Engl. 555/755

Goddess Myths & Literature

Fall Semester 2005

MWF 12:00-12:50, Grubbs 312

Instructor: Dr. Kathleen L. Nichols

Inanna's Descent to the Underworld --article on the patriarchal revision of the earlier (goddess) cyclical myth.
Enheduanna and The En-hedu-Ana Research Pages --Background on the priestess of Inanna, the world's oldest known author; includes links to her poems.
The Concept Of Personal God(dess) In Enheduana's Hymns to Inanna --analysis of Enheduana's most famous poem to Inanna.

Study Guide for The Oresteia--helpful questions.
Mythological Background to Aeschylus' Agamemnon and the Oresteia Trilogy-- helpful summary of the LONG mythical history leading up to the story of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.
Poems of Sappho--alternate translations of Sappho's poems (see Reading Schedule).

Background Notes: Homeric Hymn to Demeter --helpful study notes.
Thalmann, 'Homeric Hymn to Demeter' or copy 2 --review of Helene P. Foley's book The Homeric Hymn to Demeter (1993).
Homeric Hymn to Demeter--Translated by Gregory Nagy. The footnotes here may be a welcome addition to the main text in our textbook.
The Corn Mother-- article on Demeter and Native American corn goddesses.
Daughters of Demeter --chapter by Marilyn A. Katz from Becoming Visible: Women in European History--scholarly collection.
Like Wheat that Springeth Green": Death and Return in the Myth of Demeter and Persephone--Jungian interpretation.
'Links of Similitude': The Narrator of The Country of the Pointed Firs and Author-Reader Relations at the End of the Nineteenth Century--scholarly article on Jewett's novel arguing that the narrator is a Persephone figure.
Victorians and the Matriarchal Mythology: A Source for Mrs. Todd--scholarly article on Jewett's novel .
Visions of time in 'The Country of Pointed Firs' --scholarly article on Jewett's novel on female mythic time.
A Revisitation of Transcendentalism within Jewett's 'Country of the Pointed Firs'-- scholarly paper on women's religion created in 'Country of Pointed Firs.'
Unraveling Demeter's Garden: Demeter and Persephone in the Works of Sarah Orne Jewett and Emma D. Kelley-Hawkins--scholarly article; begins on page 26.

Samhain: Goddess of the Underworld --article on the harvest "serpent goddess" in her many forms (Medusa, Hecate, Lilith, Lamia, etc.).
Lammas: Goddess of the Grain Reborn --article on the harvest "serpent goddesses" such as Demeter, the Hopi Serpent goddess, and Cihuacoatl.
The Corn Mother-- article on Demeter and Native American corn goddesses.

Medusa's Head--excerpt from Freud's (in)famous interpretation.
To See or not to See. The Ambiguity of Medusa in Relation to Mulisch's The Procedure --read Part I, a detailed discussion of "Medusa in History and Mythology."
On "Medusa" --exerpts from scholarly commentary on Louise Bogan's use of the Medusa image.
Medusa in Myth and Literary History --particularly good on the literary history.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti's Painting "Lady Lilith" --good discussion of Rossetti's new interpretation of Lilith. See also the links at the bottom of the page.
In the beginning - Poetry Reading - Lucille Clifton --review of Lucille Clifton's poetry collection which includes her "adam and eve" poem.
"There is No Friend like a Sister": Psychic Integration in Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market --scholarly article employing a Jungian approach.
Mother of All the Living: Reinterpretations of Eve in Contemporary literature --detailed analysis using a variety of primary and secondary sources (poems and articles).

The Many Faces of Kali --long discussion of the evolving image of Kali, including contemporary approaches and several excellent images of Kali.
Bengali Songs to the Goddess Kali --explanations of Kali's functions and examples of "Kali songs."

The 'Mast' of Macha: The Celtic Goddes and the War Goddesses of Ireland --good exploration of the lost Mother Goddess behind the War Goddess Macha; analyzes "The Debility of the Ulstermen" myth.
What We Don't Know About the Ancient Celts --helpful article on Celtic culture and myth.
Ancient Echoes: Transformations of Celtic Mythology in Arthurian Legend --helpful summary of Celtic sources.
Lady of the Depths: Primal Goddess of Celtic Shamanism --Celtic sources of the Arthurian "Lady of the Lake."

From Llorona to Gritona: Coatlicue In Feminist Tales by Viramontes and Cisneros--scholarly article.
Hungry Women: Borderlands Mythos in Two Stories by Helena Maria Viramontes - Mexican-American writer--scholarly article on the Aztec "hungry woman" figure (la Llorona, la Malinche, and la Virgen de Guadalupe) in Viramontes' fiction.
Impassioned Icons: Alma Lopez and Queer Chicana Visual Desire --example of goddess analysis (Virgin of Guadalupe), applied to contemporary paintings.
Where I come from, God is a woman - goddess religion --interesting interview with Paula Gunn Allen on Native American spirituality.
An Exploration of Gloria Anzaldua's Feminist Thought in Borderlands/La Frontera --scholarly article; includes discussion of Aztec goddesses.
Mexico’s Eve --introduction/summary of "La Malinche."
Reinterpreting Malinche --article on the changing interpretations of the "Mexican Eve."
A Historic Figure Is Still Hated by Many in Mexico --news article about the current reputation of "La Malinche."
The Feast of Coatlaxopeuh --a skeptical approach to the Virgin of Guadalupe legend.
The Aztec Moon Disk --helpful discussion of new "evidence" about Coatlicue.

Origins of Voodoo --helpful introduction to voodoo in Haiti.
African Religions in the Caribbean: Continuity and Change--helpful explanations of several types of Afro-Caribbean religion.
Keys to Feminine Empowerment: From the Yoruba West African Tradition--excellent discussion of goddess Oya in last half of this article.

Challenge or Inspiration? : The White Goddess in Contemporary Feminism and Women's Studies --influence of Robert Graves' book The White Goddess on the contemporary goddess movement.
Resurrecting the Goddess: Exploring Powerful (Re)presentations of Women’s Bodies --Inanna, Sappho, Coatlicue, and modern women.
Rediscovering Our Muses: Finding Our Personal Sources of Inspiration--example of how a contemporary feminist uses the Goddess to empower herself.
Neo-Paganism: Main Currents and Denominations --defines Wicca, Neo-Druidism, New Age syncretism and nature worship, Occultism and ethnic mysticism, Reconstructionism, and Folklorism. Many links lead to more information on these topics.
Goddess worship and Goddess and Charge of the Goddess --three helpful definitions of contemporary goddess spirituality, from Wikipedia.
The Scholars and the Goddess --article criticizing the modern goddess movement.
Starhawk's response to Charlotte Allen's article --response to the above "Scholars and the Goddess" article.
Lady of the Earth and Moon: Goddess Imagery and the Ya-Yas --scholarly article; example of goddess analysis of the novel The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Background from Legend Designz