LAMIÆ. The Ancients gave the Name of Lamiæ, Lemures, Larvæ, and Empusæ to certain Women, or rather certain Devils, who in the Shape of Women drew young Children after them with their Caresses, and afterwards devoured them. These She-Devils never, in all Probability, had any Existence, but in the Imagination of Nurses, and silly Women; no more than those Witches who are said to have their sabbatical Meetings in the Night, and to be transported through the Air. St. Jerom notwithstanding makes no Scruple of using this Word in two Places of the Vulgate. In the Lamentations of Jeremiah it is said, Sed & Lamiæ nudaverunt mammam, lactaverunt catulos suos: Filia populi mei crudelis, quasi struthio in deserto. The Hebrew Word Thannim signifies a large Fish, a Sea Dragon; and it is very credible, that St. Jerom in this Place by Lamiæ meant Sea-Dogs, or Whales which produce their Young alive, and nourish them with their Milk. This makes good Jeremiah’s Comparison with the Daughter of his People.
The Lamia is a Sea-Monster so exorbitantly large, that some have been seen which weighed thirty thousand Pounds, and such as two Horses in a Waggon could scarce draw. Some of them were taken at Nice and Marseilles, and in their Stomachs were found Men intire, and compleatly armed. Rondelet says, that he saw one in Xaintonge, the Mouth whereof was so large, that a large fat Man entered it with great Ease: He adds, that if it were held open with a Gag, the Dogs could get in very easily, in Order to eat what they could find in its Stomach. Gamer confirms this Account, and describes the Creature after the same Manner. It is the greediest Fish that is, and digests in the least Time. Its Teeth are large, sharp and biting, of a triangular Figure, cut like a Saw, disposed in six Rows, the first whereof Chald alii quidam.appears out of its Mouth, those of the second are strait, and the third are turned inwards.
The other Passage wherein there is Mention of the Lamia, is in Isaiah1. This Prophet, according to the Vulgate, says, that the Land of Edom, or of the Idumeans, shall be reduced to a Desart; Ibi cubavit Lamia & invenit sibi requiem: The Hebrew Word is Lilith, which signifies, as some say, an Owl, or some other Bird of Night. The Rabbins2 tell us, Lilith was Adam’s first Wife, who quarrelling with her Husband, pronounced the Name of Jehovah, which it is not lawful to utter, and immediately was carried away into the Air. Adam complained to God of his Wife’s Elopement, and God sent three Angels after her, with Orders for her to return; and upon her Refusal, to threaten her that a Hundred of her Children should dye every Day. Lilith obstinately refused to return to her Husband, and chose rather to consent to the Death of her Children, than to be reconciled with him. The three Angels hereupon attempting to use Compulsion, she desired them to leave her in the Air, and promised them, that she would do no Harm to the Children who should wear the Names of these three Angels inscribed on any Thing about them: Hence it is that the Jews, to defend their Children from the Violence of this ill Woman have a Custom of writing their Names upon a Piece of Parchment, which they hang about their Childrens Necks. The Names are Lexoï, Sanfenoï, Sammangeloph. See hereafter LILITH.
לחם Lakan, vorare, ex Arab.The Fable says, that Lamia was a very beautiful Woman, who having had Children by Jupiter, Juno was so enraged at it, that she took Care to make all her Deliveries fatal, so that she brought dead Children always into the World. Lamia was so afflicted at this, that she grew very ugly, and out of Envy devoured the Children of other People. The Name Lamia, in all Probability, is derived from the Hebrew Lakem, which signifies to devour. It has still this Signification in Arabick.
The Arabians tell a thousand Stories of Lamia’s Fairies, or Medusa’s, whom they believed to be some of those Dæmons or evil Genius’s, to whom God gave the Government of the World before he trusted Eblis with it, who afterwards rebelled against God, and was thrown headlong into Hell. They believe that the ancient Genii, or Dives, or Ginns, were Male and Female; the Dives were the Males, the Peri’s the Females. D. Herbelot. Bibl. orient. p. 701, 702.The Peri’s are of an extraordinary Beauty, and do no Harm; on the contrary, the Dives are ugly and mischievous, and are generally at War with the Peri’s. These last feed upon the most excellent Odours, their Countrey is called Ginnistan, as much as to say Rainy-Land, the Countrey of the Genii, Fairies or Lamiæ. They say that Solomon having had the Advantage of overcoming one of these Lamiæ, employed her in Abundance of wonderful and extraordinary Things.
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