Older than memory, this is the great
female
deity, the goddess of fertility. Whatever
guise she
takes, her chief function is to make fecund
the
earth, men and beasts, to insure the
continuity
of life. Sometimes she fills other roles--as
a
goddess of wisdom, of love, or of war--but
her
power over the fate of mankind is
enormous.
This votive was offered centuries ago by
some
person seeking her favor and protection.
We do
not know if the goddess granted the
wishes of
the ancient life, but we feel about her still
the
aura of benevolence and mystery.
- (P.1041)
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