![]() A Prague reproduction of the Golem | |
Grouping | Monster |
---|---|
Similar entities | Frankenstein's monster, Robot, Automaton |
Folklore | Jewish folklore |
First attested | Talmud |
Other name(s) | Gōlem (גּוֹלֶם) |
Country | Czechia |
Region | Prague |
Habitat | Typically resides in attics or temples |
Details | Protector of the Jewish community, created from clay or mud, animated through mystical rituals. |
A golem (/ˈɡoʊləm/ GOH-ləm; Hebrew: גּוֹלֶם, romanized: gōlem) is an animated anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is created entirely from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud. The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-century rabbi of Prague. According to Moment magazine, "the golem is a highly mutable metaphor with seemingly limitless symbolism. It can be a victim or villain, man or woman—or sometimes both. Over the centuries, it has been used to connote war, community, isolation, hope, and despair."[1]
In modern popular culture, the word became generalized, and any crude anthropomorphic creature devised by a sorcerer may be named "golem". There may be iron golems, such as Iron Invader or stone golems, e.g., in Blood & Magic.
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