SNORTY SUPERNATURAL FIELD GUIDE - GOLEMS

Golems are huge clay men animated by Kabalistic magic! Not very much is known about golems here at Snortyville because they are usually created by a rabbi for a specific purpose and then deactivated. Therefore, unlike the other supernatural creatures mentioned here, they do not live and breathe on their own nor do they develop their own culture and complex civilization. 

Appearance. Usually huge and always ponderous, these male figures have a powerful appearance. They are male but underneath their sturdy European peasant clothing they have no genitalia. No female golem has ever been sighted. Kornblum alludes to Genesis in the Old Testament when he explains to Joseph Kavalier, “Not even the Maharal could make a woman out of clay.  For that, you need a rib.” [The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, 2001, Picador, p. 61.  ISBN 0312282990]

Powers. Golems have enormous strength and indestructibility. They cannot be harmed by conventional firearms (even automatic weapons or shotgun spray) or bladed weapons because clay is self-healing.  One would have to blow up a dam to release enough water to wash them away (plus, as we gardeners know, clay is fairly water-resistant). Fire cannot overcome the smooth, moist impermeability of a golem.  It is doubtful if even a hand-grenade could stop one of the larger golems.

Weaknesses. Golems are not especially smart. Usually only a strong-willed rabbi can impress a serious of simple instructions or an overriding purpose upon the sluggish, clay cerebral cortex of a golem.  Also, golems may be strong, but they are not all that fast. It is possible to outmaneuver them and escape.

How Golems are Created. Much fascinating folklore is associated with the activation and deactivation of golems. In the following description (helpfully provided by Wikipedia) the power of the written word is paramount.  Usually a rabbi must bring a golem to life by etching the Hebrew word for "truth" upon the golem's forehead.

How to Kill a Golem. By rubbing out one letter, the rabbi can change the Hebrew word of activation etched upon the golem’s forehead from “truth” to "dead" and return the golem to lifeless clay. It’s important to keep in mind that killing a golem’s rabbi is not recommended!  A golem does not draw life-energy from the rabbi.  In fact, if you kill the golem’s rabbi, you may destroy the one person who can best deactivate it. All golems should be deactivated (with the further option of storing them as is done for the Golem of Prague) when their purpose is complete.

Types of Golems. Many famous rabbis in European medieval history had their own golem servants to take care of mundane matters so that the rabbis could pursue their studies.  Golems are not the smartest supernatural creatures in the world, but they can be trained to chop wood and clean house. Complex monetary transactions are probably beyond their comprehension; therefore they would be of little use buying groceries in the marketplace. 

The most famous golems were the fighters, and the most notable among them was probably the Golem of Prague fashioned from clay brought up from the Vltava riverbed. This golem successfully defended the Jews of Prague against persecution to be carried out by Christian authorities. However, he then got out of hand and started killing gentiles indiscriminately. 

The rabbi who created him then had to get close enough to rub away the correct letter on his forehead and deactivate him. He accomplished this at great peril!   Legend has it that the Golem of Prague is still being stored in hiding, perhaps within the oldest synagogue in Prague, in case he is needed in the future.  In the photo above (courtesy of Wikipedia, public domain) Alan Sellers plays the Golem of Prague in the 1966 film "It!"

Social Structure. Golems lack the intelligence to form complex social structures.

Relationship to Humans. Golems act as servants to, and defenders of, their human masters who are usually rabbis. 

Opponents - Enemies of the Jews. Activating a fighter-class golem is a serious matter because occasionally they do get out of hand; therefore they are a defensive measure of the last resort, created by a rabbi only to ensure the survival of the community.  They are sent against the enemies of the Jews, and deactivated once the threat has passed.

Related Links: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (click for review) by Michael Chabon.  A terrific minor character Bernard Kornblum is recruited by the concerned Jewish citizens of Prague to save their golem from the Nazis.  Buy on Amazon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay   Snow in August (click for review) by Pete Hamill.  In 1947 Brooklyn, an 11 year-old Irish kid makes friends with a rabbi, and ultimately must reanimate the Golem of Prague to protect himself from evil. Buy on Amazon: Snow in August Iron Council by China Mieville.  A scholar creates several golems of different types in this fantastical world. Buy on Amazon: Iron Council   The Narrows by Alexander C. Irvine.  Detroit factory workers, supervised by a rabbi, make golems on the assembly line to fight Hitler.  The rabbi is an especially interesting character: tired, old, and alone, he works ceaselessly on the golems because he knows what the Nazis are doing to the Jews of Europe. Meanwhile, when quality control efforts falter, scrap metal sometimes end up in the clay used to fashion the golem – with disastrous results! Buy on Amazon: The Narrows