Venus of Willendorf - Earth Goddess - Fertility Goddess Jewelry
Wholesale Venus of Willendorf Jewelry Available in Solid 14k Gold, Copper, or
Sterling Silver.
Please see Fertility Goddess symbolism information below.
Item # 1857 - Measurements: 20 x 8 mm
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Venus of Willendorf - Earth Goddess | Fertility Goddess Symbolism
The Venus of Willendorf is considered one of the oldest depictions of
the Great Earth Fertility Goddess.
Dated between 30,000 and 25,000 BC, The 'Venus of Willendorf' is the name
that was given to a female figurine that was found in 1908 by an archeologist
named Joseph Szombathy in a Aurignacian loess deposit near the town of
Willendorf in Austria. This statue is an important icon of prehistory.
Archeologists have suggested many different ways of understanding its
significance for the nomadic society which made it. The first suggestion
is that it was a "Venus figure" or "Goddess," used
as a symbol of fertility. Apart from being female, the statue has an enlarged
stomach and breasts, its pubic area is greatly emphasized, probably serving
as a representative of procreativity, and the red ochre pigment covering
it has been thought to symbolize or serve as menstrual blood seen as a
life giving agent. The second suggestion is that the figurine may have
served as a good luck charm. Its diminutive size led archaeologists to
assume that it may have been carried by the men during their hunting missions
in which it served not only as a reminder of their mate back at home but
also as a charm to bring them success in their hunting. This is further
strengthened by the facelessness of the figurine giving it an air of mystery
and anonymity which suggests that it may have been of more importance
as an object rather than as a person. Also, the figurine's hair is braided
in seven concentric circles, seven in later times being regarded as a
magick number used to bring about good luck. A third possible significance
put forth is that of the figurine serving as a mother goddess (earth mother
or female deity). This comes from a suggestion that the statue was a woman
whose specialness was indicated in her obesity since women in a hunter
gatherer society would probably not have had the opportunity to get as
obese. With all the suggestions that have been put forward about the significance
of the sculpture, tentative conclusions can be made about the social,
political and religious beliefs of the foraging society in which it was
found. The use of the figurine as a deity suggests the practice of religious
ceremonies to ensure the success of the tribe. As an earth goddess, it
may have played the role of ensuring a continuous supply of food in the
society. Along with this comes a possible belief in magic if the figurine
was intended to ensure hunting success. Politically, it can be speculated
that women due to their nurturing capabilities might have had an esteem
role in the society. The society may have thus been more matriarchal rather
than patriarchal as suggested by Jacob Bachojen (1815-1887), "Matriachate
or gynaecocracy found among tribal peoples, where authority in both the
family and the tribe was in the hands of the women, was to be associated
with the worship of a supreme female earth deity".
Witcombe, Christopher L.C.E. Stone Age Women: "The Venus of Willendorf".
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