply Misunderstood?, Yvonne B. Wichman

South East Coastal Conference on Languages & Literatures (SECCLL)

In some cultures, the earth, moon, water, and love are associated with the feminine. In others, women and their divine counterparts rule over war, death, demons, and destruction. The duality of good versus evil in feminine figures has intrigued cultures for thousands of years. In fact, the dichotomy of feminine archetypes has provided a basis for speculation and research since the beginning of recorded history.

Lilith, who appears in the world’s oldest text, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is one mythological figure who remains a point of fascination. She is the oldest goddess-demon figure from the Sumero-Babylonian era and the sole …