Marilith (monster)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A marilith (or Marilith, if a one-of-a-kind creature) is a type of monster found in some fantasy literature and games. Although there are variants, most have an upper body of a woman with the lower body of a snake, similar to a female nagas, but with the unique feature of having multiple arms. They may also use many types of exotic weaponry in battle, usually swords and the like, taking advantage of their many hands.

The marilith originated in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and is featured as an enemy in both Final Fantasy as a member of the Four Fiends and in Nethack.

The name "marilith" seems to be a contamination of Mary and Lilith, thus combining two diametrically oposed aspects of femininity.

See also: Marilith (Dungeons & Dragons)