This Dark Land

Golems were first cast in Jewish folklore and have even been mentioned in the Bible. Made from only clay or mud by their creators with a sprinkling or arcane magic they can be transformed into animated beings. Maybe it was these creatures who served as inspiration for the tale of Pinocchio and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein? It was believed that the mystical Kabbalists were able to create golems who were seen as heroes who could protect the Jewish community from anti-Semitic attacks. There is a tale of Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague who saved his people by creating a golem to protect them. Using clay from the banks of the Vltava river he brought to life a golem who could make himself invisible and even summon spirits from the dead in order to protect his people. The rabbi was able to deactivate the golem by removing the shem from his mouth, but after a time he was forced to destroy his creation after his golem had grown vengeful and violent. However the rabbi stored the broke