Old movies are are like thrift store finds. Vintage treasures lurk within detritus, and the discovery of a jewel feels like an achievement. I recently watched, for the first time, Read More …
This is the last of a four-part series. Part one. Part two. Part three. There are elements of the story of Huwawa, in both the Babylonian and Sumerian versions, which Read More …
Discussions about my last post in this series made me realize that some background about Mesopotamia might be useful for readers in understanding the myths surrounding Huwawa. Feminists tend to Read More …
This essay can be read on its own, or first part is here. Gilgamesh’s assault on the forest giant Huwawa has several written forms. The later Akkadian version is most Read More …
This essay explores the demon giant Huwawa as a matriarchal deity whose defeat in battle can be viewed as symbolic of the beginings of man-made environmental destruction. The slaying of Read More …
In the mid-80s, in San Francisco, I was having roommate problems. I don’t remember what sparked the issues, exactly, and I’m not sure I ever knew. The only thing clear Read More …
Fifth (and last) in a series. Earlier installments are here, here, here, and here. The Italian Renaissance produced some amazing women. There was Christine de Pizan, born of an intellectual Read More …
The last essay in this series mentioned Robert Graves’s assertion that Circe is a falcon goddess. If so, her type of falcon would be Eleonora’s Falcon, a medium-sized raptor that Read More …
Third in a series. Earlier segments are here and here. I call Circe’s mythical island, Aeaea, The Island of Vowels, but Robert Graves says the name means “wailing.” If so, Read More …
In an earlier essay, we explored the pervasiveness of the demi-goddess Circe in Greek mythology. We now turn to the best-known story about Circe, which appears in that cornerstone of Read More …
The demigoddess Circe is a recurrent character in Greek mythology. She is portrayed as a strong and independent woman with powerful magic, and she remains a favorite subject in art Read More …
These essays don’t have to be read in order, but previous ones are here, here, here, and here. Thus far, I’ve confined my series on wimin’s land mainly to the hardships. It is Read More …
These essays don’t have to be read in order, but previous ones are here, here, and here. One spring evening, about dusk, reps from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department banged on Read More …