the triple thingie

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Henna Page Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on October 26, 2001 at 19:41:57:

In reply to: not-hennaed goddesses posted by Lauren on October 26, 2001 at 13:14:19:

The triple goddess thing:
The maiden/mother/crone was largely a Victorian reassemblage of (then)
poorly understood female deity figures. It made for pretty paintings
and was comprehensible to urbanized European middle class people.
Sorry to say, the neo-pagan standard of triple goddesses hasn't much
to do with verifiable neolithic source material. On the other hand,
the original stuff may not speak deeply to contemporary people.

The triples that *actually* existed (neolithic, bronze age, iron age)
were grain goddess / animal goddess/ motherhood goddess that
corresponded to the actual ecological/social/technological skill
groups of the time! Work in the fields, work with the animals, or
raise babies. Occasionally you got to have fun with a sexworker
goddess, or a battlefield goddess, but eating and having babies were
the primary concerns.

Different localities had different favorites and variants. Along the
coastline there'd be a sea (fish/sea animal) goddess more likely than
woodland (deer/gazelle/bird animal) goddess or a domestic animal
goddess (goat/sheep/cow animal). Communities that relied on
agricultural products for sustinance had a dominant grain or virgin
warrior goddess (they were often combined). (Other times the grain
goddess was combined with the motherhood goddess and the battlefield
goddess separated out). Infinite local variants!

In any case, the early goddesses were more defined by "job
description" than age demographics. Remember, we're talking about
population groups where the females were hardly considered humans
until they were married (young!) and rarely made it to old age! All
of them worked (hard!) and had some specialized skills in their
community, thus inclining them to a deity who was patron of that body
of interests.

Follow Ups

Post Followup

Name:
E-Mail:
Subject:
: The triple goddess thing: : The maiden/mother/crone was largely a Victorian reassemblage of (then) : poorly understood female deity figures. It made for pretty paintings : and was comprehensible to urbanized European middle class people. : Sorry to say, the neo-pagan standard of triple goddesses hasn't much : to do with verifiable neolithic source material. On the other hand, : the original stuff may not speak deeply to contemporary people. : : : The triples that actually existed (neolithic, bronze age, iron age) : were grain goddess / animal goddess/ motherhood goddess that : corresponded to the actual ecological/social/technological skill : groups of the time! Work in the fields, work with the animals, or : raise babies. Occasionally you got to have fun with a sexworker : goddess, or a battlefield goddess, but eating and having babies were : the primary concerns. : : Different localities had different favorites and variants. Along the : coastline there'd be a sea (fish/sea animal) goddess more likely than : woodland (deer/gazelle/bird animal) goddess or a domestic animal : goddess (goat/sheep/cow animal). Communities that relied on : agricultural products for sustinance had a dominant grain or virgin : warrior goddess (they were often combined). (Other times the grain : goddess was combined with the motherhood goddess and the battlefield : goddess separated out). Infinite local variants! : : In any case, the early goddesses were more defined by "job : description" than age demographics. Remember, we're talking about : population groups where the females were hardly considered humans : until they were married (young!) and rarely made it to old age! All : of them worked (hard!) and had some specialized skills in their : community, thus inclining them to a deity who was patron of that body : of interests.
Optional link URL:
Link title:
Optional image URL: