Essay: About Randy's Diary

How I came to the character

A story is told of a woman, well they say woman, though some renderings call her a demon. She is so powerful, her appearance in the Bible is only implied. She could be another face of Pandora. She could be Eve as a child, which would mean the Genesis myth was distorted in its telling. She could be Eve’s sister.

 

Maybe she is Adam’s missing half.

 

I’d argue within the context of the Genesis myth, that Adam and Eve were not human beings, but rather something more than human, less than angels. More is the wrong word. It’s the word I’ll use. Within the context of the myth, I’d say Eve is more human than Adam, Eve having come forth from Adam’s body. That’s so bizarre, bringing to mind the birth of Athena from Zeus’ brow.

 

Let’s get back to Lilith, raised from the mud, animated by the breath of God, just like Adam. Note this: if Lilith is a demon, so then is Adam. Skipping a long story, I’m going to jump to the back page. Lilith and Adam don’t get along. Lilith evokes the true name of God, calling great power to her and leaves the Garden.

 

The stories of myth and madness told of Lilith by Man (Adam) aren’t flattering from here. She’s depicted as a w***e, actually enjoying sex. Oh, my! She invades the dreams of single men, raping them, stealing their seed. Really, that myth of how it’s the woman’s fault is that old. If that isn’t enough to get you to hate her, she is said to steal the life from sleeping babies. Babies!

 

In Jungian terms, Lilith would be Woman’s shadow, but a shadow created by Adam’s insecurities, fears and desires.

 

I imaged this child, Lilith. This other-than-human-being. I thought: What if this child were born into our world? What would she look like? How would she act? How would others relate to her?

 

I bellied up to the keyboard and banged out Randy’s Diary: the shadows.

 

My not-so-humble contribution to the Lilith mythology.