Fertility Cycle

The creation of new life has always mystified and intrigued human beings. One source of this fascination [Page 511]is the cycle of fertility, which governs the existence of all living things. Indeed, the short period many species have to reproduce makes each fertile season extremely important. For people, finding ways to encourage fertility has been a goal for centuries. We now know that many factors affect human fertility, including age, nutrition, physical health, hormones, and genetics. Even with the advancement of medical technology in recent decades it is still difficult for some couples to conceive. It is easy to see why ancient societies would have put so much hope in magic and religion. Worship of gods and goddesses, festivals, and sacrifices have all been practiced in the hope of promoting life.

Figure: Starving peasants in 1846 clamor at the gates of a workhouse during the Irish potato famine. Famines have killed millions of people throughout the centuries

Source: Getty Images.

As vital to the survival of human civilization as the fertility of men and women is the fertility of crops. The time constraints of the reproductive cycle also impact agriculture. Because of the limits of seed growth, famines have killed millions of people throughout the centuries. Climate factors and disease also can destroy an entire season of crops. For example, the potato famine of Ireland in the 1840s not only killed many people but also caused mass emigration from that country. Ancient cultures learned quickly that the survival of the harvest was vital to the survival of the people.

Most cultures have had deities associated exclusively with the celebration of spring's growth and the fall's harvest. Before the advent of modern biological science, people could only guess at what helped to encourage life. The earliest farmers believed that their crops were inhabited by spirits that caused them to thrive or die. It was believed that the spirits were released when the plants were harvested. The harvesters began to perform rituals to thank the spirits for the crops that survived. This tradition continued and was practiced in most of the major civilizations throughout history.

In Egypt, Osiris was worshipped as the god of agriculture and was often depicted with a green face representing fertility. He was also the god of the dead, showing the Egyptian belief in the connectivity of life and the afterlife. The story of his death and resurrection was used as an analogy for the cycle of life. Every year the Nile flooded the plains and made the soil rich and fertile. During this time the Egyptian people had a festival celebrating the rebirth of Osiris and the opportunity for a new harvest to grow.

The Greek goddess Demeter was the patron of agriculture and fertility. She was believed to have taught humans how to tend the soil and raise crops. Thesmophoria was the festival held in her honor. It took place right before the harvest in hopes of achieving a bountiful return. These celebrations of life often included music, sports, and feasting. The goddess was known as Ceres in Roman times; her name translates to mean “grain mother.” Some believe that the term Mother Earth was created to describe this goddess.

...