Goddesses and Amazons

Diane Thompson, NVCC, ELI

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Goddesses

Amazons

I have gathered a list of links to sources about the goddess religions, ancient and modern, and amazons. Some of this material is scholarly, some is modern cult lore, some is just plain fun. Serious scholarly work on the ancient goddess religions has been done by Marija Gimbutas, among others. This work inspired feminists to recreate ideas of the goddess in order to update contemporary religious views about the role and nature of the female divine. Their work is controversial, but interesting. For more information on goddesses, see the Troy Today: Women and Goddesses Bibliography.

GODDESSES

• Calypso and Circe: "Fragments of the primordial Great Goddess: CALYPSO & CIRCE," by Alicia LeVan. From Perseus.
• Diana: an interesting page with information about Diana/Artemis as a goddess and some great images. This is part of a large site, "Mythosphere," about some modern fantasy novels.
• "The Goddess and her Doubles": Chapter five of Deborah Lyons' book, Gender and Immortality (Princeton, 1966). Much about Iphigenia and her relationship to the goddess.
• Helen of Troy: A great set of annotated links to all sorts of materials on the semi-divine Helen, from essays to poems and films.
• Images of Women in Ancient Art: Issues of Interpretation and Identity; includes both images and analysis.
• Minoan Snake Goddesses: by Christopher L. C. E. Whitcombe. Lots of interesting information, some great images, and a useful bibliography.
• The Shrine of the Goddess Athena: This is an extraordinary virtual museum dealing with all aspects of Athena. It includes a Museum, Encyclopedia, Atlas, Dictionary, Temple and Athanaeum. The design is elegant, the content rich and varied, the images lovely and plentiful. The tone is one of admiration and even worship for Athena as a still-living goddess.
• Women in Greek Myths: An index to all sorts of materials from Amazons to great goddesses, minor goddesses and nymphs.
• Women in Prehistory: The Venus of Willendorf. Image and essay on earth goddess/mother goddess. From the Images of Women in Ancient Art site, listed above.

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AMAZONS

• The Amazon Connection: Links to all sorts of WWW Amazonia, from films to myths to history. A good place to start searching the WWW for Amazon materials.
• Amazons: A serious feminist presentation of the concept of Amazons as exceptionally noble, brave women, both in legend and in history. Includes bios of a selection of women who fit this ideal, from the first to the twentieth century.
• Amazons of Bronze Age Greece Bibliography: Good list of print sources, as well as a few WWW links on Amazons.
• Brave Women Warriors of Greek Myth: an Amazon Roster. IAXS Research Project No. 326 By Julie Ruffell. In Whoosh! online edition, Issue 12, September, 1997.  Nice images. 
• "Warrior Women of the Eurasian Steppes": An abstract of this article by Jeannine Davis- Kimball from Archaeology Abstracts. Archeological evidence of women warriors.
• Women in Greek Myths: An index to all sorts of materials from Amazons to great goddesses, minor goddesses and nymphs.