Why, hello there! Check out this little piece of my senior thesis! If you're wondering about the title of this blog post, this link might help :)
Few mythological figures can claim a history of belief as long as that of Lilith. She exists, albeit in different forms, in legends ranging from the time of Mesopotamia to the middle ages. Though details have changed, certain key elements of her mythology persist unchanged throughout the ages: Lilith interrupts the natural cycle of fertility, kills children, seduces men, and defies the male authority deemed ‘right’ and ‘natural.’ Though belief in her existence no longer persists, she still serves as an inspiration for writers and artists, a seductive yet demonic woman who destroys rather than procreates.
Though the Torah only references Lilith once, she also appears a few times in the Talmud, Jewish extracanonical explanations of biblical passages. These mentions, though brief, provide a context for the way in which Lilith was adapted from the ancient Babylonian cosmology to Judaic tradition. For the rabbis, the scripture was the word of God and thus every word should be taken literally. Due to this literal reading, contradictions in the scripture sometimes arose. In the case of Lilith, the contradiction arises between the two different creation narratives found in the book of Genesis. Genesis 1:27 reads: "male and female he created them,” implying that man and woman were created simultaneously, assumedly in the same way. However, in the second biblical account of creation, Adam is created and then Eve is later created from his rib. These two differing account of creation led Rabbis to determine that the woman created subsequently with Adam in Genesis 1:27 was a different woman than Eve, and they named Lilith as that first wife (Hellig 42-44).
A later Jewish text, called The Alphabet of Ben Sira, provides further illumination on the legend surrounding Lilith as Adam’s first wife. In this text, it is said that Lilith believed that she was Adam’s equal due to the fact that they were both created from the dust of the earth. She refused to lie beneath Adam during sex because she felt that this would mean taking an ‘inferior’ position to him. When Adam refused to allow this, Lilith fled from Eden to the desert across the Red Sea, where she took up with demons. God sent three angels to bring her back to Eden but she refused. Because of this, she was punished to have 100 of her demonic children die every day. From here, Lilith becomes a succubus who seduces men at night, using their nocturnal emissions to breed more demons. Due to her anger at God’s punishment that 100 of her own children should die daily, she strangles newborn humans to death. In the way that the Babylonian Lilith interrupts fertility by keeping Inanna from ascending her throne, this Lilith interrupts fertility by using her demonic powers to cause the death of infants, miscarriages, infertility, and complications during childbirth (Patai 295-296).
Friday, April 15, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
#3 - Mom X 2
We've spent a good dead of time talking in class about mothers, "monstrous" mothers, mommy bloggers, what makes a "good" mother... we've also discussed the different standards held for mothers and fathers, gender stereotypes/inequalities, etc. But let's think about something atypical for a moment. Lesbian moms!
Though perhaps not as common as the average mommy blog, blogs of "two-mom families" like this blog called 'Mombian' provide some interesting perspectives on common mommy-blog topics.
For example, in this article the conflict between homosexuals who want to have children and those who feel it is "selling out" to the heterosexual status-quo is likened to the mommy wars between stay at home and the working moms who accuse the others of being against feminism.
In this volg by the site's creators, books about lesbians and motherhood are discussed. They make an observation that I never really thought of before - in regards to one work of fiction revolving around a lesbian couple's legal battle over frozen embryos from a previous (heterosexual) marriage, the couple remarks that it is refreshing to read a bestseller book about lesbian motherhood that doesn't focus on the search for a sperm donor. I'm suprised that this theme is so common. Actually... the only other popular work I can think of featuring lesbian mothers also prominently features the sperm donor... (The Kids Are All Right).
That aside, even the concept of lesbian motherhood is challenging for our current society. As the bloggers remark, people feel a need to ask "which one of you is the 'real' mom?" Many people just aren't able to wrap their heads around the fact that - gasp! - more than one person can mother a child, that the person mothering may not even be female, and that providing an egg or carrying the child to term does not magically make someone in to a mother, let alone a child's "real" mother. Maybe this has something to do with why most works of pop-culture featuring lesbian families also prominently feature a male (or the search for one's chromosomes, at least).
Though perhaps not as common as the average mommy blog, blogs of "two-mom families" like this blog called 'Mombian' provide some interesting perspectives on common mommy-blog topics.
For example, in this article the conflict between homosexuals who want to have children and those who feel it is "selling out" to the heterosexual status-quo is likened to the mommy wars between stay at home and the working moms who accuse the others of being against feminism.
