The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe: Myths and Cult Images, New and Updated Edition - Softcover

Marija Gimbutas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0520046552 ISBN 13: 9780520046559

Publisher: University of California Press, 1982

Synopsis

European civilization between 6500 and 3500 BC - long before Greek or Judaeo-Christian civilizations flourished - was not a provincial reflection of neighboring Near Eastern cultures but a distinct culture with its own unique identity. The mythical imagery of this matrilinear era tells us much about early humanity's concepts of the cosmos, of human relations with nature, of the complementary roles of male and female. Through study of sculpture, vases, and other cult objects from southeastern Europe, Gimbutas sketches the village culture that evolved there before it was overwhelmed by the patriarchal Indo-Euopreans. The Goddess incarnating the creative principle as a Source and Giver of All, fertility images, mythical animals, and other artifacts are anlyzed for their mythic and social significance in this beautifully illustrated study.

About this title

About the Author:

Marija Gimbutas (1921-1994) was Professor of European Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Curator of Old World Archaeology at what is now the Fowler Museum of Cultural History. Her book The Living Goddesses (California, 1999) was published in April 1999.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Publication date: 1982
• ISBN 10: 0520046552
• ISBN 13: 9780520046559
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304
• Illustrator: Linda Mount-Williams