A blog about Paganism and disability.
Disability Goddess?
When I was looking for a name for this blog, I did a little searching to try to find the name of an ancient goddess who had some kind of disabiity. Aside from Themis, the Greek goddess of justice (who is blindfolded, not blind, and was not even blindfolded in early depictions), I found nothing.
It is tempting to argue that in cultures both ancient and modern, there is more of a role for the man with a disability than a woman, that women are/were simply expected to be beautiful and perfect, and ignored if they are/were not.
But I don’t want to imply that being disabled is any less of a problem for men (indeed, in today’s cowboy-up culture it may be more difficult for a man to admit he needs help), and I also am aware that there are many areas of world religion where my knowledge is scanty. So: Are there any disabled goddesses?
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about 14 years ago
There are lots of blind entities… the Norns, the Fates, the various “seers” and diviners… who are female. The Crone goddesses of the Celts and Scandinavians are sometimes depicted with a cane.
about 14 years ago
There are blind beings, but the first figure I thought of on reading this post was Echo. But Echo’s disability was the result of a curse. Now, some people with disabilities can think of their limitations as a curse (or curse at their limitations, or both!), but I don’t want to perpetuate the idea that disabilities are somehow deserved, or are handed out on purpose. My disability isn’t my responsibility. It’s not because of something I did, or didn’t do. It just is.
I also don’t like the idea that disabilities are some sort of evening-out of greater abilities in other areas. The “blind seer” trope is one of those. My disability isn’t some sort of cosmic scale-balancing against any other talents I may or may not have. It just happened.
I don’t know that there’s an emphasis on seeing women as perfect, any more than men, but I do think there’s plenty of expectations of ability in the myths, just like there is today, so that disability isn’t seen as something that happens, it has to be part of the plot, or have a purpose, or symbolic meaning. Unfortunately, in the real world, sometimes these things just are.
about 14 years ago
Hey Jane, nice blog! How about Nuada of the Silver Hand? He was the first King of the Tuatha de Dannan (The Irish Gods, or Fairies). He lost his arm in battle, and had to give up the kingship until his smithy, Creidhne made him a new one out of silver.
🙂
about 13 years ago
Hi Jane, I’ m pleased to have found your website – it seems to be unique!
There’s the Irish goddess of the river Boyne who lost an eye, an arm and a leg by breaking a taboo against approaching the Well of Segais.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boann
http://www.clannada.org/gods_boann.php
A rebellious woman!
I’ve identified with her sometimes…