Dybbuk

Dybbuk comes from the Hebrew word דִּיבּוּק‎ dibbūq, meaning 'a case of attachment', which is a nominal form derived from the verb דָּבַק‎ dāḇaq 'to adhere' or 'cling'.[5]

The term first appears in a number of 16th-century writings,[2][6] though it was ignored by mainstream scholarship until S. Ansky's 1920 play The Dybbuk popularised the concept in literary circles.[6] Earlier accounts of possession (such as that given by Josephus) were of demonic possession rather than that of ghosts.[7] These accounts advocated orthodoxy among the populace[2] as a preventative measure. Michał Waszyński's 1937 film The Dybbuk, based on the Yiddish play by S. Ansky, is considered one of the classics of Yiddish filmmaking.[8]

Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, the Satmar rebbe (1887–1979), is reported to have supposedly advised an individual said to be possessed to consult a psychiatrist.[7]

Traditionally, dybbuks tended to be male spirits who possessed women on the eve of their weddings typically in a sexual fashion by entering the women through their vaginas which is seen in Ansky's play.[9]

In the psychological literature, the dybbuk has been described as a hysterical syndrome.[10]

Few topics in Jewish theater history have inspired as many stage treatments as the dybbuk. A review of the innovative approaches to the subject was presented by EgoPo Classic Theater in English translation from the Yiddish, as penned by Joachim Neugroschel and adapted by Tony Kushner, the production directed by Lane Savadove.[11] Containing detailed background information on the history of the dybbuk, "'Don't ask me what happened. It’s best not to know!': A DYBBUK, or Between two worlds"[12] the article was first published by All About Jewish Theatre[13] the world's largest English-language Jewish theater website, before its demise in 2014, but recently rescued by Drama Around the Globe[14] and republished by Phindie.[15]

HBO Max also has a show called “Possessions” which is an account of Dybbuk.

In the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, the Dybbuk was introduced as a disembodied demonic spirit that could possess and control dead bodies. They parasitically inhabited mortal corpses in order to partake in their vices and would murder others to steal their forms. First introduced in 3rd edition, they were remade for 5th edition D&D and the most current version as of April 2023 can be found in Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse (p.113).

A Bollywood Film Based named Dybbuk was streamed on Amazon Prime In 2021. Lead role played by Emran Hashmi. The movie shows, the main protagonist Wife gets possed by Dybbuk after she opens it, without knowing and both of them experience paranormal activities.

• Dybbuk box
• Golem
• Kabbalah

• J. H. Chajes, Between Worlds: Dybbuks, Exorcists, and Early Modern Judaism, University of Pennsylvania Press, Aug 31, 2011.
• Rachel Elior, Dybbuks and Jewish Women in Social History, Mysticism and Folklore, Urim Publications, 1 Sep 2008.
• Fernando Peñalosa, The Dybbuk: Text, Subtext, and Context. Jan 2013.
• Fernando Peñalosa. Parodies of An-sky's The Dybbuk. Nov 2012
• Yosl Cutler, "The Dybbuk in the Form of a Crisis", In Geveb, March 2017.

• "The Dybbuk" by Ansky Jewish Heritage Online Magazine
• "Dybbuk—Spiritual Possession and Jewish Folklore" by Jeff Belanger, Ghostvillage.com
• "Dybbuk", Encyclopædia Britannica
• Dibbuk short film teaser
• ডিব্বুক (Dybbuk) - Bengali horror fiction based on Dybbuk myth by Tamoghna Naskar. Publisher - Aranyamon Prokashoni https://www.aranyamon.com/