Exploring Hidden Feminist Connections From the Middle Ages to Today
Veronica Menaldi
Abstract
Despite her hidden early references, the fictional figure of Lilith is becoming more and more recognized today. Her Iberian origins as a singular figure in medieval Kabbalistic texts serve as the basis of neomedievaliist readings in her later manifestations across languages, cultures, and time perieods. Here I compare past and present Lilith representations in part mirroring her archetype’s own expansion from Iberia. Specifically I take a close look at two understudied Spanish contemporary Lilith-themed songs, Pedro Guerra’s “Lilith” (2002) and Ismael Serrano’s “Hija de Lilith” (2012), and two globally popular TV shows derived from earlier comic books, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020) and Lucifer (2016–2021). I conclude that a reason this supernatural figure—and its many manifestations—continues to adapt, circulate, and enchant her growing audiences is due to her seemingly contradictory nature. In tracing possible references to premodern material that demonstrate her individuality and rebellious nature in the contemporary sources, the way in which the Lilith archetype synchronizes the “good” and “bad” becomes a point of admiration for this liminal figure.
Keywords
Iberia; neomedievalism; esotericism; cultural studies; gender studies