| All rights reserved. |
Baubo--Root Woman
Baubo--Root Woman
Root woman came to me as a story—told by Clarissa
Pinkola Estes in “Women Who Run With the
Wolves”.. It begins with Demeter the grieving mother
who has lost her daughter, Persephone, to Hades
the dark lord of the underworld.
“So, she who had made everything grow in
perpetuity, cursed all fertile fields of the world,
screaming in her grief, 'Die! Die! Die!' Because of
Demeter's curse, no child could be born, no wheat
could rise for bread, no flowers for feasts, no boughs
for the dead. Every thing lay withered and sucked at
parched earth and dry breast. Demeter herself no
longer bathed. Her robes were mud drenched her
hair hung in dreadlocks. Even though the pain in her
heart was staggering, she would not surrender. After
many askings, pleadings, and episodes, all leading to
nothing, she finally slumped down at the side of a
well in a village where she was unknown. And as she
leaned her aching body against the cool stone of the
well, along came a woman, or rather a sort of woman.
And this woman danced up to Demeter wiggling her
hips in a way suggesting sexual intercourse, and
shaking her breast in her little dance. And when
Demeter saw her, she couldn't help but smile a little.
The dancing female was very magical indeed, for she
had no head whatsoever, and her nipples were her
eyes and her vulva was her mouth. It was through
this lovely mouth that she began to regale Demeter
with some nice juicy jokes.
Demeter began to smile, and then chuckled, and
then gave a full belly laugh and together the two
women laughed, the little belly Goddess Baubo and
the powerful Mother Earth Goddess, Demeter. And it
was just this laughing that drew Demeter our of her
depression and gave her the energy to continue her
search for her daughter, which, with the help of
Baubo, and the crone Hecate, and the sun Helios,
was ultimately successful. Persephone was restored
to her mother. The work, the land, and the bellies of
women thrived again.”
I was struck by this image of Baubo—this juicy & life
bringing woman with no head. That could be scary
thing to see as an every day person.. Yet I wanted to
bring her up from the wild well into the overly tame
21st century—how to do this?
This is when I was looking at trees in winter. They
had limbs, crotches and eye holes. I began taking
many digital images then turning them up side down
and there they were—tree men and women...thus
began the series of “tree” then “root women”. I see
them as little tributes to the resilient & irrepressible
spirit of Baubo.
Root woman came to me as a story—told by Clarissa
Pinkola Estes in “Women Who Run With the
Wolves”.. It begins with Demeter the grieving mother
who has lost her daughter, Persephone, to Hades
the dark lord of the underworld.
“So, she who had made everything grow in
perpetuity, cursed all fertile fields of the world,
screaming in her grief, 'Die! Die! Die!' Because of
Demeter's curse, no child could be born, no wheat
could rise for bread, no flowers for feasts, no boughs
for the dead. Every thing lay withered and sucked at
parched earth and dry breast. Demeter herself no
longer bathed. Her robes were mud drenched her
hair hung in dreadlocks. Even though the pain in her
heart was staggering, she would not surrender. After
many askings, pleadings, and episodes, all leading to
nothing, she finally slumped down at the side of a
well in a village where she was unknown. And as she
leaned her aching body against the cool stone of the
well, along came a woman, or rather a sort of woman.
And this woman danced up to Demeter wiggling her
hips in a way suggesting sexual intercourse, and
shaking her breast in her little dance. And when
Demeter saw her, she couldn't help but smile a little.
The dancing female was very magical indeed, for she
had no head whatsoever, and her nipples were her
eyes and her vulva was her mouth. It was through
this lovely mouth that she began to regale Demeter
with some nice juicy jokes.
Demeter began to smile, and then chuckled, and
then gave a full belly laugh and together the two
women laughed, the little belly Goddess Baubo and
the powerful Mother Earth Goddess, Demeter. And it
was just this laughing that drew Demeter our of her
depression and gave her the energy to continue her
search for her daughter, which, with the help of
Baubo, and the crone Hecate, and the sun Helios,
was ultimately successful. Persephone was restored
to her mother. The work, the land, and the bellies of
women thrived again.”
I was struck by this image of Baubo—this juicy & life
bringing woman with no head. That could be scary
thing to see as an every day person.. Yet I wanted to
bring her up from the wild well into the overly tame
21st century—how to do this?
This is when I was looking at trees in winter. They
had limbs, crotches and eye holes. I began taking
many digital images then turning them up side down
and there they were—tree men and women...thus
began the series of “tree” then “root women”. I see
them as little tributes to the resilient & irrepressible
spirit of Baubo.
 |  |  |  |
| | | |