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Building Your Very Own Golem

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03:19 / 11.04.02

I've been building a Golem for a school final project. His name's Data but I haven't brought him to life yet. Now this is going to be fun (think high school science project...with a mad scientst/chaos magician bent). So what would you suggest the aim of the project should be? Or the task of the little Golem for that matter?

I'll keep you posted.

Nietzsch E. Coyote

04:17 / 11.04.02

When you say your building a golem what do you mean? What physical actions, materials and results are obsevable in school standard spacetime?

07:06 / 11.04.02

Your golem should naturally rampage out of control until some small innocent children can remove the shem from his mouth.

Elijah, Freelance Rabbi

13:27 / 11.04.02

why not write a step by step instructional
I could use a golem to get me mountain dew (or mingus dew if you prefer) during a late night computer geek session

15:49 / 11.04.02

Sneak in after school. Move the golem into unlikely new positions. Offer no explaination other than you brought it to life.

Incidently, comics aside, reputedly that is what they tend to do when you bring them to life. You leave them alone, come back and its arm has moved. That sort of thing. Sounds creepy.

02:23 / 12.04.02

Basically, using the Sefer Yezirah as a guide I got a whole lot of Play-Doh and kneaded it and shaped it into the form of a man. All I have to do really is etch the proper spells and divine names and such to bring it to life. But I don't want it to run amuck or get all Chucky on me so I want to give it a specific task to perform then deactivate it. In the old days they would have them speak and answer all sorts of questions. I was thinking a more physical and simple task...like dancing.

03:07 / 12.04.02

So what Name are you going to use? This seems to be the big point of controversy.

03:40 / 12.04.02

Well, I'll either write the Tetragrammaton (Y H V H) on it's forehead or 'Emet (truth) which was also used.

08:01 / 12.04.02

Instructions:
1.Golem smash!
2.Sleep.
3.goto 2.

The Mr E suprise

10:36 / 12.04.02

{de cloak}
I thought golems also had symbols for 'Man' and 'clay' on their heads? Do you happen to have a rabbi standing by in case of emergencys?
{cloak}

11:48 / 12.04.02

and... what specific disappointment expression do you plan to wear when the thing refuses to move? When.

Elijah, Freelance Rabbi

11:50 / 12.04.02

or perhaps a random jew with a large hammer...

12:09 / 12.04.02

By Elijah Non Grata: or perhaps a random jew with a large hammer...

Hey, time to edit my profile!

16:57 / 12.04.02

What class are you building this golem for? Alchemy?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

17:22 / 12.04.02

A Pla-Doh Golem? Only on Barbelith.

18:36 / 12.04.02

HAHhaHAhHAhahAHHAhAHhAhHAhAhHAhAhHAhAH.

um sorry.

20:36 / 12.04.02

No it's for a Kabbalah class I'm taking at Uni. About half the class is jewish and I'll tell them to bring hammers. My teacher doesn't really like when one of us brings up practical Kabbalah but... Confusious say, "Fuck it!"

If it doesn't move it won't be a problem...this is an experiment after all. (But I do hope it does) His mission is simple. To go from Point A to Point B (right next to point A)

And Play-Doh is cheap.

20:46 / 12.04.02

Oh. I didn't know colleges offered Kabbalah classes. Guess that's what I get for attending a state college that focuses on the arts.

Yeah, play-doh is cheap, but it doesn't taste as good as modeling clay

Elijah, Freelance Rabbi

13:02 / 13.04.02

our local school offers an english class, 300 lvl, for science fiction
Extremely hard to get into

back on topic
what text books do you have for the class, is it just a translation or is there a "Introductory to Kabbalah" book?
((he he, run on questions rule))

13:21 / 13.04.02

Is the golem completely made out of play-doh or does it have a skeleton, perhaps made out of paperclips or coat-hanger wire.

15:38 / 13.04.02

Data here doesn't have a skeleton because I didn't want to make him too stiff. It's going to be hard enough for him to move already, you know, with him being made of bright green play-doh!

06:42 / 14.04.02

Dudes..
Sorry, but I can't go "Barbelish" like u guys..
I don;t understand...
Do you REALLY belive thats this PLay-Doh thingy is going to MOVE???

I know that u guys are... well chaos-dudes hehe, but is this really possible?
I know that Servitor DO work, but golem?
Thats just... well... cool!

send me the instructions if this works....

