TRANSCRIPTION 🔗
00:00:05
Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie.
00:00:06
Speaker 2: And Samantha.
00:00:06
Speaker 3: And welcome to Stuff I've Never Told You, a production of iHeartRadio. And for this week's classic, I don't even know the date. Annie, you told me the date of this. I'm just going to pretend.
00:00:24
Speaker 1: November 1st.
00:00:25
Speaker 2: Okay, there we go.
00:00:26
Speaker 3: So right after Halloween, I hope you had already listened to this episode and you're coming back to it because This episode was about the goddesses around the world, which gives a great opportunity for a good Halloween costume. Very, like, probably low-key costumes, too, so you could be very creative with your ideas. But, yes, this episode was one that we worked really hard on that had a short list, even though it was, like, 15 pages long in our outline, but a short list of the goddesses around the world because we try to pick different ones all over the world.
00:01:02
Speaker 2: And the pronunciations, I remember, was fun.
00:01:06
Speaker 1: It was a struggle. It was fun.
00:01:08
Speaker 2: It was fun.
00:01:09
Speaker 4: And with that, I felt like we needed a second listen because we worked hard on those pronunciations. But it was also fun because we love good, like, mystical, powerful women. And this had a whole list of it. So we wanted to bring it back for this classic. And we hope you enjoy it.
00:01:30
Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie.
00:01:31
Speaker 2: And Samantha.
00:01:32
Speaker 1: And welcome to Stuff I Never Told You, a production of iHeartRadio.
00:01:44
Speaker 4: You know, it's been a minute since we've talked about legendary female, feminine beings. So we wanted to take a look at goddesses around the world and celebrate the power they bring.
00:01:57
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:01:58
Speaker 4: And as a preface, I feel like we have to do these, especially when we try to do international levels of things. And we're talking about legendary people slash things that may have disappeared from history and are now coming back, stuff like that. But with that, We are bringing a short list of goddesses, even though this is probably going to be a full hour, if not longer. You know, there's a lot of information. But they're all around the world. They're from all around the world. As I said, it's international. And we're categorizing them by regions. Of course, that means we haven't even scratched the surface of the amount of deities that exists. So if you have one that you would love to talk about or you wish we had talked about, or we didn't give enough detail about the ones that you love, please let us know, and we'll add that as another addition. We'll do this as a listener mail favorite goddesses.
00:02:48
Speaker 2: You know, we'll do that. Look, I've already titled it for you.
00:02:50
Speaker 4: Because, you know, we love a series, and like I said... This is a pretty large outline, not the largest that I've done. And obviously, as you know, we love a series. I try to condense this to one, but picking them out was difficult. Also, when it comes to doing international episodes, we try our best to be accurate in our pronunciations. But sometimes and oftentimes, not sometimes, we have a hard time getting those actual pronunciations. Y'all, it took two hours alone just to find pronunciations. So we tried our damnedest. I still have a Southern accent, as you can tell. So with that Southern accent, we're going to try our best. Some of these don't exist. Some of the pronunciations do not exist. And as we've talked about previously with guests on our show, especially when it comes to indigenous first native peoples, colonizers really try to eradicate those languages. So for even them, they're having to relearn. So just bear with us. And I do say that because in our North American goddesses, we're lacking. We're lacking a lot of information. And when it comes to ancient deities around the world, the history is long and deep, and some of them are very much still believed in and still practiced. So as they provide comfort and a backstory and sometimes just answers that people are searching for beyond what they can see. So when we're talking about this, we're talking about it historically and as legends, essentially. And We want to respect the beliefs as well as take time to learn about them. So if you have personal history, personal beliefs in this, please let us know. We would love to hear about it. Also, I feel like I'm putting a lot of caveats. As always, we recognize the heavy influences of colonization, as well as colonization trying to eradicate some of these beliefs.
00:04:38
Speaker 2: Hello, missionaries, blah, blah, blah.
00:04:40
Speaker 4: And how that has affected the beautiful legends and traditions of different cultures. And yes, as we said earlier, some of them are coming back. And I love this.
00:04:47
Speaker 2: Some of them are being rediscovered.
00:04:49
Speaker 4: And through the many who keep these legends alive through their storytelling, we are still able to learn about them and are very thankful that people have been able to preserve the richness of these legacies. One of the resources that you will hear us talk about often is mythlock.com. So thank you, Mythlock, because they had a lot of information, which I was able to, like, get more research through them.
00:05:08
Speaker 2: So shout out to them.
00:05:09
Speaker 4: Hey.
00:05:10
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:05:11
Speaker 4: And as it goes, when it comes to religion or mysticism, there's a lot of overlap. So some of these.
00:05:16
Speaker 2: May sound familiar.
00:05:17
Speaker 4: They just have different names because different regions call them something different. But we still want to talk about them. So forgive us if we're being a little bit repetitive.
00:05:26
Speaker 2: Yeah. So let's begin.
00:05:27
Speaker 4: Again, like we said, we were trying to keep it a little more organized. So we're keeping it regionally. And we're going to start off
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with Asia. Yeah, the entire area of Asia.
00:05:36
Speaker 2: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
00:05:37
Speaker 3: I know, right?
00:05:39
Speaker 4: And getting those just snippets of those because I didn't even jump into like the bigger knowns.
00:05:45
Speaker 2: We're trying to find lesser knowns. I'll put that as a caveat.
