Athene: Virgin and Mother in Greek Religion (Dunquin Series: No. 9)

Looking at the publishing information one finds1978, 1988, 1992, and, on further investigation, 1954.Additionally, many citations are from the late 1800s and early 1900s. And, so, "Dated" (Evans, Freud, Campbell, et al are out of favor in this 21st. century).The English translation is turgid and abstruse (or perhaps it faithfully reflects the original German?); which explains why it took me a month of bedtime readings to slog through its 99 pages.I've been in love with all things ancient Greek (especially Athena) since the 7th grade back in 1952, and I've never come away from a reading with so little to show for it.

Kerenyi traces the origin of the name "Athena" to an Etruscan root denoting a "kind of vessel [or] dish" and associates this with ritual vessels used in temples to hold an ever-burning flame, hence: "Vessel of the sacred fire." For Kerenyi, Athena is at the core of ancient Greek religion. She was second only to Zeus in terms of worship received, far surpassing Hera as a representative of the feminine principle. Kerenyi attempts to unpack the rich complexities of this figure. Why was Athena so appealing to the Greeks (and to many still today)? How could such a strong warrior-woman figure flourish in the Zeus-dominated, increasingly patriarchal Greek world? Kerenyi suggests (among other things) that Athena represents a last survival of an ancient matriarchal tradition based on goddess-worship which managed to survive so far into the current era partly by accommodating itself to the new patriarchal order. She was still a rich, powerful, living figure up until the Romans took over and turned her into Minerva, who had much less significance in the new pantheon. This book is indispensable for anyone wanting to delve into the depths behind the figure of the mythological Athena!

A modern psychiatric analysis of an ancient Greek deity. It has some interesting points but....no, there are some badly chosen examples in there. I had a good think about it and have dismissed it from my research.

It's not very long but is very informative. Karl Kerenyi's innovative approach explains the profound meaning behind the myth and brings it to life.

This is a very challenging read. I had many preconceptions about Athene I didn't know were preconceptions. This book illuminated aspects of Athene that are dismissed and ignored by popular accounts of her nature. I was also forced to confront the discomforting appearance of Athene as an aider and abetter of patriarchy and the inconsistency of having a married non virginal woman as priestess. Kerényi, as a mythological archaeologist, uncovers the connections of Athene to the lunar cycle and the reader, extrapolating from the "metis" inherent in the persona of Athene, perhaps can find meaning relevant to the secret night time rite performed at her temple. In accordance with that intellectual exercise, the reader discovers why "Pallas" Athene and why the darkness of patriarchy cannot get its hands on this veiled treasure, a treasure so valued that the mother willfully submits to domination in order to protect.