MOTHER GODDESSES

The "divine female" has taken many forms across time and cultures.

- JENNY BROWN

PIECING TOGETHER artifacts from way, way, way BCE, some historians think the earliest societies may have worshipped an all-powerful female deity. Any stories about her have been lost, though, because writing hadn't been invented yet. In later myths, male gods dominate, but a mother goddess-a creator or protector figure-still appears, in various forms depending on the culture. Here are some of the diverse ways people have envisioned her.

SHE'S SEEN AS THE EARTH