... and the World: The Light and the Shadow: A Typological Study of the Theotokos and the Daemonotokos

I. Introduction: The Twin Mirrors of the Feminine

In the vast architecture of spiritual history, two figures stand as the ultimate poles of the feminine archetype: the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary) and the Daemonotokos (Lilith). To understand them fully, one must view them not merely as adversaries in a moral war, but as Type and Anti-Type—mirror images that define one another across the chasm of history.

For the Orthodox Christian, the Theotokos is the summit of creation, the "New Eve" who heals the ancient wound through obedience and grace. For the Lilithian or modern devotee of the Dark Feminine, Lilith is the "First Eve," the icon of radical autonomy who refused to be subjugated, choosing the wilderness over servitude.

This analysis explores the profound typology between the Mother of God and the Mother of Demons, tracing their relationship through the mists of Jewish mysticism, the philosophy of the Divine Sophia, and the Jungian integration of the psyche.

II. The Chronology of Motherhood: The First and the Final

Typology relies on precedence. In the mythic timeline, the Shadow often precedes the Light.

2.1 The Primacy of the Daemonotokos

Long before the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) proclaimed Mary the Theotokos (God-bearer), folklore and mysticism had already established Lilith as the Daemonotokos (Demon-bearer).

The Mother of Demons: In the Zohar and the Alphabet of Jesus Ben Sira/Sirach, Lilith is the fertile matrix of the "Other Side" (Sitra Achra). She is the first mother, but her motherhood is distinct: it is prolific, chaotic, and untamed. She births the Lilin (spirits/demons) by the millions.
The Chronological Shadow: Lilith represents the raw, elemental creative force of the earth—the "First Eve" created from the same dust as Adam. She is the ancient, primal mother who exists before the civilizing order of the Garden is fully established. She is the "Mother of Demons" precisely because she asserts life outside the boundaries of divine law.

2.2 The Fulfillment of the Theotokos

Mary appears later in salvation history as the "correction" or fulfillment of the feminine archetype.

The Mother of God: If Lilith is the mother of the chaotic multiplicity (demons), Mary is the mother of the singular Unity (the Logos).
The Anti-Type: Mary is the Antitype to Lilith’s Type. Where Lilith births death and chaos into the world, Mary births Life and Order (the Christ). Mary’s motherhood is not a rejection of nature, but a sanctification of it. She reveals that the highest function of the feminine is not just to generate biological or spirit life, but to house the Uncreated God.

III. The Crown of the Cosmos: Queen of Heaven and Queen of Hell

The typological tension culminates in their respective coronations. Both figures are Queens, reigning over opposing spiritual kingdoms.

3.1 The Queen of Heaven (Regina Caeli)

In Orthodox and Catholic tradition, Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven (Revelation 12).

Nature of Rule: Her queenship is one of intercession and mercy. She sits at the right hand of the King (Christ), representing the "Gebirah" (Queen Mother) of the Davidic line.
Domain: She rules the Day. Her realm is the celestial hierarchy of angels and saints. She is "More Honorable than the Cherubim," signifying the elevation of human nature above the angelic through grace.

3.2 The Queen of Hell (Regina Inferni)

In modern Lilithian theology and certain occult traditions, Lilith is revered as the Queen of Hell or the Queen of the Night.

Nature of Rule: Her queenship is one of sovereignty and autonomy. She is not a Queen Mother deriving authority from a son; she is a Queen in her own right, often depicted as the consort of Samael or as an independent ruler of the Sitra Achra.
Domain: She rules the Night. Her realm is the chthonic depth, the abyss, and the wilderness. She governs the Lilin and the "waste places" where the wild spirits dwell (Isaiah 34:14). She represents the power that refuses to be domesticated.

Typological Insight: The Queen of Heaven reigns through surrender to the Divine Light. The Queen of Hell reigns through seizure of her own Dark Light.

IV. The Act of Will and the Mode of Departure

The defining moments of these two figures—their response to the Divine and their exit from the earthly garden—are perfect inversions.

4.1 The Fiat vs. The Refusal

The Refusal (Lilith): In the Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith's defining act is the Refusal. When Adam demanded she lie beneath him, she retorted, "We are equal because we are both created from the earth." When this equality was denied, she uttered the Ineffable Name of God—an act of forbidden power—to escape. This is the archetypal Non Serviam ("I will not serve"). It is the assertion of the Self against the Hierarchy.
The Fiat (Mary): Mary’s defining act is the Fiat ("Let it be done"). At the Annunciation, she submits her will entirely to the Divine: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." This is not weakness, but the kenosis (self-emptying) that allows the Infinite to enter the finite. It is the assertion of the Other over the Self.

