Goddess of fertility in the mythology of different peoples

In ancient times, our ancestors believed in the existence of higher forces that control the elements, nature, productivity and other life phenomena. Having given these forces a human face and giving them names, people tried to propitiate the gods, so that they were favorable to them. Since then everyone lived at the expense of agriculture, and the result of their work was completely dependent on weather conditions and the "mercy of the gods", ancient people often turned to heavenly and underground deities with prayers and gifts, so that they, in turn, took pity on mortals and gave them a bountiful harvest. This is where the goddess of fertility directed its forces.

Each people at first had their goddesses, but in the future the Greek religion had a great influence on many. Interweaving different religions and legends, people began to identify their idols with Greek, creating new myths, substituting their names for analogies of Greek, Etruscan and other deities. So, among the Slavs, the goddess of fertility, spring, life and birth was called Alive. She ruled the life-giving forces of nature, spring waters, young shoots, and also patronized young virgins and young wives.

In the Greeks, the goddess of fertility and agriculture was called Demeter, which in translation means mother earth. In rituals, it was called by different names, such as Chloe (sowing, foliage), Carpophora (fruitful), etc. Demeter was a great female goddess who gave fruitful strength to people, animals and earth. It was believed that she loved people, helped them in the work, taught crops and plowing, filled the stores of their barns.

Ceres is the Roman goddess of fertility, which corresponds to Demeter. It is responsible for the growth of cereals, the productive forces of the earth and the Underworld. Ceres directs the change of the seasons and the sequence of agricultural work, is the keeper of the villages, their inhabitants and the harvest. In addition, she is also the goddess of marriage and motherhood. In general, the image of Ceres can be called collective, because due to ingenuity and patronage to laws, it can be compared with the goddesses Uni and Minerva, protectors of royal power and crafts.

Akkadian mythology singles out Ishtar as the chief female deity. It is the goddess of fertility, war, carnal love personifies the planet Venus. Without it, love, plant and animal life disappear on the earth. Ishtar in West Semitic mythology displays Astarte, and in Sumerian it is called Inanna.

Ancient Egypt revered Isis, who was the embodiment of fidelity, motherhood, fertility, the master of the elements of wind and water. She was depicted as a woman with cow horns on her head.

Apparently, all the mentioned goddesses possess the features of the Great Mother, and therefore to find the primary source of belief and understand the reason for the cult differences is not easy. However, it can be said with certainty that the goddess of fertility was revered by all nationalities, in her honor were held holidays and rituals with sacrifices, architects for her erected temples, and sculptors created beautiful statues - masterpieces of art.