NAME: Lady Liberty. Goddess of Liberty. Goddess of Freedom. Liberty.
SYMBOLS: Alligator (giant), Armadillo (giant), Cat, Crown of Helos, Bald Eagle, Broken Chains, Broken Jug, Cap of Freedom, Cornucopia, Depiction of George Washington, Llama (giant), Laurel Wreath, Liberty Pole, Liberty Tree, Olive Branch, Rattlesnake, Shield of the United States, Sword, Stone Tablet, Torch.
USUAL IMAGE: Her image has changed over the years, and varies from place to place. She is found on state flags and seals.
As the Statue of Liberty, but also as the Goddess of Liberty atop the U.S. Capital, the State House in Texas & above and behind the Speaker's chair in the House of Representatives.
Though almost all show a statuesque woman in a classic robe and sandals. Holding a torch, sword, liberty pole, or feeding an eagle. Her head-piece can anything from a bonnet to a helmet to the Crown of Rays as found on the Statue of Liberty.
HOLY BOOKS: Hard to say. Mainly poems and songs it would seem.
HOLY DAYS: December 10 (Goddess of Freedom day France), July 4th (USA).
MAJOR TABOOS: Slavery
RELATIVES: None to speak up unless you count the people. Perhaps in a sense, at least in America, the Eagle and Uncle Sam.
FORM OF WORSHIP: Spreading Freedom.
SYNODEITIES: Libertas.(Roman), Gaia (Greek), Minerva (Greek), Goddesses of Agriculture, Industry, Science (found on various state flags, Goddess of Reason (French Revolution).
Details:
Some might say that calling Lady Liberty a Goddess is pushing the concept of deity. After all it's just a statue right? Not only just a statue it's one that no one had ever even worshipped.... Correct?
Depends on what deity means to you. Must a god have been, or be considered by some people at some time to be an independent individual that is like a human, just on a fantastically more powerful scale? Or thought to be an unknowable something `other' that stands above us?
However if you can consider the idea that deity might be something that is the direct action of the thoughts, deeds, wants, and dreams of a people over a long course of time taken to a higher level. If you can do that, then I think you would have to say that not only is Lady Liberty a Goddess, she is a powerful one.
However she did not appear full-blown, the gods it would seem are as subject to change, growth & evolution as anything else.
Lady Liberty is what has been called a synthomorphosis of forms.
Appearing first on maps and other documents which represented the New World as the `Indian Queen' a tall stern almost nude woman wearing only a headdress of feathers, and car a tomahawk while setting astride a giant armadillo, llama or alligator!
As the years passes this image was softened to the Indian Princess (both of these despite the fact that Northeastern Indians had nothing like a system of royalty that Europe had), more often than not called Pocahontas.
Barefoot and robed in buckskin she is often shown being guarded by a rattlesnake which would later trail off to become part of the Don't Tread On Me flag of the American Revolution.
As the 18th century started greater European influence stated to be shown in the depictions of the Goddess of Liberty.
Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty entered the mix. Libertas was a goddess whose image was on the denarius coin, a day's wages for a laborer. She was a goddess who had such associations as a broken jug to show she shattered confinement, an independent cat at her feet and the Phrygian Cap, which was bestowed on freed slaves.
At the same time that Libertas stated to change the way the Goddess was shown in America, so too did the artists of the French Romantic movement. Most notable of whom was Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Deiacroix.
By 1855, the Indian Queen, Princess, Libertas & the Romantics Liberty had become the Lady Freedom who would top the U.S. Capital, but not before her Liberty Cap was removed and replaced by a helmet at the demand of future President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis.
After that her images in America increased by leaps and bounds. She became part of many different state flags and seals, often along with other goddesses such as the Goddess of Agriculture (New Jersey.) As well as the so-called double eagle gold piece and other coins of the time.
Until Her most famous depiction came about because of two Frenchmen, de Laboulaye & Bartholdi. The idea of the Statue of Liberty was not welcome by either the federal or New York state government. However due to a campaign stated by Joseph Pulitzer the people raised the funds for the American half of the bill in just five months.
Since then She has been the subject of countless depictions from the sublime to the kitschy. As well as surviving years of neglect and two attacks by radicles, she still stands.
Not only in New York harbor, and her other manifestations around the nation. But also on a subtler plane worldwide as shown when She showed up as a statue built by the dissidents in Tiananmen Square.
The American Goddess of Liberty lives and moves though whatever dimension such beings move. Formed from a Roman Goddess, an Indian Queen / Princess and a French goddess / mother she is a force that if I am to judge by the synchroncities that kept popping up while reaching this month's Goddess of the Month, one that cannot be deigned!
"In a chariot of light from the regions of the day, The Goddess of Liberty came,
Ten thousand celestials directed her way, And hither conducted the dame.
A fair budding branch from the gardens above, Where millions with millions agree,
She brought in her hand as a pledge of her love, and the plant she named Liberty Tree.
The celestial exotic stuck deep in the ground, Like a native it flourished and bore;
The fame of its fruit drew the nations around To seek out this peaceable shore.
Unmindful of names or distinctions they came, For freemen like brothers agree;
With one Spirit endued, they one friendship pursued, And their temple was Liberty Tree.
"But hear, O ye swains ('tis a tale most profane), How all the tyrannical powers,
Kings, Commons, and Lords, are uniting amain To cut down this guardian of ours.
From the east to the west blow the trumpet to arms, Thro' the land let the sound of it flee:
Let the far and the near all unite with a cheer, In defense of our Liberty Tree."
HOLY BOOKS: Hard to say. Mainly poems and songs it would seem.
Some might say that calling Lady Liberty a Goddess is pushing the concept of deity. After all it's just a statue right? Not only just a statue it's one that no one had ever even worshipped.... Correct?
As the 18th century started greater European influence stated to be shown in the depictions of the Goddess of Liberty.
Until Her most famous depiction came about because of two Frenchmen, de Laboulaye & Bartholdi. The idea of the Statue of Liberty was not welcome by either the federal or New York state government. However due to a campaign stated by Joseph Pulitzer the people raised the funds for the American half of the bill in just five months.