Ah, the mysterious Mother Goose. Despite endless speculation, no one knows for certain who she is, or where she came from. There are, however, a few things we do know about her. For one, as these pictures show, not one shred of her looks like a deity (unless, of course, you know the Goddess, and count the goose...).
But here's a clue: Pretend you're a Goddess worshipper in Medieval Europe. If anyone discovers your religion, it's off with your head -- no hesitation. And since all literate Goddess people were murdered long ago, you communicate with your people not through writing, but through underground code passed on by story tellers. In these stories, what symbol will signify your deity? A sacred looking woman instantaneously detectable by the spies of the Pope? A proud woman puffed up with self esteem?
I ... think ... NOT!
No, you'd go as far as possible in the opposite direction. Women with poor posture -- nay, humped backs. Hips the size of Kansas. Football-shaped chins. Noses mimicking foot-long hot dogs. Faces that say either "I'd love to cook you and have you for dinner," or "God grant me a closed car in a garage with the motor running...."
Wouldn't it be interesting, though, to see how Mother Goose has changed through time? The images above come from my personal collection and were published in the late 1800s (Mother Goose with the cello; black & white Mother Goose); 1916/1939 (be-ruffled Mother Goose with Granny Glasses); 1929 (Carrot-nose); 1943 (Orange polka dots); and 1976 ( Boy waving down below).
By the way, I think you should be able to make each image larger by clicking on it.
Wow. What fascinating pictures. She's so clearly the Crone; which makes sense, since the Crone is the aspect of the Goddess most likely to be dismissed and ignored by the patriarchy. Maiden and Mother can be threatening. But who cares about old ladies, right? She and her goose fly right under the radar of the powers that be!
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