Disclaimer: I am not a myths scholar. I am simply inspired by golem mythology and how it shapes human behavior and stories. The post below is a synthesis of my research and personal thoughts and should not be taken as verified fact, though I have done my best to ensure its accuracy. My sources are included at the end of the post.
What is a Golem?
Not to be confused with Gollum, the character from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, a golem is a human-inspired form made from clay or earth and then brought to life through one of a few different methods, usually involving a secret name of God, inscription or recitation of a specific word or words (often the Hebrew word for “truth”), and/or a ritualistic physical movement like walking around the statue.
One reason I’m inspired by mythology is the variations between similar stories. Different myths attribute a variety of powers to their golems, but it seems that a golem’s intended function falls into one of three major categories: 1) servitude 2) protection 3) companionship. Sometimes a golem grows too powerful and needs to be deactivated. Occasionally, a golem will destroy its creator.
Because golems are created by man and not by God, they lack certain human qualities like free will, morality, and speech. This makes them good for illustrating the dangers of hubris and of “playing God.” They can do only what they are bidden to do by their creators and are unable to refuse an order. Golems can only follow an order as it is given and have no capability to make adjustments. So, if the golem’s creator does not give a precise order, unintended consequences are certain to arise. This exact situation occurs in one golem myth during which a golem’s creator bids it fetch water, with no order about when to stop, and the golem floods the creator’s house.
Inspired by The Golem of Prague
Source: Wikipedia
When I first started doing research for the second book in the Sezna Seer series, I stumbled upon a well-known Jewish myth about Rabbi Judah (sometimes spelled “Yehudah”) Loew ben Bezalel, also known as the Maharal, who created a golem to to defend his people against antisemitic attacks from Christians in 1580. It is said he brought to life a statue made of clay using kabbalistic ritual. Once the golem had fulfilled its duty protecting the community, Maharal reversed the ritual to return the golem to its inactive state.
Other versions of the story exist in which the golem grew too large or too strong for the rabbi to control, destroying people and its surroundings, and sometimes even the rabbi himself. Some versions claim the rabbi inscribed the Hebrew word for “truth,” Emet, on the golem’s forehead in order to bring it to life. In order to deactivate it, the first letter of the word had to be erased to change the word to Met, meaning “death.”
Golems Beyond Jewish Folklore
Golems are not only found in Jewish mythology, though the word “golem” is not always used to describe them. In Norse mythology, Thor defeated a giant made of stone named Hrungnir. Using the loose definition, Hrnugnir could be considered a golem. There are also many instances in different cultural myths where life—humanity specifically—is created from earth/clay and then animated by its creator. Though these creations have perhaps not been explicitly created with the same intentions as the golems of Jewish folklore, which were created by man not gods, there is something interesting to be said about how the theme of life from earth arises in cultures across the world.
One reason I’m inspired by the golem myth is because I think it shows that as humans, we are all trying to understand our world in similar ways. The theme of creation from clay or earth shows humanity’s interest in how it came to be and how we think about ourselves. The golem myths echo this interest in the form of “learn by doing.” Perhaps the creators of golems are just trying to understand the power and responsibility of their God/s by bringing something to life themselves.
Modern Pop Culture Inspired by Golem Mythology
Creative works throughout the past few centuries, have been inspired by mythology. In particular, the golem myth inspired well-known tales like Pinocchio and Frankenstein as well as characters in games such as Minecraft and Dungeons and Dragons
Right: Original Art of Pinocchio by Enrico Mazzanti
In 1984, The New York Times published an article by Isaac Bashevis Singer commenting on the golem myth and its continued impact on creative works throughout modern times. A few of Singer’s points resonated with me, in particular. But the one I want to focus on is:
“The resemblance of this golem to the golems of our nuclear age staggers the imagination. While we attempt to surpass our enemies and to create new and more destructive golems, the awful possibility is lurking that they may develop a volition of their own, become spiteful, treacherous, mad golems. Like the Jews of Prague in the sixteenth century we are frightened by our golems. We would like to be in a position to erase the uncanny power we have given them, hide them in some monstrous attic and wait for the time when they too will become fiction and folklore.”
