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The Great Goddess: Reverence of the Divine Feminine from the Paleolithic to the Present
A study of the primordial figure of the Great Goddess and her continued worship through time as shown by the myths, shrines, and sanctuaries around the world that honor this powerful symbol of creation.
A noted historian on pre-Christian societies provides an extensive worldwide listing of sites and sanctuaries associated with goddess worship. Explores goddess worship in cultures around the world, including Native American, Egyptian, Indian, and Oriental civilizations. Demonstrates that although her worship has sometimes been forced underground it has never disappeared. In ancient Babylon she was Anat, in Egypt, Isis and Hathor, Dana in Celtic Ireland, Rhea and Demeter in Greece, and in India, Anapurna the Provider. She is the Great Goddess, the Goddess of Beginnings, the symbol of Earth and the giver of life, the Vast Mother, who represents all the powers and mysteries of creation for early humanity. Shifting her solar association onto masculine deities and blackening those of her symbols that, like the serpent, could not be assimilated, patriarchal societies forced the preeminent power of the feminine into an obscure and subservient position. Yet, as shown by noted scholar Jean Markale, the Goddess did not simply disappear when her position was usurped, and the power she represents has been the source of continuous religious devotion from ancient times through the Middle Ages up to the present day.
In looking at the plethora of myths, sites, and sanctuaries devoted to this powerful figure, The Great Goddess provides abundant evidence of the extraordinary permanence of her worship--even at the heart of those religions that tried to destroy her.
A noted historian on pre-Christian societies provides an extensive worldwide listing of sites and sanctuaries associated with goddess worship. Explores goddess worship in cultures around the world, including Native American, Egyptian, Indian, and Oriental civilizations. Demonstrates that although her worship has sometimes been forced underground it has never disappeared. In ancient Babylon she was Anat, in Egypt, Isis and Hathor, Dana in Celtic Ireland, Rhea and Demeter in Greece, and in India, Anapurna the Provider. She is the Great Goddess, the Goddess of Beginnings, the symbol of Earth and the giver of life, the Vast Mother, who represents all the powers and mysteries of creation for early humanity. Shifting her solar association onto masculine deities and blackening those of her symbols that, like the serpent, could not be assimilated, patriarchal societies forced the preeminent power of the feminine into an obscure and subservient position. Yet, as shown by noted scholar Jean Markale, the Goddess did not simply disappear when her position was usurped, and the power she represents has been the source of continuous religious devotion from ancient times through the Middle Ages up to the present day.
In looking at the plethora of myths, sites, and sanctuaries devoted to this powerful figure, The Great Goddess provides abundant evidence of the extraordinary permanence of her worship--even at the heart of those religions that tried to destroy her.
272 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1999
42 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Jean Markale
186 books42 followersJean Markale is the pen name of Jean Bertrand, a French writer, poet, radio show host, lecturer, and retired Paris high school French teacher.
He has published numerous books about Celtic civilisation and the Arthurian cycle. His particular specialties are the place of women in the Celtic world and the Grail cycle.
His many works have dealt with subjects as varied as summations of various myths, the relationships of same with occult subjects like the Templars, Cathars, the Rennes le Château mystery, Atlantis, the megalith building civilisations, druidism and so on, up to and including a biography of Saint Columba.
While Markale presents himself as being very widely read on the subjects about which he writes, he is nonetheless surrounded by controversy regarding the value of his work. Critics allege that his 'creative' use of scholarship and his tendency to make great leaps in reasoning cause those following the more normative (and hence more conservative) mode of scholars to balk. As well as this, his interest in subjects that his critics consider questionable, including various branches of the occult, have gained him at least as many opponents as supporters. His already weakened reputation was further tarnished in 1989, when he became involved in a plagiarism case, when he published under his own name a serious and well-documented guide to the oddities and antiquities of Brittany, the text of which had already been published twenty years before by a different writer through the very same publisher.
Also a source of controversy is his repeated use of the concept of "collective unconscious" as an explanatory tool. This concept was introduced by Carl Jung, but in modern psychology it's rejected by the vast majority of psychologists.