In this volg by the site's creators, books about lesbians and motherhood are discussed. They make an observation that I never really thought of before - in regards to one work of fiction revolving around a lesbian couple's legal battle over frozen embryos from a previous (heterosexual) marriage, the couple remarks that it is refreshing to read a bestseller book about lesbian motherhood that doesn't focus on the search for a sperm donor. I'm suprised that this theme is so common. Actually... the only other popular work I can think of featuring lesbian mothers also prominently features the sperm donor... (The Kids Are All Right).
That aside, even the concept of lesbian motherhood is challenging for our current society. As the bloggers remark, people feel a need to ask "which one of you is the 'real' mom?" Many people just aren't able to wrap their heads around the fact that - gasp! - more than one person can mother a child, that the person mothering may not even be female, and that providing an egg or carrying the child to term does not magically make someone in to a mother, let alone a child's "real" mother. Maybe this has something to do with why most works of pop-culture featuring lesbian families also prominently feature a male (or the search for one's chromosomes, at least).
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
#2 Dumb Mom on What Not to Wear
Hey everyone!
I was watching TV yesterday when lo and behold, TLC's What Not to Wear came on and the person getting a fashion intervention was a popular mommy blogger Amanda, otherwise known as "Dumb Mom."
During the show's transformation process Amanda shared her insecurities; body image issues after having children, only thinking about herself in a critical/manner, etc. The sort of thing that I don't really see much of on any of the mommy blogs I have visited. Even Amanda admits that her online persona is more confident and outgoing that she actually is. I'll admit, it greatly suprised me when I read through a sizeable amount of mommy blogs and found that most of them offered giveaways, craft/recipe tips, product reviews, and that sort of thing... I'm sure it's out there, I just didn't run in to any posts talking about being covered with spitup, not having the energy to wear anything except sweatpants -- you know, the unglamorous parts of motherhood. Maybe those sorts of blogs don't make it to the top 100 mommy blog lists, not enough giveaways! Ha ha.
If I ever write a mommy blog, I'll try to make it as accurate to myself as possible. None of this supermom junk. If you read the comments on Amanda's entry about the show, lots of the women commenting say that they feel exactly like Amanda does. They think negatively about their body images, think of themselves as ugly now that they have post-pregnancy bodies, etc. Discussion and support related to these sorts of subjects are the sort of things that I would want from a mommy blog I followed. Sure, giveaways are nice and all, but my favorite part of blogging is the ability to post your thoughts and feelings out there for the world to see and the random friendships that are from from it. I doubt becoming a mother would change that for me.
Maybe I've just been peeking at the wrong blogs? Anyone have any good links to mommy blogs that "tell it like it is?"
I was watching TV yesterday when lo and behold, TLC's What Not to Wear came on and the person getting a fashion intervention was a popular mommy blogger Amanda, otherwise known as "Dumb Mom."
During the show's transformation process Amanda shared her insecurities; body image issues after having children, only thinking about herself in a critical/manner, etc. The sort of thing that I don't really see much of on any of the mommy blogs I have visited. Even Amanda admits that her online persona is more confident and outgoing that she actually is. I'll admit, it greatly suprised me when I read through a sizeable amount of mommy blogs and found that most of them offered giveaways, craft/recipe tips, product reviews, and that sort of thing... I'm sure it's out there, I just didn't run in to any posts talking about being covered with spitup, not having the energy to wear anything except sweatpants -- you know, the unglamorous parts of motherhood. Maybe those sorts of blogs don't make it to the top 100 mommy blog lists, not enough giveaways! Ha ha.
If I ever write a mommy blog, I'll try to make it as accurate to myself as possible. None of this supermom junk. If you read the comments on Amanda's entry about the show, lots of the women commenting say that they feel exactly like Amanda does. They think negatively about their body images, think of themselves as ugly now that they have post-pregnancy bodies, etc. Discussion and support related to these sorts of subjects are the sort of things that I would want from a mommy blog I followed. Sure, giveaways are nice and all, but my favorite part of blogging is the ability to post your thoughts and feelings out there for the world to see and the random friendships that are from from it. I doubt becoming a mother would change that for me.
Maybe I've just been peeking at the wrong blogs? Anyone have any good links to mommy blogs that "tell it like it is?"
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
#1 Have you heard of "Push Presents?"
Push Presents. As in, presents given by fathers to mothers for pushing out a baby. For anyone who hasn't heard of this practice I suggest you read this New York Times article about it.
I will admit that I never heard of Push Presents before today, when I randomly happened upon the term on a website completely unrelated to anything dealing with maternity/childbirth (it was actually part of a fan fiction prompt on a livejournal community I frequent). Curious, I looked it up online to find out what exactly the term meant.
