Golem 11888 226121767 2008-07-16T22:25:09Z 199.76.191.161 /* In modern culture */ {{otheruses}} {{Refimprove|date=February 2008}} [[Image:Golem and Loew.jpg|200px|Rabbi Loew and golem.|thumb]] In [[Jewish folklore]], a '''golem''' (גולם, sometimes, as in [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]], pronounced ''goilem'') is an animated being created entirely from inanimate matter. In modern [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] the word ''golem'' literally means "cocoon", but can also mean "fool", "silly", or even "stupid". The name appears to derive from the word ''gelem'' (גלם), which means "raw material". ==History== ===Origins of the word=== The word ''golem'' is used in the [[Bible]] to refer to an embryonic or incomplete substance: [[Psalms|Psalm]] 139:16 uses the word גלמי, meaning ''my unshaped form''. The [[Mishnah]] uses the term for an uncultivated person ("Seven characteristics are in an uncultivated person, and seven in a learned one", [[Pirkei Avot]] 5:7). Similarly, golems are often used today in [[metaphor]] either as brainless lunks or as entities serving man under controlled conditions but hostile to him in others. Similarly, it is a [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]] slang insult for someone who is clumsy or slow. ===Earliest stories=== The earliest stories of golems date to early Judaism. Adam is described in the [[Talmud]] (Tractate [[Sanhedrin]] 38b) as initially created as a golem when his dust was "kneaded into a shapeless hunk". Like Adam, all golems are created from [[clay]]. They were a creation of those who were very holy and close to [[God]]. A very holy person was one who strove to approach God, and in that pursuit would gain some of God's wisdom and power. One of these powers was the creation of life. No matter how holy a person became, however, a being created by that person would be but a shadow of one created by God. Early on, the notion developed that the main disability of the golem was its inability to speak. In [[Sanhedrin (Talmud)|Sanhedrin]] 65b, is the description of [[Raba (Talmud)|Raba]] creating a golem using the [[Sefer Yetzirah]]. He sent the golem to [[Rav Zeira]]; Rav Zeira spoke to the golem, but he did not answer. Said Rav Zeira, "I see that you were created by one of our colleagues; return to your dust." It is said that if a golem were made able to speak, that would give it a soul, and — because a golem cannot be made perfectly — that ability could make it very dangerous. ===Owning and activating golems=== Having a golem servant was seen as the ultimate symbol of wisdom and holiness, and there are many tales of golems connected to prominent rabbis throughout the [[Middle Ages]]. Other attributes of the golem were gradually added over time. In many tales the Golem is inscribed with magic or religious words that keep it animated. Writing one of the [[Names of God in Judaism|names of God]] on its forehead, a slip of paper in its mouth, or enscribed on its body, or writing the word ''Emet'' (אמת,"truth" in the [[Hebrew language]]) on its forehead are examples of such words. By erasing the first letter aleph in ''Emet'' to form ''Met'' (מת, "dead" in Hebrew) the golem could be deactivated. Another way is by writing a specific incantation in the owner's blood on calfskin parchment, and placing it in the mouth. Removing the parchment will deactivate the golem. It is likely that this is the same incantation that the Rabbi recites in the classic narrative. Golems also need to rest on the Sabbath lest they go berserk. ===The classic narrative=== [[Image:Clay-golem.jpg|right|thumb|Clay Prague golem]] The most famous golem narrative involves Rabbi [[Judah Loew ben Bezalel|Judah Loew the Maharal]] of [[Prague]], a [[16th century]] [[rabbi]]. He is reported to have created a golem to defend the Prague [[ghetto]] of [[Josefov (Prague)|Josefov]] from [[Anti-Semitism|Anti-Semitic]] attacks. The story of the Golem first appeared in print in 1847 in a collection of Jewish tales entitled ''Galerie der Sippurim'', published by [[Wolf Pascheles]] of Prague. About sixty years later, a fictional account was published by [[Yudl Rosenberg]] (1909). According to the legend, the Emperor made an edict proclaiming that the Jews in Prague were to be either expelled or killed (depending on the version of the story). A golem could be made of clay from the banks of the [[Vltava]] river in Prague. Following the prescribed rituals, the Rabbi built the Golem and made him come to life by reciting special incantations in Hebrew. The