Magna Mater

The beauty of womanhood and motherhood have been woven together in art and myth since the beginning of human history.  Nearly seven thousand years ago,  a maternal deity called "Cybele"emerged in the Asia Minor (Phrygia) among Greek colonists.  As she was often depicted with lions and mountains, Cybele was a formidable supernatural being.  Indeed, she seemed to be in a class by herself, and her followers - both male and female - respected her power of life.
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In Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), the people of ancient Sumer constructed Inanna by 4000BCE.  She was not only worshiped in temples as the Queen of Heaven but also as the Goddess of Love, Lust, Fertility and War. Interestingly, Inanna had a special relationship with the planet Venus and symbolized the search for passionate love affairs - never marriage. Although distinct in many respects, Cybele seems to have been influenced by Inanna, and some of her later attributes were likely acquired from cultural interaction between Europe and the modern Middle East over several centuries.
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During the Second Punic War (218-201BCE), Cybele was designated as Magna Mater - the "Great Mother" of Rome, and Rome went on to defeat rival Carthage for supremacy of the Mediterranean.  As a potent confluence of history and belief from Phrygia to Mesopotamia and through Rome in the ancient world, Magna Mater was deeply venerated, and a Roman festival of joy in mid-March known as Hilaria (from the Greek hilaris- the root of the English word "hilarious") honored Cybele as "the mother of the gods."  That, of course, placed all the pagan Roman gods - including the male gods - beneath her in at least some respects.  When the powerful Caesar Augustus (63BCE-14ACE) became the supreme leader of Rome (r. 27BCE-14ACE), he rebuilt and relocated the great temple to Magna Mater near his home on Palatine Hill.
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Magna Mater and Civilization
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For thousands of years, humankind has defined and redefined womanhood and motherhood. Yet, all truly great civilizations have recognized that women deserve the highest respect for their indispensable roles as mothers, sisters, daughters and most importantly - human beings. They are the foundation of all societies due to the incomparable sacrifices they make for their families and their communities  - time after time, generation after generation and from one historical era to the next.
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This timeless truth of the ages can be found no less in modern history. Consider, for example, how the following insights relate to the significance of womanhood and motherhood in the ancient world.  A brief commentary follows each quote.
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"An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy"  (an old Spanish proverb)
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Clearly, the proverb is attesting to the remarkable wisdom and common sense mothers possess in contrast to the rest of society - including religious leaders.  A good mother summons her unequaled powers of compassion and hope for the ones she loves.  As such, she can offer indispensable advice and comfort in troubled times. 
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"The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the keys of our souls in their bosoms."  (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, b.1841, d.1935)
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Holmes was a learned scholar.  His judgment on the relationship between women and religion likely resulted from both thinking and reading history - perhaps even the history of ancient civilizations.
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"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness."  (Honore de Balzac, French novelist, 1799-1850)
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Forgiveness is both difficult to ask for and to give.  Yet, it is necessary and the cornerstone of many religions.  If forgiveness is indeed at the core of a mother's nature as Balzac claims, then Holmes was surely correct on the unique relationship of women to religion.
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"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy.  No man does.  That's his."  (From the play The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895 by Oscar Wilde - Irish playwright, 1854-1900)
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Oscar Wilde was a literary genius.  Period.  From this line, Wilde was suggesting that all young women who have families have no other choice but to become the anchor - the most responsible member of the family - just like their mothers.  Perhaps a more recent quote by American actress Meryl Streep (b.1949) best illuminates Wilde's insight: "Motherhood has a very humanizing effect.  It reduces everything to essentials." Hence, a mother often gives up much her own identity and many of her dreams for the sake of her husband and children.  Their dreams become her dreams.
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By default, mothers become the planners and the problem-solvers.  Husbands, who rarely emulate their mothers, consequently fail to recognize the devotion of their wives to the family and their well-being.  As such, they take them for granted and become absorbed in their own lives.
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Wilde was absolutely right.  That is a tragedy.
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Hopefully, more sons will become like their mothers in the future.  If so, they will come to understand that character is built through sacrifice - putting oneself last for the benefit of others (especially women) - and bearing the burdens of life to enhance the happiness of family, friends and community.  Then and only then will Mother's Day take its rightful place as a daily celebration - instead of being one mere holiday a year.
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Photo: A statute of of the Roman Magna Mater (Cybele) with lions at her feet.
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J Roquen