In short, Push Presents are meant to be a "reward" or a "thank you" that the father gives to the mother to demonstrate gratitude for the nine months of pregnancy and the child birthing process. No one is quite sure how the practice came about, but it is on the rise in the USA. Theorists suggest that the rise in popularity is due to modern fathers being more sensitive to the intense physical toll pregnancy and childbirth take, leading to them feeling the mother of their child deserves some sort of recompense in exchange. Another suggestion is that it stems from the growing assertiveness of the modern woman, saying what she wants and expecting to get it. The most common Push Present is diamond jewelry or some other form of luxury item that the mother wants.
Fathers demonstrating appreciation for the mother's self-sacrifice is of course a good thing, but I'm not so sure how I feel about the practice as a whole. I'm not the only one. In some ways it points to the growing materialism of our culture when a mom wants the father to give her Tiffany's & Co. jewelry or designer bags rather than help by taking over the chores while she is recovering. Should a mom be 'rewarded' for having a baby? Offering understanding, appreciation, and support are one thing, but is 'paying' the mother for her effort really the right way to go about it?
Despite the fact that their popularity is increasing, it seems to me that Push Presents are clearly a phenomenon of the privileged upper middle class. Who else can afford diamonds when the family suddenly has another mouth to feed? Is a father a bad father or an unappreciative father simply because he does not (and perhaps cannot afford to) present his wife with a gift in exchange for the birth of his child? If Push Presents gain enough popularity to be seen as "the norm," surely assumption will be that he is. The New York Times article even mentions this problem, pointing out that some fathers feel pressured into giving a Push Present by the mother and her friends. Usually mothers drop hints or even outright demand Push Presents from fathers, pointing to the materialistic nature of the practice rather than the appreciative nature which would result if the fathers gave the mother a present without being prompted to do so.
In short, Push Presents are gaining in popularity but with popularity comes controversy. What perhaps started out as a gesture of appreciation is all too swiftly losing its initial meaning. Restricted to those with money to afford such presents, fathers of the lower class will be left to face accusations of being unappreciative. Or at least, that's how it seems to me.
What do you think about Push Presents? Have you given one? Received one? Would you want to?
I will admit that I never heard of Push Presents before today, when I randomly happened upon the term on a website completely unrelated to anything dealing with maternity/childbirth (it was actually part of a fan fiction prompt on a livejournal community I frequent). Curious, I looked it up online to find out what exactly the term meant.
In short, Push Presents are meant to be a "reward" or a "thank you" that the father gives to the mother to demonstrate gratitude for the nine months of pregnancy and the child birthing process. No one is quite sure how the practice came about, but it is on the rise in the USA. Theorists suggest that the rise in popularity is due to modern fathers being more sensitive to the intense physical toll pregnancy and childbirth take, leading to them feeling the mother of their child deserves some sort of recompense in exchange. Another suggestion is that it stems from the growing assertiveness of the modern woman, saying what she wants and expecting to get it. The most common Push Present is diamond jewelry or some other form of luxury item that the mother wants.
Fathers demonstrating appreciation for the mother's self-sacrifice is of course a good thing, but I'm not so sure how I feel about the practice as a whole. I'm not the only one. In some ways it points to the growing materialism of our culture when a mom wants the father to give her Tiffany's & Co. jewelry or designer bags rather than help by taking over the chores while she is recovering. Should a mom be 'rewarded' for having a baby? Offering understanding, appreciation, and support are one thing, but is 'paying' the mother for her effort really the right way to go about it?
Despite the fact that their popularity is increasing, it seems to me that Push Presents are clearly a phenomenon of the privileged upper middle class. Who else can afford diamonds when the family suddenly has another mouth to feed? Is a father a bad father or an unappreciative father simply because he does not (and perhaps cannot afford to) present his wife with a gift in exchange for the birth of his child? If Push Presents gain enough popularity to be seen as "the norm," surely assumption will be that he is. The New York Times article even mentions this problem, pointing out that some fathers feel pressured into giving a Push Present by the mother and her friends. Usually mothers drop hints or even outright demand Push Presents from fathers, pointing to the materialistic nature of the practice rather than the appreciative nature which would result if the fathers gave the mother a present without being prompted to do so.
In short, Push Presents are gaining in popularity but with popularity comes controversy. What perhaps started out as a gesture of appreciation is all too swiftly losing its initial meaning. Restricted to those with money to afford such presents, fathers of the lower class will be left to face accusations of being unappreciative. Or at least, that's how it seems to me.
What do you think about Push Presents? Have you given one? Received one? Would you want to?
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