He has published numerous books about Celtic civilisation and the Arthurian cycle. His particular specialties are the place of women in the Celtic world and the Grail cycle.
His many works have dealt with subjects as varied as summations of various myths, the relationships of same with occult subjects like the Templars, Cathars, the Rennes le Château mystery, Atlantis, the megalith building civilisations, druidism and so on, up to and including a biography of Saint Columba.
While Markale presents himself as being very widely read on the subjects about which he writes, he is nonetheless surrounded by controversy regarding the value of his work. Critics allege that his 'creative' use of scholarship and his tendency to make great leaps in reasoning cause those following the more normative (and hence more conservative) mode of scholars to balk. As well as this, his interest in subjects that his critics consider questionable, including various branches of the occult, have gained him at least as many opponents as supporters. His already weakened reputation was further tarnished in 1989, when he became involved in a plagiarism case, when he published under his own name a serious and well-documented guide to the oddities and antiquities of Brittany, the text of which had already been published twenty years before by a different writer through the very same publisher.
Also a source of controversy is his repeated use of the concept of "collective unconscious" as an explanatory tool. This concept was introduced by Carl Jung, but in modern psychology it's rejected by the vast majority of psychologists.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 10, 2017
I consider this book to be something of a mixed bag. There’s plenty of good info contained within, and Markale is spot on about borrowed pagan traditions. But I question the veracity of some of his more tenuous connections and extreme assertions. The book is not particularly well referenced for an academic work, and yet Markale asserts that are all one and the same, based on, as far as I can see, no more than etymological Chinese whispers (language doesn’t actually work that way; if one word in a language sounds like another in a different language, that does not necessarily imply a connection). I get the impression that the book is more about wishful thinking (there was once an all-powerful goddess worship which was supplanted by worship of male gods) and cherry picking or interpreting everything to fit that conclusion, rather than objectively reviewing all the evidence. At several points Markale uses the phrases ‘without a doubt’ or ‘incontestably’ when presenting his evidence for ancient goddesses, and yet there are doubts and it is contested by other experts – so it isn’t ‘without a doubt’ or ‘incontestable’ at all. Nevertheless it’s an interesting and intriguing read, I would just be cautious about Markale’s conclusions and take it all with a grain of salt.
6 out of 10
October 2, 2017
As per usual Jean Markale's The Great Goddess: Reverence of the Divine Feminine from the Paleolithic to the Present is a masterpiece of information and realization. Not only is this book filled with knowledge of how the Goddess shaped the lives of the peoples in the past, but also how through them and Goddess worship, it has effected those of us in the present day. Markale takes us on a journey through time and explains how the Goddess first came about as well as why. Why the feminine divine was necessary when mankind's psyche was first forming, and why The Goddess is so important today. Goddess worship is one of nurturing and freedom as opposed to the masculine which is destruction and control. He explains why Goddess worship has resurfaced again and again even though most religions have sought to destroy Her.
Markale , through comparison, shows how The Goddess has resurfaced in stories such as Tristin and Iseult, Lilith, and even the Virgin Mary and how all of these figures posses the same creation characteristics. We see as we read how in ancient Babylon she was Anat, in Egypt, Isis and Hathor, Dana in Celtic Ireland, Rhea and Demeter in Greece, and in India, Anapurna the Provider. She is the Great Goddess, the Goddess of Beginnings, the symbol of Earth and the giver of life; the Vast Mother, who represents all the powers and mysteries of creation for early humanity. He describes how Her symbols such as Her feminine solar association shifted into the masculine and how Her symbols like the serpent, could not be assimilated, and further how patriarchal societies forced the preeminent power of the feminine into an obscure and subservient position.
I feel this is an important book for not only women, but also for men insofar as it explores an alternative, which is irrepressible, to the rigid stoicism perpetuated by the patriarchal model of the last thousands of years which predominates today. An important book in today's world where destruction, lack of empathy, and compassion are the norm but where the world as a whole is searching for change. A change to a more simpler, peaceful, world of creation and unification.
