Goddesses
This collection woodblock prints were inspired by the various aspects of femininity. Each goddess is a different representation of what is means to be a woman and the power that we hold. These goddesses are also reminders that throughout time women have been worshiped for their power by many different cultures.
Freya
Freya is the Norse goddess of love, and represents sex, lust, beauty, sorcery, fertility, gold, war, and death. Freya is beautiful and has many admirers who bring her jewelry and fine materials. She also has a passion for poems and song. Freya is said to be unconcerned with childbirth and more with sexual freedom. It is believed that when a warrior dies Freya has first pick of the dead to come live with her at her home, as an honor. All other warriors meet Oden in Valhalla. Freya is often depicted with a chariot pulled by cats, a cloak of falcon wings, or with her boar Battle Swine.
Here Freya is being pulled by her cat chariot past the dwellings of the warriors who have come to live with her at her home.
Nüwa
Nüwa is the Chinese creator goddess. It is believed that Nüwa built man out of yellow mud to create the nobility. Nüwa soon became tired of building each man individually and took a piece of rope that she dragged through river mud and swung it around into piles. These piles turned into the common man. She gave man the power to procreate so that she may no longer build them herself. Nüwa is often depicted with her tail entwined with her brother husband, and they hold to symbols for the sun and the moon. Here Nüwa is depicted on her own with such a symbol.
Changing Woman
Changing Woman comes from the Apache and Navajo mythologies and she represents earth and the natural order. Changing Woman is believed to be young and grows old only to become young again making her a symbol of longevity. Her life stages reflect that of the earth in that spring is representational of birth, summer represents maturity, fall equals old age, and winter means the process of dying and death. Like Changing Woman, the seasons enter birth in spring after death in winter. In a puberty right ceremony maturing girls enact a scene in Changing Women’s mythology and it is said that her power resides in the girl for four days. Here Changing Woman is represented as her young and old self, as well as the changing seasons.
Tyche
Tyche is the Greek Goddess of luck and fortune and the source of unexpected events that are both good and bad in nature. Athens worshiped Tyche as they believed that she favored their city
either good fortune. She is often depicted with a mural crown of city walls, wings, a regal staff, horns of plenty, and or a wheel rudder. Her horn of plenty is representational of her being a giver of prosperity, and her wheel rudder represents her ability to direct world events. Here she is depicted as holding a horn of plenty up with symbols of wealth and good fortune, as well as a horn of plenty facing down to represent the loss of wealth and misfortune.
Saraswati
Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of wisdom, music, and aesthetics. She is credited as being the language and is worshiped in ceremonies, concerts, and film. She is often depicted as having white skin, a white sari, and having no jewelry. Her four arms are representational of learning including
the mind, intellect, alertness, and the ego; as well as the four vedas including the three forms of literature, poetry, prose, and music. It is believed that the peacock is her traditional assistant. She is often depicted as she is here near a river, with her peacock, and playing a varada mudra or a vina.
Morrigan
Morrigan is the Celtic goddess of war, birth, death, and slaughter. Not only is she said to be the over looker of rivers, water, and lakes; but she is also believed to be the patroness of revenge, magic, priestesses, night, prophecy, and witches. The mythology behind Morrigan is some what debated as Morrigan is believed to be one of a group of three goddess or represents three aspects of one goddess. What is not debated is that Morrigan is able to shape shift into a bull, eel, wolf, and an old woman. However, Morrigan’s favorite shape is of a crow or raven. It is believed that Morrigan protects her army by blowing fog into the field to disorient the apposing troops, and if a warrior sees her washing her shield before a battle it is an omen for death. Morrigan is often depicted as a crow, a woman
in revealing clothing, or a woman with a cloak covering her face. Here she is depicted in her black revealing clothing, with a shield and her weapon, as well as her crow representation.
Ma'at
Ma’at is the Egyptian goddess who represents truth, justice, balance, and morality. She was used by pharaohs as a guild for them to uphold laws and their authority to govern. When a person dies
and enters the Hall of Truths Ma’at’s feather is used to weight their heart to determine whether they are pure of soul. If their heart is lighter than the feather they may meet Osiris in paradise.
However, if their heart is heavier they would be devoured by Ammit. Scales and an ostrich feather are both symbols of Ma’at. Here she is depicted in the Hall of Truths as her feather measures
that of the dead.
