Greek Myth and The Cross-Eyed Mother

Gaia:  The Earth Mother

The second installation of Gabriela Mistral’s poetry (from Locas Mujeres), is complex and compelling.  Once again there are themes of self-exploration, motherhood, nature, love, and creation, to name a few.  Her ballad like lyricism has contrasting tones of whimsy, mourning, and reverence.  What keeps blowing me away about this author is what a good grasp she had on literature, particularly Greek mythology.  As a person with limited knowledge in this area, I find myself on Wiki a lot these days!

In “Madre Bisoja” (The Cross-Eyed Mother), Gabriela Mistral tackles the folklore surrounding the creation of Earth and all the things on it, night and day, life and death. 

Ésta que era nuestra Madre,

La tierra sombría y sacra

Y era tan vieja y tan niña

Que al verla se desvariaba.

Era la higuera de leche

Y era la Osa encrespada

Y era más, de ser la Loca

Que da su flanco por dádiva

A few things of note in these stanzas:

Firstly, the fig tree is a symbol of fertility, as it is known to bear much fruit.  The branches of the fig tree and its milky sap were offered to Juno, the fertility goddess, in ancient times.

The poem goes on to name Gea as the Mother:

Gea, or Gaia (of Greek Mythology) is the Earth Mother, the Great God of Nature, the Goddess of all creatures, and the eldest of all beings.  She is to whom all things are issued, and feeds all the creatures of the world.  She was manifest in enclosed spaces (the house, the courtyard, the womb, the CAVE), and because she is unable to completely separate herself from her element, she is often depicted half-risen from the Earth.

Gaia brought forth Uranus, the starry sky, her equal, to cover her and the sea, Virgin Mary Style.  That is, no baby daddy, but out of her owns self.  With Uranus she bore 12 children, which came to be known as the Titans.  The youngest child castrated Uranus one day, thus separating the sky from the earth.

People who worship Gaia today are unconcerned with material things and are more in tune with nature…  Hmmm.  Sound like anyone we know?