Birth Goddesses

Goddess Symbols

Widely considered representative of the original birth goddess symbol, the Venus of Willendorf is a statuette of a female figure with pronounced breasts, vulva, and abdomen, estimated to have been created between 24,000 and 22,000 B.C.E. The statue, which is nearly five inches high, was discovered in 1908 by archaeologist Josef Szombathy at a site of Paleolithic remains near Willendorf in Lower Austria. A number of similar figures have been discovered since, predating the mythological figure of Venus by millennia, suggesting the importance and universality of the figure throughout many time periods and cultures. While there is no way to prove the original intent of creating the figures, the Venus of Willendorf's pronounced primary and secondary sexual characteristics, and the appearance of pregnancy, suggest a strong connection to fertility and birth.

The goddess-centered religion that has been identified through the excavated remains of ancient cultures suggests a Great Mother figure that is worshiped for giving birth to all things from her womb. She is documented as a figure of worship in tombs, frescoes, reliefs, sculptures, figurines, pictorial paintings, and other sources of representation, and is very often depicted in the act of giving birth.

Roles of the Goddesses

The Old European deity of the goddess influenced classical Greek mythology, despite its transformation from a female worshiping to a male worshiping religion, whereby the male is the source of generation. The most important Old European goddesses—who became Artemis, Hera, Athena, and Demeter—found their way into the Olympic male pantheon of Greek mythology. These female goddesses, once parthenogenic (creating life without male participation), were now the brides, wives, and daughters of the Indo-European gods.

The role of goddesses changed over time, their attributes changing according to the religious or cultural beliefs of the time. The aspect of birth, as distinguished from mothering, is attributed to many goddesses at various times, while few goddesses are considered deities of birth as a single attribute. Goddesses associated with birth, from the Greek pantheon, include Hekate, Artemis, and Eileithyia.

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