New Books in Literary Studies

Sarah Clegg, "Women's Lore: 4,000 Years of Sirens, Serpents and Succubi" (Apollo, 2023)

Sep 2, 2023

Sarah Clegg, author and expert on women's lore, takes us on a journey from ancient Mesopotamia to the present day, exploring the evolution of mythical creatures like Lilith and mermaids. She discusses the shift from these creatures being part of women's ritual practices to being focused on the seduction of men. Dr. Clegg offers new insights into attitudes towards womanhood, sexuality, and women's rights.

48:26

Episode guests

Sarah Clegg

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Quick takeaways

The monstrous female figures like Lamashtu and Gello, initially associated with women's ritual practices surrounding childbirth, were later appropriated by male-centric societies, transforming them into symbols of women's liberation and offering insights into attitudes towards womanhood, sexuality, and women's rights.

The evolution of demoness Lamashtu's story into the legend of Lamia, intertwined with the mythical figure of Lilith, reflects the shift in perception from women's fears of childbirth to men's anxieties about legitimacy and paternity, highlighting the dominance of male-centric fears when it comes to female supernatural entities.

Deep dives

The Genesis of the Book

Dr. Sarah Clegg shares how her fascination with the demoness Lamashtu and her 4,000-year-long history led to the creation of her book "Women's Lore." She delves into Lamashtu's terrifying attributes, such as murdering infants and causing problems with pregnancies and explains how this horrific figure actually provided a sense of control and protection for women in ancient Mesopotamia.

Introduction

2min

Monsters Through History: Exploring the Legends of Lamia and Lamashtu

21min

Common Themes in Charm Stories: Protecting Against Child-Killing Demonesses

4min

Childbirth, Mythical Creatures, and Women's Beliefs

2min

Incantation Bowls and the Monster Called Lilith

3min

The Transformation of Lilith and the Gendered Aspects of the Myth

12min

Resurgence of Seductive Monstrous Women and Future Research on Dark Christmas Traditions

5min

Creatures like Lilith, the seductive first wife of Adam, and mermaids, who lured sailors to their death, are familiar figures in the genre of monstrous temptresses who use their charms to entice men to their doom.

But if we go back 4,000 years, the roots of these demons lie in horrific creatures like Lamashtu, a lion-headed Mesopotamian demon who strangled infants and murdered pregnant women, and Gello, a virgin ghost of ancient Greece who killed expectant mothers and babies out of jealousy. Far from enticing men into danger and destruction, these monsters were part of women's ritual practices surrounding childbirth and pregnancy. So how did their mythology evolve into one focused on the seduction of men?

In Women's Lore: 4,000 Years of Sirens, Serpents, and Succubi (Apollo, 2023) Dr. Sarah Clegg takes us on an absorbing and witty journey from ancient Mesopotamia to the present day, encountering a multitude of serpentine succubi, a child-eating wolf-monster of ancient Greece, the Queen of Sheba and a host of vampires. Dr. Clegg shows how these demons were appropriated by male-centred societies, before they were eventually recast as symbols of women's liberation, offering new insights into attitudes towards womanhood, sexuality and women's rights.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars.

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