Goddess/Mother/Source/Creation

[one_raven]

I need 11 Goddesses from around the world for a story I have been working on.
Ideally these are Goddeses that serve some role in the respective culture in their creation myths (such as Eve being the mother of all in Judeo-Christian Mythology) but not necessarily, as I am drawn to the persona of Kali for one from India.
I need perhps one from India, one from South America, one from North America, one from China, one from Japan, one from Eastern Europe, one from Northern Europe, one from the Nords, one from the Maori, one from the Alaskan Inuits and one from the Ploynesians.
(it doesn;t have to be those 11, but they should all be from different cultures, and ideally different regions of the world.
Malevolence would be nice - the more complex the persona the better.

Any candidates you can think of?

Thanks

[NikolaiI]

I learned about Hertha from a poem titled the same by Swinburne. Looking it up on wiki, they had http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerthus. Nerthus, or Hertha, a germanic fertility goddess.

[one_raven]

That's a good one!
I have to add her to my list.
Thanks.

Upon a little further reading, I think she is PERFECT for the story - I couldn't have invented a more ideal persona and myth to fit right in with the story.
Thank you!

[bazarov]

Mokosh from South Slavenic mithology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokosh

I will be so good and translate you some non english articles if you need.

[one_raven]

Mokosh is looking pretty good.
I need to read more about her.
Thank you.

[Niamh]

Dana/Danu/Anu the goddess of the tutha de Dannan in Irish Mythology.

[Madhuri]

I need 11 Goddesses from around the world for a story I have been working on.
Ideally these are Goddeses that serve some role in the respective culture in their creation myths (such as Eve being the mother of all in Judeo-Christian Mythology) but not necessarily, as I am drawn to the persona of Kali for one from India.

Yeah, because goddess Kali (meaning black, or dark) is more in the context of death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali

But, there are many mother figures --

Parvati http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parvati

Saraswati (goddess of knowledge)

Sita -- wife of Rama (avatar of Lord Vishnu)

Lakshmi -- Goddess of wealth.

and many more....

You can pick any....

[white camellia]

The first goddess from Chinese mythology is Nv Wa (Goddess of Sky-patching) who is the goddess of fertility. She's the sister of Fu Xi. She has the head of a human being but the body of a snake (it's a good symbol in Chinese culture). She did the alchemy of the five-coloured stone to patch the sky and made humans with soil. She also established principles and ceremonies of marriage. She is the creator of all creatures and the mother of the Chinese nation. She's kind, loving and magnanimous. She cares for the mankind and helps them to get rid of natural disasters. She's almity and can creat at least 70 different things a day.

[Niamh]

heres a list of norse goddesses (http://www.mothergoddess.com/norse.htm)

[Whifflingpin]

Astaroth?

http://www.angelfire.com/empire/serpentis666/Astaroth.html

[Lioness_Heart]

I like the character of Juno in Virgil's 'Aeneid', because she causes all sorts of problems for Aeneas (who was supposedly the first settler to Italy and the ancestor of Romulus and Remus). So she's a Roman goddess.

[Bakiryu]

The Great Goddess?

Mayhaps: Hecate, Persephone, Yemaya, Ochun....

[one_raven]

You can pick any....

I can't just pick any, though.
She has to fit in the story.

I am really looking for goddesses/figures that have some of the following traits:
played some sort of matriarchal role
been around since the beginning of the earth
been a sexual/fertility goddess or succubus of some kind (Lilith was one option, but I am uncertain of her)
been involved with the creating of earth/reality in some way
was very powerful and and high in the hierarchy of the pantheon (no lesser Goddesses or simple Devas)
She has to be very early (or at least be able to be portrayed as such)

[one_raven]

The first goddess from Chinese mythology is Nv Wa (Goddess of Sky-patching) who is the goddess of fertility. She's the sister of Fu Xi. She has the head of a human being but the body of a snake (it's a good symbol in Chinese culture). She did the alchemy of the five-coloured stone to patch the sky and made humans with soil. She also established principles and ceremonies of marriage. She is the creator of all creatures and the mother of the Chinese nation. She's kind, loving and magnanimous. She cares for the mankind and helps them to get rid of natural disasters. She's almity and can creat at least 70 different things a day.

She sounds very good.
Wiki says Fu Xi is a male God.
Are they referring to someone else?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Xi

Do you have a link with more information about the Goddess you are referring to?


Astaroth?

http://www.angelfire.com/empire/serpentis666/Astaroth.html

A friend of mine tried to sell me on Ishtar (he adores her).
She would be good, unfortunately I have the Middle East covered, and there is no room for her.

I'll have to read more about the others mentioned.
Thanks everyone for all your suggestions so far.
Keep them coming if you have them.

I think I have South America covered with Coatlicue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coatlicue).

[Madhuri]

I can't just pick any, though.
She has to fit in the story.

I am really looking for goddesses/figures that have some of the following traits:
played some sort of matriarchal role
been around since the beginning of the earth
been a sexual/fertility goddess or succubus of some kind (Lilith was one option, but I am uncertain of her)
been involved with the creating of earth/reality in some way
was very powerful and and high in the hierarchy of the pantheon (no lesser Goddesses or simple Devas)
She has to be very early (or at least be able to be portrayed as such)


Hmmm.....

I think that goddess Parvati symbolises the following


fertility, marital felicity, devotion to the spouse, asceticism and power. It is said in the Saundarya Lahari, a famous literary work on the goddess, that she is the source of all power in this universe and that because of her, Lord Shiva gets all his powers. She is occasionally depicted as half of Lord Shiva.

and


In many interpretations of the scriptures, Parvati is also regarded as a representation of Shakti or Durga (meaning power), albeit the gentle aspect of that goddess because she is a mother goddess otherwise known as Devi .

