ABSTRACT
In ancient Greek folklore, Lamia was a name often given to a kind of spirit that was believed to kill infants, similar to and sometimes identified with the empousa. The origin of the name remains a matter of controversy, but may derive from the Greek for “gullet,” in reference to the belief that this entity devoured its victims; or the name may have its roots in ancient demonology relating to Lamashtu and Lilith, childkilling demons in Mesopotamian and Babylonian folklore (Resnick and Kitchell 80-81). Indeed, many of the rituals used to protect children against the attacks of such spirits were borrowed by the Greeks from the Near East. Lamia was the best-developed figure from the world of child-killing spirits in Greek thought, and has been the most influential on later literature.