Markale , through comparison, shows how The Goddess has resurfaced in stories such as Tristin and Iseult, Lilith, and even the Virgin Mary and how all of these figures posses the same creation characteristics. We see as we read how in ancient Babylon she was Anat, in Egypt, Isis and Hathor, Dana in Celtic Ireland, Rhea and Demeter in Greece, and in India, Anapurna the Provider. She is the Great Goddess, the Goddess of Beginnings, the symbol of Earth and the giver of life; the Vast Mother, who represents all the powers and mysteries of creation for early humanity. He describes how Her symbols such as Her feminine solar association shifted into the masculine and how Her symbols like the serpent, could not be assimilated, and further how patriarchal societies forced the preeminent power of the feminine into an obscure and subservient position.
I feel this is an important book for not only women, but also for men insofar as it explores an alternative, which is irrepressible, to the rigid stoicism perpetuated by the patriarchal model of the last thousands of years which predominates today. An important book in today's world where destruction, lack of empathy, and compassion are the norm but where the world as a whole is searching for change. A change to a more simpler, peaceful, world of creation and unification.
December 14, 2020
The first introduction was a bit hard to get through but the rest of absolutely fascinating reading. Jean Markale does a splendid job of showing that the Great Goddess was there before a male-oriented god worship took over, and that the Goddess is still here today be it in the form of the Virgin Mary or in the neo-Pagan spirituality. I would encourage anyone interested in the history of Goddess worship check this out. There is so much to learn and this is a good place to start.
February 8, 2015
This is a fine introduction to the Great Goddess who was and still is worshiped (for tens of thousands of years) and why it is important to acknowledge that not all myths are patriarchal. My husband read this for a college course in mythology that he is taking and it looked good so I read it too. The course is an online one from Excelsior College and he let me look at the comments from classmates in their posts and also their replies to his own post where a crazy Christian woman went off on him for suggesting anyone at any time had ever worshiped a Great Goddess rather than just a head male deity. She was obsessed with it and the professor had to make her stop abusing my husband and any other students who even entertained the idea about goddesses. Why does a woman choose to worship something male and refuse to even believe others had chosen to worship goddesses? Is it self-hatred she has absorbed against women in her patriarchal religion, maybe even unconsciously so she feels somehow threatened a the idea of others worshiping a goddess?
February 8, 2025
Some information is historically accurate, others is conjecture or what the cool online pagans call "UPG" (unverified personal gnosis, aka your own religious experiences). I'm FINE with opinions, but please present them as such if this is intended to be a history of goddess worship.
It's definitely a mixed bag, especially since I don't remember annotations or sources cited. Just Trust Me Bro is not a source.
It's definitely a mixed bag, especially since I don't remember annotations or sources cited. Just Trust Me Bro is not a source.
July 25, 2025
AN OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS WAYS THAT THE ‘DIVINE FEMININE’ HAS BEEN INTERPRETED OVER TIME
‘Jean Markale’ (1928-2008) was the pen name of French writer Jean Bertrand, who wrote about a variety of subjects (e.g., myths, Celts, the Black Madonna, Druids, the ‘Sacred Feminine,’ etc.).
