The Shrinking Goddess: Power, Myth and the Female Body

Mineke Schipper

ISBN 10: 1908906669 / ISBN 13: 9781908906663

Published by Saqi Books Okt 2026, 2026

About this Item

Neuware - From ancient myths to modern culture, The Shrinking Goddess explores how stories about women's bodies - wild, sacred, and strange - have shaped our world. Mineke Schipper reclaims the female body as a source of power against centuries of attempts to control it.

Seller Inventory # 9781908906663

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Shrinking Goddess: Power, Myth and the Female Body
• Publisher: Saqi Books Okt 2026
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1908906669
• ISBN 13: 9781908906663
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 216W x 138H x 40D millimeters 216 millimeters width by 138 millimeters height by 40 millimeters depth
• Weight: 300 grams

About this title

Synopsis

For centuries, wild and strange stories have been told about the female body. Some empowering, many absurd, these myths have not only endured but continue to shape perceptions of women today.

The Shrinking Goddess explores this legacy, gathering global tales about the female form and revealing how and why generations of men have sought to interpret, control and ‘tame’ women. Mineke Schipper investigates the disappearance of the original creation figure, Mother Earth, from mainstream culture, and how women’s bodies have been imagined ever since: from the demon daughter of New Mexico with a toothed vagina, to the Japanese supermarkets and European festivals offering ‘breast puddings’ as delicacies.

Drawing on an extraordinary archive of art, literature and folklore, Schipper reclaims the female body as a place of power, creativity and possibility.

About the Author

Mineke Schipper is a cultural historian and writer. She is the author of seven critically acclaimed works including Never Marry a Woman with Big Feet: Women in Proverbs from Around the World and Naked or Covered: A History of Dressing and Undressing Around the World. Her writing has been published in The Times, El Mundo and the Los Angeles Times, among others. Schipper was foreign secretary of Dutch PEN, chair of Index on Censorship Nederland and currently serves as Emeritus Professor of Intercultural Literary Studies at the University of Leiden, with visiting professorships in Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and China. She received a Royal Order of Knighthood for her contribution to social and cultural studies. She lives in the Netherlands.