Sandman: where do the three eve stories come from?

[Tim Regan]

Hi All,

Having read (well listened to) Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" (great 
book) and read his "Coraline" to my kids (wonderfully creative book, 
not quite as well written) I'm reading the works that first made him 
famous, his Sandman comics. They are now sold as ten graphic novels. 
They are fabulous – and you can see loads of the plot ideas he uses 
later tried out first.

Now to my question.

In book VI "Fables and Reflections" (my favourite of the series) the 
baby Daniel goes to Abel's house in The Dreaming and everyone tells 
him a story. Eve (who now lives in a cave in The Dreaming) tells him 
that there were three Eves, three wives of Adam. The first was made 
of dust, like Adam, but proves too spirited for him so they separate 
and she goes off to consort with demons. The second was constructed 
from flesh and bone, and having seen what lies beneath her skin 
during the construction process, Adam is too put-off to love her; so 
she stays a virgin. No-one knows where she went. Third time lucky. 
God uses one of Adam's ribs and we have the Eve story I'm familiar 
with.

Where do the first two stories come from? Did Gaiman make them up 
(they don't feel like he did)?

Cheers,

Dumbledad.