Random Golem Is A Terrifying Creature (9 items)

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  (#1) The Golem Is A Figure In Jewish Folklore Made Of Clay Or Mud Who Does The Bidding Of Its Master

  In Hebrew, the term Golem translates to “shapeless mass,” while the Talmud uses "Golem" to mean “unformed” or “imperfect.” Created from clay or mud, the Golem, according to sources like the Book of Creation (often considered a guide to magic by the Western European Jews of the Middle Ages), may be created by forming a humanoid figure from these materials. Rituals, some of which require walking or dancing about the sculpture while reciting a combination of Hebrew letters that spell out the secret name of God, would purportedly animate the being. Other stories say that pieces of parchment, also bearing the name of God, would bring the Golem to life when placed in its mouth.

  Serving its creator, the Golem would then do their bidding. The most well-known story of the creature’s animation revolves around the Maharal of Prague, Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, who was said to have created the creature from clay to assist his community with physical labor, given the Golem’s great strength, and protect them from Blood Libel, the religious persecution of their Jewish enclave at the time.
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  (#7) Legend Has It Romantic Rejection May Drive A Golem To Rage

  Similar to the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, in which the monster flies into anger after being spurned by the animated corpse intended to be his companion, Golems can reportedly be driven to rage by heartache. Bohemian legend has it that in the 16th century, Bezalel’s own Golem, which he created in order to protect his community, also became uncontrollable, and perhaps for the same reason.

  While one tale attributes the creature’s lashing out as a result of its creator’s neglect to release it from servitude on Sabbath, another has it that the Golem fell in love with a human woman. And as in the famous James Whale Frankenstein sequel, which followed centuries later, the Golem’s romantic yearnings were, too, rebuffed. Realizing that it would never experience love of family, the Golem rebelled against the rabbi, which resulted in its own eventual demise. 
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  (#3) The Most Famous Story Involves Bezalel, Who Created A Golem To Defend Against Persecutors

  One of the most enduring tales of the Golem is the story of Bezalel, the rabbi who created the Golem to defend the Prague ghetto from persecution under the Holy Roman Empire during the late 16th or early 17th century. According to legend, the rabbi created the Golem, dubbed Josef, from clay and mud from the Vltava River.

  However, while the creature was effective, it soon grew out of control. With the Hebrew word emet (“truth”) placed upon its forehead, the Golem then grew in strength and aggression. Fearing the creature's increasing instability, Bezalel removed the “e” from emet, effectively changing the word from “truth” to “death,” and thusly ended the creature’s reign of mayhem.

  According to folklore, the body of Bezalel’s Golem resides in the attic of one of Europe’s oldest synagogues, the Old-New Synagogue, which stands to this day.
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  (#9) The Golem Remains A Major Influence On Art, Film, And Popular Culture

  Whether the creature be depicted as messianic or horrific, the Jewish legend of the Golem has endured in popular culture, from its early influence on Frankenstein to its appearance in several films. In theaters, it first reared its clay head in director Paul Wegener’s 1920 German expressionist horror flick Der Golem: Wie er in die Welt Kam (The Golem: How He Came into the World) and on the stage in H. Leivick’s Yiddish play Der Goylem; the Golem has continued to surface in a range of artistic media.

  Depictions of the creature have made their way into comic books and television shows like The X-Files. The Golem is even found in video games - US developer Moonbot Studios took a run at the legend in 2013 with a proposal for a computer game The Golem, itself once supported by Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro.

  In addition, Doron and Yoav Paz’s 2019 film The Golem serves as a reimagining of the classic legend.  
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  (#5) Golems Were Supposedly Created Several Times, But Needed To Be Wiped Out After Running Amok

  Formed from lifeless substances, such as clay or dirt, and animated by ritual incantation of Hebrew letters, the mythical Golem was generally conjured by its human creators in order to bring forth an obedient companion, helper, and protector of a beset Jewish community.

  Much like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, however, often the creature itself grew to such immense power that it ran amok and turned against its creator. With no other choice, its makers were often forced to eliminate the creatures themselves, as in the cases of two rabbis, Eliyahu of Chelm and Bezalel of Prague. This theme of the creator's hubris is often central to the story of the Golem, painting the creature as a symbol of an era’s perceived danger, lack of control, and hope for redemption.
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  (#8) The Golem Is Still A Large Presence In Modern-Day Prague

  Romania’s 15th-century warlord Vlad Tepes, the historical figure who would later serve as inspiration for Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic novel Dracula, is to this day remembered for his successful repelling of the Ottoman army that sought to invade it. Still, that hasn’t precluded history and tourism from leaning rather heavily into the fictional and more supernatural representation of him.

  Current-day Prague, and its continued fascination with the legend of the Golem, is similar in that it abounds with landmarks dedicated to the Jewish legend, from the statue of Golem’s creator Bezalel, which stands in front of the city hall, to a giant effigy of the creature itself in Prague’s Jewish quarter. Local businesses also thrive on the legend, from restaurants and hotels that have co-opted the creature’s name to the rampant sale of small mud statues bearing its likeness.

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