4.2 The Dormition vs. The Flight

How they leave their respective "Gardens" illustrates their relationship to the physical body and the spirit.

The Flight (Lilith's Wings): Upon her refusal, Lilith sprouts wings (often depicted as owl wings rather than demonic wings) and flies away from Paradise to the Red Sea.
- Symbolism: This is an active ascent/escape. She transforms her body through magical will to flee the presence of Adam and God. Her wings represent the "Wild Spirit" that cannot be caged. She leaves the Garden of Life to dwell in the Realm of Death.
The Dormition (Mary's Ascent): In Orthodox tradition, Mary’s departure is the Dormition ("Falling Asleep"). She does not sprout wings to fly away; she lies down in peace, and Christ descends to receive her soul (often depicted as a swaddled infant). She is then "Assumed" body and soul into Heaven.
- Symbolism: This is a passive ascent/reception. She waits for God to carry her. She does not flee the world; she transcends it. Her body is not transformed for escape, but transfigured for glory.⁵

V. The Avatars of Wisdom and Desire: Sophia and Helen of Troy

Between the earthly Mary and the shadow Lilith stands the figure of Sophia (Wisdom) and her fallen reflection, Helen.

5.1 Sophia: The Divine Feminine Bridge

In Gnostic and Mystical thought, Sophia is the pivot point.

The Two Sophias: Gnosticism often distinguishes between the Higher Sophia (Divine Wisdom who remains in the Pleroma) and the Lower Sophia (Achamoth) who falls into matter.
Mary as Higher Sophia: The Theotokos is the "Seat of Wisdom." She represents the Sophia that is integrated, holy, and receptive—the vessel of the Logos.
Lilith as Fallen Sophia: Lilith corresponds to the "Fallen Sophia" or the "Wild Wisdom" trapped in the darkness, struggling to liberate herself. She represents Wisdom that has become alienated from the Source and turned into "survival" and "passion."

5.2 Helen of Troy: The Mask of Lilith

A fascinating typological link connects Lilith to Helen of Troy, the archetype of chaotic desire.

The Ashkenazi Connection: In medieval Jewish folklore (Ashkenazi), the figure of Lilith explicitly "coalesced with the popular image of Helen of Troy." Both are viewed as the "ruination of the world" through sexual beauty and the destruction of the domestic order.
Simon Magus and the Ennoia: The Gnostic Simon Magus traveled with a woman named Helen (a former prostitute), claiming she was the reincarnation of Helen of Troy and the "First Thought" (Ennoia) of God.
- Typology: This Gnostic Helen is the Lilith-Avatar—the Divine Spark trapped in the mud of history, used and abused, yet carrying the memory of heaven. She is the "whore" to Mary's "virgin." While Mary redeems sexuality through chastity, Helen/Lilith embodies the tragic power of sexuality that launches ships and burns cities.

VI. Comparative Typology: The Sanctified and the Banned

This table contrasts the two figures as "Type and Anti-Type," highlighting their titles and modes of existence.

Feature	Theotokos (Mary)	Daemonotokos (Lilith)
Royal Title	Queen of Heaven (Regina Caeli)	Queen of Hell (Regina Inferni) / Queen of Night
Archetypal Role	The New Eve (Redemption)	The First Eve (Rebellion)
Relationship to Wisdom	Seat of Wisdom (Vessel of Light)	Fallen/Wild Wisdom (Vessel of Fire)
Historical Avatar	The Virgin of Nazareth	Helen of Troy (in Folklore)
Act of Will	Submission (Fiat - "Let it be done")	Refusal (Non Serviam - "I will not serve")
Departure from Garden	Dormition (Soul received by Christ)	Flight (Sprouts owl wings & flees)
Domain	The Church / Day / Order	The Red Sea / Night / Wilderness
Psychological Function	The Good Mother (Safety/Nurture)	The Dark Mother (Individuation/Death)
Symbolic Animal	The Dove (Peace/Spirit)	The Owl (Night/Predation)

VII. Conclusion: The Necessary Dialectic

To the Orthodox Christian, the Theotokos is the ultimate victory of humility. She is the "Queen of Heaven" because she consented to be nothing so that God could be everything. Her Dormition proves that the body is meant for glory, not escape.

To the Lilithian, Lilith is the "Queen of Hell" who reigns over the repressed and the rejected. Her sprouting of wings and flight from Eden is the ultimate act of self-liberation. She refuses to be a "supporting character" in Adam's story.

Final Typology:

The Theotokos and the Daemonotokos are the twin poles of the feminine soul. One stays to transform the home into a Temple; the other flies to transform the wilderness into a Kingdom. Mary submits to the Law to transcend it; Lilith breaks the Law to escape it. They are the Day and the Night, forever defining the boundaries of the spiritual sky.