What do you think?
Rate this book
Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic
An alphabetical listing of over one hundred of the world's most cherished goddesses. Offers descriptions, facts, and anecdotes about the well-known female figures of Greek and Roman mythology, as well as many other tradition.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2008
3 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
About the author
Burleigh Muten
19 books13 followersFrom the site:
About Me
I have always loved words.
When I was eight, I began collecting words and categorizing them into word lists: night words, flight words, colors, feelings, places, well — any category will do.
My fifth grade teacher noticed my love of writing and appointed me editor-in-chief of our class newspaper. I loved the clack of the typewriter and the sight of my words in print. I read every book of fairy tales and Greek mythology in the school and town libraries, but my favorite book (then and now) is the dictionary.
I was in college working in the library when I realized I wanted to write for children, but I was a grandmother before my first book GRANDMOTHERS’ STORIES was published.
I live in the woods of western Massachusetts where the hawks soar, owls glide, and the leaves rustle and whisper as I fall asleep. I have two children who are creative adults now: Bjorn, who is a painter and Iris, who is a photographer and librarian. Now I am known as Nana to two boys who live in Maine.
I love teaching the children in my kindergarten and first grade class to read and write. During the summer, I work on my own writing and lead writing workshops for young authors throughout New England.
About Me
I have always loved words.
When I was eight, I began collecting words and categorizing them into word lists: night words, flight words, colors, feelings, places, well — any category will do.
My fifth grade teacher noticed my love of writing and appointed me editor-in-chief of our class newspaper. I loved the clack of the typewriter and the sight of my words in print. I read every book of fairy tales and Greek mythology in the school and town libraries, but my favorite book (then and now) is the dictionary.
I was in college working in the library when I realized I wanted to write for children, but I was a grandmother before my first book GRANDMOTHERS’ STORIES was published.
I live in the woods of western Massachusetts where the hawks soar, owls glide, and the leaves rustle and whisper as I fall asleep. I have two children who are creative adults now: Bjorn, who is a painter and Iris, who is a photographer and librarian. Now I am known as Nana to two boys who live in Maine.
I love teaching the children in my kindergarten and first grade class to read and write. During the summer, I work on my own writing and lead writing workshops for young authors throughout New England.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 17, 2020
Burleigh Mutén profiles one hundred and seven goddesses in this lovely encyclopedia of female divinities. Beginning with Aataentsic, the Iroquois creation goddess who fell to earth and created the world on the back of a turtle, to the Zorya, the three Slavic goddesses of destiny, each figure is given a brief blurb describing their cultural origin, their role in their respective cultures, and any sacred animals or objects associated with them. Each page contains one or two entries, one of which includes a small illustration. Full page illustrations are also included, and there are decorative borders on each page. An index of cultural/geographic origin is included at the rear, as is a list of sources...
I initially tracked down Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic because I was interested in seeing more of the artwork of Rebecca Guay, after loving her illustrations in Louise Hawes' Muti's Necklace: The Oldest Story in the World . I was not disappointed on that score, finding the visuals here absolutely gorgeous. The text itself was informative, presenting a wealth of figures with which I was already familiar, and some with which I was not. Unfortunately, there were a number of entries where Mutén got things wrong, either by conflating related figures, or by separating figures that should have been discussed together. She profiles Babd and Macha, but does not mention that they are part of the tripartite Irish goddess, the Morrígan. In her entry on Macha, she uses the stories of Macha, wife of Cruinniuc, and Macha Mong Ruad, and treats them as if they are the same figure. Many scholars believe that they are related, but in medieval Irish literature they are presented as separate people. A similar conflation occurs in the entry on Cailleach Beara, as the 'Hag of Beara,' most strongly associated with the Beara Peninsula in southwestern Ireland, is confused with the Scottish Cailleach Bheur, sometimes known by scholars as Beira, Queen of Winter. Again, these figures are believed by scholars to be related, but they are not synonymous, and should not be treated as if they were the same figure.