00:05:49
Speaker 4: So when it comes to religions and deities of the Asian region, the history is rich and diverse. Whether we're talking about Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, or even folk, the depth of mysticism and tradition surrounding these religions have given a rich history of legends to talk about. But for now, we're gonna talk about these four. And I'm going to talk about Mul Halmoni, which she's known as the Korean water goddess, like the actual translation, it's like the water grandmother, I think, who has the power of healing, especially for the physical and spiritual eye, literally called on for any ailments having to do with the eyes.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: It's also, you know, that's very, very specific.
00:06:25
Speaker 4: According to legend, she is also the goddess of women healers and shamans and controls visibility.
00:06:31
Speaker 2: Of the third eye.
00:06:33
Speaker 4: And can remove the veil from the third eye for any priestess who requests to take it off. So, you know, if you're trying to find that power, apparently she's a good one to go to. And then we have Apani Bolinyan, the Sun Bride. If any Filipino listeners are there, let me know if I said, I'm pretty sure I butchered that.
00:06:53
Speaker 2: So let me know.
00:06:54
Speaker 4: So this Filipino story has been around for some time and talks about a beautiful, magical woman who married the sun.
00:07:01
Speaker 2: That's a, that's a theme.
00:07:02
Speaker 4: Like people who marry like, giant gods or deities or sun, the moon, the sun, stuff like that. The tale was written down and compiled with other stories in 1916 by anthropologist Mabel Cook Cole, who had traveled and listened to the many lores from the Tinian people of the Philippines. And a quick summary from the story, as told on StoryNor.com, Apani Bolinyan was taken into the sky by a vine where she discovered the home of the sun. There she cooked rice and fish for him, which began their love story. Soon she and the sun returned to the earth where they would reside together with their people. Of course, the story is much longer. more laid out. So if you want to go check it out at storynor.com, you should. But it's very interesting because essentially she travels to him. They get together. They have this misunderstanding. She melts because he takes her to the sun and then she comes back as a puddle, but then she gets remade as human on Earth. It's a pretty fascinating story. But because of them, they live happily ever after for the village. But then there's like a variation where she cheats on him or she gets like, or she gets cast out by him and another character comes in. I'm not going there, but just go check it out. I feel like all these stories have so much more that you're like, what? What?
00:08:22
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:08:23
Speaker 4: And so this one is a Cambodian Vietnamese goddess. And y'all, I could not find the actual pronunciation.
00:08:29
Speaker 2: I'm sorry.
00:08:30
Speaker 4: If y'all know the correct one, again, let me know. Po Ino Nogar is a Cambodian Vietnamese polyandrous goddess known as the Great One. And according to the blog titled Journeying to the Goddess, the agricultural goddess' name means simply Great One in Cambodia, likely to do to the fact that she brings fertility to the earth and its people. It is her duty to protect the fields and harvest. And again, that's kind of a big theme as well about being the goddess of water, the land, and harvest. So renewal is definitely a big thing, a thing that you're going to hear throughout. I found that fascinating because there's so many tales about like water creatures that were created by goddesses or specific foods and specific crops for different peoples. And it was all goddesses. So that's saying a lot. It's both one of those like, yes, the nurturer, but the provider as well.
00:09:37
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:09:37
Speaker 2: I found fascinating.
00:09:38
Speaker 4: So we have Tara, the star who leads the cross. And she exists across Hinduism, Jainism, and Tantric Buddhism and is known as the Savior Goddess or Savioress. She is beloved and looked to for protection spiritually and physically. According to some legends, just whispering her name can bring peace and dispel any danger. She is the embodiment of perfect peace.
00:10:00
Speaker 2: Wisdom.
00:10:01
Speaker 4: And here's a bit more about her from sacredwind.com. Tara, Dolma in Tibetan means she who saves, she who leads a cross or star. She's also called Holy Mother, Tara, Green Tara, and White Goddess Tara. As a manifestation of the Divine Mother, Tara symbolizes the white flames of purity. Many see her as a component of enlightenment, helping to transcend, to see truth, and to purify the heart, enabling a person to speak from the heart in a kind, gentle, and loving way.
00:10:39
Speaker 1: And that brings us to Africa, which again is a huge place. So this is just a sampling. And we're going to start with Dia Africa, who is believed to have been the creator of Africa and that the different tribes weren't African because they were from Africa, but that they were African because they were born by Africa, a.k.a. Dia Africa. The legend states that the supreme god sent the goddess to watch over Africa. Here's a quote from blog.swallyafrica.com. This popular goddess performed different functions in different parts of Africa. In some parts, she was a goddess of fertility and abundance, i.e. she is the one prayed to when the land is barren or when a woman is unable to conceive. In Gerber, Ifri or Ifru, Dia Africa is a goddess of war. She was a god who listened to her people and helped them whenever they were
in need. Which could also lead us to the similar goddess Nana Baruku. According to the same website, Nana Baruku is a female deity worshipped in several West African traditional religions as the supreme being. She is well known among the Fon people, Benin, Dahomey, the Akan people, Ghana, and the Ewe people, Togo, and is popularly seen as the most influential deity in West African theology. The goddess is the mother supreme creator who gave birth to the moon spirit, sun spirit, and all of the universe itself, and soon after gave Maulisa, the secondary creator, the responsibility for the world. And all of this is a part of modern voodoo. Here's a bit from thecollector.com about voodoo. Quote, the African elements of the religious practice are derived mainly from the Dahomey region of West Africa, modern Benin, and from the Yaruba, Fon, and Ewe peoples of West Africa and the Congo people from Central Africa. Many elements of African spirituality continue to exist in modern voodoo, in the practices of transcendental drumming and dancing, worship of the ancestral dead, and worship of the spirits called Lowa. And that brings us to Oya. Oya is considered one of the most powerful goddesses. She is known as the weather goddess or a river goddess who has the power to create storms and much more. It is said she escorts souls to the underworld and is associated with the afterlife. Many say that she symbolizes the need to treasure life and to live for the moment. And along with Oya, we have Oshun. She is one of the most popular goddesses and is a goddess of fertility, love, and freedom. She is also a river goddess and represents divine feminine energy and power. She is a part of the Yoruba religion and many different myths exist around her. According to Britannica.com, quote, in most Yoruba stories, Oshun is generally depicted as as the protector, savior, or nurturer of humanity. Oshun has also been described as the maintainer of spiritual balance or mother of sweet things. One myth highlights Oshun as the central figure in the creation of human beings.
00:13:50
Speaker 4: And next we're going to jump into the Middle Eastern goddesses. I do want to put a little asterisk here because there's been a lot of controversy, especially with the Trinity of Goddesses we're about to talk about, in which, as I was reading it, the Prophet Muhammad, did kind of include them and then was like trying to cast them and saying that they're evil. And then they tried to exclude them and tried to erase them from existence. They were, according to historians, pre-Islamic goddesses, so they existed beforehand. There's a lot of questions, of course, like people are trying to bring them back. And if you're seeing like extremist Muslim ideology, they do not want to bring this back, obviously.
00:14:32
Speaker 2: So there's this back and forth.
00:14:33
Speaker 4: I think this happens with any and honestly, all religious beliefs that's not centered around the most religious.
00:14:41
Speaker 2: Dominating religion in that area, because I would say that about Christianity here in the U.S. as well.
00:14:45
Speaker 4: So just put that as a caveat. So we're going to talk about, as I said, the trinity of goddesses. While we were researching specifically for the goddesses of Middle East, it was immediate that these three goddesses held a lot of importance to Arabic mythology. So, of course, we wanted to share all three of them. They are Manat, the goddess of death and fate, Alat, the goddess of agriculture, prosperity, and springtime, and Alusa, the goddess of justice, honor, and passion. And in fact, in 2021, archaeologists were able to discover some of the artifacts that were evidence of the goddesses' worship, as they say, quote, long before the rise of Islam.
00:15:20
Speaker 2: And this was in an article.
00:15:22
Speaker 4: During their discovery, they were able to discover remains of the temple and, quote, grand structures dedicated to the goddesses, specifically to the goddess Al-Ussa, So there's this conversation about what they were and who they were and just like the amazing temple that was raised for her specifically. And the fact that they were able to find it about four years ago, three years ago intact, including the sanctuary and the temple that that was in.
00:15:47
Speaker 2: If y'all want to go look it up, it's pretty cool. They have pictures.
00:15:49
Speaker 4: And then we have Isharah, also known as the Scorpion Goddess. Not to be confused with the Scorpion King, y'all. Not to be confused. I know we just did an episode of The Mummy, but, you know, just saying. She was a goddess of creativity, passion, and even sexual prowess. She was the goddess of fire and of the scorpion. And according to mythlock.com, in Syria, she was worshipped in the form of a stinging and hot object in order to improve one's passion or sexual prowess. In other traditions, she is also known to judge people's affairs fairly firmly. In addition to being a goddess, she was also known to inflict severe punishments on oathbreakers. She was regarded as a deity who acted as a healer, and she was even referred to as a goddess of medicine. She's just well-rounded, y'all. Yeah. And then we have Tiamat, or also known as the primordial goddess. And again, according to a myth log, she personifies the primordial sea and is integral to the universe's creation narrative. As a primordial goddess, Tiamat embodies the untamed power of the ocean and the raw chaos of creation. Feared and revered, she symbolizes both the source of life and the destructive potential of nature. Of course, with all her power and chaos, she also is the mother of the first generation of gods and is able to create monsters to start wars against them as well. And all of this leads to the shaping and creation of the universe. So essentially, it's the creation story with monsters. Yay!
00:17:13
Speaker 1: I love it.
00:17:16
Speaker 2: So I guess it could be dinosaurs.
00:17:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know.
00:17:17
Speaker 2: Just kidding.
00:17:18
Speaker 4: And then we're going to jump into North American goddesses. So we are talking native or indigenous people, goddesses that have existed throughout Europe. Again, as we said earlier, this is one of those that colonization really tried to eradicate. And those in the First Nations community have done an amazing job in bringing back the storytelling because we know that's existed for a long time.
00:17:43
Speaker 2: Again, with that, the pronunciations I could not find for most of them.
00:17:50
Speaker 4: So I'm so sorry if anybody is listening that knows these legends and you can send me a.
00:17:56
Speaker 2: Better pronunciation, A, B, a better retelling. Please do.
00:18:01
Speaker 4: We would love to hear it. These are some of the most fascinating things. This is why we're doing it. So we're jumping into Vashi, a Choctaw Nation goddess who, according to GoddessSchool.com, is the Choctaw people's moon mother goddess, appearing from nowhere and without a mother or sister to trace her through matrilineal lines as the people did. She came to the people as a miracle and shared her wisdom teachings with them. She became the first wife and offered the art.
