Lilith
Lilith is a figure in Jewish and early Christian folklore, said to be the incarnation of lust. There are multiple possible origin stories for the character of Lilith, but one of the most popular seems to be that she was the first wife of Adam. The story goes on to suggest that she refused to be subservient to Adam because, as she saw it, she was created of the same earth Adam was and was thus equal with him. Her free-thinking nature got her kicked out of Eden, and she subsequently turned to The Dark Side and went on to give birth to countless numbers of demons with Asmodeus.
By the High Middle Ages and Renaissance, she was often identified with the Serpent of Eden, which is why, for instance, the Temptation scene painted by Michelangelo in the Cistine Chapel shows the serpent as a sort of snaky mermaid, handing the apple to Eve. Dante Gabriel Rosetti used this as the inspirations for his poem "Eden Bower," in which we see Lilith plotting to transform herself and spoil Eden. BACK into a snake, actually. Apparently, in this poem, she started out as a serpent, given human shape and then given to Adam until her replacement by a truly human woman.
Originally, however, she was simply a Sumerian baby-eating demon and prostitute.
Has been featured rather extensively in several recent pop culture works, most notably Supernatural. Considering the legend about her relationship with Adam was written in about the 9th century A.D., Values Dissonance is definitely in play in regards to that particular bit of lore. Whether or not her turn towards evil was due to this is entirely up for debate. The Rule of Cautious Editing Judgment is likewise in full force.
- Anti-Villain: Some see her as this. Being kicked out of a literal Nirvana generally tends to help your case...
- Child Eater: Depending on the Writer.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Why she went to The Dark Side
- Complete Monster: ... except when you're being blamed for all kinds of accidents and deaths.
- Create Your Own Villain: Although really, God handing you the short end of the stick and then replacing you is still undeniably sympathetic.
- Depraved Bisexual: Recorded as sleeping with men...and Eve, apparently.
- Fair for Its Day: Her most widely known origin story was, once again, written in the Early Middle Ages. Keep in mind that women didn't have as many rights back then as they did even in the mid-1800s, so this trope is naturally par for the course.
- Horny Devils: Widely considered to be one of the very first succubi, if not the first.
- Love Makes You Evil: Or, more to the point, demanding equal respect does according to that one story.
- Mother of a Thousand Young: Apparently is capable of producing enough milk to feed 100 baby demons per day. How she finds the time to seduce/rape mortals *and* nurse 100 baby demons is never explained.
- Misaimed Fandom: Maybe.
- Multiple Choice Past: Pops up as a Sumerian or an Assyrian desert demon first, is developed as Ishtar's handmaiden, only to undergo a critical story change in the Early Middle Ages, invoking her as the first wife of Adam. Now granted, that particular text was satirical, with jokes and references to flatulence and masturbation, but no one remembers that bit.
- Are we entirely sure it was meant to be satirical?
- Another origin story has it that she was always a demon, coming to Adam and night (her name is related to the Hebrew word for night) and preying on him as a succubus, thereby becoming mother of the lilim, a band of demons.
- Our Demons Are Different: In this case, possibly the first woman before going bad.
- Psycho Ex-Girlfriend
- The Dark Side: Nothing else on the subject needs to be said, really.
- Toilet Seat Divorce: Adam has her kicked out of the garden because she wanted to be on top while they had sex.
- Unholy Matrimony: According to some versions of the legend, she's the favorite wife of Satan (who, naturally, not only doesn't mind her sleeping with mortals, but actually encourages her to do so).
- Values Dissonance: The most popular origin story was penned when women were still very much subservient to men. Should the story have been written down in the late 20th century, she would have gotten a slap on the back for being rather independent.