Another area of concern was the entry on Shekinah, which I have always understood to be a mystical concept within Judaism (and to a lesser extent, Christianity and Islam), and which signifies the feminine side of the divine. In none of these traditions, all of which are monotheistic, is Shekinah a goddess. I understand that some anthropologists have argued that she is, but if one is going to use a figure that comes from a specific tradition, and not discuss what it means in that tradition, focusing rather on an outlier theory, it begins to feel selective to the point of misinformation. I had the same feeling about Mutén's entry on the Virgin of Guadalupe, whom she describes as an Aztec goddess of mercy and compassion. While she does discuss the visions of this figure that appeared in Mexico in 1531, she never once mentions the words Christianity or Catholicism, nor does she make it clear that this figure is considered a manifestation of the Virgin Mary.
Such an extraordinary omission can only result from a deliberate attempt to edit out any information that doesn't support the idea that the figure under discussion is a goddess. Which brings me to my final criticism: to wit, that a number of figures included here are not goddesses in the traditional sense. A number of the Greek figures, although part of the mythology of that culture, are not divine. The human Pandora, for instance, or the nymph Echo. I noticed a similar trend with some of the Native American entries, where figures like Wild Pony, the first woman in Apache tradition, who is instructed by a spirit-being, but is herself human, is treated as a goddess.
Mythology and folklore are complicated and intertwined subjects, and I understand that in an encyclopedia of this nature, not every detail can be included. That said, some of the entries here were so simplified and/or incorrect, that I deducted a star from my rating. I enjoyed it - particularly for the artwork! - and I think it presents some interesting information, but I also think it is flawed. I couldn't help feeling, as I finished the book, that those flaws were the result of an editorial stance that wanted to fit the existing lore into a ready-made goddess-positive worldview. How else to explain the almost universally positive description of figures, some of whom ruled over such terrible domains as warfare and death? Recommended primarily to Rebecca Guay fans, although readers interested in an introduction to world goddesses might also benefit from it, provided they research the figures in question themselves, to get the fuller, more accurate picture.
I initially tracked down Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic because I was interested in seeing more of the artwork of Rebecca Guay, after loving her illustrations in Louise Hawes' Muti's Necklace: The Oldest Story in the World . I was not disappointed on that score, finding the visuals here absolutely gorgeous. The text itself was informative, presenting a wealth of figures with which I was already familiar, and some with which I was not. Unfortunately, there were a number of entries where Mutén got things wrong, either by conflating related figures, or by separating figures that should have been discussed together. She profiles Babd and Macha, but does not mention that they are part of the tripartite Irish goddess, the Morrígan. In her entry on Macha, she uses the stories of Macha, wife of Cruinniuc, and Macha Mong Ruad, and treats them as if they are the same figure. Many scholars believe that they are related, but in medieval Irish literature they are presented as separate people. A similar conflation occurs in the entry on Cailleach Beara, as the 'Hag of Beara,' most strongly associated with the Beara Peninsula in southwestern Ireland, is confused with the Scottish Cailleach Bheur, sometimes known by scholars as Beira, Queen of Winter. Again, these figures are believed by scholars to be related, but they are not synonymous, and should not be treated as if they were the same figure.
Another area of concern was the entry on Shekinah, which I have always understood to be a mystical concept within Judaism (and to a lesser extent, Christianity and Islam), and which signifies the feminine side of the divine. In none of these traditions, all of which are monotheistic, is Shekinah a goddess. I understand that some anthropologists have argued that she is, but if one is going to use a figure that comes from a specific tradition, and not discuss what it means in that tradition, focusing rather on an outlier theory, it begins to feel selective to the point of misinformation. I had the same feeling about Mutén's entry on the Virgin of Guadalupe, whom she describes as an Aztec goddess of mercy and compassion. While she does discuss the visions of this figure that appeared in Mexico in 1531, she never once mentions the words Christianity or Catholicism, nor does she make it clear that this figure is considered a manifestation of the Virgin Mary.