00:18:27
Speaker 2: Of marriage to the people.
00:18:29
Speaker 4: She is married to father's son and gave birth to the corn goddess or the unknown woman who provided the Choctaw people with the first corn seed, which soon became a staple to them. She is seen riding through the night with her beloved giant owl. And according to the legend, she even brought song and dance to the nation.
00:18:47
Speaker 2: So that was very cool. The pictures are really beautiful.
00:18:50
Speaker 4: And then we have Azbekashi or spider grandmother, which surprisingly is In a lot of religions, the spider woman or spider mother, I was like, huh, maybe. And it's not like widow related.
00:19:03
Speaker 1: I like it.
00:19:04
Speaker 2: Which I thought maybe. I was like, okay, cool.
00:19:06
Speaker 4: So the spider grandmother, known throughout different indigenous groups and has specific ties to those nations of the American Northwest, and is known there as the Gokingsawati and takes on the shape of an old woman and even sometimes a spider. She is seen as a leader and gives wisdom and good things to the people. In some of the tales, it is said that she is an assistant to the god Tawa, the sun god, and she is sent out to guide different creatures throughout the world. And throughout most of the legends, she is a constant guide, helper, and protector of different creatures, including humans. She aids others in order to help protect the endangered and give wisdom and knowledge for many to complete their journeys.
00:19:47
Speaker 2: You know what? I'm starting to think Charlotte's Web may be based on native tales.
00:19:51
Speaker 3: Ooh.
00:19:53
Speaker 2: Think about that.
00:19:55
Speaker 1: Think about that. We should look into it. I
haven't read Charlotte's Web since it Messed me up as a kid, to be honest.
00:20:02
Speaker 2: It is horrifying.
00:20:02
Speaker 4: Why did they write these books? But all that to say, I wonder if there's a link to that because Charlotte guides the pig.
00:20:15
Speaker 1: Yes. And for listeners who don't know, Charlotte is a spider. I hope the title would tell you that, but you never know.
00:20:21
Speaker 4: Man, are there people who don't know that book?
00:20:25
Speaker 2: Because that makes me super sad.
00:20:27
Speaker 1: Samantha, I'm telling you right now.
00:20:29
Speaker 4: Yes.
00:20:32
Speaker 2: Wow. OK, well, I'll go back to that. I'm going to be traumatized just by that. Sorry. OK, moving on.
00:20:39
Speaker 4: Next, we have, again, don't have the pronunciation, but I'm trying my best, who is, by the way, another spider mother, Nastéistan. She is sometimes known as the mother of monsters, as well as being the spirit of the underworld. And here's a bit from Mythologist.com. According to the Hopi, at the beginning of time, Nasestan ruled the underworld, residence of the gods, while Tawa ruled in the sky. One day, she molded animals with clay, but they remained lifeless. Then Tawa spread a soft white blanket over them and they began to come to life. Then she wanted to create humanity. She made beasts from the clay and held them close to her heart while Tawa sang a mysterious melody with her. Then she distributed the animals and men on earth and gave the humans very specific roles. The women were to watch over the house and the men were to take care of the offerings. Not sure how old that one is, but it does have like very similar linkage to Rossi Bukashi. So it's obviously maybe that's from a different region. She has a little more hands in on creating the creatures instead of just leading them.
00:21:42
Speaker 2: So I wonder.
00:21:43
Speaker 4: And then lastly, we have Sedna, an Inuit goddess known as the Mother of the Sea or Mistress of the Sea. Her story is fantastic, and of course, like any other legends, there are a couple of variations to the story. And honestly, Wikipedia has some great interpretations, so we wanted to include a couple of them. It quote, in one legend, Sedna is a giant, the daughter of the creator god Anguta, with a great hunger that causes her to attack her parents. Anger, Anguta takes her out to sea and throws her over the side of his kayak. As she clings to the side, he chops off her fingers and she sinks to the underworld, becoming the ruler of the monsters of the deep. Her huge fingers become the seals, walruses, and whales hunted by the Inuit. In another version of the legend, she is dissatisfied with men found for her by her father and so marries a dog. Her father is so angry at this time that he throws her into the sea and when she tries to climb back into the boat, he cuts off her fingers. Her fingers become the first seals and she becomes a mighty sea goddess. When she is angered, the shaman travels to wash and comb her hair for her, after which she is placated and releases the animals to the hunters. In other versions, she is unable to comb her hair because she lacks fingers, so a shaman must brush it for her. So many of these stories involve her losing her limbs or body parts because arms are involved, which lead to them being left in the sea or ingested by sea creatures that eventually allows her to gain control of the sea creatures and become the mother of the sea. I find it fascinating why they really have to cut things off.
00:23:16
Speaker 2: But okay, you do you.
00:23:17
Speaker 1: A lot of these goddess stories are really intense and I enjoy it. I like the way you said that. They're like really intense origin stories we're getting.
00:23:26
Speaker 2: And because they're summarized, it just gets straight to the point and you're like, what? What did you just say? Oh, okay.
00:23:32
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:23:33
Speaker 1: I also like, we talked about this when we talked about Lilith. I like how many of them are like the mother of monsters, but it's not... necessarily a bad thing.
