Prehistoric double godess giving birth

Abstract

The stylistic canon of the steatopygic Upside-down Double Goddess giving birth has its roots in the Upper Paleolithic of Western Europe. Several instances point on the birth of a daughter. These representations strongly evoke the long lineage of women who gave birth before, and those who will give birth in the future. A focus is on the interpretation of the majestic, naked, corpulent and fertile post-Paleolithic Generatrix painted in red at the Ranaldi Shelter (Southern Italy) in the act of delivering a new life among a herd of stags. I am in debt with Gheorghe Lazarovici for his inputs in reading and discussing the image.

Keywords

• double goddess
• mother goddess
• prehistoric figurines
• symbolism of childbirth