In folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus is a supernatural entity that appears in dreams, who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse. Religious traditions hold that repeated intercourse with a succubus may result in the deterioration of health or even death. According to the 'Malleus Maleficarum', succubi would collect semen from the men they slept with, which incubi (the male counterpart) would then use to impregnate women. Children so begotten were supposed to be more susceptible to the influence of demons; e.g. Nero, Ivan the Terrible, Stalin, Hitler etc.

Succubi lure males and in some cases, the male has seemed to fall "in love" with them. Even out of the dream she will not leave his mind. She will remain there slowly draining energy from him. According to Zohar and the Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith was Adam's first wife who later became a succubus. She left Adam and refused to return to the Garden of Eden.