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1997 book, “In the religious systems that emerged from the biblical substratum---that is, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam---the concept of a male god undeniably dominates the complex structure of theological speculation. The contributions of Greek, and then Byzantine philosophy… have only reinforced this tendency to represent the Supreme Being with concrete masculine characteristics. Nevertheless, by reading the Hebrew Bible, it becomes clear that this victory was not won in an instant. The first books of the Bible … bear witness to a struggle… between those adhering to orthodox Yahwehism and those zealots of the divinities of Canaan, also called the dark goddesses of the Near East.” (Pg. 1)
He continues, “The victory of Apollo over Python at Delphi is thus the perfectly transparent symbol of radical change in consciousness: the transition from the concept of mother goddess to father God… It is plausible, though not certain, that the first humans were unaware of the exact role of the male in procreation… Thus, their attitude toward the female… was ambiguous: a profound respect, if not veneration, and, at the same time, a kind of terror in the face of incomprehensible, even magic or divine, powers. The statuettes called ‘Venus callipyges’… are a decisive argument in favor of this thesis… it is extremely probable that primitive humanity regarded divinity, whatever that was, as feminine in nature.” (Pg. 4)
He cites the Garden of Eden story, commenting, “This was a significant turning point in the history of consciousness, and not merely some rivalry---if not war---between two divinities, one feminine and the other masculine. In fact, the divinity is the same, eternal, infinite, ineffable, unspeakable, incommunicable through purely rational means. It is only to make it comprehensible that anthropomorphic---and therefore, sexual---characteristics are attached to this divinity.” (Pg. 7)
Later, he adds, “Thus emerges the idea of a feminine, matrical component, a primordial divinity absolute and undifferentiated. It is not a question, however, or coming around to the assertion that God is a woman. God is no more female than male (despite the widespread puerile imagery of God the Father). God IS. If God is the Whole, he cannot be divided, ‘cut,’ since that is the original meaning of the word ‘sexual.’… By contrast, the feminine is within God… Thus, the Virgin Mary is not the Great Goddess of the religions preceding Christianity. But in the collective unconscious, she is the successor, especially on the level of concrete representation.” (Pg. 30)
He observes, “Christianity enters the Empire in force and changes considerably the exterior aspect of the divinity. Two diametrically opposed directions are not going to confront each other, in a quarrel constantly being updated with regard to images… But, the human mind needing concrete elements to make sense of the divine, divine forces began to be incarnated, given material aspects. The evangelists themselves, by exalting the man-god Jesus Christ, went along with this realistic interpretation, perfectly conforming to the claims in Genesis with regard to man being created in the image of God.” (Pg. 99)
He summarizes, “Now, the reign of the Mother Goddess of the Beginnings seems to have come to an end, and the reign of the mother of all the gods, as well. Thus will begin the astonishingly prosperous reign of the Virgin Mother of the one, unique God, known by whatever names and dedications over the course of the centuries to follow. But appearances are sometimes deceiving.” (Pg. 103)
He asserts, “In fact, the representations of the Virgin… derive from a more ancient model, necessarily pre-Christian, and were embellished with details extracted by accounts considered apocryphal… We are a long way from the details that some struggle hard to consider historically accurate.” (Pg. 111) Later, he adds, “The Mother of God is thus one more woman among women, with all the human feelings that entails. Whatever the symbolic significance of the supposed events in Mary’s life, these events could affect the life of any woman in the world, no matter where or when.” (Pg. 119)
He states, “Thus, countless specific formulations appear, which are only the multiple aspects of a single reality. The Goddess of the Beginnings has as many faces as she has names throughout the world.” (Pg. 170)
This book may interest those looking into ancient Goddesses and Gods, and related topics
‘Jean Markale’ (1928-2008) was the pen name of French writer Jean Bertrand, who wrote about a variety of subjects (e.g., myths, Celts, the Black Madonna, Druids, the ‘Sacred Feminine,’ etc.).
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1997 book, “In the religious systems that emerged from the biblical substratum---that is, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam---the concept of a male god undeniably dominates the complex structure of theological speculation. The contributions of Greek, and then Byzantine philosophy… have only reinforced this tendency to represent the Supreme Being with concrete masculine characteristics. Nevertheless, by reading the Hebrew Bible, it becomes clear that this victory was not won in an instant. The first books of the Bible … bear witness to a struggle… between those adhering to orthodox Yahwehism and those zealots of the divinities of Canaan, also called the dark goddesses of the Near East.” (Pg. 1)
