Covering 3,000 years of goddess worship, and offering unprecedented access to information on more than 11,000 goddesses, nymphs, demons, and deified women, this fascinating book explores hundreds of cultures the world over that have worshipped female divinities. 100 illustrations.

This collection of accessible essays relates the stories of individual goddesses from around the world, exploring their roles in the cultures from which they came, their histories and status today, and the controversies surrounding them. Goddesses in World Culture brings readers the fascinating stories of close to 100 of the world's goddesses, ranging from the immediately recognizable to the obscure. These figures, many of whom derive from ancient cultures and civilizations, serve as points of departure for examining questions that go well beyond the role of women in religion and spirituality to include social organization, environmental awareness, historical developments, and psychological archetypes. Each volume of this groundbreaking set is composed of 20–25 previously unpublished articles written by expert contributors from diverse disciplines. Volume one covers Asia and Africa, volume two covers the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe, and volume three covers Australia and the Americas. Goddesses from cultures often overlooked in texts on religion, such as those of the Australian Aborigines, Korea, Nepal, and the Caribbean, are included here. In addition, the work offers new translations of ancient texts, introduces little-known folklore, and suggests new approaches to contemporary religious practices.

Provides information on the gods and goddesses of a wide range of cultures, from the ancient Sumerian to the modern Haitian.

Britomartis, goddess of the moon, was a clever, active girl who loved to hunt with her bow and arrows.... Britomartis was sacred to fishermen, hunters and sailors.

A special reinforced library binding.

Includes bibliographic references and index.

The book tells the story of the peoples of the world and their vast, imaginative array of mythical characters, animals, places, and events.