Gustav Meyrink

Modern art also changed the creature's shape.

Gustav Meyrink's 1915 novel The Golem made Prague itself feel haunted, though its golem is more apparition and symbol than straightforward clay superhero.

Paul Wegener's 1920 silent film, The Golem, How He Came Into the World, gave the legend a massive body and an unforgettable screen presence.

The blank face, heavy costume, and monumental movement helped create the visual monster later audiences assumed had always existed.