Jewish mythology Jewish mythology is the body of myths associated with Judaism. Elements of Jewish mythology have had a profound influence on Christian mythology and on Islamic mythology, as well as on world culture in general. Christian mythology directly in ...

, a (; yi, דיבוק, from the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

verb meaning 'adhere' or 'cling') is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

of a dead person. It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished its goal, sometimes after being exorcised.

Etymology

is an abbreviation of ('a cleavage of an evil spirit'), or ('dibbuk from the outside'), which is found in man. comes from the Hebrew word evil which means 'the act of sticking' and is a nominal form derived from the verb 'to adhere' or 'cling'.

History

The term first appears in a number of 16th-century writings,''Spirit Possession in Judaism: Cases and Contexts from the Middle Ages to the Present, by Matt Goldish'', p.41, Wayne State University Press, 2003
/ref> though it was ignored by mainstream scholarship until

S. Ansky Shloyme Zanvl Rappoport (1863 – November 8, 1920), known by his pseudonym S. Ansky (or An-sky), was a Jewish author, playwright, researcher of Jewish folklore, polemicist, and cultural and political activist. He is best known for his play ' ...

's play '' The Dybbuk'' popularised the concept in literary circles. Earlier accounts of possession (such as that given by

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...

) were of demonic possession rather than that of ghosts.''Tree of Souls:The Mythology of Judaism'', by Howard Schwartz, pp. 229–230, Oxford University Press, 1 Nov 2004
/ref> These accounts advocated orthodoxy among the populace as a preventative measure. For example, it was suggested that a sloppily made

mezuzah A ''mezuzah'' ( he, מְזוּזָה "doorpost"; plural: ''mezuzot'') is a piece of parchment, known as a '' klaf'', contained in a decorative case and inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah ( and ). These verses consist of the ...

or entertaining doubt about Moses' crossing of the Red Sea opened one's household to possession. Very precise details of names and locations have been included in accounts of . Rabbi

Yoel Teitelbaum Joel Teitelbaum ( yi, יואל טייטלבוים, translit=Yoyl Teytlboym, ; 13 January 1887 – 19 August 1979) was the founder and first Grand Rebbe of the Satmar dynasty. A major figure in the post-war renaissance of Hasidism, he espoused ...

, the Satmar rebbe (1887–1979), is reported to have supposedly advised an individual said to be possessed to consult a

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

. Traditionally, dybbuks tended to be male spirits who possessed women on the eve of their weddings typically in a sexual fashion by entering the women through their vaginas which is seen in Ansky's play. Ansky's play is a significant work of Yiddish theatre, and has been adapted a number of times by writers, composers, and other creators including

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

and

Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...

. In the play, a young bride is possessed by the ghost of the man she was meant to marry, had her father not broken a marriage agreement. There are other forms of soul transmigration in Jewish mythology. In contrast to the , the (meaning "impregnation") is a positive possession, which happens when a righteous soul temporarily possesses a body. This is always done with consent, so that the soul can perform a

mitzvah In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; he, מִצְוָה, ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discus ...

. The ( he, גלגול הנשמות, literally 'rolling') puts forth the idea that a soul must live through many lives before it gains the wisdom to rejoin with God. In the psychological literature, the has been described as a hysterical syndrome.

In popular culture

Film

's 1937 film '' The Dybbuk'', based on the Yiddish play by

, is considered one of the classics of Yiddish filmmaking. The was featured as the main antagonist in the horror films '' The Unborn'' (2009), ''

The Possession ''The Possession'' is a 2012 American supernatural horror film directed by Ole Bornedal and produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and J. R. Young, and written by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White. It stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, Nat ...

'' (2012), and ''

Ezra Ezra (; he, עֶזְרָא, '; fl. 480–440 BCE), also called Ezra the Scribe (, ') and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra, was a Jewish scribe ('' sofer'') and priest ('' kohen''). In Greco-Latin Ezra is called Esdras ( grc-gre, Ἔσδρ ...

'' (2017). ''Ezra'', an Indian

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...

-language film by Jay K, revolves around a

dybbuk box The Dybbuk box, or Dibbuk box (), is a wine-cabinet claimed to be haunted by a ''dybbuk'', a concept from Jewish mythology. The box gained notoriety when it was auctioned off on eBay by owner Kevin Mannis, who created a story featuring Jewish Holo ...

, with references to Kabbalist traditions and occultism. It was remade in Hindi as ''Dybbuk'' (2021). '' A Serious Man'' opens with a parable about a couple who suspect that the rabbi they are hosting for dinner is a . Marcin Wrona's ''

Demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in Media (communication), media such as comics, video ...

'' is the story of a groom possessed by a the night before his wedding. In the film '' To Dust'' (2018) the protagonist is suspected by his children to be possessed by a . The was the main antagonist in the short film ''Dibbuk'' (2019) directed by Dayan D. Oualid. The film deals with an exorcism within the Parisian Jewish community. The possesses a recliner in the comedy-horror film ''

Killer Sofa ''Killer Sofa'' is a 2019 low-budget direct-to-DVD New Zealand comedy horror film written, directed and produced by Bernie Rao. Starring Piimio Mei, Nathalie Morris, Harley Neville, Stacey King, Jed Brophy, Jim Baltaxe (who also served as product ...

'' (2019), which causes it to commit murders.

