Woodwose

In my book, The Goddess Aped, Eve is believed to be one of the first of the woodwose. The true origin of the Woodwose is unknown. Lilith and Samael came upon them when they met Eve. It had been believed that she was an angel but that was later disproved. God did not recall making any of her kind. Eve claimed to be of the earth. It was not known if she was an extra-terrestrial or perhaps from another dimension. Biblically, it is explained that Adam created her but that reference is to the start of their children for, unbeknownst to Lilith and Samael, Eve was biologically barren or simply not compatible for procreation with Adam or Samael due to being a different species.

This also explains how she becomes a “virginal goddess” in Athena, Minerva, Artemis, etc. while also being a goddess of the woods as with Demeter. Her “virginal” status is maintained by not replicating or producing genetic offspring. Instead she got around any promises to God by adopting. An example of this is seen with Wendy and the Lost Boys of Peter Pan (as you will see, “woodwose” can also mean “orphan”). But Eve is not “virginal” in respect to having sex and, in fact, is accused in the Bible of being oversexed and thus we see her evolve into a goddess of sex and prostitution in her mimicking Aphrodite by becoming “Venus.” It is not to say people did not begin to notice. Isis Myrionymos is known as the goddess with 10,000 names.

And, interestingly, it is in Myrionymos that we get several clues to other areas Eve claimed origin or dominance.

Myriad-(10,000) countless

Naiad-female spirit or entity.

Nereides-female water nymphs and fairies.

Dryad-nymph of an oak tree (remember Druid).

And the names Myrion/Mirion, Miriam, Mirilla, Mariah, Myrie, Miri, Mari and Marion. But also the name Myron, which means Myrrh.

(From here, for story elements, one can also derive My Ron, Moron, Iron, Minor, Romny, y Romn, No Rim, Minro/Monro (Marilyn or Mari Lynn or Marry Lynn).

Also a Shakespeare reference, Ronion-a mangy or scabby creature.

Over time, Eve began to proclaim dominion over the earth due to her origins and her contention of being here prior to the divine beings. She wanted to be declared Queen of the Earth just as Jophiel had been regarded as the Queen of Heaven. We again see this in the development of her “Venus” and being “goddess of the garden.” It is believed that Eve arrived well after and was likely drawn here by their arrival but the justification of Eve’s kind pre-existing in some form were references to several attempts to make the first people. These all failed. One can assume that it was because they died or God killed them. Eventually, God sends divine beings to populate the earth. Because of how they evolved, it was the woodwose/human, as well as the offspring between the woodwoses and the descended angels (Nephilim), that God tried to destroy with the flood. Remember the divine beings mated with the daughters of man/Eve. These hybrids were seen as offensive to God. So what explains divine beings wanting to mate with them? It could be reference to demi-gods and not true angels. These beings could have bought into the myth of needing to mate with the daughters of man and continue the tradition of Adam. But I feel it was more likely the result of some spellwork and that is why God was particularly angry. Wudu is a Polish alternative spelling for Voodoo and the Woodwose have been associated with Druids, as well as supernatural beings like satyrs.

But why would they be seen as an abomination? One explanation is that Eve herself was eventually regarded as an abomination that God had originally tried to destroy and she somehow survived. Another explanation is because the woodwose was made by Adam-not of clay or dirt but of the tree. He attempted to have the power of God-the power of giving life to an inanimate object. Now some might interpret this as lineage but it was an actual tree. Early myth tried to explain this by saying that all the divine beings also started as trees but this is incorrect. They were trapped at various times, in objects, by Eve and the other woodwoses. The woodwose originated from a sapling from the Tree of Life. Within this tree, Adam used his power (as a descended divine being/djinn), blood and semen to create the one known as Eve. So why is Lilith said to be the one in the tree? This is where confusion sets in. Lilith did rest or “live” in the hollow of the Tree of Life but she is actually in the lineage destined by God to populate the earth. She is the “tree” of the vampyre, werewolf and other divinely descended/supernatural beings. The woodwose also consider themselves divine because of Eve but the entity that inhabits the vessel of Eve is twisted and cruel. While some would describe it as mischievous or free-spirited, it is the opposite of the vampyre and werewolf at it’s core. So here we have two variations used for being “of the stree.” This is a common mechanism used by Eve to cause confusion regarding her origins or what kind of beings they are.

