Lilith is a figure of myth and folklore whose story has evolved over many centuries, blending ancient Mesopotamian, Jewish, and later mystical traditions. She is often portrayed as the first wife of Adam (before Eve), who rebelled against him and against the order of creation. Her tale has been interpreted in many ways: as a demonic night‐spirit, as a symbol of female autonomy, and as a cautionary figure within patriarchal mythologies. Alongside her mythic story is a modern observance of a “feast” or day of recognition associated with her on 24 October—often called “Lilith’s Day” or the “Feast of the Spirits of the Air”.
In this essay I will explore Lilith’s origins and mythic role (especially as Adam’s first wife), the nature of her rebellion, and the modern observance of 24 October as a day linked to her. Although the story is not canonical in the major religious scriptures, its cultural and symbolic resonance is significant.
Origins and the Story of Lilith as Adam’s First Wife
The notion that Lilith was the first wife of Adam arises in Jewish folklore and midrashic‐apocryphal texts rather than in the canonical Hebrew Bible. Scholars note that Lilith’s name appears only once in the Hebrew scriptures (in Isaiah 34:14, where the Hebrew term lilit is used and is traditionally translated as “night creature” or “night monster”).
From that bare mention, a fuller narrative grew in later Jewish lore:
• According to the text known as the Alphabet of Ben Sira (dated roughly 8th–10th century CE), Lilith was created at the same time and from the same clay as Adam, making her his equal.
• The story goes that Lilith refused to be subservient to Adam. When Adam demanded that she lie beneath him (in the sexual/positional sense), Lilith argued that since they were both formed from the earth, they were equals, and she would not assume a lesser role.
• Because of this refusal to accept subordination, Lilith uttered the “Ineffable Name” of God, flew away from Eden (or from Adam), and would not return.
• After her departure, Adam then received Eve, who in the canonical Genesis narrative is formed from Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:21-22) — aligning with the second creation account. The lore about Lilith thus serves to reconcile the two creation narratives (Genesis 1:27 vs. Genesis 2) by positing an earlier partner.
Thus, Lilith embodies a mythic “first woman” parallel to Eve: created simultaneously with Adam, asserting equality, rebelling, and leaving. She becomes, in that telling, a figure of independence—and in later tradition a demoness, associated with night, seduction, and harm to infants and children.
Some key thematic elements in her story:
• Equality and rebellion: Her challenge to Adam’s authority is central.
• Departure: Her leaving Eden underscores her unwillingness to be constrained.
• Demonisation: After leaving, she becomes associated with darker powers—incubus/succubus traditions, harming children, etc.
• Symbolic function: Over time, Lilith has served as both a cautionary figure (against rebellion, independence), and, in modern readings, a symbol of autonomous womanhood and challenge to patriarchy.
It is important to emphasise that this story is folkloric and not part of canonical scripture; many scholars argue that the “Lilith as first wife” myth is a later development (medieval period and afterwards) rather than an original biblical assertion.
Lilith’s Rebellion and Its Consequences
In the narrative tradition, Lilith’s rebellion has several consequences and interpretations:
• Refusal to submit: The myth emphasises Lilith’s refusal to accept a subordinate sexual or social position relative to Adam. This stands in stark contrast to the later Eve narrative.
• Flight and exile: Lilith leaves the Garden (or the proximity of Adam), claiming her autonomy. According to the story, three angels (Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof) are sent by God to retrieve her; when she refuses, they threaten to kill 100 of her children each day—thus she is named as harming infants and children in return.
• Demonisation: Over time, Lilith becomes a figure of night‐demons, associated with erotic dreams, seduction, death of infants, and nocturnal danger. She is conflated with Mesopotamian night-spirits (the Akkadian lilītu) and later becomes part of the mystical tradition of Kabbalah as a demonic feminine force.
• Symbolic reinterpretation: In modern times, Lilith has been reclaimed by feminist thinkers and spiritual movements who see her as an icon of female self-possession, independence, and rebellion against patriarchal structures.
Thus, the figure of Lilith operates on multiple levels — mythic, moral, symbolic. She challenges established order (the dominance of man), pays the price (exile, demonisation), but also occupies a lasting space as a figure of both fear and empowerment.
