The Metamorphosis of Baubo: Myths of Woman's Sexual Energy

By Winifred Milius Lubell

Book Overview

From primitive European and African carvings and cave drawings to the classical poetry, pottery, and sculpture of Attic Greece, from mysterious and disturbing female shapes on the facades of certain gothic Christian churches to startling and instructive examples of contemporary myths in the making, Winifred Milius Lubell tracks a vast resource of visual and textual evidence in this first book-length study of Baubo. Lubell's artistic and literary sources support the argument that from the earliest moments of civilization, humans have respected and revered female sexual energy, graphically symbolized in the vulva, as an indispensable force in the balance of nature. Over the ages, the images of Baubo and her sisters assumed deviant and disturbing forms, but the basic lines of her legend and its visual manifestations were not completely obscured. Nor, as this book will show, has Baubo's essential power been destroyed even in our own age.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826512526
• ISBN13: 9780826512529
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Vanderbilt University Press
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Every woman should read this book!

This is one of the best books I have ever read about women and their sexuality. After reading this book, I was EXTREMELY PROUD to have a vulva! This book follows strong, independent, women's sexuality throughout history, through art, culture and mythology, and reveals very interesting and empowering symbology for women and their sexuality. Sheela-na-gigs and Baubos leave us an interesting legacy and the intelligent pursuit of their meanings has not been more clearly or coherently addressed than as in this book. Here, finally, these images are seen as the powerful symbols of womanhood that they are...rather than grotesque exhibitionist pieces, etc. This book should be required reading for ALL women. Years of an upbringing in Patriarchy are brought to its feet in this beautiful book...one cannot read this book without questioning all of those ugly myths and jokes women endure about their gentials. It is amusing that in a society inundated with pornography, and women's sexuality used as advertsing, etc. that we do not have everyday access to symbols of a woman's genital power and beauty. ...[This] book is the anti-porn in many ways. It is a wonderful book of powerful symbology and I recommend it for all people who are advanced enough to love women's genitals in a respectful way. It is FULL of information and imagery women throughout the ages have used.

The Myth of Baubo

In "The Metamorphosis of Baubo" Winifred Milius Lubell painstakingly tracks the Baubo myth from Paleolithic times to the middle ages. The most popular reference to Baubo has been in Homer's "Myth to Demeter" where Baubo appears as a nurse named Iambe and manages to make Demeter laugh. Baubo symbolizes the powerful forces of female sexual energy. This force originally seen as a sacred and essential part of human existence was gradually demonized and by the middle ages was transformed almost beyond recognition. Sketches and photgraphs of the ancient images, along with Lubell's informed narrative offer a revealing glimpse of how female sexuality was revered rather than trivialized as it is today in the media and popular culture. The renowned Marija Gimbutas writes a short but succint preface to this well-written book.