Reading Notes: Jewish Fairy Tales, Part B

(Wikimedia)

- The story, The Rabbi's Bogey-Man is a variation of the Golem of Prague legend. In it, the Rabbi creates two different Golems, one female and one male, at two different times. He is ultimately forced to destroy them both.
- The story presents the Rabbi's initial motivation for the creation of his first Golem as the desire for a servant. His motivation for the creation of the second Golem is to prove to the king that his action was not sinful. Most of the legends regarding the Golem of Prague state that the Golem was made to defend the city's Jewish community against those who wanted to oppress and/or kill them. I find the idea that the creature was defensive to be a more appealing take on the legend. It puts the Rabbi's actions in a more sympathetic light, and makes the Golem more ominous.
- One thread that seems to weave through this story and all of the other legends is the idea that the Golem eventually lost control, or began to act in unintended ways, thus requiring its destruction.
- Another common thread is that the Golem is brought to life and controlled by a scroll in its mouth, and that removal of that scroll results in the 'death' of the Golem.
- I think this story could be told well in a traditional, European style fairy tale manner as a sort of warning about future actions: simple, straightforward, Once Upon a Time style.



Bibliography: "The Rabbi's Bogey-Man," Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa. Web Source.