From the golem to the robots: a visual evolution of a myth

Abstract

The Hebrew word “golem” means “unformed”, yet it evolved to denote a definite creature, the protagonist of a significant Jewish legend. Initially, in oral and kabbalistic lore, the creation of the golem was a mystical experience aimed at imitating God. However, gradually it transformed into the creation of a clay servant at the orders of the Rabbi. The legend took a turn during the 19th century when the tradition of the Maharal of Prague was widely expanded outside the Jewish circles. While the most well-known version was later made famous by Rosenberg, German romantics created a local tradition that would have a significant impact on the visual representation of the creature. This paper traces the earliest descriptions and visual representations of the golem in the Central European context, which transformed formlessness into tangible imagery. Notable examples include Aleš’ first illustration, Steiner-Prag’s lithographs in Meyrink’s Der Golem novel, and Wegener’s film adaptation. In these renditions, the golem assumed the role of a double, becoming a doppelgänger of certain characters or embodying the Jewish ghettos. However, on a deeper level, it also served as a metaphor for creation itself. Following Čapek’s RUR play, the golem evolved into a “metal contraption”, shaping our contemporary understanding of a robot. This trajectory shows that the myth of the golem, whose very name reflects lack of definition, prompts a transcendent reflection on the act of creation. Its inherent “not yet finished forming,” is somehow completed by those who reshape it.

Keywords

• Golem
• robot
• myth