00:23:41
Speaker 4: Right like she just is but apparently like she may be mother of monsters but she allows for the people to get hunt them which i'm like don't don't hunt seals don't do that don't hunt seals.
00:23:54
Speaker 1: Gosh well all right That brings us to Central and South American goddesses. And yes, a quick note here. As we said, when doing this research, we noticed a lot of overlapping in terms of Central and South America, which is not great, but when we were trying to find these goddesses. And with that, many of the names and legends also overlapped. So we're going to put them here together. So let us start with Erzuli. A lady of love or beauty, Erzuli is depicted as the spirit of love, beauty, and luxury. According to oocities.org, a quote, this Voodan goddess is worshipped by Haitians as matron of love, beauty, health, and the moon. She is personified as a water snake. Voudan was originally unique to Haiti, a combination of Catholicism and Yoruban cosmology developed by slaves as a tool of survival and rebellion. And on the Wikipedia page, it says that Erzuli is a family of Loa that are often associated with water, fluidity, femininity, and feminine bodies. They are one of the only group of spirits directly tied to these characteristics, and those who become possessed through spirit possession often are women or masisi, effeminate and or homosexual men. Then there's Ixchel, or Lady Rainbow. Ixchel is known as a female jaguar goddess that is associated with the Mayan moon goddess. Here's a quote from mythlock.com, quote, The magnificent goddess of Mayan mythology wielded powerful divine abilities that resonated across various aspects of life, Revered as the matron of childbirth, guardian of midwifery, and mother of crops, her influence spanned the realms of rain, fertility, and agriculture. As the goddess of fertility, Ixchel was
believed to govern the reproductive cycles of humans, animals, and plants. And it continues, quote, She was regarded as the goddess of the moon, water, childbirth, and weaving in the Maya of the peninsula of Mexico. She is also the mother of all the Mayan deities and has rules about the cycles of life and death. As the keeper of souls, Ixchel constantly changes from being a young beauty into a wise old crone who shares her people's wisdom. And then there's Mama Kilia, or Mama Kilia the moon goddess. She is considered a defender of women as well as the goddess of both marriage and menstruation. Here's some information from Wikipedia. Mama Kilia was known as Mother Moon and was goddess of the moon. According to Father Bernabé Kobo, writing in the mid-16th century, the moon was worshipped because of her, quote, admirable beauty and the, quote, benefit she bestows upon the world. She was important for calculating the passage of time and the calendar because many rituals... were based upon the lunar calendar and adjusted to match the solar year. She also oversaw marriage, women's menstrual cycles, and was deemed the protector of women in general. And here's a bit more information about her from Mythlock. Quote, And it goes on to say, The Incas had a deep fear of lunar eclipses, convinced that during these events, a menacing animal, possibly a mountain lion or serpent, was assaulting Mama Kiliab. Consequently, people sought to ward off this creature by hurling weapons, making frantic gestures, and creating loud noises. Their belief was rooted in the notion that if the animal succeeded in its attack, it would plunge the world into darkness.
00:27:39
Speaker 2: We don't need that. Get those animals away from her.
00:27:44
Speaker 1: That does, I mean, that does seem like a consistent fear throughout history, too, which I get. If you didn't know what an eclipse was, it's just suddenly dark all the time. I would be very scared. I'm still a little nervous, to be honest.
00:27:58
Speaker 2: But you know, when it comes back out, you're like, yeah, we succeeded. We protected Mama Kilia. Yeah, that's nice. We need to do that.
00:28:05
Speaker 1: We need a win.
00:28:06
Speaker 2: A win's a win.
00:28:07
Speaker 1: We need a win, yes. And this brings us to Ashumama, potato mother, because who doesn't love potatoes? According to thecollector.com, Ashumama was responsible in helping the Inca people cultivate potatoes. And this was huge because the Incas were the first to domesticate potatoes and they helped essentially develop over 3,000 different varieties. Here are some quotes from the site about Ashumama. Ashumama, literally potato mother, was the daughter of Pachamama, and it was her responsibility to help the Inca people cultivate potatoes. Potatoes became a staple crop for the empire, so it was essential to ensure their continued good harvest by honoring the goddess responsible. Unusually shaped potatoes were used as idols for worshiping Ashumama. And there's evidence potatoes were buried with the dead.
00:29:01
Speaker 2: I like that it's unusually shaped potatoes.
00:29:04
Speaker 4: I wonder when you're like, yeah, I got one.
00:29:06
Speaker 2: We got one for her.
00:29:07
Speaker 1: I mean, again, that's nice. I like that. Instead of throwing away a quote, unusually shaped potato.
00:29:14
Speaker 2: I would eat them.
00:29:15
Speaker 4: Yeah.
