Perhaps my favorite of the Queens of Hell is Na’amah, who is sometimes referred to as “Nahemah”. Her name mean “pleasant” or “pleasing” in Hebrew. There are a few biblical character who share her name, including the wife of Solomon/mother of Rehoboam and (according to some) the wife of Noah/daughter of Enoch. However, Na’amah is most recognizably mentioned in the bible as the sister of Tubal Cain. (Gen 4:22). In occult mythology she is mentioned in the Zohar as not only a wife of Samael, but also a consort of Adam during his 130 year separation from Eve after the death of Abel. Through Adam, she bore spirits referred to as ‘the Plagues of Mankind’ who “lead the sons of man astray, and [dwelt] in the doorway of the house, and in the cisterns and in the latrines.” ( Zohar 3:76b) She is mentioned along with Tubal-Cain’s sister and it’s unclear whether or not they are the same person. (Maybe it was just a popular name?) It is said she comes to men and incites lust in the night. If these men take this lust and have sex with their wives, the children they bare through these acts are children of Naamah. The sons will be followed by Lilith, who attaches herself to the children of Naamah. Naamah is also credited with corrupting the angels Aza (Ouza, Uzza) and Azael. The two angels had objected to the creation man, saying “Why create man since thou foreseest that he will sin and break thy law, along with the woman who will be formed from the passive light called darkness, as the man from the active light?” To this, the Schekina (a feminine aspect of God and a representation of the divine presence) replied “Through woman, against whom ye object, shall ye yourselves fall and lose your glory.”(Zohar 1:23a) She (Naamah) is said the have been the mother of Asmodeus by the demon Shamdon.
Now here is why I love her story so much: most if not all the Naamah’s in biblical and occult mythology have connections. Let’s look at it like this, first we have the ‘angel of prostitution’ Naamah. She is the wife of Samael who is believed to be the father of Cain who is the ancestor of Tubal-Cain and (his sister) Naamah. She (Samael’s wife) corrupts the angels Aza (Ouza) and Azael, a point we’ll come back to. Tubal-Cain and Naamah were the children of Lemech. There is another Lemech who is the the father of Noah. Noah and his son were both thought to have wives named Naamah. Of course, Noah is known for his ark, which was built to withstand the great deluge. Noah’s great grandfather, Enoch wrote about this flood and what caused it: a group of renegade angels known at the Grigori (the Watchers). The Grigori were 200 angels lead by Semjaza and his lieutenant, Azazel. However, Semjaza and Azazel had other names, particularly Aza and Azael, the angels corrupted by the original Naamah. That brings us to Solomon’s wife. One belief is that Solomon captured the “king of demons”, who he needed in order to finish his temple. This demon was Asmodeus, who is the son of the original Naamah.
Really cool figure. I encourage you to look more deeply into her lore.
Art: Sensuality by Franz von Stuck, 1891
Church of the Morningstar 