A dictionary of feminine symbols and important objects introduces important figures and sacred beliefs in history and mythology, and describes the origins of such symbols while providing accompanying illustrations.Amazon.com Review
If you look up the word lion in the dictionary on your desk, odds are you’ll learn it’s a large, carnivorous mammal. The entry may note that it’s the emblem of Great Britain, too, and mention courage and literary acumen, but… More >>
Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects
Ms. Walker seems to have three things on her mind: 1) Female supremacy, 2) Sex, and 3) discrediting Christianity.
While some of her descriptions seem to measure up with other texts and resources, she seems bent on making every symbol somehow related to sex, female supremacy and discrediting Christianity. This theme pervades her material to the point that I began to doubt her credibility on any level.
I have a lot of problems with her etymology (word origins) which seem to be her own imaginings. Further, she seems obsessed with femininity to the point that everything has origins with a Female deity– even male deities which, according to their respective religions, are autonomous.
Her ruthless attacks on Christianity strike me as odd only in that Christianity is the only religion that she maligns. All other religions seem to be just fine, but one gets the sense that she has some personal vendetta against Christianity. I found myself wondering if the book was really about bashing Christianity, or providing an objective resource for symbolism.
Rating: 1 / 5
I like the book because it had wonderful symbols. They were very decreptive about them, including the flowers, trees, and animas.
Rating: 5 / 5
I was dismayed to discover Walker’s acidic tone towards the Judeo-Christian religious tradition in this book. She seems to think that the fact that many Jewish and Christian symbols happen to have origins in Pagan cultures is somehow discrediting to Christianity and Judaism. In this and in some of her other writings, she makes it clear to the reader that it is her opinion that Judaism and Christianity are nothing more than a bastardized form of pseudo-Paganism in which the role of the woman has been subordinated. Merely because Judaism and Christianity borrow heavily from Pagan tradtions does not mean that they are not valid forms of spirtuality. It is all well and good to be proudly Pagan, but it is entirely unacceptable to denigrate other religions to be so. A true scholar must be strive to be as objective and unbiased as possible in their work, and Walker fails spectacularly in this respect. I do not reccommend this book to anyone, as Walker’s blatant bias makes me highly suspicious of her scholarship, and my suspicions seem to be confirmed by other reviewers.
Rating: 1 / 5
Barbare G. Walker has done a great job with wonderful attention to details. This book is good for the novice or more advanced people interested in Feminie/spiritual studies which has alot fo infomation and history from a women point of view which is nice to see still i think it’s a good book and has some useful information.
Rating: 4 / 5
maybe her work is not 100% seriously and perfectly researched. but i found this book extremelly intersted, and me and my friends had a great time looking through the definitions of various objects, animals, etc, etc etc. listing of the contents: round and oval motifs, long motifs, 3 way motifs, 4 way motifs, multipointed motifs, sacred objects, secular sacred objects, rituals, deities’ signs, supernaturals, zodiac, body parts, nature, animals, birds, insects, floewrs, plants, trees, fruit and foodstuffs, minerals, stones and shells.
there is an index, and each section lists all the items in that section in the ToC.
Rating: 5 / 5