00:29:26
Speaker 1: Now let's talk about Siwakwatul, or the serpent woman, who is a goddess of fertility and motherhood. She was associated with midwives and specifically the sweat lodges that the midwives would practice in. A little bit from Wikipedia, quote, she helped her people create the current race of humanity by grinding up bones from the previous ages and mixing it with his blood. She is also the mother of Mieksquatl, whom she abandoned at a crossroads. Tradition says that she often returns there to weep for her lost son, only to find a sacrificial knife. And here's some more information from mythlock.com. Siwacatl, a prominent deity in Mesoamerican mythology, occupies a significant position within the cultural narratives of both the Aztecs and the Mayans. Revered for her connections to fertility and motherhood, she played a crucial role in guiding and safeguarding these ancient civilizations. As a key goddess in the Aztec pantheon, Siwa Quattle held a pivotal role in shaping the religious and cultural beliefs of the Mesoamerican societies of antiquity. And they continue, Siwa Quattle's powers mirrored the diversity of her manifestations. Her abilities encompassed the granting and taking of life, bestowing fertility upon women, and guiding the spirits of those who passed away during childbirth. With command over storms and mastery over natural forces, she embodied the formidable influence that women wielded in the act of creation. According to legends, she possessed shapeshifting prowess, seamlessly transforming into serpents or owls to vigilantly watch over her progeny and shield them from harm. As a potent deity, Ciaquatl held a particular association with motherhood and fertility. Her influence extended significantly to midwives, finding a special connection with the sweatbaths where these practitioners honed their skills. Notably, she collaborated with Kate Zuccottel in the creation of the current human race, grinding bones from previous ages and blending them with his blood. This act underscored her pivotal role in the genesis of humanity.
00:31:34
Speaker 2: Right.
00:31:35
Speaker 4: So again, there are so many goddesses specifically to Central and South America. So if y'all have any additional, because, you know, it is so rich with so much history, and I'm glad it still exists for the main part, even with colonization that happens.
00:31:51
Speaker 2: So if you have information, give it to us.
00:31:53
Speaker 4: If you have more, apparently this has something to do with a game as well, or a game has included her as well, as Amy
just told me that she wouldn't include that.
00:32:01
Speaker 1: I like how I was like, I shall not besmirch the talk about goddesses by talking about my video games. And you're like, actually... I want.
00:32:10
Speaker 4: To do it because, you know, it's good to know that like, these are familiar. Oh, without any understanding. I'm sure you did, but a lot of people don't know that this is fairly historical and what it really relates to.
00:32:21
Speaker 2: So we love that they're a part of it, but here you go. Just mistreated with it.
00:32:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, it is really interesting to think about in terms of our current... pop culture how how prevalent a lot of these ideas are even though a lot of people don't know where they come from but it's a lot of these i do recognize for better or worse right from video games and from like current things like uh american gods right like neil gaiman so it's like it resonates with people.
00:32:53
Speaker 4: Right Actually, there's several that was from, like, a lot of MCU Marvel that comes from the Norse.
00:33:00
Speaker 2: Obviously, the Norse gods. And I was like, we're not including these people. Yes.
00:33:03
Speaker 1: There are some, like, Greek gods and Roman gods that people just know and we don't need to.
00:33:08
Speaker 2: We don't need that. We're good.
00:33:09
Speaker 1: We're good.
00:33:11
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:33:11
Speaker 1: They are super cool and, you know.
00:33:13
Speaker 4: Yes.
00:33:13
Speaker 2: They have interesting stories. I went through a big.
00:33:15
Speaker 1: Phase where I was so into them. But, yeah, we were trying to not... Do those.
00:33:20
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:33:20
Speaker 4: Although you're probably like, there's going to be things that I'm like, I didn't know they were a part of it. And you're like, yeah, obviously it's a part of this game. So if I pick those out, I'm a bad. But also, if you all want to talk about them, go ahead.
00:33:33
Speaker 2: All right.
00:33:34
Speaker 4: So we're going to jump into Pacific goddesses. So once again, pronunciations.
00:33:41
Speaker 2: I'm so sorry. Please don't make me.
00:33:43
Speaker 4: So we're going to start with Heweko Leko. Heweko Leko, the Tongan goddess of the world. According to our research, this goddess has had a resurgence as of late. In fact, after the discovery of the ancient goddess, there are some who tried to write Heweko Leko as a male figure, but they were able to discover several figurines that proved her to be a female goddess.
00:34:05
Speaker 2: I love it.
00:34:05
Speaker 4: Even when they try, the truth is going to come out. So here's a quote from PacificPN.com. That a god, and the most powerful god at that, be a goddess, and even worse, be depicted bare-breasted was not something that the church was going to accommodate. As time went by, they continued to try to wipe out the collective memory of Huey Coleco, or to change it, including efforts to rewrite her as a male figure. Luckily, however, six original figurines managed to avoid destruction and helped set the record straight. And again, some more information from thecollector.com. Huay Coaleke recently has become an important goddess for Tonga as she represents not just the significance of their cultural past, but also a means to secure their future. There is a take back of culture in the form of decolonization in Tonga and all around the world. Traditionally, Tangans crafted wooden figures of Hueco Leco to bring the goddess into the physical realm for various reasons. As a result, she appears tough and powerful, ready to aid those in the realm outside of it, particularly those in the founding chief line of Toei Tangu, who is her earthly representation.
00:35:27
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:35:27
Speaker 4: So, of course, we didn't really get into what she was representing because there's so much excitement about the fact that they were able to discover her and really take her on as one of their goddesses and figures. And the fact that they not only tried to eradicate her, then they tried to rewrite her and then they got to be able to see her as she is. So there's a lot of excitement with this conversation. And I'm really excited to hear with the legends that come and the stories that will come with it.
00:35:50
Speaker 2: So keep us up to date. Y'all know about that.
00:35:53
Speaker 4: Then we have Papa Tuanuku, the Maori goddess of the earth. So this goddess is also referred to as Papa and is seen as mother of all. And here's a bit of information from thecollector.com.
