Meet the Iron Golem

Iron golems are naturally found in two places – villages, where they roam around protecting the inhabitants, and pillager outposts, where they’ve been captured in cages. Unlike many mobs, though, they can also be created – place four iron-blocks in a t-shape, and then put a carved pumpkin or jack o’lantern on the top.

Golems obey a few simple rules. Rule one: wander around until you see danger. Rule two: if you see danger, immediately attack it by flinging it up in the air. Rule three: never attack your creator. That’s more or less it. But this means that you need to be careful around a golem that you didn’t create – if it perceives you as a danger, for example because you harm a villager nearby, then it’ll attack. 

Despite their appearance, iron golems aren’t indestructible. When attacked, their bodies will begin showing cracks. If you want to heal one, use an iron ingot on it to patch it up a bit. If killed, they drop iron ingots and poppy flowers. Why poppies? Well, it turns out that golems also have a soft side – occasionally you might see one offering a poppy to a villager.

The most famous story about a golem takes place in Prague. In it, a rabbi creates a golem to defend the Jewish population of the city from persecution. Every Friday, before the Sabbath, he’d deactivate the golem by removing its “shem” – a piece of paper with instructions inserted into its head. One Friday, however, he forgot – and the golem became increasingly uncontrollable and violent. Eventually, the rabbi managed to pull the “shem” out of its mouth to immobilize it, and the creature was stored in the attic of the city’s synagogue – where it could one day be restored again to life if needed.

Today, golems can be found in plenty of fantasy settings – from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, to Dungeons & Dragons, to our very own Minecraft. And unfortunately, Minecraft’s golems have no shem to pull out if they attack you. Which leaves two options when confronted with an angry iron golem – fight, or flee. Which will you choose?