Call, Enos, and Thomas

Stacey Call, Clarissa Enos, and Crystal Thomas

Dr. Karen Holt

English 252-Section 1

10 February 2012

Swords, Jewelry and Modesty: Women in Mythology

Introduction

Women have had a large part in the life history of mythology in many ways.

Traditionally, women were the ones in charge of teaching the next generations the culture,

religion and knowledge of the previous ancestors. The women were the essential teachers and

caretakers of the future rulers of their cultures. Women were also the subject of many of the

myths and lessons they passed on. Historically, women in mythology and ancient literature have

generally been placed in on of three categories: fearsome, meek, or seductive.

This paper hopes to explore the three categories as they are represented in the

mythologies of the Celts, Greeks and Norse and how these groups have influenced the

classification of women in our modern time. Representing the Celts, this paper will discuss the

attributes of Aine, Boudicca and Brigid. For the Greeks, Helen of Troy, Hestia and the Amazons

will be analyzed. The Norse will provide Brynhilde, Frigg and Grimhild for the same

comparison.

Fearsome Roles

Definitions as found in Dictionary.com: Fearsome: causing fear, awe, or respect.

Masculine: pertaining to or characteristic of man or men; having qualities traditionally ascribed

to men, as strength and boldness.

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These are both definitions that could be attributed to Boudicca, the Amazons, and

Brynhilde. The Amazon Queens mentioned all lead battles, as did Brynhilde, and Boudicca. All

of them had masculine qualities, such as strength and boldness. They also all caused fear, awe, or

respect in some form or other. In this way, all three: Celtic, Norse, and Greek mythologies or

cultures, were the same.

Celtic

Boudicca

Anyone who has ever studied the history of England has heard of the British warrior

queen, Boudicca. She is one of the few historical figures who can also be included in the

mythology of the Celts. She may be a familiar figure in the history of England, but at the same

time, not much is known about her, despite our constant research of her for over five centuries

(Hingley, Unwin XV).

What we do know is fairly concrete, the rest is left to speculation. We do have records of

her biggest fight in the form of narrative stories. Boudicca means ‘Victory’ and she was the wife

of the king, or leader, of her tribe (the Iceni). Seventeen years after Britain was invaded by

Rome, she led an army of men and women as their warrior queen against the Roman government

after her husband died. After causing the destruction of several towns and the deaths of

thousands, the Roman army defeated her and her army. She died soon after of either ill health or

suicide (Hingley, Unwin XV-XVI).

Boudicca was a member of the aristocracy of an Iron Age tribe in a society where women

could lead. (Hingley, Unwin XVI). When Rome invaded Britain and took over, they had her

husband sign a will saying he could lead until he died, but he could only pass the leadership of

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his tribe and lands to a male relative because women were seen as property and not eligible to

rule in Rome. When he died, he tried to give his lands to his two daughters but, because he

signed the will, they were not able to take the lands (Hingley, Unwin 38-39). Boudicca’s

daughters were raped by the Romans and Boudicca became very angry. She chose to rebel

against such an unjust government and started the rebellion in Britain (Hingley, Unwin 160).

Greek

The Amazons

The Amazons were a race of women, fictional or literal, who were often the antagonist of

the Greek’s mythology. They fought with the Trojans in the Trojan War. They attacked Athens

and many Greek heroes tested their skills against them. The Amazons lead rigorous lives within

their matriarchal society. The article "Amazons" from the website mythindex explains the

Amazons as a fearsome race of women who played many roles in Greek mythology. It is said

that they came from the area around the Caucasus Mountains and from there invaded many

different surrounding countries, including Asia Minor, Greece, Arabia, Egypt and Libya. Any

male children were either exiled or put to death while their female children were brought up in

the arts of "war, riding, hunting, and cultivating the land, but each girl had her right breast cut

off" (par. 1). These women were extreme in a male-dominant society. Hellanicus, a fifth century

BC Greek historian, described them as, “golden-shielded, silver-sworded, man-loving, male-

child-killing Amazons” (Cross 8). Homer in the Iliad called the Amazons, “’antianerirai’…those

who go to war like men” (Leadbetter par. 1). This was a concept alien to the civilizations at the

time. There are many stories of battles, warriors and queens in their history.

Penthesilea, a well-known Amazon queen, is known for her fighting in the Trojan War.

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After killing another Amazon, Penthesilea sought to gain glory, “…in Amazon custom, an

Amazon must gain glory in war…” (“Penthesilea” par. 3). She and thirteen dedicated warriors

entered the Trojan War in the final year, boosting the Trojan’s ranks (figure 1). Fierce on the

battlefield, they soon became the bane of the Greeks. After fighting many battles, Achilles sought

Penthesilea out because of her success. Achilles eventually killed Penthesilea. Impressed by her

skill, he took off her helmet and saw he had killed a women, a beautiful one at that. Achilles

immediately fell in love with her and sorrowed for her loss. “Penthesilea was [a] revered warrior

in a time when men were dominant. She excelled in a man’s game (war), while at the same time

she retained a feminine virtue (beauty)” (“Penthesilea” par. 21).

Penthesilea was an excellent example of an Amazon; she was fierce in battle, concerned

at having glory and dedicated in her duties. The Amazon tribe has many examples and principles

of dedicated, extreme women. Fighting in all of the surrounding countries was left to the men,

yet the Amazons trained and taught themselves how to fight. They were also well set in their

ways, despite being mothers. Male children were maimed, exiled or killed while their daughters

were taught the arts of their culture. There are various accounts of the Amazons mutilating

themselves, whether for practicality sake or religion is unclear. The Amazons in all aspects of

their lives were fearsome.

Call, Enos, and Thomas

Figure 1. Relief of the Amazons fighting the Greeks in the Trojan War: Achilles holds the body of

Penthesilea. Raia, Ann R., and Judith Lynn Sebesta. "Publius Vergilius Maro, Aeneis 7.803-817."

The World of State. Oct. 2007. Web. 31 Jan. 2012.

Norse

Brynhilde

Traditional Norse mythology is filled with women that resemble their male counterparts

in strength and in fierceness. Norse women could possess the same blood thirst and desire for

vengeance as any male hero. Many women are told to have fought alongside their men in key

battles in Norse history as well as in their mythology.

These warrior women were repeatedly recognized as Valkyries within Norse Mythology.

According to Andy Orchard, a member of the Centre of Medieval Studies in Toronto, Valkyries

were feminine figures who were connected to Odin and whose job it was to select warriors slain

in battle for the great hall, Valhalla, where they will await to fight in Ragnarok, the final battle

between good and evil at the end of the world. Thirteen women were attributed to being

Valkyries within Norse mythology (Orchard 376). Snorri Sturlson, a 12th century Icelandic writer,

adds:

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There are still other women [other than the original thirteen], whose task is to

wait in Vahall[a], serve drink and take care of the tableware and drinking

vessels…these are called Valkyries. Odin sends them to every battle; they allot

death to men and decide on victory. (qtd. in Orchard 376)

In the Poetic Edda, a poetic retelling of Norse myths by Snorri Sturlson, Brynhilde (also

written as Brynhildr, Brynhil or Hildr) is attributed to being a Valkyrie. Since she has been

elevated to the status of Valkyrie, this is where the line between historically based legend and

factious myth blur. Also the different spellings of her name found throughout written Norse

folklore that vary between Norse regions have also made it difficult for experts to differentiate

between the woman and the legend.

Brynhilde’s famous folktale begins with her disobeying Odin. The reason for her

disobedience is unknown, but Odin punishes her by putting her in a deep sleep, doomed to sleep

forever in a fortress surrounded by fire. Only those who have no fear can enter into the fortress

through the sacred flames. Before being cursed, Brynhilde swore to marry the man brave enough

to endure the flames surrounding her fortress and awaken her.

Sigurd (also called Sigard or Siegfried), a Norse warrior and dragon-slayer, goes riding

and comes across the flame encircled fortress in which laid a fully armored figure. Sigurd

crossed the fire with ease, cut open the armor of the mysterious figure and discovered it was the

Valkyrie Brynhilde. He fell in love with “her beauty and intelligence” and awoke her. In the

fortress surrounded by fire, they pledged themselves to each other in mutual faith (Page 75).

Sigurd, however, was fated to marry Gudrún, the daughter of Giuki and the witch Grimhild.

Having fallen in love with Bryhilde, Sigurd called off the marriage to Gudrún and gave

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Brynhilde a golden ring.

Grimhild, Gudrún’s mother, slips an enchanted potion into the dragon-slayer’s drink as

retribution for calling off the wedding which erases the memory of Brynhilde and his vow of

love they had shared. Giuki offered his daughter’s hand to Sigurd once again and, blissfully

oblivious of his love for the Valkyrie Brynhilde, Sigurd accepts Gudrún as his wife. The two

have a grand wedding.

After the wedding, Gunnar, Gudrúno’s brother, wants to court Brynhilde, but she refuses

to marry anyone but Sigurd. Sigurd offers to help his brother-in-law by lending his warhorse,

Grani, to Gunnar in order to pass through the flames. However Grani refuses to obey anyone but

his master. Grimhild aids Gunnar and Sigurd by casting a spell to exchange appearances and

Gunnar, appearing as Sigurd, rides through the flames on Grani and asks for Brynhilde’s hand.

She accepts, thinking he is Sigurd, and welcomes him into her bed. While the new couple sleep,

Sigurd lays his sword between them and exchanges the great gold ring he gave her for another.

At the wedding feast for Brynhilde and Gunnar (who still appears as Sigurd to

Brynhilde), Sigurd (in the guise of Gunnar) regains his memories of his oath to Brynhilde but he,

realizing he was too late, remained quiet. Soon after her wedding, Brynhilde begins a quarrel

with Gudrún over whose husband is greater and Gudrún accidentally reveals the story of how

Sigurd was deceived and how Brynhilde had married Gunnar instead. Enraged, Brynhilde began

plotting her vengeance on Sigurd and Gudrún, the two people who had “shamed her” (Page 76),

and on Gunnar, the man who had deceived her into marriage.

Brynhilde talked to her husband, cautioning him about the danger of having Sigurd

around:

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Back shall I go where I used to be,

Living together with my father’s kin.

There will I sit and sleep my life away

Unless you make sure of Sigurd’s death,

Unless you become a prince greater than all others. (qtd. in Page 76)

Gunnar convinced his youngest brother, Guttorm, to murder Sigurd. Guttorm does the deed, but

is cleaved in two by Sigurd before the dragon-slayer dies. Upon hearing Gudrún’s cries of

misery, “Brynhilde laughed aloud” (Page 77). As Sigurd is placed on the burial pyre, Brynhilde

stabs herself then throws herself on the burial pyre, “usurping in death the wifely role she had

been denied when she lived” ( Orchard 77) in the eternal ritual of suttee. According to Orchard,

suttee is the tradition of a fallen hero’s wife burning with her husband in the funeral pyre

(Orchard 337).

This tale and many others portray Brynhilde as a fearsome rival, a vengeful lover

and a powerful warrior. Her power and battle prowess filled the ancient literature of the Norse

with many of her legends rivaling the men she meets in power and prowess.

Meek Roles

Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines meek as “not proud or self-willed; piously

humble; patient and uneventful under injury or reproach; (esp. of a woman) demure, quiet”. In

each of the cultures, there is a goddess who portrays these characteristics which emphasize the

traditional roles of women. With the Norse, Frigg is the goddess of marriage and fertility and

ultimately reinforces her husband’s superiority by going by his wishes. The Greek goddess

Hestia is the goddess of the hearth, watching over the home and keeping its inhabitants and

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guests happy. While most goddesses are exposed as being violent, vengeful or heartless in their

ways, these three goddesses generally try to help heroes and never overly draw attention to

themselves.

Celtic

Brigid

Brigid is the goddess of fertility. Her job was to bless the crops and harvests as well as

births of babies. Often times people assume Saint Brigid and the goddess Brigid are the same

person, because Saint Brigid embodies everything Brigid is. Her name means “exalted one” and

she is the daughter of the Dagda and the Tuatha De Danann. Her husband is Bres of the

Fomorians and she has a son named Ruadan. She is also what is known as a “triple” goddess,

because her sisters have the same name as her (Jones).

Some of her other duties include smithing and healing. She is worshipped on Imbolc, a

day of festivals and one of the four main days of the year (Jones). She has three aspects, one as

Maiden, one as Mother, and one as Crone. Her Maiden aspect inspires and deals with poetry, her

Mother aspect works as a mid-wife and a healer, and her Crone aspect deals with hearth fires,

smithies and crafts. Some of her symbols include a cow, brazier, chalice, mirror, cross, and a few

other small things (Alexander, Davitt-Cornyn, Gerrard 55).

On Imbolc (February 2nd) where she is worshipped by believers, fires are lit in her favor

and cared for all day long. Special woods are put on the fire in order to keep it going, including a

special rowan rod that is put at the center of the fire. If the fire is pleasing to Brigid, she would

leave a symbol in order to show her pleasure. A goose or swan’s footprint near the fire was a

common sign. This family is then said to be blessed with children, lambs and crops in the

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upcoming year (Alexander, Davitt-Cornyn, Gerrard 55).

Greek

Hestia

To be meek can also mean to be humble, gentle, docile, modest and mild. Hestia, the

goddess of the hearth and home, the First and the Last, Lindemans describes Hestia as the

“gentlest of all the Olympians” (par. 2). She protects the home, leaving it happy and well-

functioning. She inspires hospitality, warning people against taking advantage of their guests.

Instead of putting herself first and selfishly choosing her a husband among her powerful rival

suitors, she chose to be a virgin goddess.

Hestia was a great beauty and her hand in marriage was sought by both Poseidon and

Apollo. Recognizing that competing formidable gods as suitors could cause a war, she swore to

remain an eternal virgin. Zeus, for her wisdom, gave Hestia the keys to Olympus, the God’s

home. She thus became the protector of the home, the perfect hostess. Her symbol was the

hearth, the center of domestic life. She “presided over the cooking of bread and the preparation

of the family meal” (Atsma par. 1 and 4). “Hestia, Greek Goddess of Hearth and Home”

mentions how she did not need excitement and adventure to fulfill her life, like Athena and

Artemis, the other “virgin goddesses”, Hestia was satisfied at staying home, attending the fire

and welcoming the others home (par. 14).

To finish the “…virtues [that] define[s] the goddess Hestia: mild, gentle, forgiving,

peaceful, serene, dignified, calm, secure, stable, welcoming, and, above all else, well-centered

("Hestia, Greek Goddess of Hearth and Home" par. 6). Hestia was not particularly concerned

with power. She was not intense or extreme in anyway and she did not curse or doom any heroes

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which was common among the Greek gods and goddesses. Hestia always strived to keep the

home happy, the fire well-lit and always warm and inviting.

Norse

Frigg

Over the years, the Norse Pantheon has been divided into two groups: the Æsir and the

Vanir. Æsir is a Norse term for the major gods and goddesses of the Norse Pantheon,

including Odin, Frigg, Tyr and Thor, but the Vanir were a “race of gods responsible for wealth,

fertility, and commerce and subordinate to the warlike Æsir” (Lindemans “Vanir”). 

The goddess Frigg (also called Frigga, Fiia, Frija or Frea) was the goddess queen of the

Norse Pantheon and of the Æsir because she was the wife of Odin, the Alfödr [Norse for “father

of all”] and ruler of the Æsirian gods and goddesses. Together they had a son in the tragic god,

Baldr, the god of light, purity, beauty and reconciliation. Frigg’s dominion laid in the promotion

of marriage and of fertility, like her counterparts the Greek goddess Hera and the Celtic goddess

Aine. Andy Orchard explains that, as the goddess queen, Frigg was allowed her own hall in

Asgard and even had her own set of servants in Fulla (sometimes called Ful) and Gnà

(sometimes called Na or Nanna) (parentheses added; Lindemans “Frigg”). She is often portrayed

spinning clouds, like in Hélène Adeline Guerber’s portrait Frigga Spinning Clouds.

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Figure 2. “Frigga Spinning the Clouds.” Guerber, H. A. (Hélène Adeline). Myths of the

Norsemen from the Eddas and Sagas. London : Harrap. Print. This illustration facing page 42.

Frigg is commonly represented as showing interest in the lives of men alongside her

husband, Odin, and is told to possess the power to foretell the fate of men and her fellow deities,

but rarely actually intervenes in there their fates. Among the many accounts and versions of

Frigg, she is mainly depicted as a “wife and mother” (Lindow 128). In this light, she takes on the

role all women take at some time or another.

The most famous tale of Frigg appears in Gylfaginning, one of the first written

collectives describing the Norse Pantheon written by Snorri Sturlson. The tale begins with Odin

preparing to leave Asgard, the realm of the Æsir, to contest with Vaftrúdnir, the wisest giant.

Frigg warns Odin not to go against the giant, but ultimately wishes him success when he persists.

Odin outwitts the giant in the end (Page39) and returns safely to Asgard.

In Gylfaginning, Sturlson tells how Frigg, in another incident, tries to protect Baldr. She

gets an oath from everything in the world that they would not harm her son. Unfortunately she

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mistakenly forgets mistletoe, thinking “it was too small to ask for an oath” (Lindemans “Balder”)

which leads to Baldr’s death. Loki, the lord of fire and magic, deceived Baldr’s twin brother

Hod, the blind god of winter and darkness, into throwing a mistletoe dart at Baldr. In her grief

over the death of Baldr, Frigg sends Hermód, a servant of Odin, to Hel (the Norse form of Hell,

but also the name of the goddess of death (Orchard182)) to retrieve Baldr. The goddess Hel was

moved to release Baldr, but only if everything in the world wept for the dead god. Everything

and everyone began to weep for Baldr except for the giantess Thokk (Page 49-50).

Frigg mourned the death of her son and accompanied the other gods as they dressed

Baldr for his burial pyre. Andy Orchard explains: “In Snorri’s account of the funeral of Baldr,

Nanna [the wife of Baldr] collapses with grief and dies as Baldr is brought out to the pyre, and

she joins him there, an example of the Norse practice of suttee that is far from unparalleled”

(Orchard 260-1).

Like a dutiful and traditional wife, Frigg first warned her husband of impending danger,

but ultimately surrendered to his superiority. She also tried everything within her power to

protect and rescue her son but ultimately helped bring about his death. Frigg is one of the few

women in Norse mythology that actually brings about the traditional role of a wife and mother as

we see it today.

Seductive Roles

In the seductive classification, there are many ways in which a woman may display her

seductiveness. Merriam-Webster defines seductive as “having alluring or tempting qualities.”

These qualities may be displayed in the traditional sense where a woman uses her sex appeal as a

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weapon or lure. Seductive qualities can also be shown in a mental fashion by luring someone

into a direction or situation that they normally wouldn’t go.

Celtic

Aine

The mythology of the Celts has had a turbulent history. There is not much left of the

original myths for it was taboo to write them down and the stories were passed down by the

druids by word of mouth. These stories changed over the years, until what was left was finally

written down into Celtic literature. “A few sentences of Classical writers or images of divinities

or scenes depicted on monuments, point to what was once a rich mythology. These monuments,

as well as inscriptions with names of deities, are numerous there as well as in parts of Roman

Britain, and belong to the Romano-Celtic period” (Gray, and Máchal 7).

The reason this paragraph is included is because MacCulloch states in his introduction to

Celtic Mythology, “It would be difficult, in the existing condition of the old mythology, to say

this is of Celtic, that of non-Celtic origin, for that mythology is now but fragmentary” (7). While

writing about Bouddica is fairly straight forward, because she actually existed and is a part of

history as well, there are only fragments of the mythology surrounding the characters Aine and

Brigid.

Aine was the Irish Goddess of the Sun, but was also seen as a love goddess in other

myths that are still around today (figure 3). The list of her lovers is a very long list, full of other

Gods and mortals alike. There are several good stories, which can be found in bits and pieces in

The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore by Patricia Monaghan.

One myth tells of one of her mortal lovers. He stole her cloak while she was bathing in a

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lake, in order to capture her. They married, and she bore him a son they named Geroid Iarla, or

Gerald the Waterbird. She warned her husband not to be surprised by anything their son did, or

else she would be freed. He managed to not be surprised for years, until Gerald was an adult and

was able to shrink so much that he was invisible. When he showed surprised over this, she was

set free and their son left to wander the forests (Monaghan 11).

Another of her stories tells of the Sea God, Manannan Mac Lir, who was in love with her.

Her brother, Aillen, was in love with Manannan’s wife, so the two gods traded. Aillen got

Manannan’s wife and Manannan got Aine (Monaghan 11).

Fig. 3 Midsummer Eve from Hughes, Edward Robert. Midsummer Eve. Cir 1908

Greek

Helen

In all of Greek mythology there is only one woman who started a war that lasted ten

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years. Only one woman whose actions have caused many heroes deaths and a sacking of a city,

and it was all because of her beauty. When beautiful Helen came of courting age, an oath was

made between her suitors. Which were many. To avoid being carried off by one, they all agreed

to defend her honor. If she was ever taken, these kings and princes would bring their armies

against the man who kidnapped Helen. Such was her beauty and there lies the basis of the Trojan

War. King Menelaus was chosen to be Helen’s husband.

Paris, prince of Troy, was sought out by the three goddesses: Hera, Athena, and

Aphrodite. He was to choose the fairest of them all. Hera offered him power; Athena would give

him wealth, and Aphrodite would give him the most beautiful women in the world. Paris chose

Aphrodite, and she told him about Helen of Sparta, whom he traveled to make his bride. “In

Sparta, Menelaus, husband of Helen, treated Paris as a royal guest. However, when Menelaus left

Sparta to go to a funeral, Paris abducted Helen (who perhaps went willingly) and also carried off

much of Menelaus’ wealth” (“History of the Trojan War” par. 5).

Menelaus was furious when he came home found out that his wife had run off with

another man and his treasury. Menelaus evoked the oath made by the suitors and the Greek fleet

set off for Troy. Ten years of battle and carnage went by, deaths include Achilles, Hector, Priam,

Paris and Penthesilea the Amazon queen. After ten years of war, Menelaus finally met his wife

Helen again. “Menelaus, who had been determined to kill his faithless wife, was soon taken by

Helen’s beauty and seductiveness that he allowed her to live” (“History of the Trojan War” par.

30).

Norse

Grimhild

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In most Norse mythology, women are categorized into the seductive field differently than

with other common mythologies. The physical appearance of women in written Norse myths is

usually described generally, not in detail. Norse women are often described as “beautiful,” but

their myths are more deed or event based. The seductive qualities of most Norse women are

more character based and can generally be described as deceptive. The famous witch Grimhild,

who was mentioned in the tale of Brynhilde, is a perfect example of the Norse’s popular

definition of seductive. Grimhild is first mentioned in the Poetic Edda by Snorri Sturlson and her

tale and death is greatly entwined with Brynhilde’s.

After Grimhild hears that Sigurd is calling off his marriage to her daughter, Gudrún,

Grimhild takes matters into her hands. The witch manages to seduce Sigurd into drinking an

enchanted potion that wipes his memories of any affections he has towards Brynhilde. The witch

happily sees her daughter married to the dragon-slayer and aids in sending him off pirating.

As soon as Sigurd returns with his pirating loot, Gunnar comes to his mother, Grimhild,

for aid in gaining the affections of Brynhilde. Gunnar wants to woo Brynhilde, but she refuses.

Grimhild, wanting nothing more than for Brynhilde to marry Gunnar and forever bar her from

interfering with Gudrún’s marriage to Sigard, casts a spell upon Sigurd and Gunnar to allow

them to trade identities (Orchard 144).

After Brynhilde discovers the treachery of her in-laws, Grimhild is “instrumental in

persuading Gutthorm to kill Sigurd” (Orchard 145). Gutthorm is slain while killing Sigurd and

Gudrún is left to grieve for both her brother and husband. In order to erase Gudrún’s grief,

Grimhild administers a potion similar to the one she seduced Sigurd into partaking (Orchard

145).

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Grimhild’s fate is not known. After her part in the story of Brynhilde and Gudrún, she

seems to fall out of existence. However, her deceptively seductive ways are immortalized in

Norse mythologies forever. She may not have used her sex appeal to lure men into her plans, but

she was cunning and seduced them mentally.

Conclusion

In these three cultures women showed traits that are still in our modern world. Women,

who are described as fearsome, are ruthless and nothing stands in their way. She does not spare a

person’s feelings or make exceptions for anything or anyone. The iconic business woman who

fights her way to the top of the business ladder is a frequent portrayal of today’s modern

fearsome woman. Meek or traditional women are usually downplayed, not discussed, or viewed

as archaic. When they are mentioned they are almost always associated with a home setting,

complete with an apron, dinner table set for supper and the perfect home. Women today who fit

in the seductive category use her sex appeal or deceit to accomplish her goals.

All of these women discussed previously from ancient mythology have the traits that

place them into one of the three categories. The fearsome women were strong and ferocious in

battle, and their talents caused them to be respected, at least to a degree. The goddesses Brigid,

Hestia, and Frigg represent the values of their respective cultures which today would be

characterized as meek, gentle and unassuming-the traditional role of women. And the women

who caused mischief and destruction through their actions are seductive, destroying men through

their wiles.

Looking at these types of women the characteristics are still around, but the portrayal is

different. In their time the seductive women were looked down upon and upheld as a bad

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example. Fearsome women were monstrosities and ostracized and meek women were held up as

the perfect example. Today however these characteristics have somewhat been reversed.

Seductive women are more common in modern media, while the meek woman has taken the

position of being ostracized and down played.

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