...man.... woa....

11:59 / 14.04.02

Of course its possible.

Do you doubt the power of the darkside of the force?

If you had read the full thread, you would have seen that it doesn't matter if it moves or not, its an experiment. Of course, I'm sure impulsivelad would prefer that it moved.

14:20 / 14.04.02

You damn right!

20:32 / 14.04.02

re: Naming

The reason I brought this topic up is that there's a 500+ year argument over the correct name to use. (Use the wrong name, and you won't get the right result, goes the argument.)

Recently, the subject of golems showed up on an X-files episode. The Name used there was, in fact 'emet', meaning 'truth'. Rubbing out the first letter of this word yields 'met', meaning 'dead', which deactivates the golem. The other popular suggestion is that you should use the name 'Adam', the first letter of which can be erased to produce 'dam', meaning 'blood'. You might also want to try one of the 72-letter Names that were very popular in the Renaissance for powering various workings.

Anyway, YMMV, IMHO.

20:43 / 14.04.02

I think I remember that episode.

Yeah, I'm going to use the word 'Emet on his forehead and maybe plot the Tetragramaton in their proper stations on the human body. There's really no room for 72 letter names.

Depending on the result gotten from this Golem I may construct a bigger one.

22:43 / 16.04.02

IT MOVED!!! WOOHOO!

I've gotta repeat this to make sure it wasn't just the clay settling. I'll get back to you.

22:45 / 16.04.02

Cool! So would you say play-doh is a good material to use for making golems and the like?

23:50 / 16.04.02

Or if you get bored with play-doh you could always try modeling c4 in the shape of a dinosaur .. i'm gonna go now (waddles off) good idea by the way heh.. thats cute are you gonna take any pictures to show us? i whanna see!

23:53 / 16.04.02

>>The other popular suggestion is that you should use the name 'Adam', the first letter of which can be erased to produce 'dam', meaning 'blood'.<<

This just sounds bad. A golem with the word 'blood' on its forehead? Me sees playdoh killing spree ahead...

01:09 / 17.04.02

Can anybody recommend a good book on the Kabballah?

And from where is the whole Golem story? In what religious text is it found?

06:15 / 17.04.02

a conventional dictionary by gershom sholem, who really is the scholarly authority, is available, called Kabbalah. dion fortune's The Mystical Qabala is the turn of the century alchemical / post golden dawn take. the two of these together makes for one good starting point so you can get both sides and start to see what it's all about.

Krister Kjellin

08:20 / 17.04.02

What would happen if you used a computer 3d rendering of a play-doo man? Would the powers that be approve, or would they ignore it? I can't see any reason why a computer programme couldn't be possessed the same way play-doo could...

It would certainly reduce the risks of a killing spree. You do not want to be strangeled in your sleep by soft, gooey, play-doo hands!

That is, unless the computer itself starts jumping around, trying to slice your fingers off with a 32x-speed CD-player. The sillyness of Stephen King's THE MANGLER comes to mind. Only smaller and harmless. But equally silly.

I could try this myself, but then again I couldn't, since I don't know the first thing about golem managing or 3d renderings...

12:09 / 17.04.02

impulsivelad: IT MOVED!!! WOOHOO!

Er... Cute!!!!!!
But no, it didn't.

15:24 / 18.04.02

Notes

1) The Golem doesn't speak.

2) It moved slightly and I got excited but figured it was the clay settling.

3) After leaving it alone and returning to it the Golem had moved a bit more. (A little to the right.) I didn't want this to be a trick of my own perceptions so I made a little mat for him with one-inch notches.

4) The next day he had moved a whole two notches and his left arm was different. Granted someone could have moved him, but I can’t imagine who.

5) Ok, big discovery. Half-kidding I ordered my Golem to get me lunch. Then I went out and found 5 bucks (i.e. lunch money) on the ground. I’m going to take this as a successful completion of a task.

6) Last night there was a rather large man in my room. He wasn't doing anything, just standing there. I got terrified and woke up. (It was a dream.) I've since deactivated it the Golem.

Conclusion: The Golem figure acts as a material base for an invisible entity of some sort. The entity infuses the Golem with life (although Play-Doh is indeed not a good conduit. Don't know why, but I think it's too soft.) The entity can still act in the real world in limited ways.

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