He continues, “The victory of Apollo over Python at Delphi is thus the perfectly transparent symbol of radical change in consciousness: the transition from the concept of mother goddess to father God… It is plausible, though not certain, that the first humans were unaware of the exact role of the male in procreation… Thus, their attitude toward the female… was ambiguous: a profound respect, if not veneration, and, at the same time, a kind of terror in the face of incomprehensible, even magic or divine, powers. The statuettes called ‘Venus callipyges’… are a decisive argument in favor of this thesis… it is extremely probable that primitive humanity regarded divinity, whatever that was, as feminine in nature.” (Pg. 4)
He cites the Garden of Eden story, commenting, “This was a significant turning point in the history of consciousness, and not merely some rivalry---if not war---between two divinities, one feminine and the other masculine. In fact, the divinity is the same, eternal, infinite, ineffable, unspeakable, incommunicable through purely rational means. It is only to make it comprehensible that anthropomorphic---and therefore, sexual---characteristics are attached to this divinity.” (Pg. 7)
Later, he adds, “Thus emerges the idea of a feminine, matrical component, a primordial divinity absolute and undifferentiated. It is not a question, however, or coming around to the assertion that God is a woman. God is no more female than male (despite the widespread puerile imagery of God the Father). God IS. If God is the Whole, he cannot be divided, ‘cut,’ since that is the original meaning of the word ‘sexual.’… By contrast, the feminine is within God… Thus, the Virgin Mary is not the Great Goddess of the religions preceding Christianity. But in the collective unconscious, she is the successor, especially on the level of concrete representation.” (Pg. 30)
He observes, “Christianity enters the Empire in force and changes considerably the exterior aspect of the divinity. Two diametrically opposed directions are not going to confront each other, in a quarrel constantly being updated with regard to images… But, the human mind needing concrete elements to make sense of the divine, divine forces began to be incarnated, given material aspects. The evangelists themselves, by exalting the man-god Jesus Christ, went along with this realistic interpretation, perfectly conforming to the claims in Genesis with regard to man being created in the image of God.” (Pg. 99)
He summarizes, “Now, the reign of the Mother Goddess of the Beginnings seems to have come to an end, and the reign of the mother of all the gods, as well. Thus will begin the astonishingly prosperous reign of the Virgin Mother of the one, unique God, known by whatever names and dedications over the course of the centuries to follow. But appearances are sometimes deceiving.” (Pg. 103)
He asserts, “In fact, the representations of the Virgin… derive from a more ancient model, necessarily pre-Christian, and were embellished with details extracted by accounts considered apocryphal… We are a long way from the details that some struggle hard to consider historically accurate.” (Pg. 111) Later, he adds, “The Mother of God is thus one more woman among women, with all the human feelings that entails. Whatever the symbolic significance of the supposed events in Mary’s life, these events could affect the life of any woman in the world, no matter where or when.” (Pg. 119)
He states, “Thus, countless specific formulations appear, which are only the multiple aspects of a single reality. The Goddess of the Beginnings has as many faces as she has names throughout the world.” (Pg. 170)
This book may interest those looking into ancient Goddesses and Gods, and related topics
October 8, 2023
Great repository of goddess sanctuaries at the time of its publication. I wonder what Mr Markale would think of the recent “Herm” like statues coming out of the ground in Karahan Tepe. Luckily they are amongst other telluric and female symbols like snake pits and wild boar statues.
April 22, 2024
Suffers from a 50 page introduction, a rather rambling and unstructured theory with little reference to sources, and absolutely no illustrations - which when constantly describing and referencing objects/sites would have been of great benefit.
Written in the 90's it now seems quite dated.
Written in the 90's it now seems quite dated.
June 10, 2022
An life-changing, essential text for scholars of the Bible and for believers in an eternal mother. The first introduction is the best part.
November 15, 2023
Food for thought, if one is looking for a general overview of goddess mythology around the world, with a primary focus on Europe, particularly Celtic and Greek goddesses and the Virgin Mary.
Markale's book is a bit dated by now, skews toward broad and proud assertions that these goddesses are all basically one and the same, and tends to be somewhat repetitive (particularly regarding Sheela-na-gigs and a psychoanalytic approach to the womb/birth/rebirth). Markele does, however, provide good information as to how, where, and why the goddesses were worshiped; he also presents a convincing overview of how/why a patriarchal, male-centered pantheon usurped power from the female deities.
Markale's book is a bit dated by now, skews toward broad and proud assertions that these goddesses are all basically one and the same, and tends to be somewhat repetitive (particularly regarding Sheela-na-gigs and a psychoanalytic approach to the womb/birth/rebirth). Markele does, however, provide good information as to how, where, and why the goddesses were worshiped; he also presents a convincing overview of how/why a patriarchal, male-centered pantheon usurped power from the female deities.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews