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The Faces of the Goddess

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Motz draws upon many years of study in mythology and folklore to examine how female dieties are represented in various traditional cultures (Baltic, Germanic, Siberian, Near Eastern, Ancient Mexican, Japanese). The result is a complex view of goddesses as both creative and destructive, dominant and subservient. The first three chapters are given over to a critical review of the purported ancient European "Goddess Religion" that was supposedly swept aside by violent, patriarchical, storm-god worshipping nomads. Motz shows that the evidence for such a belief system is shaky and subject to differing interpretation. Not always an easy read due to a rather academic writing style, "Faces of the Goddess" is very rewarding.

The decades of Motz's academic work in myth and folklore are on powerful display. In the first three chapters she critically undermines the whole notion of the ancient European "Goddess Religion" and points out how this modern construct is a response to current social concerns. The bulk of the work is given over to an examination of the role of female deities in various pre-modern cultures (Mexico, Siberia, Near East). The result is a richer and more complex understanding of the role of both goddesses and women in these societies. The academic writing style is better than that of many social scientists, and the included illustrations are appreciated. Strongly recommended for those interested in myth, folklore, or the social impact of theology.

This book presents a careful dissection of the supposed evidence of a One Great Goddess cult. The author clearly shows the fallicy in using fragments (often times literally) to support a prehistoric and early historic religious belief in a peaceful mother goddess who was overthrown by masculine, war-like deities.

Not a perfect book, but it does the job.

Motz's argument that the Mother Goddess archetype, to be true, must be represented by either statuary in the process of giving birth or legends depicting Her in this condition and not enjoying sex is, arguably, a biased, Victorian sentiment. Pg. 19 of "Faces.." Motz writes, "The desire to establish a maternal being may be illustrated by the scholarly interpretations of some archaeological remains...A small terra-cotta sculpture of Hellenistic times shows the goddess Isis with parted legs, seated on a boar. Although the swollen belly of pregnancy is missing, the images are related to the act of childbearing, and Gimbutas (Marija, an archaeologist), designates the figure as 'life-giving Goddess'..... At some time in intellectual history there must have occurred an exaltation of motherhood, coupled, so it would seem, with a degradation of sexual desire and fulfillment."

Why, I ask, "so it would seem,"? Perhaps, because Motz's post Victorian and Germanic upbringing demands it "so". Sexual desire and fulfillment are not permited in a Victorian influenced society, one that Motz emerged from and that influenced and biased archaeological and anthropological perspectives for the past 100 years. Her contributions to comparative religion are undeniable, however her perspective is apparently influenced by her own upbringing and restricted view of feminist and feminine philosophy and theology. Not to mention her apparent lack of sexual liberation.

If one can read the book aware of this research bias, much information can be obtained, although too much of what Motz writes is impared by inconsistency. On page 15, she writes, "The Greek Gaia bore without the act of love the Ocean and the Sky, but she had more children through Ouranos's embraces...When the severed phallus of Ouranos fell into the Ocean, the goddess Aphrodite was begotten...The ocean being masculine in Greek tradition, two male elements combined to bring forth the most seductive of all deities."

I beg to differ...Ouranos is Sky in Greek (I am Greek, and know this). THe actual legend tells of the great love between Gy/Gaia (Earth) and Ouranos (Sky) that resulted in the waters, Okeanos (Ocean), which, incidentaly, is the name of the African Goddess of the oceans, Oshun.... Motz does not mention this Goddess in her book. Therefore, my observation, contrary to Motz's, is that the phallus falling into the feminine Ocean/Oshun is symbolic of the male penetration of the feminine womb, which contains the saline waters that we are all born from, resulting in a Goddess of love and beauty and sexual freedom. We must also not forget that the legends of these Gods and Goddesses are corrupted since they have been altered by male patriarchies to enhance the power of the male gods over the female goddesses. Motz gives very little attention to this latter idea and takes at face value all the legends as they come to us today. Most importantly, Motz gives no mention to the slaughter and destruction of the Isis priestesses and temples, claiming instead that the "Isis cult flourished in the midst of a patriarchal society," pg.17 while in actuality the Isis faith was forbidden and its practice was punishable by crucifixion. The one quasy safe place to practice was in Pompei, far from Rome's eye, and occupied by mostly women, since the men were away at wars. Motz adds that "the number of female deities in a given group bears no relation to the status of the human women." Well, today there are no major female deities worshipped by the world's four main religious groups (christianity, juddaism, islam and buddhism) and and women's status is the lowest it has been in millenia. Motz is mistaken again in her conclusions.

If you must read this book take it with not just a grain of salt, but with a few pounds of salt.

I was expecting the book to be more structured and slightly more convincing. It provided neither aspect.