The Feast / Day of Lilith: 24 October
One interesting modern dimension is the observance of 24 October as a kind of commemoration or “feast” associated with Lilith. It is not an ancient, mainstream religious feast day, but rather a modern calendrical marker in neopagan, feminist, or folklore‐based contexts.
According to sources:
• The date 24 October is listed in certain “fixed holy days” calendars (e.g., for neo-pagan or Wiccan practitioners) as the “Feast of the Spirits of the Air,” dedicated to Lilith.
• Some online sources mark 24 October as “Lilith’s Day,” suggesting it is the day Lilith uttered the secret Name of God and fled the Garden, or to honour her defiance and independence.
• One blog/tradition suggests that on this day people might honour Lilith with offerings such as crystals, figures, flowers (roses preferred), wine, chocolate.
In other words, the observance is largely modern, and more symbolic than doctrinal. It ties into broader currents of alternative spirituality (neo-paganism, feminist reinterpretation of myths) rather than mainstream Judaism or Christianity.
What one might do on 24 October in this context
• Reflection on themes of independence, equality, and rebellion embodied by Lilith.
• Ritual or symbolic offerings: flowers, candles, symbolic items (as above).
• Reading or storytelling about Lilith’s myth.
• Meditation on the “night” and the “air” – given Lilith’s association with night‐spirits and winds.
• Perhaps connecting to feminist or women‐centred spiritual practices, acknowledging Lilith as a figure of autonomy.
Caveats
It’s worth noting that because this is a modern observance, the meanings vary widely; there is no standard liturgy or scripture for “Lilith’s Feast.” Also, in conservative religious perspectives, Lilith’s story is regarded either as non-canonical or as mythological rather than factual. Some sources dismiss the “first wife” narrative as a later folk invention.
Significance and Interpretation
Why does Lilith’s story matter? Several interpretive angles emerge:
• Mythical explanation for textual tension: The Genesis creation accounts (Genesis 1 vs. 2) have different orders and forms of human creation (in Genesis 1:27 male and female created simultaneously; in Genesis 2 the woman is made from man’s rib). The Lilith narrative can be seen as a folkloric solution to that tension: Lilith equals the “woman made at the same time,” Eve the later one.
• Gender and power dynamics: Lilith’s refusal to accept subordination has made her a potent figure in discussions of gender, sexuality, and power. In traditional readings she is demonised; in modern feminist readings she is valorised.
• Demonological tradition: Lilith’s transformation into a demoness connects her to ancient beliefs about night‐spirits, infant mortality, seduction, and purity/impurity in folk religion.
• Cultural and symbolic resonance: From medieval Jewish mysticism, to art (e.g., the Pre‐Raphaelite depiction) and modern spiritual literature, Lilith has been a motif of fascination—her image shifting with cultural values.
• Modern spiritual practice: The observance of Lilith’s day, rituals and reinterpretations reflect how ancient myth can be re-imagined to meet contemporary spiritual and social concerns—especially around autonomy, identity and resistance.
The myth of Lilith offers a rich tapestry of meaning: a being created equal to Adam, who refuses subordination, departs, and becomes a powerful figure of night, freedom, and sometimes terror. Whether viewed as a demon, a feminist icon, or a mythic symbol, Lilith occupies a unique place in folklore.
The association of 24 October as a “Feast of Lilith” (or “Feast of the Spirits of the Air”) underscores how her myth continues to live in modern spiritual and cultural practice—even though it does not originate in canonical scripture. It serves as a symbolic nod to her themes of independence and defiance.
In exploring Lilith, one encounters questions about authority, gender, creativity, rebellion, and how myth serves to articulate both fear and hope. Her story might ask us: What happens when one refuses the slot assigned to them? How does the myth of freedom coexist with the costs of separation? What does it mean to assert equality in a structure designed for subordination?
As the story goes: Lilith sought to be free, to be equal. The myth presents her choosing that freedom—and paying a price for it. In our time, the story invites reflection on the shape of freedom, the cost of it, and the legacies we inherit of rebellion and autonomy.
