Mythologis
Mother Goddesses: The Great Goddess in World Mythology

Mythology Themes

Mother Goddesses: The Great Goddess in World Mythology

Gaia, Isis, Demeter, Parvati and the Powers of Life

The complete guide to the mother goddess: Gaia and Demeter of the Greeks, Isis of Egypt, Cybele of Anatolia, the Hindu Devi, and the powers of earth, fertility and life across world mythology.

180 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Greek, Egyptian, Anatolian and Hindu goddesses
  • Designed for print quality
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  1. 01Before the Sky-Fathers
  2. 02The Earth as Mother: Gaia
  3. 03Demeter and the Birth of the Seasons
  4. 04Isis: The Goddess Who Raises the Dead
  5. 05Cybele, the Great Mother
  6. 06Inanna and Ishtar of Mesopotamia
  7. 07The Hindu Devi: Parvati, Durga and Kali
  8. 08The Nurturing and the Devouring Mother
  9. 09Mother Goddesses of the Americas and Beyond
  10. 10The Great Goddess in the Deep Past
  11. 11The Many Faces of the Mother

About this book

About this Mythology Themes mythology guide

Before the sky-fathers, in many traditions, there was the mother. This is the complete guide to the mother goddess, from Gaia and Demeter to Isis and the many-faced Hindu Devi.

Before the sky-fathers there was, in many traditions, the mother. The earth itself was imagined as a goddess who brings forth all life and takes it back into herself at death; the harvest, the seasons, birth and grief were her domain. The mother goddess is among the oldest religious images we can trace, and she wears a hundred faces: nurturing and terrible, the giver of grain and the bringer of winter, the loving mother and the devouring one.

This is the complete guide to the mother goddess across the world. Gaia, the Greek earth from whom the gods themselves are born; Demeter and the grief that made the seasons; Isis of Egypt, who gathers the scattered body of her husband and raises the dead; Cybele, the Great Mother of Anatolia and Rome; Inanna and Ishtar of Mesopotamia; the Hindu Devi in her many forms, gentle Parvati and fierce Kali; and the debated evidence for a great goddess in the deep past.

The book gathers the mother goddesses and traces what they share, drawing on Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, the Egyptian texts, the Hindu sources and the sacred record, and every chapter cites where it comes from.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • Gaia, the Greek earth from whom the gods themselves are born
  • Demeter and the grief that gave the world its seasons
  • Isis, who gathers her husband's body and raises the dead
  • Cybele, the Great Mother of Anatolia and Rome
  • The Hindu Devi, gentle as Parvati and fierce as Kali
  • The nurturing and the devouring faces of the same goddess

Mythology Themes mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythology Themes mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length180 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythology Themes mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is this about the Great Goddess theory?

The book covers the famous theory of a single primeval Great Goddess, but carefully. It lays out the real goddesses of myth first, Gaia, Demeter, Isis, Cybele and the rest, and treats the deep-past theory as a debate, not a settled fact.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on Hesiod, the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, the Egyptian texts on Isis, the Roman sources on Cybele, the Hindu Puranas and other sources, with references to the standard translations.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 180 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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