Moloch

[JayzusB.Christ]

Why are so many comic bad guys called 'Moloch'? I've seen it in at least four different comics. Even Watchmen had a Moloch, for Jaysus sakes. I read a serious article once, describing someone's arch enemy as 'his own personal Moloch' (that's all I can remember about the piece though). Who is Moloch? Where did it come from? If it pops ups again in comics I'll have a mickey fit. I will. I'll have a mickey fit.

[Dudley]

The ever-useful catholic Encyclopedia supplies the following info:

Moloch
(Hebrew Molech, king).

A divinity worshipped by the idolatrous Israelites. The Hebrew pointing Molech does not represent the original pronunciation of the name, any more than the Greek vocalization Moloch found in the LXX and in the Acts (vii, 43). The primitive title of this god was very probably Melech, "king", the consonants of which came to be combined through derision with the vowels of the word Bosheth, "shame". As the word Moloch (A.V. Molech) means king, it is difficult in several places of the Old Testament to determine whether it should be considered as the proper name of a deity or as a simple appellative. The passages of the original text in which the name stands probably for that of a god are Lev., xviii, 21; xx, 2-5; III (A. V. I) Kings, xi, 7; IV (II) Kings, xxiii, 10; Is., xxx, 33; lvii, 9; Jer., xxxii, 35. The chief feature of Moloch's worship among the Jews seems to have been the sacrifice of children, and the usual expression for describing that sacrifice was "to pass through the fire", a rite carried out after the victims had been put to death. The special centre of such atrocities was just outside of Jerusalem, at a place called Tophet (probably "place of abomination"), in the valley of Geennom. According to III (I) Kings, xi, 7, Solomon erected "a temple" for Moloch "on the hill over against Jerusalem", and on this account he is at times considered as the monarch who introduced the impious cult into Israel. After the disruption, traces of Moloch worship appear in both Juda and Israel. The custom of causing one's children to pass through the fire seems to have been general in the Northern Kingdom [IV (II) Kings, xvii, 17; Ezech. xxiii, 37], and it gradually grew in the Southern, encouraged by the royal example of Achaz (IV Kings, xvi, 3) and Manasses [IV (II) Kings, xvi, 6] till it became prevalent in the time of the prophet Jeremias (Jerem. xxxii, 35), when King Josias suppressed the worship of Moloch and defiled Tophet [IV (II) Kings, xxiii, 13 (10)]. It is not improbable that this worship was revived under Joakim and continued until the Babylonian Captivity.

On the basis of the Hebrew reading of III (I) Kings, xi, 7, Moloch has often been identified with Milcom, the national god of the Ammonites, but this identification cannot be considered as probable: as shown by the Greek Versions, the original reading of III (I) Kings, xi, 7, was not Molech but Milchom [cf. also III (I) Kings, xi, 5, 33]; and according to Deut., xii, 29-31; xviii, 9-14, the passing of children through fire was of Chanaanite origin [cf. IV (II) Kings, xvi, 3]. Of late, numerous attempts have been made to prove that in sacrificing their children to Moloch the Israelites simply thought that they were offering them in holocaust to Yahweh. In other words, the Melech to whom child-sacrifices were offered was Yahweh under another name. To uphold this view appeal is made in particular to Jer., vii, 31; xix, 5, and to Ezech., xx, 25-31. But this position is to say the least improbable. The texts appealed to may well be understood otherwise, and the prophets expressly treat the cult of Moloch as foreign and as an apostasy from the worship of the true God. The offerings by fire, the probable identity of Moloch with Baal, and the fact that in Assyria and Babylonia Malik, and at Palmyra Malach-bel, were sun-gods, have suggested to many that Moloch was a fire- or sun-god.

Link: http://alt.venus.co.uk/weed/writings/poems/agh.htm" target="_blank">For a great use of Moloch, see Pt 2

[Woolly]

Forgive me if i'm wrong, but isnt all that a 'load of old Molochs?' ;)

[WoD]

Bloody hell Wooly, are you and Jayzus the next little and large or what?

[Woolly]

lol!!! :)
Id rather be Cannon and ball!http://www.chrislucastrust.com/comedy1.gif">

[rc]

Good one for Up the Arse Corner

[paulvonscott]

You'd have that goofy grin if Bobby Ball was plugging you from behind.

God they look so much in love...

[paulvonscott]

There is a program tonight on the radio about accusations of Jewish sacrifices of children throughout the years (by people with grudges against Jews suprisingly enough).  

You may be familiar with this if you have watched your Robin of Sherwood ;)

It's a wonder that no-one ever brought up Moloch in this respect, as the equivelant of the 'Satanists in the woods' excuse for killing suspicious old women.

There was a moloch in Watchmen, what are the other ones?

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3420595.stm" target="_blank">Jewish sacrifices

[Quirkafleeg]

There was an episode of Blake's 7 called Moloch who, surpise surprise, turned out to be a crap monster.


Buggered if I can find a picture so this will have to do... go on my son, slip her the tongue!http://blakes7.pauljames.de/season3/b7_301c.jpg">

[Mikey]

There was a Molock IIRC in series 1 of Buffy.The Episode called Malcolm,I think.He had horns and a funny nose.Tried to get it on with Willow.

Bonus!Moloch the Glukkon in Abes Odessey,if that counts.Ate Abes mates.In pies.


H.

[Mr C]

I thought that it was the name of Athena's owl. I'm sure that it originally had someting to do with owls.

Anyway, apart from that, Moloch is just a name that is handy to writers looking for something suitable to call a demon. Nigel just doesn't work.

Neither does Andy.

[DavidXBrunt]

B7:Moloch featured Deep Roy in the cast, I believe. He played Mr. Sin in Doctor Who and also cropped up in the X-Files and the new Tim Burton film.

[Quirkafleeg]

Deep Roy was in just about every episode of B7, well anytime they needed a short monster...

[Oddboy]

<FULL GEEK MODE>The Moloch episode of Buffy was titled "I, Robot... You, Jane." SPOILERS? For series 1? Moloch was imprisoned within a magic book binded in the text. The book ends up in Giles' collection & due to Jenny's computer obsession the gang are scanning lots of book pages (I can't remember why, but it's just some plot device or other). When Willow scans this book the demon is released from the book & goes into the computer system, calls himself 'Malcolm' and chats up Willow over the internet. He then builds a robot body so they can be together.</FULL GEEK MODE>

[JayzusB.Christ]

Nice one. Now I know where it comes from I won't have my mickey fit. I can't quite remember what other comics I saw the name 'Moloch' in apart from Watchmen, but I think it popped up in Armitage once too, or else that Dredd / Armitage novel.