Alexander Dunn
ENG 257 (E20L)
9/24/2023
1.
Intro & Thesis: The Great Goddess was the matrifocal belief of a peaceful hunter-
gatherer society pre-dating masculine mythology, which eventually was changed by invaders who replaced the mythos and values of the Goddess to create a male-dominated society and culture.
2.
Traits of the Great Goddess
Life: Queens and women in roles like agriculture, artisans enriching and giving life
Death: Seers, reclaimers of earth like the Fates
Regen: Sensual energies that usher in fertility & growth, and sterility and death.
3.
What characteristics and roles of Male Divine came into play in this changing climate? Note: Fathers & Sons; Kings & Judges, Saviors & Sages, Tricksters & Shamans, Lords of
destruction/underworld are the main masculine archetypes.They take the place of the Great Goddess, as masculine institutions begin to take over and influence regions.
4.
What could have been the socio-political and other factors that may have facilitated the degradation/lessening of the Goddess and the Male Divine's rise to power? Note: PAGE 108, Elinor Gadon “says the demise of the Goddess can be traced back to the invasions of warlike nomadic peoples from the Asiatic and European north who overran the centers of Goddess culture in southeastern Europe, the Near East, and India causing large-scale destruction and dislocation. They brought with them their sky gods who ruled from the heavens like despots.” The conques
5.
Summary/Conclusion
