The Lespugue Goddess

Venus of Lespugue, Ancient Goddess © Wicca-Spirituality.com

The Venus of Lespugue, or Lespugue Goddess, is another prehistoric statuette honouring the Mother Goddess. She was created 22 - 28,ooo years ago in France. Carved of mammoth tusk ivory, about 15 cm (6 inches) tall.

Due to unfortunate damage during excavation, it's not possible to see whether the Lespugue Goddess was created with a sacred vulva, but it's very likely, considering this is a standard feature of these Mother Goddesses. At any rate, the sacred triangle of the pubic region — another nearly-universal Goddess symbol — is clearly delineated.

She gazes down on her children with a patient warmth; there is the sense that she is always available, always present, always loving.

Unique Features of the Lespugue Goddess

The most striking thing about this ancient Goddess is the extreme exaggeration of the physical form of the Sacred Feminine.

Her breasts are prodigious, abounding with life-giving milk so that even her pregnant belly is small in comparison.

The breasts and buttocks are huge, much larger than any other Goddess figurine recovered to date.

Also unique is the graceful depiction of full arms, where most prehistoric Goddess figurines only suggest the arms. Even so, they are minimalized to almost-trivial indications.

The Venus of Lespugue is a bit of a confusing contradiction to historians. Her form is simple, made of repeating globes, and it appears crudely distorted and "unrealistic." Yet at the same time, she displays a high level of artistic talent in the carving, an appealing smooth finish, and an overall aesthetic quality that pleases the eye. On the one hand, the artist is assumed — by most modern scholars — to be primitively ignorant of reality, yet on the other hand, she shows great skill and refined aesthetics.

As with so much of our modern perspectives, our prejudices confuse things, pulling blinders across so that we can't see what's right in front of us.

In the same way, historians continue to argue about the purpose and meaning of these female statuettes. From a purely intellectual viewpoint, no definitive understanding can be reached.

When we look with eyes unblinded by patriarchy and with hearts open to eternal wisdom, however, the meaning is indisputable.

The Lespugue Goddess is a representation of the Giver of Life, the ample, fecund Mother Goddess, the Creatrix, and Source — if not of all the universe, then at least of all humanity.