E57 The Golem

Gladio Free Europe

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In the heart of Old Prague, in the attic of the Altneuschul Synagogue, lies the inanimate body of a golem, or so the legend goes! We watched the 1920 classic of German cinema The Golem: How He Came Into The World to explore the strange history of this iconic creature, its ancient connection to the mythology of the Ancient Near East, and later Judaism. How did an entity so rooted in traditions of Jewish mysticism come to resonate with people across the globe, Jew and gentile alike? Why are automata such a captivating topic from the start of the Industrial Revolution all the way through today, and how did the golem come to inspire staples of American culture such as Frankenstein, Blade Runner, the Terminator, and beyond? All this and more on the second annual Halloween episode of Gladio Free Europe!