Some branches of the woodwose were also said to be maere, satyrs and fauns. This is the line from which Robin Hood, Peter Pan and other impish characters emerged.

The woodwose can be extremely violent and devious. Most were prone to cannibalism and, over time, Eve convinced them to worship her as a goddess and queen. Seeing themselves as the sons of Adam/Adan, through Eve, the woodwose likened itself to the werewolf and identified with that culture but were never accepted by the sons of Lilith. It is in my story, Gold ‘n Silver, that I encounter the brutality and cunning of the woodwose but did not know what I was dealing with.

As you can see below, in the etymology of woodwose, like Eve, there is the context of “life” or “being alive” within the meaning of their names or titles. This is where the concept of the vampyre being dead comes from. Those vampyre that are born into the line are not the dead or undead but the woodwose/humans are the opposite of them and, if that is the case and woodwose means “life,” then the vampyre must be of “death.” This is furthered as Samael is sometimes seen as the equivalent to the Angel of Death, Azrael. And what does Eve consider herself? Also a divine creature. She does not see herself as human but a sister of Lilith, Adam and Samael. Eve views herself as high priestess, witch, she-wolf and vampiress. And it is she that is the Lamia, a woodland demon. This is also supported by the fact that she turns away from cannibalism and begins to subsist on milk but curses the milk so that it cannot be sustenance for the vampyre or werewolf. And she receives the aid of Gilgamesh to cut down the Tree of Life so that she can never be “bound” to her original tree again (“killing the sire”) and so she can deny the children of Lilith with the fruit of immortality. In retaliation, God makes Lilith and her milk the source of immortality so Eve responds by throwing a curse and drying up the milk of Lilith and her female children. Thus, God answers by making it the bloodlines of Adam, Lilith and Samael that are eternal and immortal. However, if mixed with mortal blood that would be negated so the pure bloodlines can only have children with their own kinds. If a pure vampyre or werewolf were to mate with a human, the result would be a human. Any hybrids “turned” or “created” retain their humanity and are not of the immortal lines.

Through Eve, once she was anointed, the woodwose were taught a magic that is recognized through many traditions. Some may call it Druidism (magic of the tree) and others will recognize is at vudu/voodoo. The etymology of voodoo is very similar to wudu, which is seen in the possible Old English word for woodwose, “wudu-wasa.” This could mean “alive wood.” There is also the possible meaning of “orphan” in the German and Dutch words for woodwose. Why? Because the woodwose were not created by Adam or Samael-they were created by Eve. They are seen as fatherless. This is underscored when they are all expelled from the Garden of Eden and are considered “Godless.” Their magic takes on the form of nature worship. But one can also see the Lost Boys in the idea of the orphans. And what of Wendy who agreed to be their mother? Biblically, God casts out Adam and Eve to wander the Earth.  One can easily see that if Eve was set to wander the Earth, then she would ensure that the children of Lilith would also. And as the divine creatures/supernaturals that God created tried to leave the woodwose behind, the woodwose/Eve followed them ceaselessly. It was not simply the Tree of Life that Eve wanted to cut down, but the entire divine bloodline. That would leave her and her kind as the only supernatural beings on Earth and she would then demand worship by the lesser and un-magicked humans.

Another word that comes to mind when thinking of the name “Wendy” is the word “Wendigo.” The Wendigo was also said to be able to possess people and turn them into cannibals. And when reading the Bible, think of the characters associated with Wendy-especially Michael, John and Peter. One could even include James if considering Captain Hook.This is also telling if one looks at who is seated near one another in Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” painting.

Does this mean Eve is of the devil? No. As above, so below. She is of the same magick that Angels are. However, she is referred to as a demon because of the intent of the magick that created her and what she became.

What of the “fruit” she tasted? It was that of her own tree.

One of the great ironies is that Eve hunts the supernatural lines to the point where incest between them, especially in the royal lines, becomes almost a necessity because she wants to force the supernaturals to be like her-she wants to trade places. So throughout the centuries, she relentlessly tries to place blame and certain attributes on Adam, Samael and Lilith that actually belong to her and the woodwose. And eventually Eve, the woodwose and other creatures they create through magick are lumped together with the truly supernatural to where they are almost indistinguishable to humans and even, sometimes, each other. And here also grows the confusion between the goddess and the earthly, “divine queen.” This is furthered in each of my incarnations as their memories continue but mine are erased or have to start over, but also in Eve’s efforts to imitate. The true goddess, Uni, is then faced with her mortal counterpart, Uni Mae. And each time the goddess attempts to change her name, Eve follows suit. Mae is a diminutive of Mary or Margaret-with Margaret meaning “pearl.” In Hebrew, the word for “bitter” is Mar or Marah. And in the legend of Aphrodite, it is a princess named Myrrha that boasts she is more beautiful than the goddess.

