Golem
A golem (sometimes pronounced Goilem), in medieval folklore and from Jewish mythology is an animated being crafted from inanimate material. The name appears to derive from the word gelem, which means 'raw material'.
The earliest stories of golem's date to early Judaism. They were a creation of those who were very holy and close to God. A very holy was one who strove to approach God, and in that pursuit would gain some of Gods wisdom and power. One of these powers was the creation of life. No matter how holy a person got, however, the being they created would be but a shadow of one created by God. Early on the notion developed that the main disability of the golem was its inability to speak. Having a golem servant was seen as the ultimate symbol of wisdom and holiness, and there are many tales of golems connected to prominent rabbis throughout the Middle Ages.
Other attributes of the golem were gradually added over time. In many tales the Golem is inscribed with magic or religious words that keep it animated. Writing the name of God on its forehead, (or on a clay tablet under its tongue) or writing the word Emet ('truth' in the Hebrew language) on its forehead are examples of such words. By erasing the first letter in 'Emet' to form 'Met' ('death' in Hebrew) the golem can be destroyed.
Also today the existence of a golem is portrayed as a mixed blessing. Although not overly intelligent, a golem can be made to perform simple tasks over and over. The problem is one of control or getting it to stop. Golems are used today primarily in metaphor either as brainless lunks or as entities serving man under controlled conditions but enemies in others. Similarly, it is a Yiddish slang insult for someone who is clumsy or slow.
In the late nineteenth century the golem was adopted by mainstream European society. Most notably Gustav Meyrink's 1915 novel Der Golem based on the tales of the golem created by the 16th century rabbi Judah Low ben Bezalel of Prague. This book inspired a classic set of expressionistic silent movies, Paul Wegener's Golem series, of which especially Golem: How He Came Into the World (also released as The Golem, 1920, USA 1921) is famous.
These tales saw a dramatic change, and some would argue a Christinaization, of the golem. Christianity, far more than Judaism, has long had a deep concern with humanity getting too close to God. The golem thus became a creation of over ambitious and over reaching mystics, who would inevitably be punished for their blasphemy. Very similar to Mary Wollstonecraft's Frankenstein. The Golem has also been considered by some to be an early android, further divorcing it from its roots.
The word golem is also used in the Bible (Psalms 139:16) and in Talmudic literature to refer to an embryonic or incomplete substance.
Some modern references to golems
- Feet of Clay, a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett features golems. One specific golem named Dorfl is adopted into regular chronology and appears in later works.
- The play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Capek features a modern version of the old legend.
- Golems have been heavily referenced by role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, and have expanded the definition from clay and stone, to iron, wood, rope, straw, and flesh amongst other substances.
- A famous story about a type of golem is Avram Davidson's "The Golem".
- Trevor Pinch and Harry Collins published a critical science book called "The Golem: what you should know about science" and later one called "The Golem at large: what you should know about technology".
- An episode of "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest", a popular animated series, centres on a rock Golem that goes on a rampage in Prague.
- An episode of "Gargoyles", a popular animated series, centers on a clay Golem that becomes possessed by a madman.
- Golems feature prominently in China Miéville's novel Iron Council.
- The Golem of Prague is an important element in the plot of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon.
- The Dutch author Harry Mulisch incorporated the Golem legend in his De Procedure ("The Procedure").
- Golem has been chosen as the name of an ambitious project on robot evolution at Brandeis University.
- A recently released anime, RahXephon, features remotely controlled giant fighting creatures made of clay and referred to as Dolems. It's generally assumed that Dolem is Engrish for Golem.
- Another contemporary anime, InuYasha, features frequent golem use by the character Naraku.
- The DC Comics series The Monolith features a golem created to fight crime in Brooklyn.
- Science fiction author Philip K. Dick's novel "The Cosmic Puppets" featues golems animated by mysterious children in isolated Millgate, Virginia.
- The golem is featured in one episode of X-Files.
- The Golem is a short story by Jorge Luis Borges collected in Dreamtigers. It is also a poem.
A common mis-association
Gollum is additionally the name of a deformed, wretched creature in J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth; the name however is derived not from Golem, but rather from the throaty sound the character makes, beginning with a glottal stop (a throaty, almost swallowed "g").