00:36:04
Speaker 2: We arrive on the.
00:36:05
Speaker 4: Mainland North Island of Aotearoa and a regal goddess stands on the headland, looking down at us in greeting. She is Papa, the goddess of the earth, the land that gave birth to all things, and looks over these children of trees, birds, animals, and people. She is often sleeping with her back set up towards the sky, but she is here as a spirit to welcome us. Being the mother of all, she has many children who have kept her occupied, but she has been eternally sad since giving birth. Her first children split her up from her partner, Rangi, the god of the sky. The children might have brought light to the world, but they made their parents sad, creating the rivers and oceans as a reminder of their shared tears. Yeah, there's a lot of like legends about her waiting and mourning her husband. And I was like, oh, that's kind of sad.
00:36:49
Speaker 2: Well, damn.
00:36:50
Speaker 4: Yeah.
00:36:52
Speaker 1: I love the children. They bought the light to the world, but they bummed out their parents.
00:36:57
Speaker 2: I'm sure a lot of parents are like, yeah, I feel that. You're welcome. And then we come to Laka.
00:37:06
Speaker 4: Laka is a goddess that is honored with hula, and she is associated with light and love. Here's a quote from HistoryCooperative.org. Laka, the goddess of dance, beauty, love, and fertility, is associated with all things of light. She is
also the goddess of the forest, and would enrich the plants with her light. Her name is often translated to mean gentle. And again, some more information from mythlock.com. Laka, a central figure in Hawaiian mythology, holds a significant place in the cultural fabric, particularly in the realm of hula, the revered traditional dance. According to ancient Hawaiian folklore, she emerges as the daughter of Kapo, another prominent deity intricately tied to Hula's origins. Laka's influence extends beyond dance. She is also revered as the goddess of the forest, embodying reproductive energy vital for the flourishing of lush greenery. And yes, she, again, is an inspiration for hula dancers. And here's a bit more information from the same Myth.
00:38:04
Speaker 2: Of Luck site. And it goes on.
00:38:16
Speaker 4: Laka's enduring significance in Hawaiian culture, particularly within the realm of hula, underscores her profound influence beyond mere deity status. Hula practitioners hold a deep devotion to Laka, seeking her blessings and guidance as they navigate the intricacies of this revered dance form. Her presence infuses the hula tradition with spiritual depth, emphasizing reverence for the natural world and embodying the essence of Hawaiian spirituality. Despite periods of colonial suppression, the practice of hula has experienced a resurgence driven by a renewed appreciation for indigenous traditions and a yearning to reconnect with the land. Laka's legacy lives on through the dedication of dancers and artists committed to honoring her through their craft, preserving sacred rituals and teachings passed down through generations. An I'm not really sure if I would say it has gotten a resurgence because I feel like when it comes to hula and when it comes to Hawaii and the native people of Hawaii, it has always been sacred and has always been a telling. And I think they are very excited to share it.
00:39:15
Speaker 2: That's the one thing.
00:39:16
Speaker 4: I feel like they are all about spreading that joy. And I say this as just like from the outsider, not knowing much about it, but just watching, knowing that this is a sacred ritual and they are glad to share it with other people. That is something that they think is joyful and beautiful and worthy of sharing, which is really kind because so many people try to ruin it. as we know, when it comes to colonization. So I think that's a little off because, yes, the colonial suppression, yes. But the fact that it's resurgence, I think it's always existed. As I was looking at the YouTube videos and the different women who were practicing hula and talking about hula, you could tell the deep respect they have for the practice and for laka.
00:39:55
Speaker 2: Did I know that the goddess was laka?
00:39:57
Speaker 4: No.
00:39:58
Speaker 2: But did I know this was sacred ritual?
00:39:59
Speaker 4: Yes. So I feel like we have to absolutely give props to that. It's not a resurgence. It's always existed. It's just
that we're taking notice.
00:40:08
Speaker 1: Right. Right. And this brings us to European goddesses again. We're looking at lesser known ones, starting with Makash, also known as Mother Goddess, Lady of Waters, or Goddess of Moisture. She is known as a protector of, quote, women's work and women's destiny. Here's some more information from thoughtcode.com. Quote, in Slavic mythology, Makash, sometimes transliterated as Makash, meaning Friday, is Moist Mother Earth and thus the most important or sometimes only goddess in the religion. As a creator, she is said to have been discovered sleeping in a cave by a flowering spring by the spring god Jerilo, with whom she created the fruits of the earth. She is also the protector of spinning, tending sheep and wool, patron of merchants and fishermen, who protects cattle from plagues and people from drought, disease, drowning, and unclean spirits. And here's additional information from feminismandreligion.com. Mahakash brings the water of life and protects the life-giving waters on which human and animal existence depend. In this way, Mahakash gives life to plants and animals. and is often portrayed with them. She is an important Slavic mother goddess embodying fertility, femininity, prosperity, protection, health, good luck, abundance, and a successful future. Makash is also a warrior goddess in her fierce aspect as a goddess of protection. One of her epithets is, quote, she who strikes with her wings. The fact that she is a winged goddess indicates her power and that which she grants to her priestesses and devotees to travel between the worlds in trance, dream, and vision for blessing and for healing on behalf of the community and all who are in need. Makash is also connected to butterflies, symbols of transformation, and bees, symbols of priestesses in antiquity.
