Status
Available
Call number
Call number
WS
Publication
Nashville : Vanderbilt University Press, 1994.
Original publication date
1994
Physical description
xix, 219 p.; 25 cm
Local notes
From primitive European and African carvings and cave drawings to the classical poetry, pottery, and sculpture of Attic Greece, from mysterious and disturbing female shapes on the facades of certain gothic Christian churches to startling and instructive examples of contemporary myths in the making, Winifred Milius Lubell tracks a vast resource of visual and textual evidence in this first book-length study of Baubo. Lubell's artistic and literary sources support the argument that from the earliest moments of civilization, humans have respected and revered female sexual energy, graphically symbolized in the vulva, as an indispensable force in the balance of nature. Over the ages, the images of Baubo and her sisters assumed deviant and disturbing forms, but the basic lines of her legend and its visual manifestations were not completely obscured. Nor, as this book will show, has Baubo's essential power been destroyed even in our own age.
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member ratastrophe
What a wonderful book! My only previous encounter with the figure of Baubo was quite a few years back ago when I first read "Women Who Run With the Wolves", in which Baubo is briefly mentioned. In that book, Baubo is referenced as the "belly goddess" who deals in laughter and embodies the idea of
Imagine my surprise when I discovered Lubell's well-written and informative book! The stories and artwork surrounding Baubo, as well as the explanations of how her figure has been oft maligned by the patriarchal society of years past, are presented in an incredibly accessible manner. I was engaged in the information throughout.
It is not uncommon for books on the mythology of women to fall into the unfortunate trap of man-bashing. Yes, much of our recorded history takes place in patriarchal societies that relegated women to a lower class. Yes, as a result there has been a downplay in the importance of female mythological figures throughout time. Is that the fault of men we encounter in society today? Absolutely not. There are legitimate concerns with how women are treated in modern times, but the guy in line next to you at the grocery store is hardly responsible for the repression of art by an archaeologist in the 1700s.
Fortunately, Lubell's book skillfully avoids doing this - the faults of the past are treated with an objective eye and without judgment. She keeps the focus on Baubo herself and her book is all the better for it. This is an absolutely fascinating read for anyone interested in the history of women in religious mythology.
Show More
embracing our sexual nature with joy and good humor. Unfortunately, I learned from the same book that very little is known about Baubo.Imagine my surprise when I discovered Lubell's well-written and informative book! The stories and artwork surrounding Baubo, as well as the explanations of how her figure has been oft maligned by the patriarchal society of years past, are presented in an incredibly accessible manner. I was engaged in the information throughout.
It is not uncommon for books on the mythology of women to fall into the unfortunate trap of man-bashing. Yes, much of our recorded history takes place in patriarchal societies that relegated women to a lower class. Yes, as a result there has been a downplay in the importance of female mythological figures throughout time. Is that the fault of men we encounter in society today? Absolutely not. There are legitimate concerns with how women are treated in modern times, but the guy in line next to you at the grocery store is hardly responsible for the repression of art by an archaeologist in the 1700s.
Fortunately, Lubell's book skillfully avoids doing this - the faults of the past are treated with an objective eye and without judgment. She keeps the focus on Baubo herself and her book is all the better for it. This is an absolutely fascinating read for anyone interested in the history of women in religious mythology.
Show Less
LibraryThing member livingloverevolution
This is the 3rd ( and hopefully it will be the final) time that I have purchased this book. I won’t be lending it out again because this time I got a brand new hard bound copy but paid more than $100 because it is out of print. This is a brilliant, helpful, restorative book connecting the
Show More
empowerment of women sexuality to the ancient mystery, rights of the Eluesinian Mysteries. The complexity of the Baubo archetype encompasses Trickster, Nurse, Sexual doula, Midwife and pelvic bridge. From 1998-2000 i taught a class called “Initiation to Baubo” based on thus books contents. The illustrations are wonderful. Very good soul food for feminist witches everywhere! Show Less
Similar in this library
Women who run with the wolves : myths and stories of the wild woman archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
The language of the goddess : unearthing the hidden symbols of western civilization by Marija Gimbutas
Life's daughter/death's bride : inner transformations through the goddess Demeter/Persephone by Kathie Carlson
Lost goddesses of early Greece : a collection of pre-Hellenic myths : with a new preface by Charlene Spretnak
Woman's mysteries, ancient and modern : a psychological interpretation of the feminine principle as portrayed in myth, story, and dreams by M. Esther Harding