The Language of the Goddess [Paperback]

Marija Gimbutas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1995

Marija Gimbutas' masterpiece in a new, easily affordable paperback edition: "A dramatic story of paradise lost and rediscovered."-- "New York Times"

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Bringing together archaeological evidence, comparative mythology and folklore, and symbolic interpretations, Gimbutas's work asserts the existence in prehistoric Europe of a widespread culture centered on the Goddess, lifegiver and sustainer, as well as death-wielder. Through the examination of hundreds of Paleolithic and mostly Neolithic pieces, the author traces cross-cultural and cross-chronological symbolic parallels, some of which are quite broad and open to several types of inference. The central and venerated position of women in the unconscious of early European people seems probable; this order of things changed with the incursions by Kurgan groups (4300-2800 B.C.) and the European world moved "from matrilineal to patrilineal." Whether or not one agrees with these archaeomythological interpretations, Gimbutas offers a thought-provoking symbolic reading of hundreds of selected pieces, beautifully reproduced in this sizeable compendium.
- Winnie Lambrecht, Brown Univ., Providence, R.I.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A powerful magnum opus...visually rich and intellectually intriguing." -- -- San Francisco Chronicle Book Review

"An indispensable reference work with a profoundly provocative text." -- -- Toronto Star

"Rings with the belief that knowledfe about a foddess-worshipping past can guide the world toward a sexually egalitarian, nonviolent, and 'earth-centered' future." -- -- New York Times

"The first authoritative work on the ancient goddess culture." -- -- Boston Globe Magazine

"[This] beatifully illustrated book will keep archaeology, religion, and classics departments the world over in a tizzy." -- -- Rita Mae Brown, Los Angeles Times

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Harper San Francisco (May 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062512439
• ISBN-13: 978-0062512437
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #578,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful collection of ancient European images and symbols., September 26, 2000

By 

Ruth Henriquez Lyon (Duluth, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Language of the Goddess (Paperback)

"The Language of the Goddess" is a must-have for anyone interested in symbolism and imagery, as it presents some of the oldest decorative markings ever scratched into stone, bone, and wood. Most of the images, reproduced in line drawings and black-and-white photos, are taken from Neolithic European village sites dating back as far as 7,000 B.C. Thus they are, for the most part, a product of agricultural cultures. However, there is a striking similarity between some of these marks and those found on relics from Paleolithic hunter-gatherer sites, examples of which appear in this book.

The link between the images from Neolithic and Paleolithic sites arises at least in part from those cultures' shared worship of the Goddess. In the text accompanying the images, Gimbutas tries to reconstruct the world-view of the European Goddess-centered people. She works by inference, looking at various found objects and their markings--not just in their historical context but also in relation to each other.

For instance, in her chapter entitled "Net Motif," she writes, "Signs associated with the framed net -- parallel lines, zig-zags, tri-lines, M's, and chevrons -- place it within the aquatic symbol family. . .the framed net also appears with symbols of becoming: egg, vulva, uterus, fish bladder forms, and plant leaves. This implies that the net is linked with aqua-cosmogony, the life source, and the birth of human, animal, and plant life. . .in other words, it must have been a symbol of the "water of life" well known to us from myths. The net design. . .probably emphasizes the life-giving power of the Goddess."

It is interesting that we still speak of "the web of life," and the "interconnectedness of all beings." The web is an ancient image, and just one of many in the book that readers can recognize as still resonating for us now. Some other images which Gimbutas presents are Meander and Water Birds, Streams, Tri-Line and Power of Three, and Deer and Bear as Primeval Mothers.

This book is wonderful for textile artists, potters, painters, or poets - indeed for anyone interested in drawing inspiration from the furthest reaches of human history. These are powerful symbols for study, which come alive when given careful attention.

45 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gimbutas is great, October 22, 2001

By 

janeinmia (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Language of the Goddess (Paperback)

This is a truly wonderful book by a now deceased author. Marija Gimbutas was a fine scholar (chair of European Archeology at UCLA), and if she were alive today, would gladly take part in the storm of response that her ideas on prehistoric religion have inspired. All such scholarly theories require work and refinement, and the ideas presented in this book are no exception. There is, however, no other single text on the subject of early human religion that I think is more important. Read it, love it, and give it to all your friends.

42 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ignorance is bliss only when kept to oneself, April 6, 2001

By 

Jack Blasingame (Jackson, MS USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Language of the Goddess (Paperback)

Marija Gimbutas and Joseph Campbell are internationally recognized authorities on myth, symbol, and - in her case -archeology. It concerns me that an anonymous reviewer chooses to bash this book without indicating some authority for doing so. I suspect the lack of this authority may account for the anonymity.

Regardless of one's political stance or one's bias regarding gender, this is a high-quality, highly educational book.

It is not easy to read, nor are easy things worth much.

It may offend some persons whose perspectives it challenges - so does, has, and will the Bible, which most of the folks who object to this book are fond of.

Gimbutas and Campbell both color outside the lines of what I tend to identify as the Matrix. It is my deepest desire that they continue.