Goddess: 50 Goddesses, Spirits, Saints, and Other Female Figures Who Have Shaped Belief

by Dr. Janina Ramirez, Sarah Walsh (Illustrations)

This collection brings together 50 stories of powerful female figures from around the world. There are loving creators, wise leaders, fearsome warriors, gentle healers, and mystical protectors, and they can each inspire you to find strength within yourself . . .

Beautifully written by cultural historian and broadcaster, Dr. Janina Ramirez, and stunningly illustrated by Sarah Walsh, this amazing book contains goddesses, guides, spirits, saints, witches, demons, and many more female figures that have played an important role in shaping belief today. Based on original sources and with photographs from the British Museum collection, this incredible introduction to goddesses throughout history will entertain, engage, and empower readers everywhere.


Divided into thematic chapters, there are important stories of creation and love, action-packed stories of war and death, and heroic stories of great adventure and strength.


List of goddesses featured: Inanna, Athena, Mami Wata, Nut, Ezili Danto, Rhiannon, Xiwangmu, Baba Yaga, Durga, Juno, Venus, Chalchiutitcue, Brigid, Mokosh, Pattini, Ariadne, Asase Yaa, Gaia, Eve, Mawu, Lilith, Sekhmet, Diana, Freyja, Izanami, Anat, Hel, Rangda, Medusa, Kali, Mary, Guanyin, Isis, Hecate, Sarasvati, Tara, Chang’e, Pte San Win, Lakshmi, Popa Medaw, Sedna, Itzpapalotl, Pele, Badb Catha, Oshun, Spider Mother, Tiamat, Amaterasu, Papatuanuku, and Mazu.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Mythology, Feminism, Childrens, Religion

112 pages, Hardcover

Published September 5, 2023

Reviews

[Farnz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

[João Teixeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ideia que este livro pretende passar é a de que ao longo da História, a Humanidade criou divindades do sexo feminino (algumas com faceta benévola, mas a grande maioria com faceta tanto benévola como malévola) que as (jovens) mulheres do tempo moderno podem ter como modelo de inspiração. Mesmo as divindades malévolas como Lilith parecem estar a ser apropriadas na actualidade como modelos de independência e autonomia, o que, pessoalmente, não deixa de me parecer uma bizarria, por se tratar de uma leitura moderna e descontextualizada dos mitos que lhes deram origem...
Por esta razão, confesso que não foi essa apropriação modernizada de mitos antigos aquilo que gostei no livro, mas sim o tomar conhecimento com as deusas, divindades e figuras do folclore de diversos pontos do mundo.
Cada um pode usar este livro como entender... Uns poderão lê-lo de ponta a ponta (que foi o que eu fiz). Outros poderão consultá-lo esporadicamente, um artigo de vez em quando.

[Muriel (The Purple Bookwyrm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

More accurate rating: 9.5/10.

A lovely and beautifully illustrated compendium of goddesses and other female entities from religion, mythology and folklore. I was familiar with most of them, but discovered a couple of new figures as well, and it was really neat to see a paragraph about worship/religious practices for each of them. My only item of criticism is that I don't think the way the goddesses & cie were slotted into their respective thematic categories always made perfect sense... though, in all fairness, a lot of pagan and Eastern deities had more than one function/domain of influence.

I would highly recommend this one, especially as a gift for younger readers – adult mythology nerds such as myself, however, will definitely enjoy this as well.

[Gemma Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smashing book, the illustrations are gorgeous.

[Kate Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely beautiful!

The illustrations are stunning, and the amount of information in here is great!
I sometimes find with non-fiction books aimed at children they are more style over substance. This is not the case here. It not only looks amazing, but it has so much info in it too.
I learnt a lot myself!

Perfect gift, and perfect display book.
Really recommend!

[Julie J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

ENGLISH VERSION BELOW

3.5

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Die Idee vom Buch hat mit sehr gefallen. Offiziell ist es ein Kinder-Jugendsachbuch. Die Aufbereitung pro Seite eine Person ist zwar eine gute Idee, wenn man jedoch einzelne Personen kennt, merkt man, dass manche Informationen sehr rudimentär sind. Ich hätte mir gewünscht, dass den Personen lieber zwei Doppelseiten zu kommen und dafür etwas mehr pro Person erzählt wird. Die Illustrationen haben die Sachinfos gut ergänzt. Super fand ich, dass teils Abbildungen von archäologischen Fundstücken abgedruckt waren.
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I really liked the idea of the book. Officially, it is a non-fiction book for children and young people. Although the one-person-per-page format is a good idea, if you are familiar with the individuals featured, you realize that some of the information is quite rudimentary. I would have preferred two double-page spreads for each person and a bit more information per person. The illustrations complement the factual information well. I thought it was great that some of the illustrations depicted archaeological finds.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A childhood obsession with ancient greek and roman gods is something that will follow you for the rest of your life

[Barbara Band · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be misled by the beautiful gold embossed cover, these are not stories of princess-like goddesses wafting through the universe, they are myths of strong, powerful and charismatic characters, powerful female figures from around the world who have shaped beliefs. The book is diverse and inclusive, spanning many cultures and religions. It's beautifully illustrated and good quality, with an index for alphabetical searching - useful as the contents are divided into categories such as ruling and guiding, new life, and war and death. Aimed at Middle Grade (8 - 12 years) this would be excellent for both KS2 and KS3. They're also the perfect length to use as a class read or bedtime tale!

[L A · Rating 5 out of 5]

One look at who is involved in this book tells you all you need to know really. I can't think of anyone better than Janina Ramirez to write a book about goddesses and Nosy Crow always produce high-quality children's books.

This is the kind of book I wish had been available to me as a child. The illustrations are vibrant, colourful and gorgeous and the information contained within is detailed enough to pique a child's interest whilst still remaining engaging enough for children, giving detail about each goddesses history, and the beliefs associated with them.

The selection of goddesses provides a snapshot from across the world including goddesses well known in the West such as those from Greek, Celtic and Norse mythology, as well as those lesser-known from West African, Indian and Native American mythology. They are grouped under headings such as 'Ruling and Guiding', 'War and Death' and 'Love and Wisdom' to enable comparisons to be drawn between the different beliefs and embodiments.

I have pre-ordered a copy of this book for my classroom. Although I teach Secondary school age students I feel like the quality and content of the book means that even this age group will enjoy engaging with the information and illustrations contained within.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done as far as I could tell but I really have no way of knowing whether any of the tales told are culturally offensive without doing lots of research. Let's hope they were duly vetted by Nosy Crow and The British Museum.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book, I wish there was something like this when I was a kid.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, the illustrations were much better than the text which was mostly negative and frequently far too simplistic and dull even if it is a children’s book.

[Maileen Hamto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories from around the world across millennia have revered female figures and archetypes. Goddess stories have influenced beliefs and practices about women and feminine energy. Cultural historian Dr. Janina Ramirez brings together 50 women deities, saints, and spirits from various cultures in "Goddess," published by The British Museum. The illustrated volume features full-color illustrations by Sarah Walsh that exquisitely render the legend and authority of influential and magical women.

"Goddess" is an excellent introduction to women's empowerment for young readers. While the stories may be short, they can effectively capture the imagination of anyone open to learning enduring myths from different cultures. The book highlights the power of storytelling in shaping beliefs about gender and gender roles. For example, several stories share a connective theme of nature, such as Oshun and her dominance over the river, Pele and the volcano, and Mokosh, the Slavic deity of the Earth.

Another prominent theme is the role of women as both the creator and destroyer, for example, Xiwangmu, ruler of life, death, creation, and destruction, and Gaia, the Greek goddess of creation and death. From Wales to West Africa, "Goddess" illuminates beliefs about the power and agency of women, representing the spectrum of sacred feminine embodiment.

[Pinball · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous book visually - the edition I read has shining golden accents and the illustrations are vibrant and colorful. The information inside is good, if a bit simplified (and glossing over some of the more mature aspects of some myths, which is less of a complaint and more of an indication of the intended audience). The summary for each figure offered some good points on how myth and legend can help show various aspects of the complexity of life, though there was also a lot of relating the importance of these figures to modern "girl power," so to speak, which felt a mite out of place in the context of a historical book.

Overall, had I been a kid when this came out, I would have been all over it. It covers a breadth of cultures and would make any mythology-obsessed kid thrilled (though I guess it is aimed more towards girls, which, again, feels a mite off-putting as much as I appreciate the "girl power" vibes).

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated collection, simply retelling the stories of female figures of worship through the ages and from around the world. There are many I was familiar with and others that were new to me, and I found their stories both fascinating and a good introduction to important female deity's from other cultures. I liked the way the chapters were set out with the core elements of their individual stories retold then an additional section on how they are remembered and in many cases worshipped, today. It's an accessible and excellent introduction to these powerful figures.
My thanks to NetGalley and Nosy Crow for the ARC in return for an honest review.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am looking for interesting and informative books to give as gifts to the children in my family, and found that this is a lovely simple book with stories and descriptions of various goddesses from around the world. It has been done in a way that I think would appeal to children and perhaps also their parents. As a child, I loved Greek myths and legends, and this book really draws the reader in with its simple and easy to understand language without being condescending. I borrowed this from my local library, but it’s now on my list of books to buy.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. Beautifully illustrated and written it is easy to read and is a book you would go back to repeatedly with the kids to read about the female deities covered.

Its not just Goddesses that are looked at but other important strong women who have helped shape history.

The illustrations are all so bright and a joy to look at.

Thanks to Netgalley and Nosy Cow for the ARC. This review is my own opinion.

[Kerfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this world tour of female spirit as much for the colorful illustrations as for the information provided in each two-page spread. The mythological and historical context invites further exploration.

Like all deities, these female figures often resemble humans in the unpredictable and contradictory nature of their actions and emotions. But a few embody a generous and nurturing spirit that is worth both honoring and emulating. Those are the ones that most appealed to me.

[Lucinda Real · Rating 5 out of 5]

We found this book when we visited the British Museum exhibition about feminine power. This book is fascinating. It introduces us to many female deities, mythical figures and goddesses. My daughter really enjoyed the book and even though we finished reading it, she keeps coming back to it. It has a lot of information in it, but the beautiful illustrations make it very interesting for kids.

[Elena Colasante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belle illustrazioni e splendida idea. Lo scopo educativo forse un po' troppo palese ma meglio ripetere a voce alta e a chiare lettere che puoi essere arrabbiata e feroce ed amata allo stesso tempo piuttosto che l'ennesima favoletta. Lo tengo sul comodino, ogni tanto è piacevole sfogliarlo

[kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 stars for the words, 5 stars for the illustrations.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women of power from around the world.
Written for children, some of the details are glossed over, and made age appropriate.
Luminous illustrations.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this and love the illustrations! I also learnt so much about different mythological figures across diverse cultures, will definitely be picking this up again.

[Julia Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I will be coming back to read this book over and over! Beautiful to read and gorgeous illustrations, and jam packed with incredible legends.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty

[Verna Seal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cool book!!

[Dionne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about all the amazing goddesses.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorful and informative! Interesting to see how female figures play a part in religious traditions all over the world. I was surprised that Asherah wasn't included though.

[Angelica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art!

[Pía · Rating 5 out of 5]

gorgeous book, beautifully illustrated in detail. It has been an inspiration to just open it on a random page and read the story and beliefs that created each and every one of these characters.