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Goddess: Myths of the Female Divine
From the fertile earth mothers of the ancient world to the modern revival of interest in Wicca, or witchcraft, images and tales of the Female Divine have flourished and waned, intimidated, comforted, and inspired women and men from time immemorial. In Goddess, authors David Leeming and Jake Page gather some 75 of the most potent and meaningful of these tales in an extraordinarily rich and readable introduction to this divine figure as she has emerged from prehistory to the present.
Told as a biography, we follow Goddess from her first Ice Age appearances as the all-encompassing, all-giving, and all-taking Earth, to her re-emergence as a powerful force in the myths of modern religion, psychology, and science. In tales of the Changing Woman of the Navajos and of Hera, Pandora, Eve, and Lilith, we see her traduced and sublimated by rising, and then, dominant, patriarchal cultures and civilizations, but never totally suppressed. In familiar and unfamiliar myths, Goddess comes alive, pulsing with her own energy, irrepressible behind her many cultural masks. She can be the Universe itself, the source of all being, the holy Virgin, the Earth-Mother nurturer, the madly hysterical destroyer, the femme fatale, or the consort or mother of God. She is presented here not as myth, but as a true archetype, a potential being who exists in all of us, a force who long preceded her male counterpart as an appropriate metaphor for the Great Mystery of existence.
As compelling as any novel, Goddess is also a journey into the human heart. Observing Goddess over the centuries--worshiped, belittled, denied, rediscovered--we gain new insight into the changing role of women, our continuing development as a species, and our deepest concerns about ourselves, our world, and the human destiny.
Told as a biography, we follow Goddess from her first Ice Age appearances as the all-encompassing, all-giving, and all-taking Earth, to her re-emergence as a powerful force in the myths of modern religion, psychology, and science. In tales of the Changing Woman of the Navajos and of Hera, Pandora, Eve, and Lilith, we see her traduced and sublimated by rising, and then, dominant, patriarchal cultures and civilizations, but never totally suppressed. In familiar and unfamiliar myths, Goddess comes alive, pulsing with her own energy, irrepressible behind her many cultural masks. She can be the Universe itself, the source of all being, the holy Virgin, the Earth-Mother nurturer, the madly hysterical destroyer, the femme fatale, or the consort or mother of God. She is presented here not as myth, but as a true archetype, a potential being who exists in all of us, a force who long preceded her male counterpart as an appropriate metaphor for the Great Mystery of existence.
As compelling as any novel, Goddess is also a journey into the human heart. Observing Goddess over the centuries--worshiped, belittled, denied, rediscovered--we gain new insight into the changing role of women, our continuing development as a species, and our deepest concerns about ourselves, our world, and the human destiny.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 12, 2021
Şu zamana kadar okumamış olmama üzüldüm. Muazzam bir kitap tanrıça kavramının farklı uygarlıktaki tarihsel süreci ve bu süreçte geçirdiği değişikliklerin aşamalarının çok güzel şekilde anlatıldığı bir kitap. 5 yıldız az bile.
October 13, 2014
The book was alright. After awhile, it felt redundant giving both a summary of the myth alongside an "interpretation"- which was really just another summary of the myth. As someone who has spent a good deal of college credits studying mythology, I understood most of the references but for a reader trying to learn on their own, the book left many loose ends. I liked the idea of the ending to the book but it felt as if the authors became as bored as I was reading it. It's also hard to take a women's studies book seriously when it's written by male authors.
Overall, a good collection of badly summarized myths about women- written by two men.
Overall, a good collection of badly summarized myths about women- written by two men.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2016
Magical, mystical, thought-provoking. I love the idea of a biography of an archetype. I will acknowledge that some of the myths fell a bit flat for me--there's such a wealth of lush, rich goddess stories to draw from and I craved a deeper understanding of why the authors selected the stories that they did. I wanted more! You can definitely feel the influences of Jung and Campbell on this one.
December 20, 2020
Neolitik cagda insanoglu avci-toplayici toplumlardan yerlesik hayata gecip tarim ve hayvancilik ile ugrasmaya basladiginda artik dunyanin gizemlerini anlamak ve buna nedenler bulmak icin zamani oldugunda mitoslar olusmaya baslar.
İste bu eser bu asamadan basliyor. Dunyanin her yerinden kisa kisa hikayeler ile Tanricalarin, Panteonlarda yukselmesi zaman icinde istismara ugramasi ve gozden dusmesi ama asla tamamen vazgecilmemesi.
Ben sevdim eger mitoloji seviyorsaniz okumanizi tavsiye ederim.
İste bu eser bu asamadan basliyor. Dunyanin her yerinden kisa kisa hikayeler ile Tanricalarin, Panteonlarda yukselmesi zaman icinde istismara ugramasi ve gozden dusmesi ama asla tamamen vazgecilmemesi.
Ben sevdim eger mitoloji seviyorsaniz okumanizi tavsiye ederim.
March 15, 2017
First, and fastest, dnf of the year. Extremely boring and super repetitive.
August 2, 2020
To be honest i did find what i was waiting but i learned a lot and enjoyed it
July 31, 2022
I picked up this book out of a desire to know how Goddesses have been understood by various cultures throughout history, and it certainly did that. I'm glad I read it and have a bit more of an understanding of different Goddess myths.
However, I found the general thesis of the book to be quite odd. Firstly, presenting a variety of cultural and religious stories from across the world, and across time, as a "biography" of one single being leans toward globalism and seems to ignore the inherent differences between cultures, traditions, practices, and understandings of the world that make each of these myths unique. It's interesting to see their similarities but it feels weird to conflate them all together.
I also felt like the authors of this book were uncomfortably focused on the ideas of Goddess as sexual, and Goddess as mother. Understandably, these are two of the biggest trends throughout these myths, however when we started to get into myths that included goddess who were not sexual, or who had no desire for children, the authors listed these traits as symptoms of patriarchal power changing the myths. It felt as though they believed a Goddess's (and by extension a woman's) power stems from her sexuality and motherhood, not making room for women (and Goddesses) who might have different drives and focuses in their lives.
Finally, I was glad to see Christian mythology included in here, however I felt like every Christian myth was extremely misinterpreted and overly simplified, which makes me worry that is the case for every myth in this collection.
Overall, I don't think it's the best book for goddess myths. I'm glad I read it, and it helps me to know what areas of the world have myths I want to focus on, but I'll definitely have to do more of my own research.
However, I found the general thesis of the book to be quite odd. Firstly, presenting a variety of cultural and religious stories from across the world, and across time, as a "biography" of one single being leans toward globalism and seems to ignore the inherent differences between cultures, traditions, practices, and understandings of the world that make each of these myths unique. It's interesting to see their similarities but it feels weird to conflate them all together.
I also felt like the authors of this book were uncomfortably focused on the ideas of Goddess as sexual, and Goddess as mother. Understandably, these are two of the biggest trends throughout these myths, however when we started to get into myths that included goddess who were not sexual, or who had no desire for children, the authors listed these traits as symptoms of patriarchal power changing the myths. It felt as though they believed a Goddess's (and by extension a woman's) power stems from her sexuality and motherhood, not making room for women (and Goddesses) who might have different drives and focuses in their lives.
Finally, I was glad to see Christian mythology included in here, however I felt like every Christian myth was extremely misinterpreted and overly simplified, which makes me worry that is the case for every myth in this collection.
Overall, I don't think it's the best book for goddess myths. I'm glad I read it, and it helps me to know what areas of the world have myths I want to focus on, but I'll definitely have to do more of my own research.
July 20, 2022
I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t amazing, but pretty good. I loved the ties to similar myths throughout the world and many cultures. It was thought provoking and made me think differently about religion and especially patriarchal religion.