Rabbi's intention was to have the Golem protect the Jewish community from harm. As Rabbi Loew's Golem grew bigger, he also became more violent and started killing the [[Gentiles]] (non-Jews) and spreading fear. Some versions also add that the Golem turns on his creator and attacks either his creator alone or the creator and the Jews as well. In the face of the strength demonstrated and violence perpetrated by the Golem, the Emperor begs Rabbi Loew to destroy the Golem, and in return he would promise that the persecution of and violence towards the Jews would stop. The Rabbi accepted this offer. To destroy the Golem, he rubbed out the first letter of the word "emet" or "aemaeth" (God's truth) from the golem's forehead to make the Hebrew word "met" or "maeth", meaning death. It was made clear to the Emperor that the Golem of Prague's remains would be stored in a coffin in the attic of the [[Old New Synagogue|Old-New Synagogue]] in Prague, and it can be summoned again if needed. It is said that the body of Rabbi Loew's golem still lies in the [[genizah]] of the [[Old New Synagogue, Prague|Old-New Synagogue]] in [[Prague]]. In some documents, the golem was stolen from [[genizah]] and entombed in a graveyard in Žižkov. In this very place, the great Žižkovská tower now stands. A legend is told of a Nazi agent during [[World War II]] ascending the attic and trying to stab the golem, but perishing instead.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The attic is not open to the general public. The existence of a golem is sometimes a mixed blessing. Golems are not intelligent — if commanded to perform a task, they will take the instructions perfectly literally. In some incarnations of the legend of the Maharal's golem, the golem has powers that can aid it in its tasks. These include invisibility, a heated touch, and the ability to use the Maharal's walking stick to summon spirits from the dead. This last power was often crucial, as the golem could summon dead witnesses, which the medieval Prague courts would allow to testify. ===The hubris theme=== In many depictions golems are inherently perfectly obedient. However, in its earliest known modern form the story has [[Elijah Ba'al Shem of Chelm|Rabbi Eliyahu]] of [[Chelm]] creating a golem that became enormous and uncooperative. In one version of this the rabbi had to resort to trickery to deactivate it, whereupon it crumbled upon its creator and crushed him. There is a similar [[hubris]] theme in ''[[Frankenstein]]'', ''[[The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]'' and some other golem-derived stories in popular culture. The theme also manifests itself in [[R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)]], [[Karel Capek]]'s [[1921]] play which coined the term [[robot]]; the novel was written in Prague and while Capek denied that he modeled the robot after the golem, there are many similarities in the plot.<ref>http://www.karelcapek.net/rur.htm</ref> ===The golem in European culture=== In the late 19th century the golem was adopted by mainstream European society. Most notably [[Gustav Meyrink]]'s [[1915]] novel ''[[The Golem (Meyrink)|Der Golem]]'' based on the tales of the golem created by [[Judah Low ben Bezalel]]. This book inspired a classic set of [[Expressionism (film)|expressionistic]] [[silent movies]], [[Paul Wegener]]'s Golem series, of which especially ''[[The Golem: How He Came Into the World]]'' (also released as ''The Golem'', 1920, USA 1921--the only surviving film of the trilogy) is famous. Another famous treatment from the same era is [[H. Leivick]]'s 1921 Yiddish-language "dramatic poem in eight sections" ''[[The Golem (Leivick)|The Golem]]''. Also notable is [[Julien Duvivier]]'s "Le Golem" (1936), a sequel to the Wegener film. Nobel prize winner [[Isaac Bashevis Singer]] also wrote a version of the legend. These tales saw a dramatic change, and some would argue a Christianization,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} of the golem. The golem became a creation of overambitious and overreaching mystics, who would inevitably be punished for their blasphemy, as in [[Mary Shelley]]'s ''[[Frankenstein]]'' and the [[alchemy|alchemical]] [[homunculus]]. The homunculus appears occasionally in the folklore of Eastern Europe as a construct made from natural materials such as dirt, roots, insects, feces, and other substances. In these stories the creature is revived through incantation and acts as a vehicle for the astrally projected mind of a sorcerer. Dutch novelist, [[Harry Mulisch]]'s 1999 Novel, "the