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Exchange the word “technology” for “nuclear” and the above paragraph could have been written today.
Technology Inspired by “Golems”
Humans are always creating—it is our nature. Is it too far-fetched, then, to say that we in the age of technology are constantly building golems—soulless forms that resemble ourselves in some ways—in order to fill the same roles (1) servitude 2) protection 3) companionship) of the golems from the late 1580s?
Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things
We can ask our virtual assistants to schedule appointments, order groceries, play music, or tell our robotic vacuum—a golem itself—to clean our home. And our homes themselves have become golems of servitude. Our refrigerator can tell us when we’re running low on milk, our thermostats adapt our home’s temperature by learning our habits, and our Netflix account recommends new media based on things we’ve previously watched so we don’t have to spend hours mindlessly scrolling. Maybe technology’s abilities to learn, to adapt, and to suggest new information disqualify it as a golem. But does that make it more or less dangerous than an animated clay figure?
Security
We don’t have animated sentries guarding our homes with clubs or spears, but we do have cameras connected to satellites watching us, our homes, and anyone who might or might not be an intruder. This technology may not look like the golems of the past, but its function—to warn and protect—is the same.
Social Media
Companionship seems to be a lesser-used reason for creating a golem throughout history. But today we use social media as a stand-in for human connection on a daily, sometimes even hourly basis. By placing barriers between us in the forms of screens and carefully presented profiles, we have effectively stripped the soul and essence of humanity from our interactions. What is a golem, if not the shell of a person doing only as it is told? Our social media profiles display only what we want the world to see and not a pixel more. It is not necessarily a false image, but an incomplete one, lacking the nuance of a being fully formed.
And there is danger in this, just as there is danger in creating and giving order to a being made of clay. The image we present online can grow and change and quickly get out of hand, just as a physical being could. Unfortunately, just pressing the “off” button doesn’t still the beast we have created. Where a physical golem could be deactivated with a ritual or the removal of a letter, our technological golems cannot quite so easily be returned to their dormant state.
We must be careful, then, with these things we breathe life into with the tap of a few keys. For from their first breath they are already stronger than we know and more difficult to control than we’d like to admit. Because to admit such a thing would be to enact hubris—we know the gravity of what we do, and yet, we do it anyway, believing, or at least convincing ourselves we believe, that we are in control, while all the while fearing that maybe we had no business creating the things we have unleashed in the first place.
How to Use the Golem Myth as Inspiration for Your Own Stories
Ask yourself the important questions all journalists learn: Who, What, Where, When, How, and (in my opinion) most importantly, Why.
Who: What kind of character would be moved to create a golem, and what motivates them?
Arrogance? Fear? Curiosity? Necessity?
What: Explore the kinds of materials a golem could be made of. Just because the golems of old were made of clay does not mean yours must be. Could they be made of ice or fire or wind or leaves? Could they be magic or dust bunnies or candy corn? Could it take a different form, other than that of a human-likeness? Could it be a thing or a place?
Where: Think about the impact location might have on your golem. This could determine what it is made of and who creates it. It could impact its powers and its weaknesses. It might dictate its purpose for existing in the first place.
When: As with the Where, the When might dictate any number of decisions you make regarding your fictional golem. The people who live/ during your chosen time will have specific challenges they might call on a golem to solve.
How: Explore different ways your golem could be brought to life and deactivated. Think about how the golem could function and what abilities it could lack or possess. Can it speak but only words others have given it? Can it move heavy objects but cannot see? Play with different combinations of abilities to make your golem unique.
Finally, Why: Why does your character believe creating a golem will solve their problem? And why are the correct or incorrect?
Do you have any favorite media inspired by a golem myth? Did I get something wrong? Send me a note at author@kierstenlillis.com and let me know!
Sources
The Golem is a Myth for Our Time
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein%27s_monster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinocchio
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/golem
