The wife of the Hindu god Shiva, Parvati is the mother goddess associated with fertility. Her worship began in 400 CE and has continued until the present. Historians believe that she may have originated in the mountain tribes in the Himalaya. She appears on Tantras and Puranic texts, as well as in Ramayana epic. She’s commonly depicted with four arms when standing alone, but sometimes portrayed with her elephant head son Ganesha. 11- Morrigan goddess Holding festivals, creating bonfires, and hosting feasts are some of the ways modern Pagans celebrate Litha. They’re all ways to fully enjoy the warmer weather and the longer days. Hey, you! Yes, you with the beautiful round belly. I see you shuffling along, tugging at the waist of your maternity jeans, wondering how you could possibly ever fit into your normal clothes again. I see you hunched over in your chair, trying to make your belly look a bit smaller because it is so much bigger than your friend’s who is a month ahead in her pregnancy. Weingarten, Judith. The Transformation of Taweret into the Minoan Genius: A Study in Cultural Transmission in the Middle Bronze Age. Partille: P. Åströms, 1991. a b c Wise, Susan (2007). Childbirth Votives and Rituals in Ancient Greece (PhD). University of Cincinnati.

The blessings, strength, and divine assistance you need to embrace and transform during this life-changing and life-giving experience can be found in The Pregnant Goddess. The ancient Egyptian protective goddess of childbirth and fertility, Taweret, is certainly one of the most unique goddesses of the ancient world. She is displayed in the form of a large upright hippopotamus, with feline legs and a crocodile tail, with drooping female breasts. Her bestial and frightening form is a part of her protective role - her ugliness was thought to repel demons and protect the newborn children.

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Sauska was the Hurrian-Hittite goddess of fertility and was also associated with war and healing. She was known from the time of the Hurrians throughout the ancient empire of Mitanni. Later, she became the patron goddess of the Hittite king Hattusilis II and was adopted by the Hittite state religion. She was called upon to increase one’s ability to conceive a child, as well as the fertility of the earth. The goddess is usually depicted in human form with wings, accompanied by a lion and two attendants. 6- Ahurani goddess Fufluns, god of plant life, happiness, health, and growth in all things, equivalent to the Greek Dionysus D.D. “Amulets of the Late Period: Note on Some Recent Ascensions to the Egyptian Department”. Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts. 28.170: 117-123. Telepinu was the vegetation and fertility god of the Hurrian and Hittite people, who lived in the ancient Near East in what is now Turkey and Syria. His worship was at its height from around 1800 BCE until 1100 BCE. He may have received a form of tree worship, in which a hollow trunk was filled with harvest offerings. In mythology, he goes missing and is rediscovered to represent the restoration of nature. During his disappearance, all animals and crops die due to the loss of fertility. 5- Sauska goddess goddess of love and war, Shaushka It seems their rationale is based upon Taweret being a female deity and a goddess of pregnancy therefore she must be pregnant herself. If one follows the belief that an image with a swollen belly is pregnant then one can say that Akhenaten and Hapi must have been pregnant figures. I believe the characteristic of the paunchy stomach and the pendant shaped breasts create a new collective of figures which represent the fertility of Egypt. Yet the question remains of what the significance is between Taweret and fertility of Egypt.

Kaltes Ekwa is a motherly goddess of the Ugrians, Uralic peoples that today survive in the Khanty and Mansi peoples of West Siberia and the Urals, and distantly in the Hungarian nation. Kaltes-Ekwa is the goddess of dawn and fertility and the wife of the supreme god Num-Torum. Even though Homer called her Cyprian after the region famed for her worship, Aphrodite was already Hellenized by the time of Homer. She’s mentioned in the Iliad and Odyssey, as well as in Hesiod’s Theogony and Hymn to Aphrodite. Venus Taweret's image served a functional purpose on a variety of objects. The most notable of these objects are amulets, which protected mothers and children from harm. Such amulets, appearing before 3000 BCE, were popular for most of ancient Egyptian history. She also consistently appeared on household furniture throughout history, including chairs, stools, and headrests. [9] Apotropaic objects became popular in the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1650 BCE) and are thought to have been used in rituals related to pregnancy and birth. As is aforementioned, ivory wands and knives showing long processions of deities became widely used in this period. These objects have been shown on tomb paintings in the hands of nurses and wear patterns on the tips indicate that these nurses likely used them to draw protective patterns in the sand. Taweret is featured on almost all known wands, as her powers were invoked particularly to protect children and their mothers. The other deities are almost exclusively deities that accompany the mature sun god in his nightly journey through the dangerous Amduat (underworld). Taweret's inclusion among this company suggests a protective solar role. This is supported by later Ptolemaic (c. 332–30 BCE) conceptions of the goddess, which state that she reared – and in some traditions, birthed – the young sun god (cf. Metternich Stela). [18] The Egyptian fertility god, Min was the most significant deity in the pantheon in regard to sexual virility. He was worshipped from 3000 BCE. The fertility god was honored as part of the coronation rites of pharaohs, ensuring the sexual vigor of the new ruler. Inanna is mentioned in the temple hymns and cuneiform texts such as the Inanna’s Descent and the Death of Dumuzi, and the Epic of Gilgamesh, where she appears as Ishtar. In earlier times, her symbol was a bundle of reeds, but later became a rose or a star during the Sargonic period. She was also seen as the goddess of the morning and evening stars, as well as the rain and lightning goddess. IshtarRitual objects bearing Taweret's image were popular in Egyptian households for the remainder of Egyptian history. Vessels bearing Taweret's shape became popular in the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1069 BCE). These vessels presumably purified the liquid that was poured from it, as Taweret was considered to be "She of the Pure Water". Often these vessels had openings through the nipples, emphasizing Taweret's maternal aspects. [9] In popular culture [ edit ]