December 28, 2015
Having written a book about a specific goddess, I am suspicious that a single book can treat this complex topic sufficiently. The goddess thesis has been pretty much demonstrated to be a modern fiction and unfortunately Leeming and Page use it as an organizing principle for the "biography" of "Goddess." Goddesses are as unique as women and should be treated that way. The treatment of Asherah, for example, could have used some specialist input. Further comments may be found here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
May 28, 2023
Very good, little book that covers the enormous period of human history and cultures all over the world at varying periods of time. The final section was a nice conclusion, ending with the modern world of science and how myth and story continues in the background.
From the penultimate paragraph of the book:
"In its relation to reality - whatever it really is that lies beyond our skins and inside them - myth is at the very least a poetic analogy, and science at best a practical model. Both are profoundly powerful vectors in the human imagination."
From the penultimate paragraph of the book:
"In its relation to reality - whatever it really is that lies beyond our skins and inside them - myth is at the very least a poetic analogy, and science at best a practical model. Both are profoundly powerful vectors in the human imagination."
October 28, 2019
Kitap icerik olarak oldukca nitelikli, ancak ceviriyi yapan Sukru Alpagut kendisinden utanmali. Editoru de ve bu berbat ceviri ile bu kitabi yayinlayan Say Yayinlari da utanc duymali; kitap imla hatalari ile dolu. Ingilizcesini edinmenizi tavsiye ederim.
April 19, 2023
Excellent overview of the goddess figure in multiple forms. The book also gives place to goddess figures in minor religions or less known time periods. Well written and easy to read, it is a worthwhile contribution to Goddess study.
January 25, 2024
Very enjoyable and quick to read! I loved all the different goddess myths mentioned. It’s crazy how male dominated God worship has only been present in the last 5000-7000 years, while goddess worship has likely been around 25000+ years.
January 30, 2018
Informative... with a side of a hopeful matriarchal return to society.
June 5, 2019
A fantastic read of a whole bunch of Goddess stories from a variety of cultures and time periods.
August 7, 2019
This was a text book for one of my summer classes
August 31, 2019
3.25 stars
May 15, 2023
The information was interesting but the writing didn't do much to hold your attention.
May 13, 2024
A captivating history and explanation of Goddess, seen in multiple cultures. An amazing read; I plan to read its companion soon.
Read
June 15, 2019Interesting compilation that strives itself to tell a coherent, unified myth. And I do appreciate that story and most of its commentary on ancient depictions of the feminine.
My biggest qualm is the inclusion of some who aren't actually goddesses. My second is that if the premise "an all sovereign goddess came first" is to hold, no one can then blame a group of invaders of bringing in male warrior skygods who usurped her. (Aside: this would also suggest the feminine is not warlike or aggressive, which is untrue and doesn't even play out in the myths.) If a goddess came first, then it came first for them too.
That said, an interesting complilation.
My biggest qualm is the inclusion of some who aren't actually goddesses. My second is that if the premise "an all sovereign goddess came first" is to hold, no one can then blame a group of invaders of bringing in male warrior skygods who usurped her. (Aside: this would also suggest the feminine is not warlike or aggressive, which is untrue and doesn't even play out in the myths.) If a goddess came first, then it came first for them too.
That said, an interesting complilation.
September 2, 2022
Quirky retellings infused with genuine feeling.
December 2, 2011
I hated this book. Very rarely do I fail to finish a book, but this was one of those times. The retelling of thy myths were utterly flat, they no beauty in them when told, no soul, no lyrics in them. Myths started as stories told and sung around fires in the dark as the night pressed in. They are full of hearts pounding, of comfort, strength, wonder, blood, and violence. Myths are passions of a people. Instead, what you have is a poorly worded boring recitation.
To top that off the descriptions of what the myths meant were completely understated. Perhaps they wanted to keep the book small; you could easily write a book on any one myth. Still, I felt that the explanations were oversimplified, and didn’t do the complexities any justice.
Perhaps I’m just disappointed because I was hoping for something so much more, because I really felt that this book failed to deliver. There is so much to be said about the cultural shifts that saw the dethronement of the goddess in favor of a male god, and then from her status as his wife, to nothing at all. I really felt this *pamphlet* failed to explore that.
I think it would be a good book for an introduction into the study, but frankly, there are better books out there.
