- Mother Goddess— When Women were Worshiped
In September of 2008, a team of archaeologists working in the Hohle Fels cave in Germany uncovered a remarkable find: a figurine made of mammoth ivory dated to between 40,000 and 35,000 years ago. Now known as the Venus of Hohle Fels, this figurine is the oldest known representation of the human form. The exaggerated anatomy and massive breasts are a powerful depiction of being female — symbolizing the fertility goddess’ characteristics of sex and reproduction.
Many such figurines have been found across the globe, generally interpreted as being mother goddesses — considered magical because of their ability to create life. The mythology of the mother goddess places them as part of a divine pair with a male consort — who could sometimes also be human.
While no one can definitely say what the Hohle Fels Venus actually represented to people at that time, and her symbolism comes entirely from anthropologists’ interpretations, what we do know is that such figurines continued to be created throughout history.
Some experts believe that women were at the top of societies — from perhaps as far back as the late Stone Age — the period to which the Hohle Fels Venus belongs, as does the Venus of…
