Lilith, the first femme fatale: Literary and cinematographic stereotypes

Abstract

The term "Femme Fatale" began to resonate metaphorically after the release of the film A Foll There Was (1915), featuring the character portrayed by actress Theda Bara. This character epitomized an ambitious, dangerous, and captivating woman, a portrayal that cemented the archetypal image of the femme fatale. This archetype evolved significantly over time, diverging from its biblical progenitor, Lilith, the Judeo-Babylonian Goddess of the Night. The purpose of this paper is to identify the archetype of Lilith in cultural products offered by literature and cinema. We employed the hermeneutic method, focusing on the comparison and interpretation of the physical and psychological traits of fictional characters with those of the mythological Lilith and their corresponding narratives. We reviewed works such as *Carmilla* (1872) and *Dracula* (1897), comparing their characters with those in films featuring female vampires, such as Lilith from The Monster Family (1964) and Morticia from The Addams Family (1964), as well as the film The Hunger (1983). Additionally, legends that label real women as femmes fatales, such as the infamous spy Mata Hari, were examined. In conclusion, Lilith has been interpreted in various ways in both audiovisual and textual narratives. These interpretations, while retaining her fatalistic essence, have evolved from her original religious context. In her modern incarnations, Lilith continues to transgress norms and, in some cases, has become a symbol of feminine independence, as exemplified in the novel *Doña Bárbara* by Venezuelan writer Rómulo Gallegos.