Do these satisfy the desired characteristics??

I think she will be the closest to what you are looking for.

[Lote-Tree]

Hmmm.....

I think that goddess Parvati symbolises the following



and



Do these satisfy the desired characteristics??

I think she will be the closest to what you are looking for.

And Laxmi - Goddes of Wealth and prosperity?

And Kali Durga - Goddess of death and destruction.

[Madhuri]

And Laxmi - Goddes of Wealth and prosperity?

And Kali Durga - Goddess of death and destruction.

One_raven is looking for certain traits in the goddess. The goddess Lakshmi and Kali are known for wealth and death only.

[Lote-Tree]

One_raven is looking for certain traits in the goddess. The goddess Lakshmi and Kali are known for wealth and death only.

Ah ok :D

[Niamh]

Banba-The goddess who represents the spirit of Ireland, and who is the wife of king MacCuill. She was thought to be the first settler in Ireland. She is part of a trinity of goddesses, the daughters of Fiachna, together with Fodla and Eriu. Amergin, son of Miled, promised her the honor of naming the island after her. Banba is also a poetic name for Ireland. Initially, she could have been a goddess of war as well as a fertility goddess.
http://inanna.virtualave.net/celtic.html
or

Dana/Danu/Anu/Ana (take your pick)
in Celtic religion, the earth-mother goddess or female principle, who was honoured under various names from eastern Europe to Ireland. The mythology that surrounded her was contradictory and confused; mother goddesses of earlier peoples were ultimately identified with her, as were many goddesses of the Celts themselves. Possibly a goddess of fertility, of wisdom
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9000727/Danu#169699.hook

[Bakiryu]

I can't just pick any, though.
She has to fit in the story.

I am really looking for goddesses/figures that have some of the following traits:
played some sort of matriarchal role
been around since the beginning of the earth
been a sexual/fertility goddess or succubus of some kind (Lilith was one option, but I am uncertain of her)
been involved with the creating of earth/reality in some way
was very powerful and and high in the hierarchy of the pantheon (no lesser Goddesses or simple Devas)
She has to be very early (or at least be able to be portrayed as such)


Yemaya fits this very well. She's one of the earliest goddess and greatly revered in Santeria. She's the goddess of the sea, high on the phanteon and mother of Shango (son of her brother).

[white camellia]

[QUOTE=one_raven;432364]She sounds very good.
Wiki says Fu Xi is a male God.
Are they referring to someone else?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Xi

Do you have a link with more information about the Goddess you are referring to?

http://www.chinavoc.com/history/ancient/legend.htm

Fu Xi
Fu Xi, was born in the Shaanxi Province and, according to legend, was carried in his mother's womb for twelve years before birth. He taught people how to hunt, fish, domesticate animals and tend their flocks. He instituted marriage and taught people how to devise tools to split wood , kindle fire and cook food. He devised the mysterious Trigrams, which e-volved from markings on tortoise shells. These trigrams served as the basis for mathematics , medicine , divination and geoman-cy, and as clues to the secrets of creation such as the evolution of nature and its cyclic changes. He was considered as the first real ruler.

Fu Xi was succeeded by a person named Nv Wa , who was his own sister according to the legends. She did not add much work based on Fu Xi's in the new way of civilization. But it was she who achieved in heaven patching. When Fu Xi's evil spirit, his minister Gong Gong, had smashed the vault of heaven, Nv Wa patched it up by melting stone.

[Nightshade]

I can't just pick any, though.
She has to fit in the story.

I am really looking for goddesses/figures that have some of the following traits:
played some sort of matriarchal role
been around since the beginning of the earth
been a sexual/fertility goddess or succubus of some kind (Lilith was one option, but I am uncertain of her)
been involved with the creating of earth/reality in some way
was very powerful and and high in the hierarchy of the pantheon (no lesser Goddesses or simple Devas)
She has to be very early (or at least be able to be portrayed as such)


Whats her name greek goodess lady mother of cupid... you know the one I mean, Im pretty sure one version of the myth has her as the oldess god as she was born of chaus and from her was born the rest of the Gods.

There is also kybelle or cybele if you prefer that spelling.

[Niamh]

Whats her name greek goodess lady mother of cupid... you know the one I mean, Im pretty sure one version of the myth has her as the oldess god as she was born of chaus and from her was born the rest of the Gods.

There is also kybelle or cybele if you prefer that spelling.

your not thinging of Gaia (also Gaea, Kaia) are you? shes mother earth.

[Nightshade]

I very well might be .... actually take that as a definate yes!

[manolia]

I am really looking for goddesses/figures that have some of the following traits:
played some sort of matriarchal role
been around since the beginning of the earth
been a sexual/fertility goddess or succubus of some kind (Lilith was one option, but I am uncertain of her)
been involved with the creating of earth/reality in some way
was very powerful and and high in the hierarchy of the pantheon (no lesser Goddesses or simple Devas)
She has to be very early (or at least be able to be portrayed as such)

Hera
(played some sort of matriarchal role, was very powerful and and high in the hierarchy of the pantheon)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hera

Aphrodite
(been a sexual goddess, was very powerful and and high in the hierarchy of the pantheon)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphrodite

Hestia
(played some sort of matriarchal role)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hestia

Gaia
(played some sort of matriarchal role, been involved with the creating of earth/reality in some way, was very powerful and and high in the hierarchy of the pantheon, been around since the beginning of the eart, played some sort of matriarchal role)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_%28mythology%29

Demetra
(been a fertility goddess, was very powerful and and high in the hierarchy of the pantheon)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demetra