Procedure" is in part a modern re-interpretation of the Golem myth, starting with a 'historical' description of the kabbalistic experiment which results in a murderous female Golem. ====The Golem in the Czech Republic==== The Golem is a popular figure in the [[Czech Republic]]. There are several restaurants and other businesses named after him. [[Strongman (strength athlete)|Strongman]] René Richter goes by the nickname "Golem", and a Czech [[monster truck]] outfit calls itself the "Golem Team". {{Fact|date=February 2007}} The Golem had a main role in the 1951 Czech movie [[Císařův pekař a pekařův císař]] (released in the US as ''The Emperor and the Golem''). ==In modern culture== :''For more stories and characters named "Golem" see [[Golem (disambiguation)]] and [[:Category:Fictional golems]]'' <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Golemwiki1920.jpg|thumb|right|125px|[[Paul Wegener]] as golem in [[The Golem: How He Came Into the World|''Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam'']] (1920)]] --> Golems appear in a wide variety of books, comic books, films, television shows, fantasy anime and games, ranging from an [[umbrella term]] for [[automata]] and [[simulacra]]. Golems are specially usual characters in computer RPG videogames and tabletop games such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]'' or ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic]]'', being usually made of earth, but also metal or blood or other substances. Typically, a golem is a creation of a wizard or sorcerer to act as a servant or guardian. These are some notable contemporary uses of the golem ''mythos'': *The Golem of Prague has appeared in stories across many media, including the novels ''[[The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay]]'', in which Josef Kavalier helps save the Golem of Prague from Nazi invasion, ''[[A Calculus of Angels]]'', ''[[Foucault's Pendulum]]'', ''[[He, She and It]]'', [[Donald Tyson]]'s ''Tortuous Serpent'', and [[Pete Hamill]]'s ''Snow in August''. *Also inspired in part by the story of the Golem of Prague, [[Ted Chiang]] wrote a short story, ''[[Seventy-Two Letters]]'', which explores the role of language in the creation of golems. The story won the [[Sidewise Award for Alternate History]] in 2000. It can be found in the collection ''[[Stories of Your Life and Others]]''. [[Image:Golem of It!.jpg|thumb|right|100px|Alan Sellers as the Golem of Prague in the 1966 film ''[[The Golem: It!|It!]]''.]] *The first trilogy of movies about Rabbi Judah Loew and his golem were ''Der Golem'' (1915), the ''Golem and the Dancing Girl'' (1917), and ''Der Golem, wie er in die welt kam'' (1920) Directed by [[Paul Wegener]]. Only the last film, which is a [[prequel]], has survived, though stills exist of the earlier films. This Golem is the main subject of the British film ''[[The Golem: It!|It!]]'', Gold Star Productions Limited (1966), staring [[Roddy McDowell]] as Arthur Pimm, who evokes (brings to life) the Golem. *Edward Einhorn's ''Golem Stories'' appearing in his book of plays entitled ''The Golem, Methuselah, and Shylock''<ref>[http://www.untitledtheater.com/GMS.htm The Golem, Methuselah and Shylock<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> includes a golem that has the soul of a young man who was the fiance of the Rabbi's daughter. *In [[Jonathan Stroud]]'s ''[[Bartimaeus Trilogy]]'', golems were used by Prague in their war against the British Empire in the story's late 19th century [[alternate history]. The golem would be destroyed if its master was killed; and its master's name was written on a parchment in its mouth. *In [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[Discworld]]'' novel, ''[[Feet of Clay]]'', the Golem [[Dorfl]] becomes conscious and is given free will after Captain Carrot alters his "Chem", the slip of parchment in the Golem's flip-top head so that he 'owns' himself. The novel also features a number of other encounters with golems, and even a Golem-made-Golem, which commits murderous atrocities across [[Ankh-Morpork]]. Golems appear as supporting characters in ''[[Going Postal]]'' and ''[[Making Money]]''. Free (self-owned) golems buy the freedom of owned golems. The economic and social impact of slave-like labor is a theme, as well as the morality of sentient labor without liberty or free choice. *In [[Pete Hamill|Pete Hamill's]] novel, ''[[Snow in August]]'', a young Catholic boy named Michael befriends a Jewish rabbi. The boy elicits the name of God from the rabbi, and in an elaborate