Y is for Yossele

         (My A to Z Blog Challenge theme this year is Beyond Pomegranate & Thorns, my brand-sparkly-new collection of short stories, poems, and art inspired by fairy tales, myths, and folklore.  All through the month I’m sharing excerpts of art, stories, and poetry, as well as some reflections on the power of the traditional stories that inspired me.)

        Yossele is the nickname, according to some accounts, of the Prague golem.  If you want to learn all about him, you simply need to go read my whole post about him: The Prague Golem.  Okay, now to consider what this legend contributed to my new collection.  For this one the artwork is the primary piece.  (If you’re interested in the process you can see the sketch and half-carved block in that previous blog post.)  This shows the golem taking the pleasant night-time air and quietly reading, while waiting to be called upon again.

        There are striking similarities between the lore of golems and shabtis (which you can find at S) and I might throw out a wild speculation that the Jewish folklore was influenced by the Egyptian mythology, although the timing may be wrong and I haven’t looked into whether actual scholars have any opinions on the matter.  In any case, though, they are both humanoid figures constructed out of clay (always, in the case of golems and usually but not always in the case of shabtis), for the purpose of serving humans.  But the interesting piece they share that I want to focus on today is that they’re both activated by the magic of written words, which constrain them to exact and literal obedience.

        The magical power of writing is a belief that many cultures have shared, particularly before eras of widespread literacy when people began to take the power for granted.  It’s a theme appropriate for Words of the Month, and one I’ve come back to myself on several occasions.  It was  particularly important in Sleeping Legends Lie, the second book in my high fantasy Otherworld series, in which our protagonists attempt to escape from enslavement by using writing to convince their captors that they’re sorcerers.  And then there’s the golem in Kate and Sam and the Cheesemonster, the third book in my series for elementary children.  In that story the exact wording of the golem’s instructions is central to the plot.  The idea that words can literally bring things to life is one that writers love, but these stories also remind us that words can wield incredible control over people.  My shabti pushes back against the power of the written spells that control him, while my golem has, perhaps, realized that by reading he can claim the power of words for himself.

        By the way, when I say that words constrain these beings to literal obedience and literally bring them to life, I mean that… literally.  The etymology of the word literal is from Latin “of letters or writing.”  It entered English in the late 14th century to distinguish an interpretation of a text (usually Scriptures) according to the words as written, as opposed to metaphorical or allegorical interpretations.  The word literal-minded, which is perfect for a golem, appeared in the late 18th century.

        For a little more about golems, including some books that feature them, (and more for Words of the Month) check out my post on Artificial Life.

        Y is also for Baba Yaga, another story that’s explored via artwork in Beyond Pomegranate & Thorns.  You can see more about that piece here at Baba Yaga Village.

        Do you enjoy being transported by words?  Here’s one last reminder that I and 5 other authors will be attempting to enchant you with excerpts from our work on May 1.  Find out the details, plus links to pre-register for this free on-line event here.  I’ll be reading a little something (teaser: actually two little somethings!) from Beyond Pomegranate & Thorns.

        The moral of the golem is that the words we hold in our heads can determine whether we turn toward truth (emét) or death (mét).

        Also, be careful what you say because words really do have power.

        Would you want to have a servant that, on the one hand, supposedly follows your every command, but on the other hand is liable to go rogue through taking its instructions too literally to their unintended extremes?  Oh wait, you already do: it’s called a computer.

        

[Picture: Staronová (Yossele), rubber block print by AEGNydam, 2023 (Image from NydamPrints.com).]