8. Immensely sexualized beings, the succubi of The Witcher have more in common with the benign mythological “faun” species than their eponymous counterparts from the Middle Ages
Portrayed as hyper-sexualized monsters, albeit not requiring killing due to their benign nature, in the world of The Witcher a succubus is a half-female, half-goat creature, possessing horns on their head, who attempts to seduce passersby. As the appearance and design of the creature suggest, succubi of the fictional universe enjoy more in common with the “faun” of ancient legends than their eponymous counterpart. Stemming from Roman and Greek mythology, fauns were half-men, half-goat beings who borrowed their original depiction from the Greek deity Pan. Symbolizing fertility, although foolish, fauns were merely tricksy and clumsy rather than malevolent creatures.
However, whilst a succubus in The Witcher merely seeks pleasure, succubi from real-world traditions are far more dangerous. Stemming from Lilith, the first wife of Adam according to the Jewish tradition, a succubus, upon closer inspection, possesses multiple deformities rendering her beauty a mere figment. Encouraging immoral men to engage in sexual intercourse, the succubus subsequently stores the male semen for use in reproduction. Alternatively, some historical legends contain reports of succubi forcing men to perform oral sex upon their diseased vulva, most likely stemming from puritanical Church teachings which strongly opposed the practice of cunnilingus between sexual partners.