Dybbuk
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(1874–1925). In Jewish mythology, a ( ; , from the Hebrew verb , meaning 'adhere' or 'cling') is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person. It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished its goal, sometimes after being exorcised.
(1874–1925).]] In Jewish mythology, a ( ; , from the Hebrew verb , meaning 'adhere' or 'cling') is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person. It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished its goal, sometimes after being exorcised.
Etymology
comes from the Hebrew word , meaning 'a case of attachment', which is a nominal form derived from the verb 'to adhere' or 'cling'.
History
The term first appears in a number of 16th-century writings. However, it was ignored by mainstream scholarship until S. An-sky's 1920 play The Dybbuk popularised the concept in literary circles. Earlier accounts of possession, such as that given by Josephus, were of demonic possession rather than that of ghosts. These accounts advocated orthodoxy among the populace as a preventive measure. 's 1937 film The Dybbuk, based on the Yiddish play by S. An-sky, is considered one of the classics of Yiddish filmmaking. Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, the Satmar rebbe (1887–1979), is reported to have supposedly advised an individual said to be possessed to consult a psychiatrist. Traditionally, dybbuks tended to be male spirits. According to Hayyim ben Joseph Vital, women could not become dybbuks because their souls did not participate in gilgul. Sometimes these spirits were said to possess women on the eve of their weddings, typically in a sexual fashion by entering the women through their vaginas, which is seen in An-sky's play. However, men and boys could be possessed as well. In psychological literature, the has been described as a hysterical syndrome.
References
Further reading
External links
"The Dybbuk" by Ansky Jewish Heritage Online Magazine "Dybbuk – Spiritual Possession and Jewish Folklore" by Jeff Belanger, Ghostvillage.com "Dybbuk", Encyclopædia Britannica
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373954977 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.