Here you can see several things in the etymology of “voodoo.” First, there is a possible connection to Eve (“ewe”) and fauns (“fon”). And in Ewe and Fon, the word, “vodu” (which is close to “wudu”) means “spirit, demon, deity.”

And in my story, Gold ‘n Silver, it is Voodoo and Santareia that are used against me.

While in Basque mythology the Lamia is a type of song-less siren that grants wishes in exchange for food, the Greek saw the Lamia as a demon. This demon not only kills children (I would assert she specifically kills children of Lilith but also some of her own kind for their blood) and she kills her mates. This is insinuated in the Bible when there is mention of Adam dying but not Eve, and also when Eve is embodying Hestia and is known as the “clasper” or “strangler.” The Banyan Tree is also known as a strangler fig. It is part of the Rosales order which includes roses, hawthorne, jujube, apples and cannabis. The use of drugs such as blue lotus and cannabis was common among many of the woodwose and tended to keep them calmer. Humans who came across it also often used those drugs. The vampyre and werewolf abstained to keep their senses clear and to not diminish their abilities.

J.R. Tolkien also hints toward the origins of the WoodWose being of Eden (Eve) and also being the origin of the Druids.

And I would counter that it was the humans, specifically the woodwose, that the “cranes” targeted to eat but that Eve twisted that to be the offspring of Lilith. Vampyre countered that the term for woodwose (“the Vas”, “Vassen,” “Vas,” “Vasa”) came from their being meat for the “owls” and therefore a sacrificial or food source for all supernatural beings. Biblically, Eve and the woodwose present an interesting dilemma. If life was “breathed” into them, does that mean they have souls or are they animated vessels? If the woodwose and/or human are without souls, then how do they carry original sin? They likely wouldn’t but instead would hold a generational curse. This would explain why humans/woodwose often write stories of vampyre helping them break generational curses or being inflicted with sin/karma. It could be, as the wandering Jew explained, the one condition that the human/woodwose cannot cleanse themselves or rid themselves of and so they are trying to shift the origin/”share the pain” of inflicting another race with their condition or coercing the vampyre into helping them.

This makes further sense, personally, as I recount in Gold ‘ Silver how I am afflicted with the health conditions of some humans/woodwose and even a vampyre. Actions like these are why Eve and her kind were seen as abominations. They would use magick to abuse others or to try to “stain” them.

This is interesting because of the Zu bird from the tree in the Garden of Eden. according to the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Zu bird escapes after one of the serpents is slain. There might also be a reference to this bird in the Disney movie, The Lion King with the red-billed hornbill, Zasu.

(Souza is also a surname and the last name of one of my neighbors when I was growing up in Fallon, NV).

Another bird that is slain in a story is the Huma Bird. Here, of course, we see the same root as “human.” And the carved representations look quite similar to a woodwose but there are some that have tattooed/painted or hairy faces, with open toothed smiles. This gets even more intriguing because the word, “hum” may be associated with Ham, and both Phoenician and Druidic priests referred to themselves as “swine.”  In the word “wodo” there is also the root of “woman.”

There is also the word, “homa,” which comes from the root, “hu,” , meaning sacrifice by fire.This ritual may have been the actual source of the witch trial practices of burning witches and heretics at the stake.

Hawa is also another name for Eve. Wa is an ancient name for Japan. It also means, “short,” “dwarf,” etc.

Vampyre and Werewolf did not mate with woodwose or humans. There were rare instances of hybrids being created with humans when “turned,” but for the most part the supernatural races stayed away from humans and woodwose. That changed within the last 50 years and has not proven to be beneficial for the vampyre, at least from what I can observe. I see a disintegration of the structure we once had, the development of human-like family “silos,” greater levels of fear, adoption of human ways and a lack of social change/ingenuity that was once the hallmark of the vampyre and werewolf.

And all of this does not even get into the etymology of “wood,” that can mean “spirit” or “split in two,” as werewolf are said to have spirit selves or “other faces” and this could have been what was instilled in Eve or one of their children to animate them.