To top that off the descriptions of what the myths meant were completely understated. Perhaps they wanted to keep the book small; you could easily write a book on any one myth. Still, I felt that the explanations were oversimplified, and didn’t do the complexities any justice.
Perhaps I’m just disappointed because I was hoping for something so much more, because I really felt that this book failed to deliver. There is so much to be said about the cultural shifts that saw the dethronement of the goddess in favor of a male god, and then from her status as his wife, to nothing at all. I really felt this *pamphlet* failed to explore that.
I think it would be a good book for an introduction into the study, but frankly, there are better books out there.
November 10, 2014
Los autores de este pequeño libro nos proponen un repaso por la historia del concepto de la divinidad entendida como mujer a lo largo de la historia. Para ello comienzan con la teoria de la Tealogía, en un sistema prehistórico idilico que ya ha sido largamente planteado en la literatura pagana más variada.
El viaje, que sigue a través de las diversas mitologías politeistas de distintos lugares del mundo y que están clasificados por una suerte de "momento cultural" en lugar de por un momento histórico concreto, llega a atravesar las tradiciones monoteistas más conocidas en occidente para encontrar un recodo de culto a la feminidad en él y para terminar desembocando en los diversos movimientos de resurgimiento de la conciencia de la feminidad; desde el neopaganismo y la wicca hasta las nuevas concepciones folosoficas y pseudo-cintíficas como la "hipótesis Gaia".
En resumen, un repaso entretenido, aunque poco profundo y acultural que puede llegar a pecar de sesgado en algunos momentos, pero fácil de leer e interesante. Recomendado para los nuevos buscadores y los antiguos viajeros aburridos.
El viaje, que sigue a través de las diversas mitologías politeistas de distintos lugares del mundo y que están clasificados por una suerte de "momento cultural" en lugar de por un momento histórico concreto, llega a atravesar las tradiciones monoteistas más conocidas en occidente para encontrar un recodo de culto a la feminidad en él y para terminar desembocando en los diversos movimientos de resurgimiento de la conciencia de la feminidad; desde el neopaganismo y la wicca hasta las nuevas concepciones folosoficas y pseudo-cintíficas como la "hipótesis Gaia".
En resumen, un repaso entretenido, aunque poco profundo y acultural que puede llegar a pecar de sesgado en algunos momentos, pero fácil de leer e interesante. Recomendado para los nuevos buscadores y los antiguos viajeros aburridos.
March 1, 2013
"Well now that's done: and I'm glad it's over." - T. S. Eliot
Promising premise by a reputable publisher, certainly this is promising, right? Wrong? The authors do a good job of dividing the history of the Goddess based on how she was treated at the time in her many forms, both in mythology and society, but that's really about it. 90% of this mercifully short book is just rehashing existing myths, and not really doing it well. Very little original thought here. I like the idea of a short (<200 pages) intro to Goddess myths throughout history, but surely there's a better one out there than this one.
Promising premise by a reputable publisher, certainly this is promising, right? Wrong? The authors do a good job of dividing the history of the Goddess based on how she was treated at the time in her many forms, both in mythology and society, but that's really about it. 90% of this mercifully short book is just rehashing existing myths, and not really doing it well. Very little original thought here. I like the idea of a short (<200 pages) intro to Goddess myths throughout history, but surely there's a better one out there than this one.
February 20, 2014
This book is an overview of the various goddess myths found throughout the world. The writing style is rather uneven; at times I felt like I was reading entries from an encyclopedia, other times it was like campfire-style storytelling. Overall, this book makes for a good introduction to some of the lesser-known mythologies of our past.
September 15, 2013
I enjoyed this book immensly. Eye opening and belief shattering. Profoundly related to works by Marija Gimbutas, Joseph Cambell, C.G. Jung & co, concerning the evolution of the Feminine Archetype from prehistory to modern history.
June 18, 2009
Great general knowledge. A consise history of the Goddess in all forms.
March 12, 2010
Just don't read it.
Read
December 9, 2012like new
December 23, 2014
Interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews