Since the beginning of the human race, people have been creating gods and goddesses in an attempt to explain the unknown. They create elaborate biographies for their deities and, as time passes, they take the liberty of editing the myths to fit the needs of their intellectual and moral climate.
In the pre-Christian era, mythology was more often taken metaphorically than literally, yet it was considered more important than actual history. Pagan gods and goddesses were woven into the local folklore, which would be passed down from generation to generation much the same way as childhood fairy tales. These allagories were used to teach values and articulate the esoteric nature of the divine in a manner that society could grasp, much in the same way we use fictional stories today to teach our children moral values. Everyone knows the story of the little shepherd boy who cried wolf is not an actual account of an historical event, but many of us have used this story to teach our children the virtue of honesty. The mythology of ancient times was used much the same way.
Long before the patriarchal monotheistic religions began to systematically suppress women, goddesses were worshipped and the feminine aspect of all things was held sacred. For nearly every god, there was a female counterpart who was equally revered. A pantheon of goddesses fills mythology originating from every part of the globe.
Despite man's attempt to discredit women in history and mythology, Goddess worship still takes place today, particularly within the Pagan and Eastern religions. A renewed interest among young people began during the hippie era of the 1960s and 70s, when goddess worship took on a particular fervor in support of feminism and the women's rights movement.
This website gives a description of Celtic, Roman, Greek, Hindu and African goddesses, among others. A great deal of ancient texts and artifacts depicting goddesses has been unearthed and preserved in institutions around the globe, whose archives we've used as our research, as well as the wealth of literature available. We will continue to update our goddess information periodically as we uncover more resources. Often, the texts we use as references will have differing versions of certain myths. When this occurs, we either try to include summaries of all versions; or, if there are just too many, or the myths vary too greatly from each other, we'll publish the version that is most commonly referenced in the collective literature.
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Goddesses in Mythology and Goddess Worship
Explore a time when goddesses ruled, women were worshipped and men revered the Sacred Feminine....
"It seems that in more primitive societies, women were sometimes held in higher esteem than men. ....In the early days, women were forceful and clearly saw themselves as the equals of their husbands."
- Karen Armstrong, A History of God
