With another Mother’s Day now past, it seems an appropriate time to reflect upon the place of honor Motherhood has held throughout most of humankind’s recorded history (as well as pre-historic tradition). She was known as Gaea to the ancient Greeks, Isis to the Egyptians, and Anu to the Celts. In many respects, she was also the Bible’s Eve. But no matter what she has been called, she is regarded as the Earth “Mother” of all human creation; the primal fertile ground from where we all humanity originated. It was thought that from her perpetually fertile womb sprang the life-force that spawned the Anatomically Modern Human, and from her divine, ample breasts flowed the milk that will nourish humankind for as long as we continue to exist. She is the personification of sexuality, beauty, divinity, and Motherhood.
Though usually depicted by lunar symbolism (most cultures relate her feminine powers to the moon), some ancient civilizations including the ancient Germanics, Egyptians, Inuits, and Japanese saw her as the ultimate power of the sun. But in either guise, she is universally revered as the Great Earth Mother and therefore deserving respect, reverence, and eternal veneration. Perhaps the best known representations of the Earth Mother are the well-known Venus of Willendorf statuettes dated to 30,000 B. P. Among the oldest known representations of woman in all her fertile glory, her engorged breasts and large, rounded belly are thought to reflect early mankind’s image of perfection: of life, love, and spirituality. In short, perfection. Similar representations have been found in archaeological excavations all around the world from countless cultures.
Historically, from humankind’s earliest reverence for Motherhood grew many Goddess-oriented religions and sects. Perhaps most significant among them were the Brits of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales who until this day revere the Earth Mother above all other deities. Countless lesser-known cultures around the world continue to share in this adherence as well. While the celebration of Mother’s Day is not a universal phenomenon, most cultures do in fact set aside more than just one day each year to honor the source of eternal life. So in that we set aside just one day, one would hope we observe it with the respect deserving a 30,000 year old mother.