Music

The background score for the 2017 Indian film ''Ezra'' contains a track titled "Dybbuk", an instrumental piece composed by

Sushin Shyam Sushin Shyam is an Indian music composer who works predominantly in the Malayalam film industry. He is also the keyboardist of the Indian folk metal band The Down Troddence. He started gaining popularity in 2018 with the films '' Varathan'' an ...

.Ezra (Original Background Score)

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active use ...

. In March 2020, the

horror punk Horror punk is a music genre that mixes punk rock and 1950s-influenced doo-wop and rockabilly sounds with morbid and violent imagery and lyrics which are often influenced by horror films and science fiction B-movies. The genre was pioneered b ...

band Voice of Doom released the song ''The Dybbuk'' on the album ''Horror Punks USA Quarantine Compilation 2020, Volume 1''.

Print

In Romain Gary's 1967 novel ''The Dance of Genghis Cohn'', a

concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

warden is haunted by the of one of his victims. In Ellen Galford's 1993 novel ''The Dyke and the '', lesbian taxi-driver Rainbow Rosenbloom is haunted by, and gets the better of, a female haunting her as a result of a curse placed on her ancestor 200 years ago. The appears in the novel, ''The Inquisitor's Apprentice'' (2011) by Chris Moriarty.

Richard Zimler Richard Zimler (born 1 January 1956 in Roslyn Heights, New York) is a best-selling author. His books, which have earned him a 1994 National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship in Fiction and the 1998 Herodotus Award, have been published in many cou ...

's 2011 novel ''

The Warsaw Anagrams ''The Warsaw Anagrams'' is a 2009Editions of the Warsaw Anagrams
Retrieved 6/ ...

'' is narrated by a desperately trying to understand why he has remained in our world. This is in keeping with kabbalistic belief that fail to pass over to the Other Side because of a

or duty that they have failed to fulfill. According to the review in the

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...

, Zimler's novel, "Deserves a place among the most important works of Holocaust literature." In the Children of the Lamp series by P.B. Kerr, there is a highly mischievous character named Dybbuk. Like all djinn, Dybbuk has the ability to possess mundanes, or non-djinn humans.

Television

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. He was nominated five times for the Academy Award: four for Best Director for ''12 Angry Men'' (1957), '' Dog Day Afternoon'' (1975), ''Network'' (1976 ...

directed " The Dybbuk", an episode of '' The Play of the Week'' based on the play by S. Ansky adapted into English by Joseph Liss. It aired on October 3, 1960. The " Box" was shown on the first episode of '' Deadly Possessions'' (spin-off of ''Ghost Adventures''), in which the son of the relative of a

Holocaust survivor Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and its allies before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no universally accep ...

recounts the tale of the ' alleged involvement in the deaths surrounding the box. Two boxes were shown in the fourth and final episode of '' Ghost Adventures: Quarantine'' in which ''

Zak Bagans Zachary Bagans is an American paranormal investigator, actor, television personality, museum operator, and author. He is the principal host of the Travel Channel series ''Ghost Adventures''. Early life Bagans was born in Washington, D.C. and ...

'' opens both boxes resulting in him acting strangely aggressive towards other members of the crew. In the TV show '' Difficult People'', Season 3, Episode 3 " Code Change", Billy helps his sister-in-law Rucchel exorcise what she believes to be a from her basement. In the episode of '' The Real Ghostbusters'' titled "Drool, the Dog-faced Goblin", the Ghostbusters discuss with Peter Venkman the many different forms an antagonistic ghost they are facing can take, with Egon Spengler mentioning a . In a later episode titled "The Devil to Pay", the Ghostbusters deal with a demon named Dib Devlin, who swindles Ray Stanz and Winston Zeddemore into selling their souls to compete in his game show. Dib Devlin is later revealed to be a . In the ''

Legends of Tomorrow ''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'', or simply ''Legends of Tomorrow'', is an American time travel superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Phil Klemmer, who are also executive producers a ...

'' episode "Hell No, Dolly", the team goes after a (voiced by Paul Reubens) stuck in a creepy doll, using the alias "Mike the Spike". The later inhabits a puppet of Martin Stein. By the end of the next episode, "Mike the Spike" is subdued by the Legends and detained at the Time Bureau.

Theater

Few topics in Jewish theater history have inspired as many stage treatments as the . A review of the innovative approaches to the subject was presented by EgoPo Classic Theater in English translation from the Yiddish, as penned by Joachim Neugroschel and adapted by

, the production directed by Lane Savadove. Containing detailed background information on the history of the dybbuk, "'Don't ask me what happened. It’s best not to know!': A DYBBUK, or Between two worlds" the article was first published by ''All About Jewish Theatre'' the world's largest English-language Jewish theater website, before its demise in 2014, but recently rescued by ''Drama Around the Globe'' and republished by ''Phindie''.
Phindie
'

References

External links

''Jewish Heritage Online Magazine''
"Dybbuk—Spiritual Possession and Jewish Folklore"
by Jeff Belanger, Ghostvillage.com
"Dybbuk"
''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

''
''Dibbuk'' short film teaser
* ডিব্বুক (Dybbuk) - Bengali horror fiction based on Dybbuk myth by Tamoghna Naskar. Publisher - Aranyamon Prokashoni https://www.aranyamon.com/ {{Authority control Ghosts Jewish folklore Jewish legendary creatures Jewish mysticism Supernatural legends Yiddish words and phrases Yiddish-language folklore Spirit possession