00:42:10
Speaker 2: Bees, getting us due. Look at that.
00:42:14
Speaker 1: I do love bees. That is the truth. Um, this brings us to Haltia, lady of the home. Haltia is the goddess of the home. She is a Baltic Finns goddess who protects the home. Um, here's some information from botanica.com. Quote, in Finland, the Haltia was usually the spirit of the first person to lay claim to a site, either by lighting a fire on it or by building a house on it, or in some cases, the first person to die there. the Haltios believed to resemble such a person in every way, including sex, age, dress, and mannerisms. The dominant idea was that a person, once laying claim to a piece of land, would always remain in charge of it. And, apparently with this, she is a cautionary tale for those who want to move to a new home.
00:43:04
Speaker 4: Yeah, so, there's... A lot to this. Like, there's not much in conversation of, like, this is a cool thing. But I'm like, man, that's a lot of, like, underlying thought process on this.
00:43:15
Speaker 2: Hmm.
00:43:17
Speaker 1: Yes. Yes, there is. As someone who's going through a lot of changes and moves in my life right now,
I got a lot to think about. This brings us to Begg. who comes from Irish mythology and is known as the Mistress of the Well. Here's a bit of information from goddessesandgodsblogspot.com. Beg is the Irish goddess of the Well of Wisdom. She is one of the Tua de Danim, the people of the goddess Danu. She and her three daughters guarded a magical well, and anyone who drank from the well would gain in wisdom. When the hero Finn Macula came and asked for a drink, Begg's daughters threw water at him, hoping to frighten him away, but some of the water fell in his mouth, granting him the wisdom he had sought. When Finn died, he was buried in a fairy hill called Sea Begg, which means small fairy hill. And finally, this brings us to Brigid, the goddess of poetry, healing, and smithing. According to lore, Brigid was known as a triple goddess. Here's a bit from CelticNative.com. Brigid, also known as Bridget or Brigid, was one of the most important goddesses in Celtic mythology. She was a triple goddess representing the three aspects of fire, poetry, healing, and smithcraft. Brigid was associated with the arrival of spring and the return of light after the dark winter months. And some more from Herstory.ie, quote, Brigid is a triple goddess, the goddess of healing symbolized by the element of water, goddess of the alchemical force of fire, and goddess of poetry. In this respect, she represents every woman and our unique talents, skills, and qualities. And it continues, Bridget embodies mastery represented in the perfect balance of fire and water. Symbols of the masculine and feminine.
00:45:12
Speaker 2: Right.
00:45:13
Speaker 4: I believe they said that it also is like similar to yin and yang. So it's very like that balance in conversation and that is who she is. And y'all, all of these are really, really fascinating, especially when you look at the pictures and artwork and statues, because there's a lot of historical context for them and beautiful artwork with people who truly, truly love what these represent. Again, we didn't go into like the depth of each region because when it comes to all the historical facts, there were small communities throughout. So you have so many layers upon layers and influences upon influences and originations upon originations that we didn't really get into. If you have something that you want us to specifically talk about, you would request that we, because this is fascinating.
00:45:55
Speaker 2: This is probably one of my favorite things.
00:45:57
Speaker 4: One of our favorite things to look into is like the historical legends that center around feminine power. We would love for you to let us know what you think would be the next steps for this conversation, the depth of the bigger pictures, maybe, or.
00:46:13
Speaker 2: The smaller pictures. Hell, who knows?
00:46:15
Speaker 4: Because there's also this thought, as I was thinking about All of these different goddesses and what they represent and how they often are linked to like birth and rebirth and creation and.
00:46:27
Speaker 2: Power and wisdom. Wisdom was all throughout. I'm like, yeah, I feel like that's what we've been talking about for years.
00:46:33
Speaker 4: And then like the trivial misogyny that comes in with like women are too emotional.
00:46:36
Speaker 2: And like, but are they? But are they?
00:46:40
Speaker 4: So with all of that, there's so much fascination in different areas. And then, again, as we were researching, as we see them as partnered with a bigger god, obviously the masculine god. And I think that's interesting as well. So finding these lone standing goddesses were a little harder than I expected, to be honest. If you have ideas based on this episode, please let us know. Again, if you have someone that you know you should have talked about this person, please send us that information because we want more information. I thought this was going to be a longer episode because like so many things that I had to write into. I think it became a longer episode because of the pronunciations. Christina is the best.
00:47:21
Speaker 2: We love you.
00:47:22
Speaker 4: She's probably taking it down to half of what it was.
00:47:25
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:47:26
Speaker 4: Yes.
00:47:26
Speaker 1: Well, yeah, if you have any ideas about this, if there's somebody in here you have more information about or like us to focus on more, If you have someone else, if you have like resources, I know people have suggested books about certain goddesses before in the past. So if you have any of that, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us. You can email us at stuffmediamomstuff at iheartmedia.com. You can find us on Twitter at momstuffpodcast or on Instagram and TikTok at stuffmonevertoldyou. We're also on YouTube. And we're on TeePublic, where there's some merchandise. And we have a book you can get wherever you get your books or audiobooks. Thanks, as always, to our super producer, Christina, our executive producer, Maya, and our contributor, Joey.
00:48:07
Speaker 2: Thank you.
00:48:08
Speaker 1: And thanks to you for listening. Stefan Evertold is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, you can check out the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you listen to your favorite shows.