Customer Reviews

Goddess in the Grass: Serpentine Mythology and the Great Goddess

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Foubister's book presents an organized, compact, broad, yet far-reaching survey of the combined appearance of serpents and women in literature, myth, and physical artifacts across the globe. The span of time she takes on is staggering (ca. 29,000 BCE to the present day), and Foubister explores the more well-trodden paths of serpentine mythology in the ancient and classical world of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome in addition to the American continents, Asian cultures, and the islands of Polynesia. The sheer amount of evidence presents questions that the text doesn't pursue--why, for instance, are serpents and women so (literally) intertwined throughout so many various histories, and are there noticeable differences among or connections between the times and places serpents appear as benevolent/destructive, male/female, healing/poisonous? Foubister's commentary tends to be more descriptive than interpretative in many respects, but this can provide a useful starting-point for researchers or the curious.

Those familiar with Gimbutas, Graves, and Eliade will be glad to see how Foubister collates and extends their findings, and those new to the realms of ancient myth, the development of religious belief, and depictions of women throughout time will find plenty to surprise and inform about Foubister's work. Her readings turn certain traditional interpretations on their head; the serpent in the Garden of Eden is, it's suggested, Eve's companion rather than her foe; Persephone was queen of the underworld long before the myth of her abduction/rape by Hades was invented; and the progression of Orpheus to fetch his beloved from the underworld (a personal favorite of mine) has quite a different reading, on closer inspection. Foubister deals with the ancient texts of Sumer and Babylon as ably as she deals with medieval European lore. Readers captivated by a specific reference might wish for more complete documentation of sources, and at times the conceptual organization of the book leads to seeming redundancies (most of the material in the chapter "The Womb of the Serpent Goddess," for instance, sounds familiar by this point). Still, Foubister does a commendable job making accessible traditions usually less-known to English-speaking audiences, such as the Dreamtime of the Australian Aborigines or the Shinto beliefs of ancient Japan.

To be excessively nitpicky, the edition I read (EcceNova 2003) had a regrettable number of type-setting errors and a few structural deficiencies (e.g., a paragraph on Spenser's "Errour" from 'The Faerie Queene' appears with almost the exact same text in two places). Nevertheless, 'The Goddess in the Grass' offers a refreshingly lucid and largely unbiased look at a topic gaining increasing press of late. Readers wishing for more snake-women might try Gillian M.E. Alban's 'Melusine the Serpent Goddess in A.S. Byatt's Possession and in Mythology,' which also reads lingering myths for vestiges of the Great Goddess. Foubister's coverage is complete and her clear, direct prose makes for a fast, comprehensive read. Plus, the dictionary at the end is a handy reference for scholars and a rich vein of artistic inspiration.

Though I consider myself well versed in ancient mythology, I never realized there were so many avatars of the Great Goddess!

This is a good reference book for anyone interested in research, as the dictionary offers a great, concise 'bio' of over 100 such avatars, and the multiple stories and referenes provide something for everyone.

My only criticism would be that the initial discussion of the overthrow of the feminine/matriarchal society by the patriarchal was not continued strongly enough throughout the book. It was a good, well-attested point, but then the subsequent stories seem to strengthen the female aspect - without a continued reference to the ultimate overthrowal, we come away thinking 'wow, how strong women are'...and yet the spectre of the male-dominated world is just around the corner...

In other words, a more focused argument that strung together the details would have been appreciated.

But in all, the book is well worth ordering.

"The serpent - is it a symbol of evil and pernicious sex, or is it a form of the life-renewing great Goddess?"

This quote is found on the back cover of this title.... the cover of which features the lovely `Lilith' by John Collier. If you haven't seen it, the painting portrays a naked young woman with long hair being caressed and coiled by a large serpent from foot to shoulder. The imagery is naked and erotic.

Before I got my copy of "Goddess in the Grass", I wasn't really sure what to expect... the title sounded interesting in it's own right.

Once I received it, the described cover got my interest straight away... I couldn't wait to learn more about serpentine mythology and the great goddess. Part of this meant learning about the author - Linda Foubister.

I looked through the title for information about Linda, but wasn't able to find anything about her.... my next step was to search the net. I found the publisher's website at http://www.eccenova.com/goddess_in_the_grass.htm where the author's background as a biologist who has studied snakes, and has combined this study with her interest in mythology is explained. Linda lives in Victoria, B.C. in a grove of oak trees - lucky thing!

"Goddess in the Grass" is her first book. It has a depth and complexity that is well worth investing in particularly if you are interested in a female perspective of mythology through the various cultures and historical periods of time. Linda has done a spectacular job in covering this complex subject in easy to read language and logical layout so that the structure keeps relevant subjects easy to navigate.

The dictionary of serpent goddesses is another section of this book I think is worthwhile - this is approximately 50 pages long so is quite detailed. This alone is worth having, so is an added bonus.

I would recommend "Goddess in the Grass" to anyone interested in mythology, women's issues and/or the use of animals as symbols in history and contemporary times. This is an excellent reference book and comparison of serpentine mythology from all parts of the world.