Such an extraordinary omission can only result from a deliberate attempt to edit out any information that doesn't support the idea that the figure under discussion is a goddess. Which brings me to my final criticism: to wit, that a number of figures included here are not goddesses in the traditional sense. A number of the Greek figures, although part of the mythology of that culture, are not divine. The human Pandora, for instance, or the nymph Echo. I noticed a similar trend with some of the Native American entries, where figures like Wild Pony, the first woman in Apache tradition, who is instructed by a spirit-being, but is herself human, is treated as a goddess.
Mythology and folklore are complicated and intertwined subjects, and I understand that in an encyclopedia of this nature, not every detail can be included. That said, some of the entries here were so simplified and/or incorrect, that I deducted a star from my rating. I enjoyed it - particularly for the artwork! - and I think it presents some interesting information, but I also think it is flawed. I couldn't help feeling, as I finished the book, that those flaws were the result of an editorial stance that wanted to fit the existing lore into a ready-made goddess-positive worldview. How else to explain the almost universally positive description of figures, some of whom ruled over such terrible domains as warfare and death? Recommended primarily to Rebecca Guay fans, although readers interested in an introduction to world goddesses might also benefit from it, provided they research the figures in question themselves, to get the fuller, more accurate picture.
January 3, 2019
★ true rating: 3.5 stars ★
Overall this was pretty cute, it showcases 2-3 goddesses on each page. The goddesses are organized in alphabetical order, but there is also a chart in the back of the book that has them organized by region/culture which I thought was a nice touch.
There are 100+ goddesses featured and each has a 3-5 sentence blurb with full and half page illustrations sprinkled throughout.
This was a very easy read and a cute introduction to mythology. I just found some of the copy lacking.
-------------
Picture Books About Goddesses & Mythology:
(these books feature myths from all over the world and include sources)
Changing Woman and Her Sisters: Stories of Goddesses from Around the World
★★★★☆
Features 10 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 3-5 pages of copy (includes a short intro blurb and story).
Book of Goddesses
★★★☆☆
Features 26 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 1 full page of copy.
Legendary Ladies: 50 Goddesses to Empower and Inspire You
☆☆☆☆☆
Features 50 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 1 full page of copy.
Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic
★★★★☆
Features 100+ goddesses - organized in alphabetical order, each goddess has a very short blurb, with full and half page illustrations sprinkled throughout.
The Lady of Ten Thousand Names
☆☆☆☆☆
Features 8 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and a few pages of copy.
Overall this was pretty cute, it showcases 2-3 goddesses on each page. The goddesses are organized in alphabetical order, but there is also a chart in the back of the book that has them organized by region/culture which I thought was a nice touch.
There are 100+ goddesses featured and each has a 3-5 sentence blurb with full and half page illustrations sprinkled throughout.
This was a very easy read and a cute introduction to mythology. I just found some of the copy lacking.
-------------
Picture Books About Goddesses & Mythology:
(these books feature myths from all over the world and include sources)
Changing Woman and Her Sisters: Stories of Goddesses from Around the World
★★★★☆
Features 10 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 3-5 pages of copy (includes a short intro blurb and story).
Book of Goddesses
★★★☆☆
Features 26 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 1 full page of copy.
Legendary Ladies: 50 Goddesses to Empower and Inspire You
☆☆☆☆☆
Features 50 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and 1 full page of copy.
Goddesses: A World of Myth and Magic
★★★★☆
Features 100+ goddesses - organized in alphabetical order, each goddess has a very short blurb, with full and half page illustrations sprinkled throughout.
The Lady of Ten Thousand Names
☆☆☆☆☆
Features 8 goddesses - each has 1 full page illustration and a few pages of copy.
June 30, 2016
Wonderful adult ABC book
July 1, 2016
This book is essentially an encyclopedia of goddesses. Starting with A—Aataentsic (Iroquois), Aditi (Hindu), Ama-terasu (Japan), and Aphrodite, Artemis, and Athena (Greece)—and ending with Z—Zaramama (Peru), Zoe (Gnostic), and the Zorya (Czechoslovakia)—there's a short description of each goddess and her powers, along with a pronunciation guide to their names. I love the illustrations, by Rebecca Guay. Some of my favorites (that I could find online) were Athena, Yemoja, the Junkgowa sisters, and Elli arm-wrestling Thor. I think one of my favorite goddesses is the very first one, Aataentsic, whose husband was jealous that her power was stronger than his own. He dared her to jump through a hole in the sky so he could get rid of her; seeing the beautiful world below, Aataentsic dove through and landed on the back of the giant turtle that became Turtle Island (the Earth).
