Female Characters in

Mythology
 What is
Mythology?
• the Word mythology is comes from
Greek. It is formed by the
combination of the words μυθος
(mithos) and λογος (logos) which
means spoken or heard word, and
speak. Mythology explains to us, for
specific religion, or culture how
humanity and universe are created and
developed. In addition, it creates
traditions and explain where they
come from. Thanks to that, we can
understand a lot of thing about the
history of different nationalities. A lot
of cultures have their own
mythologies. For instance, Greeks,
Norses, Indians.
Female Characters in
Greek Mythology
In Greek mythology, female characters
symbolize abundance with their fertility,
and they also accepted cursed because
Greeks believe that females are seductive
and incomplete. Furthermore, in past,
women know the plants well, and how
they heal diseases. So, there was a belief
that those who knew how to heal also
knew how to kill. Also, in Greek
Mythology goddesses assumed like they
are second class. There is most important
Greek goddess.
Athena: Goddess of Intelligence,
Art, and Strategy
Athena is the goddess of intelligence, art, strategy, inspiration
and peace in Greek mythology. Her father is Zeus, the head of
the Gods, and her mother is Metis, the goddess of wisdom and
the first wife of Zeus. Its symbols are shield, spear, olive branch
and owl. The spear represents war, the olive branch represents
peace, and the sky-eyed owl represents wisdom. Athena is the
chief goddess and protector of the city of Athens, and the city
took its name from her. Athena had no companions or loved
ones. That's why she is also called Athena Parthenos, meaning
"Virgin Athena". The famous Parthenon Temple in Athens also
takes its name from here. This is not simply an observation of
Athena's virginity, but an affirmation of Her role as the perpetual
guardian of sexual modesty and divine mystery. This role she
assumed gave rise to many stories about Athena. There is a story
of Founding of the City of Athens:
While Athens was being built, Olympos Gods tried to decide who would
be its god. As a result of the eliminations, Poseidon and Athena are left
to finish. Zeus, the father of the gods, says that the god of the city will
be the one who gives the most useful gift to the city. Poseidon created a
horse and said that it would carry people everywhere. Athena creates the
olive tree, which is her symbol, and says that people can eat it, burn its
oil to keep warm, and preserve their food with this oil.
Female Characters in Norse Mythology
• Norse mythology depends on two simple text: Edda and Völuspa. Völuspa occurs from prophecies
of a female seer. This shows us that women play fundamental role in Norse mythology. Freyja is a
goddess in Norse mythology and in the old Norse language Freyja means lady, female leader, and
master. Additonally, Freyja is goddes of love, sexuality, beauty, and charm. Freyja or Freya is the
daughter of the sea god Njord and the sister of Freyr in Norse mythology. She is an important
fertility goddess. Freya's greatest treasure is the Brisings' necklace. To get her, she slept with the
four dwarves who made the necklace, and she had many fans because of her beauty.
Valkyries
Valkyries are young and beautiful maidens, armed with a
helmet and a spear, who are Odin's assistants in Norse
mythology. They descend from the sky on their wings to the
battlefield and take the brave heroes of the war, called
Einherjar, to Valhalla. The reason they took them here is to
gather powerful warriors to fight alongside Odin in Ragnarok,
the war that will happen at the end of the world
Female Characters in
Indian Mythology
• Indian mythology is full of fascinating stories
and extraordinary characters, and among these
stories, women play important roles that are
both inspiring and thought-provoking. These
legendary women have a wide range of
qualities and characteristics. From Sita to
Draupadi, these women continue to inspire us
even the contemporary world.
Creation of Woman
• God took the lightness of the leaf, the look of the gazelle,
the joy of the sunlight, the tears of the mist; He added to
this the indecision of the wind and the timidity of the
rabbit. He added to them the hardness of precious stones,
the taste of honey, the ferocity of the tiger, the fieryness
of fire, the cold of winter, the chatter of the magpie, and
the love of the dove. He mixed all this, melted it and
made a woman. He gifted the woman he created to man.

• There are three main goddesses of Indian mythology.

These are Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.
Durga the Goddess of Victory
•Durga is the form of a supreme goddess in Hinduism. She is depicted as a woman riding a lion and carrying
lethal weapons in her many arms, with the opposite peaceful and reassuring expression on her face, with her
hands indicating certain meanings.
Lakshmi the Goddess
of Wealth and Beauty
• Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, good
luck and beauty in Hindu belief and the
wife of the god Vishnu. Lakshmi may
also be called Lokamata, 'mother of the
world', and Lola, meaning indecisive, in
reference to her seemingly random
distribution of good luck.
Saraswati the Goddess of Music, Art, and
Knowledge
• Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of learning, wisdom, music, and aesthetics. She is the wife of
Brahme the creator god. The goddess has her own festivals, notably the Saraswati Puja, held on
the first day of spring. During the festival, worshippers wear yellow, which is associated with
wisdom and prosperity. Statues of the goddess are also draped in yellow silk, and believers
pray for blessings on their pens, books, and musical instruments.
 Female Characters’ Place and
Importance in Mythology

• Women in mythology have played important roles in many different cultures.

Women have played many different roles in mythological stories, such as
goddesses, heroes, princesses, wise women, evil witches or love goddesses.
Like these examples, women take part in a wide variety of roles in mythology,
and these roles reflect the perception of gender in mythological ages. However,
women are not limited to specific roles and, as important figures in mythology,
are depicted with both positive and negative characteristics.