Bacchus, Roman version of Dionysus, identified with Roman Liber, god of agricultural and male fertility Yúcahu, masculine spirit of fertility (of crops such as Yucca) along with his mother Atabey who was his feminine counterpart. Julunggul, Yolngu rainbow snake goddess associated with fertility, initiation, rebirth and the weather Taweret bears physical aspects of both a fertility goddess and a fearsome protective deity. She takes the form of a female hippopotamus, a highly deadly creature. She is also often seen with features from other predatory creatures, most notably being the tail of a Nile crocodile and the paws of a lioness. These features directly parallel those of other ferocious protective ancient Egyptian deities, most notably the crocodile god Sobek and the lioness goddess Sekhmet. These violent theriomorphic deities take on some of the aspects of the animals that they represent – both to the benefit and detriment of humans. Taweret's predatory form allows her to ward away evil from the innocent. Likewise, Taweret's nurturing aspects are also reinforced in her iconography, as she frequently is shown with a bloated pregnant belly, and pendulous human breasts. These breasts are shared by the god of the Nile inundation, Hapi, and signify regenerative powers. Taweret's riverine form allows her to participate in that which annually revives the Nile Valley: the inundation personified by Hapi. It is partly due to her role in this event that may share this iconographic feature with Hapi. She frequently is seen holding the sa hieroglyphic sign (Gardiner V17), which literally means "protection". [17] This apotropaic wand (c. 1880 to 1700 BCE) shows a procession of protective deities, including a hippopotamus goddess. Such a wand would have been used in rituals associated with birth and were perhaps used to draw a magical circle around the mother and child. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. Faience Amulet of Taweret from the late period of Ancient Egypt. Egyptian Museum (Turin, Italy)Leto was one of the many mistresses of Zeus. The jealous goddess Hera was informed regarding Leto's pregnancy and full of anger she asked Python (a monster with the form of a big snake) to chase Leto all over the known world and prevent her from finding a safe place to deliver her babies. Leto travelled from Athens to the island of Egina, to the Kingdom of Theva, to Mount Pelion, to the Kingdom of Argos in the Peloponnese and to Thessaly, but she could find no safe place to give birth. After all those difficult moments, Leto was begging for help. At this moment, Eileithyia disobeyed her mother Hera and decided to assist Leto. Holding a pine tree, Leto managed to deliver the twins, Apollo and Artemis, in the island of Delos after nine days of travelling around Ancient Greece (16). Meanwhile, the Vogue London event even saw US actor Cole Sprouse arrive in a smart dark suit and cravat tied together with what looked like a broach, throwing his aarms open as he reached the carpet. Antonia Salib portrays Taweret in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series Moon Knight (2022). [20] See also [ edit ] In working with the inundation of the Nile she guards Egypt from a depletion of fertility; she protects Egypt’s pregnancy and makes sure prosperity occurs. Her roles as goddess of pregnancy and mother goddess complete the overall function of being a fertility deity. Her importance is indicated when Pinch suggests that when major goddesses such as Hathor and Isis were identified as ‘saviors of the innocent’ they would change form to resemble a hippopotamus goddess. Even though Taweret’s form is grotesque in comparison to the traditional depiction of the goddesses it obviously represents an imperative function.

Inside, you’ll discover inspiration and spiritual insight into your shifting emotional state, as well as rituals to help you connect with yourself, the energies of nature, and your child. Create a personal shrine to celebrate your pregnancy and focus on your journey. Connect with the Mother Goddess and ask her to guide you throughout your pregnancy. Call upon your beliefs to empower you during unexpected events. Create an energetic shield to protect yourself and your baby - and more. Liber, god of viniculture, wine, and male fertility, equivalent to Greek Dionysus; in archaic Lavinium, a phallic deity For a full discussion of the deities on these wands, see Hartwig Atlenmüller, Die Apotopaia und Die Götter Mittelägyptens (Munich: Ludwig-Maximilians University, 1965). At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exist countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained. In Belarus she was also considered an earth goddess, while in Serbia she had a role as a protector of children and the bringer of life, and flower wreaths were offered to her. Her form was that of a beautiful woman.Miroslav Verner, "A Statue of Twert (Cairo Museum no. 39145) Dedicated by Pabesi and Several Remarks on the Role of the Hippopotamus Goddess". Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Alterumskunde 96 (1969): 53. Some of the earliest temples in Greece were dedicated to her on the island of Samos. But interestingly enough, Hera was an odd goddess, with many myths describing her constant jealousy and vengeful nature aimed at her husband Zeus who was known for adultery. Dea Gravida or Dea Tyria Gravida ( Latin for "pregnant goddess") was either a goddess or representation of mortal women that were associated with procreation and fertility deriving from Phoenician culture and spreading within the Phoenician circle of influence. Although not much is known about the cult surrounding Dea Gravida, votive terracotta statues have been found throughout the Mediterranean, most notably in Phoenicia and Cyprus. The figure differs from kourotrophic figures that hold babies and are not visibly pregnant. [1] Etymology [ edit ]