>One of my biggest (admittedly personal) peeves about Orlanthi mythology is
>that the Earth warrior goddesses seem to be fundamentally misunderstood, and
>part of the reason is that they have been largely interpreted from a male
>perspective, and that their 'real world' inspirations such as Kali have also
>been likewise systematically misrepresented by British imperialist
>missionary furners and other penis-possessing types. (Maha Kali, 'Mother
>Kali' is the national mother goddess of Bengal). The books below serve as
>both a corrective and a rich source of ideas.
Could you please elaborate on this further. As someone who recently posted a (much criticized) write-up for Babeester Gor, I'm interested in getting more perspective on her cult.
>** Celtic Goddesses: Penetrating the Muddle
>
>Most contemporary works on the Celtic goddesses and Celtic heroines are
>frankly, a mess, but the stories themselves are full of action and wonder,
>and often close to the 'look and feel' of a campaign. Among the better ones:
Yes. Robert Graves' invention of the concept of the 'Triple Goddess', while wonderful for role-playing and fiction, has seriously hindered historical research into Celtic religion.
>Anything by Marina Warner on folktale or iconography is worth a read. Marija
>Gimbutas has produced two fascinating coffee table books on the archaeology
>of prehistoric Europe and the matrifocal (matriarchal?) cult of the Goddess.
>Her argument is too Jungian to be accepted by most in the field,
That's putting it mildly. Her archaeology is solid, but in some places, her interpretation is about as reliable as Barbara Walker's.
A book I would add, although it doesn't focus on mythology, is Judith Jesch's *Women in the Viking Age*, (Woodbridge: Boydell, 1991), which explores the roles of women in Viking society, including mythic and poetic images of women.
Andrew E. Larsen
End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #240
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