The goddesses and gods of Old Europe, 6500-3500 BC, myths and cult images
By: Marija Gimbutas.
Edition: New and updated ed.
Publisher: University of California
Published: 1982
Place of publication: Berkeley
Language: eng
Number of pages: 304
Subjects: Religion, Prehistoric -- Europe.; Goddesses -- Europe.; Man, Prehistoric -- Europe.; Europe -- Antiquities.
Description: "Uropean civilization between 6500 and 3500 BC - long before Greek or Judaeo-Christian civilizations flourished - was not a provincial reflection of neighboring Near Eastern cultures but a distinct culture with its own unique identity. The mythical imagery of this matrilinear era tells us much about early humanity's concepts of the cosmos, of human relations with nature, of the complementary roles of male and female. Through study of sculpture, vases, and other cult objects from southeastern Europe, Gimbutas sketches the village culture that evolved there before it was overwhelmed by the patriarchal Indo-Euopreans. The Goddess incarnating the creative principle as a Source and Giver of All, fertility images, mythical animals, and other artifacts are anlyzed for their mythic and social significance in this beautifully illustrated study."--Googlebooks.
Notes: Previous ed. published as, The gods and goddesses of Old Europe, 7000 to 3500 BC., 1974.

Includes index.

Bibliography, p. 256-269.