Spamming, but...

[nilchance]

Why is it that in 99.9% of pagan art, the goddess is a) whitebread, b) conventionally pretty, and c) skinny to the point of fragility? I sincerely doubt that Morrigan dieted so hardcore that she couldn't lift a sword, or that she stood around on hilltops posing artistically in heavy gowns. And WHY is Bast, an Egyptian deity, freaking BLONDE and BLUE-EYED in I Dream of Jeanie pants?

I want the goddess of the round belly. Kinky hair! Bloody hands! Callouses. A god with dreads. Wide hips and graying hair. (And I'm not even getting into my wish for art depicting a powerful witch in a wheelchair.) C'mon, people, what the fuck. This is NOT helping the myth (and the unfortunate reality) that paganism doesn't welcome POC.

This message brought to you by my crankiness.

Comments

[ixchel55.livejournal.com]

Hear Hear! Give me a goddess who looks like me!

[lomer.livejournal.com]

It's the same reason why Jesus is depictated as a white guy with blond hair and blue eyes... people draw stupid stuff. They want their deity to be "pretty" and for many white artists that means Arian as hell with no attempt for realism or history.

I would love a picture of a non-traditional deity because the "traditional" depictions suck.

[meredevachon]

Yes. This.

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

It doesn't make any sense, considering how many fertility symbols-drawn from centuries of various cultures' histories-depict women specifically as being round bellied, full-breasted, or in other ways very big, strong, fecund...it's so common, it's difficult to tell if these figures are just women, genus locii, goddesses,etc, without a name carved on the figures.

And that's not even including the WAR goddesses and/or *known* historical female warriors (like the female gladiators in Rome, or the Celtic queens who fought with their armies).

[rynnalyn.livejournal.com]

Amen, sister.

[kleenexwoman.livejournal.com]

Man, seriously? That's crazy. Even the tackiest of Christian art is more diverse (considering the number of Black Jesus with Dreads pics on black velvet I've seen).

[deadlychameleon.livejournal.com]

*sigh* People tend to draw their deities as themselves, or as idealized versions of themselves. If, as you suggest, most pagans are white, that would tend to explain it, given the predilection towards thinness in our culture.

If it were me, I might look towards actual pre-christian statuary and images for inspiration (I'm not a pagan). I rather like the angels in

http://www.amazon.com/High-Glorious-Skittle-Roarious-Angel/dp/0152343326

as a tangent, though.

[nighean-isis.livejournal.com]

Speaking as a Pagan POC - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

[ladykatiewench.livejournal.com]

Silly thing! Don't look for European-flavored art!

I like this one a lot (http://people.tribe.net/heatherlsalmon/blog/a1967c4b-fad5-4b32-a771-4624e03b44b4)

And then there are these:

[monica-catch22.livejournal.com]

I have nothing comforting to say, but here's a link to a pic I hope will make you smile:

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/funny-pictures-cat-might-be-a-goddess.jpg

[bkm5191.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. And i want a wise woman with a few damn wrinkles.

[madandy.livejournal.com]

Too true - and now my sketchbook is calling...

[tobemeagain.livejournal.com]

I see ladykatiewench attached some of what I was thinking :)
I think you'd like the depictions of Hindu Goddesses I grew up with as the feminine ideal. The scariest was the Goddesses Kali, or Krsna's incarnation as Mohini (talk about a temper), there is also Parvati, Saraswati, Mother Yashoda, Srimati Radharani; the list is pretty much endless. However, none of them, no matter their station was a skinny little twig... wait Uttara may have been little, but she was also 16 or younger.

[bearfairie.livejournal.com]

AMEN SISTER.

You wanna make Brigid be blonde? That works. Freyja or some of the other Norse Aesir or Vanir? Sure, they're vikings. but all these folks would have to be a LOT physically... larger? heartier? less waif-like?... to be able to survive in their climates, not to mention wearing more clothing...

[sorcha-r.livejournal.com]

Very good point. Heven forbid she be anything other than Hollywood-ready.