March 27, 2017
One thing I didn't like about this book was that it was only basic information about the goddess. I wanted to get more in detail. Other than that I learned new information about other cultures like Lilith, the goddess of the moon. Another negative thing about this book is that I wished there was also gods too so that I could connect with the goddesses. One thing I always wonder about mythology is how do people or a person come up with it and why do people believe it?
August 22, 2011
this book has always been one of my favorites ! my childhood comes to life again when i hold this book in my hands ! i love greek myths and gods and goddesses (im like obsessed)! this book has amazing illustrations! i love how goddesses from all over the world are included in this jewel of a book :) i luv it :) my thanks to the illustrator and author ! :)
February 4, 2011
I picked this up because it was by the woman who wrote two of my favorite compilations of goddess art/poetry/articles/references/etc. Even though it is an alphabetical children's who's who' to Goddesses, the art work is so magically breathtaking through the entire thing.
Read
September 15, 2012Bought it for my favorite illustrator, Rebecca Guay, and will give it to my kid someday for the beauty.
October 22, 2012
I bought this one for the art, but was surprised with some interesting stories of female mythological figures. The art on itself is two stars, but the rest isn't too shabby either.
January 27, 2018
What a beautiful book! I was inclined to like this book regardless because of the subject matter (I'm a sucker for mythology and lore), and happily, I was not disappointed. Necessarily because of the format--the goddesses are presented alphabetically--there wasn't a lot of information given about each one, and being a children's book the goddesses were de-fanged a bit. But, I was pleased with the variety of cultures included. (There could definitely have been more African and Native American deities herein, but the fact that there were several of each puts this ahead of many other anthologies.) And, the pictures are glorious! I want to own this book to be able to refer back often for inspiration, and I can think of little praise higher than that.
January 12, 2024
It's worth noting that Medusa was cursed by Athena and if this is meant to be for children the reason why can be skipped; however, I was a child (in the mid-90s) and was informed Medusa had been raped and then cursed. Also, in the same way I read in a school textbook Aphrodite/Venus' creation which is conveniently skipped here. Based on other reading Lilith is not considered a goddess and her night activities are not all happiness and joyous babies! The cheerful whitewashing of many of the goddesses (or not see Lilith) in this book makes this an extremely problematic read. The illustrations are what keeps this book within rating range.
November 7, 2019
Absolutely beautiful. More encyclopedic than a book of retellings. Each goddess gets about a paragraph. It's a fascinating overview and introduction. It is fairly European-centric though. There are goddesses from around the world included, but Europe has the most--mainly Greece. Rebecca Guay's illustrations are incredible.
January 24, 2008
Another book where the illustrations (by Rebecca Guay, one of my favorite artists), drew me to the book. The illustrations are excellent as always; the information about the godesses somewhat sparse. I do like how several countries were covered.
April 1, 2014
This is my favorite mythology book for kids and is perfect for little girls. It has beautiful artwork and short blurbs perfect for those leaning to read. It would also make a lovely coffee table book!
August 15, 2008
i learned a lot about goddesses i didnt even know about!!!
April 7, 2009
It was intresting and intertaning. It went alphabeticly from A-Z it was unbelieve how our gods were some what similer.
December 21, 2012
Beautiful illustrations - and tons of goddesses I had never heard of before! This book also marks the end of my first completed 40 book challenge with my class.
September 26, 2014
A to Z of some goddesses. The artwork isn't as spectacular as it was in The Last Dragon; but it's still beautiful.
December 9, 2008
The illustrations and collection of tales are stunning.
Currently reading
April 4, 2009strength and perseverance
April 26, 2016
Great summary of goddesses from different cultures and beautiful art!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews