The Goddess

[Bonnie Surfus (ENG)]

 On Tue, 15 Aug 1995, RICHARD ROMEO wrote:

> Bonnie-
> 
> Are you saying (or the sources you quote saying) that the patriarchical 
> society has "castrated" the destroyer impulse in the Goddess-that 
> society's views (based on this usurption) then of the feminine (and of 
> their own god(s)) are always half-wrong? Fearing the competition, those 
> of the Judeo-Christian persuasion had to demonize the gods of others, 
> particulary one that is "female"?  
> 
> 
> 
kind of.  But the message i posted is only half-baked itself.  It's more 
complex.  REally, She has been nearly wiped out altogether.  What we do 
associate with Her is mostly wica stuff, dancing in the moon, FERTILITY, 
which such gatherings were thought to be mainly about, etc.  The fierce 
image of the Goddess has been eradicated, replaced by a carefully 
orchestrated manipulation of legend and myth, such that we emphasize the 
omnipotence of a strong male sky god, not a female of the earth, wholly 
in touch with the cycle of life and death.  Much of what is known of the 
Goddess has been known for quite some time.  REading about the topic, 
you'll find that many believe that the drive to erase Her memory is 
centuries old.  Yes, she has been demonized, I suppose.  But more than 
that, she's been erased.  This centuries old activity, and it must be 
ongoing, is paralleled in _V. A Novel_ throughout.  That Pynchon includes 
the phrase "A Novel" in the title, underscores his satiric intent, to 
illuminate the plot.  Because it is not "historically" validated, it must 
be fiction (urgh.)  But its posture as fiction also heightens our 
awareness of history as fiction, as much of the novel IS "historically 
validated."  History is questioned throughout, particularly in its 
subjective mode.  That Stencil searches is actually, uh, I hate to say 
it, hopeful.  


Bonnie