return to Goddess Reference
or use Her Cyclopedia Index
SYMBOLS OF THE GODDESS -- B...
- BALANCE
- the corn-measure modius, or balance (Roman): sacred to Annona, symbolising the just distribution of corn
- BARLEY
- barley cakes (Roman): sacred to Anna-Perenna. [should this be under food?]
- BASKET
- basket of phallic objects (Greek) -- sacred to Augralides.
- winnowing basket (Hindustani) -- sacred to Dhumavati.
- basket with lotus flowers (Roman): sacred to Annona, perhaps symbolising Egypt as the main source of Rome's corn supply.
- the helene (Spartan), a basket used for carrying holy objects, perhaps phallic -- sacred to Helene.
- BAY-LAUREL see
LAUREL
- BEE, see also HONEY
- bee (Greek): sacred to Melissa (qv Aega).
- bee (Hattite > Hittite) -- sacred to Hannahannas, the bee is Her messenger.
- bee/honey (Greek: Mount Nysa) -- sacred to the Hyades
- honey (Greek): sacred to Melissa (qv AEGA).
- BEECH
- It was used for making writing tablets.
- BEETLE
- scarab-beetle (Egyptian): Sacred to Egyptian Ra. 122.
- BIRCH see also OLIVE
- Tree of the genus Betula -- having hard, close-grained wood and outer bark sometimes separable in thin layers.
- In the Beth Luis Nion writing system it is B for Beth, and = Bable in Nimrd's Tower. Graves WG 122.
- birch branch -- in European folk belief it protects a house against the evil eye, and lightning, and is associated with spring.
- birch -- In Victorian Flower Symbolism it stands for grace and meekness.
- birch, felled -- (Baltic, Serbian, Slavonic and Russian): sacred to Kupala. A birch was felled and used in Her rituals on Midsummer's Eve and day.
- birch (Norse): sacred to Thor.
- BIWA
- biwa (Japanese) -- sacred to Benzi-tennyo.
- BLACK, the colour.
- black, associated with a particular direction (Maya): perhaps sacred to Alom qv Alaghom-Naom.
- BLACK and WHITE, the colours.
- [black and white] (Greek, Thebes): sacred to Antiope.
- BLOOD, see SKULL
- but better to develope it here
- BLUEBELL see HYACINTH
- BOAR
- boar sacrifice (Greek): sacred to Alcmene. Her sacrifice of a boar to Zeus after Hercules killed the snakes in his cradle is remembered in the Old English Boar's Head feast.
- wild-boar (Celtic, continental): sacred to Arduina, Her mount.
- BOW and ARROWS, see also ARROWS
- bow and arrows (Libya, Egypt): Sacred to Neith as Goddess of the hunt.
- bow and arrows (Sumer): sacred to Agasaya, warrior and sky Goddess. As well as their battle symbolism in this case the arrows may signify the darts of lights which are drawn out of the bow of night.
- BRANCH/BOUGH
- branch -- sacred to Augralines, and see apple bough/branch and quince and birch
- BREAD
- [bread] (Roman): sacred to Annona.
- BRIDAL VEIL
- bridal-veil (Early Greek) -- sacred to Dione.
- BRIDGET'S CROSS
- Bridget's cross -- sacred to Brigit.
- BUFFALO
- buffalo (Hindustani) -- symbol of Durga.
- BULL
- bull (Persia): sacred to Anahita, probably in Her relation to Mithras.
- wild-bull (Greek, Thebes): sacred to Dirce qv Antiope.
- The bull Hap (Egyptian): sacred animal of the city Memphis, worhsip of whom is at least as old as the beginning of the dynastic period. Called by the Greeks, Apis. 122.
- The bull Mer-ur (Egyptian): sacred animal of the city Heliopolis, 122. The Deities named were incarnate in actual bulls which bore characteristic marks by which the priests recognised them. When such a bull was sacrificed and ritually eaten, the incarnate Deity transferred himself to another animal and therefore did not leave the earth, 122. Called by the Greeks, Mnevis.
- the "Bull of Amentet", (i.e., the "Bull of the Underworld") -- sacred to Osiris, God and judge of the dead, consort of ISIS]. In the Ptolemic period Osiris and Apis merged to become the God Sarapis, to whom were ascribed the attributes of both Egyptian and Greek Gods of the Underworld, 122.
- BUTTERFLY
- danaidae butterfly -- sacred to Danae {made so by Holladay Paganism}.
Return to the top of this document.