Product Description

In this richly illustrated volume, the noted archaeologist and prehistorian Marija Gimbutas brings prepatriarchal civilization to life. A pioneer in archaeomythology--the interdisciplinary field based on archaeology, comparative mythology, and folklore--Gimbutas unequivocally establishes the existence of a goddess religion in Neolithic Europe with its roots in the Paleolithic. Through the interpretation of images and symbols, she reveals these matriarchal cultures, decoding the symbolic language that has remained embedded in our civilization. Illustrated with nearly 2,000 symbolic artifacts--sculptures, figurines, temple models, frescoes, vases, sacrificial containers--the book establishes the Goddess as the most persistent feature in the archaeological record of the ancient world. A symbol of the unity of all life in nature, her power was in water and stone, in cave and tomb, in animals and birds, in hills, trees, and flowers. Her main functions were life-giving, death-wielding, and regenerative. Gimbutas's magnum opus takes the existence of goddess-worshiping, earth-centered, egalitarian, and nonviolent cultures out of the realm of speculation into that of documented fact. Foreword by Joseph Campbell. 526 illustrations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #339401 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 424 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780500282496
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Library Journal
Bringing together archaeological evidence, comparative mythology and folklore, and symbolic interpretations, Gimbutas's work asserts the existence in prehistoric Europe of a widespread culture centered on the Goddess, lifegiver and sustainer, as well as death-wielder. Through the examination of hundreds of Paleolithic and mostly Neolithic pieces, the author traces cross-cultural and cross-chronological symbolic parallels, some of which are quite broad and open to several types of inference. The central and venerated position of women in the unconscious of early European people seems probable; this order of things changed with the incursions by Kurgan groups (4300-2800 B.C.) and the European world moved "from matrilineal to patrilineal." Whether or not one agrees with these archaeomythological interpretations, Gimbutas offers a thought-provoking symbolic reading of hundreds of selected pieces, beautifully reproduced in this sizeable compendium.
- Winnie Lambrecht, Brown Univ., Providence, R.I.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From The Washington Post
"One of the most breathtaking examples of a mew surge of feminist-oriented scholarship."

Review
The first authoritative work on the ancient goddess culture. -- Boston Globe

Customer Reviews

beautiful collection of ancient European images and symbols.
"The Language of the Goddess" is a must-have for anyone interested in symbolism and imagery, as it presents some of the oldest decorative markings ever scratched into stone, bone, and wood. Most of the images, reproduced in line drawings and black-and-white photos, are taken from Neolithic European village sites dating back as far as 7,000 B.C. Thus they are, for the most part, a product of agricultural cultures. However, there is a striking similarity between some of these marks and those found on relics from Paleolithic hunter-gatherer sites, examples of which appear in this book.

The link between the images from Neolithic and Paleolithic sites arises at least in part from those cultures' shared worship of the Goddess. In the text accompanying the images, Gimbutas tries to reconstruct the world-view of the European Goddess-centered people. She works by inference, looking at various found objects and their markings--not just in their historical context but also in relation to each other.

For instance, in her chapter entitled "Net Motif," she writes, "Signs associated with the framed net -- parallel lines, zig-zags, tri-lines, M's, and chevrons -- place it within the aquatic symbol family. . .the framed net also appears with symbols of becoming: egg, vulva, uterus, fish bladder forms, and plant leaves. This implies that the net is linked with aqua-cosmogony, the life source, and the birth of human, animal, and plant life. . .in other words, it must have been a symbol of the "water of life" well known to us from myths. The net design. . .probably emphasizes the life-giving power of the Goddess."

It is interesting that we still speak of "the web of life," and the "interconnectedness of all beings." The web is an ancient image, and just one of many in the book that readers can recognize as still resonating for us now. Some other images which Gimbutas presents are Meander and Water Birds, Streams, Tri-Line and Power of Three, and Deer and Bear as Primeval Mothers.

This book is wonderful for textile artists, potters, painters, or poets - indeed for anyone interested in drawing inspiration from the furthest reaches of human history. These are powerful symbols for study, which come alive when given careful attention.

Gimbutas is great
This is a truly wonderful book by a now deceased author. Marija Gimbutas was a fine scholar (chair of European Archeology at UCLA), and if she were alive today, would gladly take part in the storm of response that her ideas on prehistoric religion have inspired. All such scholarly theories require work and refinement, and the ideas presented in this book are no exception. There is, however, no other single text on the subject of early human religion that I think is more important. Read it, love it, and give it to all your friends.

great reference material
Although difficult to get through some sections, I found the pictures and graphics wonderful and the undeniable female influence on our earliest history came through without any sexist or biased undertones. Men as well as women would benefit from reading this book, if not from cover to cover at least the high points and the last two chapters. And any mother of a young woman should consider this book for a special gift to her.