”She prowled the world again” : En undersökning av den mytologiska figuren Liliths gestaltning i Cradle of Filths musik

Sammanfattning

This study is about the mythological figure Lilith, a female demon from Sumerian mythology who later became thename of Adam's first wife in some parts of Judaic faith. According to medieval folklore, she also appeared as aseductive demon who killed her lovers, a danger to women giving birth and eater of children. As a political symbol, shehas become known in some circles as the first feminist and a strong female character who has been demonized due toher independence and strong will. In popular culture, she has numerous incarnations in various media. The purpose ofthis study is to examine her portrayal in the lyrics of the metal band Cradle of Filth. The main material is the band'salbum Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa, its narrative follows the bands version of Lilith. To fulfill the purpose, a contentanalysis is used, with a gendered theory as perspective. This paper also examines the relationship between the theory ofocculture and contemporary music.The results show how Cradle of Filth takes inspiration from many myths about Lilith, but mainly conveys the image ofLilith as a succubus, the demonic temptress that kills her partners. She is described as the perfect woman, and thisincludes being violent, hypersexual and ambitious.