In this week’s episode Max Dashu speaks with Joanna about: Diana, the demonization of folk religion through a Latinized filter; the theme of devil worship as a way of explaining Pagan belief and practice; Herodias, the mythologization of the female villain; Holda the beneficent, a great Nature goddess; Frau Berthe and the time of the Old Goddess; praying to the Good Woman, a divine power that gives blessings to human beings and land; the Swan-footed Queen and Mother Goose; a substratum of folk divinity superseded by patriarchal order.

Max Dashu founded the Suppressed Histories Archives in 1970 to research and document women’s history from an international perspective. She built a collection of 15000 slides and 30000 digital images, and has created 150 slideshows on female cultural heritage across human history. Dashu’s work bridges the gap between academia and grassroots education. Max Dashu is known for her expertise on ancient female iconography in world archaeology, women shamans, witches and the withc hunts, mother-right cultures, patriarchies and the origins of domination. Dashu has published “Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion, 700-1000” (Veleda Press, 2016). This book is Vol. VII in the 15-volume series “Secret History of the Witches”, with two more volumes forthcoming. She has also produced two videos on dvd: “Women’s Power in Global Perspective” (2008) and “Woman Shaman: the Ancients” (2013).

“I Can’t Sit Still”, origiinal music by Evarusnik

Episode Navigator