Myths provide archetypes for both men and women and are a source of spiritual wisdom and can give a sense of meaning to our lives while also providing a culture with a framework and rulebook by which we must act.
Female divinity and myths instantly leads to Greek mythology, which are famous and possess a great influence on Western ideals as there are many female goddesses. But many of the women in Greek mythology are monsters, Medusa, Chimera, Sphinx and so forth, a possible result of the switch from the relatively equal pre-Classical Greece, to the fiercely patriarchal Classical Greece, where only men could be citizens and the only route a woman could gain power was through marriage.
Theses myths have been further twisted over time by the numerous patriarchal systems that have followed over history.
When we talk of ideals, the concept of beauty must follow. Beauty is a universal concept, present in every culture on Earth. Of course, beauty is a subjective phenomenon which fluctuates with the codes and conventions of the society in which they exist but there is usually an agreed concept and it is usually women who conform to it. Image is everything.
Looking at the images we have of Ancient Greece, predominately statues and paintings from later times, women of Ancient Greece are depicted as porcelain skinned despite living around the Mediterranean. Pale skin was desirable as it showed you didn't work outdoors; it was an indication of status. This only changed in the West in the 50s when the tan became de rigueur, where it symbolized the jet set, rather than pale poor people stuck in offices or factories. Pale skin is still desirable on the Indian sub-continent. In fact, there have been several controversies in India recently as teens have resorted to using dangerous substances to bleach their skins.
Have you ever seen a fat mermaid? The Sirens of Greek Mythology where svelte, long haired seductresses and this image has resonated down the years as a symbol of Western beauty and the ideal female form, far removed from the archetypes of the South Pacific where large women are coveted as skinniness is seen as a sign of poverty.
Moving away from image is the notion of motherhood, both of people and the Earth. It is always Mother Earth not Father Earth and a mother (and thus the female ideal) is expected to put her children first, a form of self-sacrifice mixed with temperance, coolness and understanding.
Female divinity and myths instantly leads to Greek mythology, which are famous and possess a great influence on Western ideals as there are many female goddesses. But many of the women in Greek mythology are monsters, Medusa, Chimera, Sphinx and so forth, a possible result of the switch from the relatively equal pre-Classical Greece, to the fiercely patriarchal Classical Greece, where only men could be citizens and the only route a woman could gain power was through marriage.
Theses myths have been further twisted over time by the numerous patriarchal systems that have followed over history.
When we talk of ideals, the concept of beauty must follow. Beauty is a universal concept, present in every culture on Earth. Of course, beauty is a subjective phenomenon which fluctuates with the codes and conventions of the society in which they exist but there is usually an agreed concept and it is usually women who conform to it. Image is everything.
Looking at the images we have of Ancient Greece, predominately statues and paintings from later times, women of Ancient Greece are depicted as porcelain skinned despite living around the Mediterranean. Pale skin was desirable as it showed you didn't work outdoors; it was an indication of status. This only changed in the West in the 50s when the tan became de rigueur, where it symbolized the jet set, rather than pale poor people stuck in offices or factories. Pale skin is still desirable on the Indian sub-continent. In fact, there have been several controversies in India recently as teens have resorted to using dangerous substances to bleach their skins.
Have you ever seen a fat mermaid? The Sirens of Greek Mythology where svelte, long haired seductresses and this image has resonated down the years as a symbol of Western beauty and the ideal female form, far removed from the archetypes of the South Pacific where large women are coveted as skinniness is seen as a sign of poverty.
Moving away from image is the notion of motherhood, both of people and the Earth. It is always Mother Earth not Father Earth and a mother (and thus the female ideal) is expected to put her children first, a form of self-sacrifice mixed with temperance, coolness and understanding.
