Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Compare & Contrast - Oh Mama!




PART I

ESSAY #6c


ESSAY TITLE: Compare and Contrast – Oh Mama!

QUESTION
Describe the similarities of and connections between the cults of Earth goddess Gaia, the Virgin Mary and Devi, the Hindi Mother goddess. Select representative artwork depicting each one and describe the similarities in the imagery.

SUMMARY: I found this essay intimidating before diving right in but once I did, I wondered what I was fussing about. It was pretty obvious to see the similarities between each Female Icon. It was just a matter of getting all of the mess in my head down on paper (or on a blog in this case).
REASON: I believe this question was one of few essays aimed at pushing the student to utilize research methods on a variety of subjects and think outside the box.

PURPOSEThe purpose of this essay was to explore similaries and connections between cultures and religions that upon first glance, seem very different. 

DIRECTION: This time around, most of my research was conducted using the course text. Often, I find that articles online provide more information but for this question, I only utilized the web for examples of imagery.

IMPRESSIONS: As stated in the purpose section, I was pushed to realize the similarities between seemingly different religions. I learned that no matter what background you come from, most people want to believe that some higher power is protecting them and that usually comes in the form of a mother figure.

PART II
ANSWER:

             It seems history is going through a looped civil pattern. The more I consider the past’s female iconography across multiple cultures, the more ironic the repression of women’s rights in the 19th and 20th centuries seems. When surveying Greek Mythology, Hinduism and Christianity, it is curious to uncover quite obvious similarities in the way they worship. All of these cultures hold their female deities in high esteem, placing them equal to or even higher than men on the proverbial food chain of devotion.
(http://www.theoi.com/Gallery/T1.6.html)
Birth of Erichtonius,
Late Archaic Period,
Red Attic Figure

            Most interesting to me is that the very first god of Greek Mythology was actually a goddess. Gaia is the name of whom most people, even today refer to as Mother Earth. In the red figure vase The Birth of Erichtonius, as with most depictions of her, she is shown coming out of the earth. “Gaia is shown only partially risen from the earth, being inseparable from her native element” (http://www.theoi.com/Gallery/T1.6.html). On top of this obvious suggestion of earthliness, Gaia hands over her child, Erichtonius, bringing forth the future of his regality. According to Greek Myth, Gaea was the mother of all and therefore was their main icon of fertility.

(http://www.nortonsimon.org/collections/browse_title.php?id=M.1975.11.05.S)
Mother Goddess with Child,Uttar Pradesh, Gupta period, 575-625,
Sandstone
            Like the Greek’s Gaia, Devi, the Hindu Great Goddess represented Fertility. Even more so, she controls material riches, has forms indicative of wealth, beauty and auspiciousness but also wrath, pestilence and power (Course Text, Page 298). The word “Devi” is the Sanskrit root-word of “Divine” and the feminine form of “Deva”, the Sanskrit word for deity.  She is the core of every Hindu goddess and thus manifested in many different forms. Each manifestation is one of many pieces of the Divine Mother. “When armed and riding a lion (as the goddess Durga), she personifies righteous fury. As the goddess Lakshmi, she is the goddess of wealth and beauty” (Course Text, Page 298)
             The ancient sculpture Mother Goddess with Child shows one of many manifestations of the Devi in what I would consider a very classic light. The piece is comparable to even such pieces as the Venus of Willendorf or Venus De Milo. Ancient peoples long before the beginnings of Hinduism produced female figurines with exaggerated attributes, giving them pendulous breasts, a big belly, wide hips and solid thighs (Course Text, Page 6). In Mother Goddess with Child, the Devi is depicted as possessing exaggerated feminine features. Her Hips, bust and child become the main focus of the sculpture while still advertising her power as represented by the sword in her right hand.
(http://www.iconsexplained.com/iec/pics/001_vierge_de_vladimir.jpg)
The Virgin of Vladimir ,Tempera on Wood Panel, Unknown Artist,
 Late 11th Century - Early 12th Century
          Whether you practice Christianity or not, probably the most iconic mother figure to our American demographic is The Virgin Mary. Almost mirroring the Greek’s Gaia and Erichtonius, Mary births a child destined for notoriety. She is viewed by the Christian people as a spiritual mother and protective being. Since it’s creation, The Virgin of Vladamir (AKA Theotokos of Vladimir) was thought to protect the people of the city where it resided. Today, even in a museum, it inspires prayer (Course Text, Page 252). The Virgin Mary is personified in this piece of work with a very human, tender and relatable expression of motherhood while her child, the son of god presses his face to hers. “This distinctively humanized image suggests the growing desire for a more immediate and personal religion” (Course Text, Page 252). Unlike her counterparts Gaia and Devi, The Virgin Mary is not seen as a goddess but rather a more relatable icon of fertility.
            While these are only a few examples of art depicting female icons across a span of time and culture, it is quite evident that their main advertisements are fertility and protection. They are all Mothers not only to their blood relatives but also the people who pray to them. Translated to English, Gaia literally means “earth” while the Devi is a combination of the words “deity” and ”divine”. The Virgin Mary’s Greek name is “Theotokos” which directly translates to “God-Bearer”. After studying the rolls they all played in religion, terms like “earth”, “bearer” and “Divine all seem interchangeable when separately describing all three of these female figure

1 comment:

  1. Jamie - Bob Dylan wrote in Just Like a Woman - Queen Mary, she's my friend
    Yes, I believe I'll go see her again
    Nobody has to guess
    That Baby can't be blessed
    Till she finally sees that she's like all the rest
    With her fog, her amphetamine and her pearls
    She takes just like a woman, yes she does
    She makes love just like a woman, yes she does
    And she aches just like a woman
    But she breaks just like a little girl.

    Take from this what you will. You, however, nearly completed a circle I've never visualized. Gaia and Devi are from religions much older than Christianity. Those religions were concerned wit fertility. When you placed the Venus of Willendorf in the equation (even though she was a fertility figure) you contrasted the, "...Virgin Mary... not... as a goddess but rather a more relatable icon of fertility."

    Regardless, the female was once represented as a symbol of fertility, a goddess and a protecting mother and, with the exception of Devi, didn't show the other "faces" of womanhood. As you state, "... terms like “earth”, “bearer” and “Divine all seem interchangeable when separately describing all three of these female figure(s)."

    However, in most cases, the artist was a man and I wonder how that plays into it all? Nice job. I offer you the opportunity to return to this essay and dig deeper if you so wish. On a scale of 1 to 4, this was a 3.7

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