The Faces of the Goddess

This book presents a careful dissection of the supposed evidence of a One Great Goddess cult. The author clearly shows the fallicy in using fragments (often times literally) to support a prehistoric and early historic religious belief in a peaceful mother goddess who was overthrown by masculine, war-like deities. Not a perfect book, but it does the job.

Motz draws upon many years of study in mythology and folklore to examine how female dieties are represented in various traditional cultures (Baltic, Germanic, Siberian, Near Eastern, Ancient Mexican, Japanese). The result is a complex view of goddesses as both creative and destructive, dominant and subservient. The first three chapters are given over to a critical review of the purported ancient European "Goddess Religion" that was supposedly swept aside by violent, patriarchical, storm-god worshipping nomads. Motz shows that the evidence for such a belief system is shaky and subject to differing interpretation. Not always an easy read due to a rather academic writing style, "Faces of the Goddess" is very rewarding.

The decades of Motz's academic work in myth and folklore are on powerful display. In the first three chapters she critically undermines the whole notion of the ancient European "Goddess Religion" and points out how this modern construct is a response to current social concerns. The bulk of the work is given over to an examination of the role of female deities in various pre-modern cultures (Mexico, Siberia, Near East). The result is a richer and more complex understanding of the role of both goddesses and women in these societies. The academic writing style is better than that of many social scientists, and the included illustrations are appreciated. Strongly recommended for those interested in myth, folklore, or the social impact of theology.