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The devils are dreaming, dreaming of a blue angel
On re-reading Madeleine L'Engle's Many Waters, I realized that her nephilim were the reason why the names Naamah and Eisheth had looked familiar when I read Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart:
The cobra uncoiled, hood spreading, swaying as though to unheard music, then stretched up and up into the loveliness of lavender wings, and amethyst eyes that reflected the starlight. "I, Ugiel, call my brothers. Naamah!"
The vulture stretched its naked neck, until great black wings and coal-black eyes in a white face were revealed.
"Rofocale!"
A shrill drone, a mosquito whine, and then there stood on the desert a nephil with wings of flaming red and eyes like garnets.
"Eisheth!"
The crocodile opened its mouth, showing its terrible teeth. It appeared to swallow itself, and vomit forth a tall, green-winged, emerald-eyed nephil.
. . . and so on, until the twelve nephilim have taken their angelic forms, however fallen.* I cannot vouch for the rest of their names, although I have always assumed that L'Engle took them from real sources. Some, like Rumael, Estael, Negarsanel, sound plausibly Semitic: while the name of at least one nephil, Eblis, is dead obvious. But out of curiosity, and because I have always liked the color green, I decided to look up Eisheth. Naturally, I checked Wikipedia first:
In Zoharistic Qabalah, Eisheth Zenunim is one of the four angels of prostitution, the mates of the demon Samael. Her fellow succubi are Lilith, Naamah, and Agrat Bat Mahlat.
I hadn't even realized there were angels of prostitution. Why has no one done more with this concept?** And why does no one seem to know anything about Agrat bat Mahlat? That's the name that interests me: since when do demons (or even fallen angels) have patronymics? I'm aware that a whole slew of them must be the children of Lilith and Ashmedai, but Mahlat is not a name I recognize. There must be some useful text I can read. I may try the book of Enoch. Oh, apocryphal strangeness and prostitute angels. Is this where children's books lead?
*I've also realized belatedly that while L'Engle's distinction between nephilim and seraphim, fallen and unfallen, did not necessarily inform my story "Another Coming," I really think that the tendency of her nephilim to interbreed with mortals did. I read Many Waters in fifth grade—I can date it because of a school project—long before I'd picked up any translation of Genesis. The sons of God and the daughters of men: that's her legacy to my brain, right there.
**Other than Jacqueline Carey: "But when the King of Persis cast blessed Elua in chains, there were among the angels in Heaven those who took pity upon him. Naamah was first among them, and it was she who gave herself to the King to win blessed Elua's freedom with a night's pleasure . . ."
The cobra uncoiled, hood spreading, swaying as though to unheard music, then stretched up and up into the loveliness of lavender wings, and amethyst eyes that reflected the starlight. "I, Ugiel, call my brothers. Naamah!"
The vulture stretched its naked neck, until great black wings and coal-black eyes in a white face were revealed.
"Rofocale!"
A shrill drone, a mosquito whine, and then there stood on the desert a nephil with wings of flaming red and eyes like garnets.
"Eisheth!"
The crocodile opened its mouth, showing its terrible teeth. It appeared to swallow itself, and vomit forth a tall, green-winged, emerald-eyed nephil.
. . . and so on, until the twelve nephilim have taken their angelic forms, however fallen.* I cannot vouch for the rest of their names, although I have always assumed that L'Engle took them from real sources. Some, like Rumael, Estael, Negarsanel, sound plausibly Semitic: while the name of at least one nephil, Eblis, is dead obvious. But out of curiosity, and because I have always liked the color green, I decided to look up Eisheth. Naturally, I checked Wikipedia first:
In Zoharistic Qabalah, Eisheth Zenunim is one of the four angels of prostitution, the mates of the demon Samael. Her fellow succubi are Lilith, Naamah, and Agrat Bat Mahlat.
I hadn't even realized there were angels of prostitution. Why has no one done more with this concept?** And why does no one seem to know anything about Agrat bat Mahlat? That's the name that interests me: since when do demons (or even fallen angels) have patronymics? I'm aware that a whole slew of them must be the children of Lilith and Ashmedai, but Mahlat is not a name I recognize. There must be some useful text I can read. I may try the book of Enoch. Oh, apocryphal strangeness and prostitute angels. Is this where children's books lead?
*I've also realized belatedly that while L'Engle's distinction between nephilim and seraphim, fallen and unfallen, did not necessarily inform my story "Another Coming," I really think that the tendency of her nephilim to interbreed with mortals did. I read Many Waters in fifth grade—I can date it because of a school project—long before I'd picked up any translation of Genesis. The sons of God and the daughters of men: that's her legacy to my brain, right there.
**Other than Jacqueline Carey: "But when the King of Persis cast blessed Elua in chains, there were among the angels in Heaven those who took pity upon him. Naamah was first among them, and it was she who gave herself to the King to win blessed Elua's freedom with a night's pleasure . . ."
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Waiting for you? Dude, you can do the definitive angel of prostitution story!
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And why is L'Engle taking a two part name, cutting it in half and ending up with "wife of"?
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Heh. What is it like?
And why is L'Engle taking a two part name, cutting it in half and ending up with "wife of"?
I have no idea, although I notice that Carey does the same . . . What does zenunim mean?
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I'm thinking I may have to . . .
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When you Ish upon a Tar...
Nine
Agrat bat Mahlat
Naamah is in the cabala listed as one of 4 angels of prostitution, the others being Eisheth (Isheth) Zenunim and the two above. Agrat (also Iggereth).
Uzza and Azael were supposedly corrupted by Naamah - Rabbi Simeon called her the mother of demons - she was also believed to be the great seducer of men, spirits and demons. She is identified with causing epilepsy in children. [Rf. The Zohar I,55a] She is also possibly the mother of the devil Asmodeus by the angel/demon Shamdan.
In Genesis 4:22 she is mortal, the sister of Tubal-cain.
Lilith predates Eve and was the first wife of Adam. (She supposedly rejected him) She supposedly produced 100 offspring a day and was considered tempermental - she originates from Mesopotamia demonology (ardat lili) - she is supposed to be the mother of Cain. She is accepted to have resided in heaven and her nature remains unclear. Other names: Abeko, Abito, Amizo, Batna, Eilo, Ita, Izorpo, Kali, Kea, Kokos, Odam, Partasah, Patrota, Podo, Satrina, Talto, - and - Abro, Abyzu, Ailo, Alu, Amiz, Amizu, Ardad Lili, Avitu.
zenunim
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I'll pick Augustine's brain about Agrat bat Mahlat -- she's been doing a lot of Hebrew Bible/OT studies the last few semesters.
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By the way, I'm fairly certain that the "bat Mahlat" part of your demon's name is "daughter of disease/sickness," but the "Agrat" I can only guess at without some clue as to the Hebrew (or possibly Aramaic) letters at the root of it. It could be related to "letter" (iggeret) or "reward" (agrah) or something else entirely. If nobody on this thread happens to specialize in kabbalistic demonology, my suggestion would be to see if you can track down the original source -- all I get on Google are vague references to "Zoharic kabbalah" but nothing resembling a real citation -- and go from there to the original language.
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Apparently. yes. I know I got over the "disturbed" stage quickly when I realized that what looked like a YA novel project turned into a meditation on magic, power, prostitution, and childbirth instead. I quickly passed on to the "resigned" stage.
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Thank you! I would be most curious and grateful for anything you or she could turn up.