ritual, creates a golem which he takes to the local hangout, a pool hall, for vengeance against a thug. *In ''[[The Puttermesser Papers]]'', a [[National Book Award]] finalist by [[Cynthia Ozick]], the main character Ruth Puttermesser, a [[Jewish]] lawyer, creates a golem, who loyally serves Puttermesser's quest to convert [[New York City]] into an urban [[Utopia]]. *In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' "[[Treehouse of Horror XVII]]", [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] steals a Golem from [[Krusty the Klown|Krusty]] and uses it to do his own. This cartoon Golem is drawn to resemble the golem in Wegener's film. Krusty gives a brief history of the "Jewish Golem of Prague", given orders by placing a written command in its mouth. *The online RPG game [[Kingdom of Loathing]] features golems made of food items, such as meat, bread, candied yam, chowder, fruits, stuffing, or white chocolate as monsters which the player has to fight. *''[[Gargoyles (TV series)|Gargoyles]]'', Season II, Episode 28, "Golem"; ''[[Charmed]]'', Season IV, Episode 5, "Size Matters"; and the ''[[The X-Files]]'' Season IV, Episode 15, titled "Kaddish" all feature golems as a plot element.[http://www.imdb.com] *Rabbi Loew and the Golem briefly appear during the culmination of events in [[Neil Gaiman]]'s novel ''[[American Gods]]''. *The horror film series ''[[Puppet Master (film)|Puppet Master]]'' Feature a number of monsterous dolls that are said to be golumns. == Literature == *{{cite book | last = Bilski | first = Emily B. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Golem! Danger, Deliverance and Art | publisher = The Jewish Museum | date = 1988 | location = New York | pages = | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 8-7334-0493-0}} *{{cite book | last = Dennis | first = Geoffrey | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism | publisher = Llewellyn Worldwide | date = 2007 | location = Woodbury (MN) | pages = | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 0-7387-0905-0}} *{{cite book | last = Winkler | first = Gershon | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Golem of Prague: A New Adaptation of the Documented Stories of the Golem of Prague | publisher = Judaica Press | date = 1980 | location = New York | pages = | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 0-9108-1825-8}} *{{cite book | last = Goldsmith | first = Arnold L. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Golem Remembered 1909-1980: Variations of a Jewish Legend | publisher = Wayne State University Press | date = 1981 | location = Detroit | pages = | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 0-8143-16832-8}} *{{cite book | last = Idel | first = Mosche | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Golem: Jewish Magical and Mystical Traditions on the Artificial Anthropoid | publisher = State University of New York Press | date = 1990 | location = Albany (NY) | pages = | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 0-7914-0160-X}} *{{cite book | last = Pratchett | first = Terry | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Feet of Clay | publisher = HarperCollins (US) and Transworld (UK) | date = 1996 | location = Discworld | pages = | url = | doi = | }} *{{cite book | last = Chabon | first = Michael | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay | publisher = Picador | date = 2000 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | }} *{{cite book | last = Gaiman | first = Neil | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = American Gods | publisher = William Morrow | date = 2001 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = ISBN 0-380-97365-0 | }} * ''The Golem's Eye'' (''Bartimaeus Trilogy'' - Book 2) by Jonathan Stroud * Several works by [[Byron Sherwin]] ==References== <!-- ---------------------------------------------------------- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for a discussion of different citation methods and how to generate footnotes using the <ref>, </ref> and {{reflist}} tags. ----------------------------------------------------------- --> {{reflist}} [[Category:Jewish mythology]] [[Category:Medieval European legendary creatures]] [[ast:Golem]] [[bg:Голем]] [[ca:Gòlem]] [[cs:Golem]] [[de:Golem]] [[et:Golem]] [[es:Golem (mitología)]] [[eo:Golemo]] [[fr:Golem]] [[gl:Golem]] [[it:Golem]] [[he:גולם (מיסטיקה)]] [[lt:Golemas]] [[nl:Golem (legende)]] [[ja:ゴーレム]] [[no:Golem]] [[pl:Golem]] [[pt:Golem]] [[ru:Голем]] [[sk:Golem]] [[fi:Golem]] [[sv:Golem]] [[th:โกเลม]] [[tr:Golem]]