goddess

5 Stories

Farmer Working His Fields Makes an Ancient Find

Limestone head is thought to represent the Canaanite goddess Anat

(Newser) - A farmer in the Gaza Strip went to work on Monday and found himself the subject of international news stories days later, all thanks to what he found in the ground. Nidal Abu Eid was plowing his land when he turned up a 4,500-year-old limestone head thought to represent...

NASA's Moon Mission Gets Most Appropriate Name

Greek moon goddess Artemis gets her due

(Newser) - NASA's next mission to the moon is appropriately named, considering efforts to include the first female lunar walk . The mission is dubbed Artemis, after the Greek goddess of the moon and twin sister of the god Apollo, whose namesake mission propelled 12 US astronauts to the moon from 1969...

Island That Bans Women on Verge of World Heritage Status

Okinoshima in southwestern Japan is considered too sacred for women to visit

(Newser) - For centuries, a remote island in southwestern Japan has been deemed too sacred for women to visit, and even the men who do must strip naked for a ritual cleansing, as well as never discuss the details of their trip. Okinoshima, an ancient religious site that is home to the...

Nepal's Retired Goddesses to Get Pensions

Girls lose their exalted status at puberty

(Newser) - It can be tough making the transition from living goddess to mere mortal, so the Nepalese government is here to help. The nation's retired Kumaris will soon get the equivalent of about $160 a month, reports the Economic Times . Kumaris, for the uninitiated, are young girls chosen to be...

Nepali Goddess Retires at 11
Nepali Goddess Retires at 11
Mar 3, 2008 12:35 PM CST

Nepali Goddess Retires at 11

Kumari briefly deposed last year after traveling abroad

(Newser) - Sajani Shakya, one of Nepal's living goddesses, is officially retiring at age 11, the AP reports. Religious leaders briefly stripped the Kumari of her divine status last year after she defied custom and traveled abroad, but her premature retirement isn't related to the controversy, officials say. She has "come...

5 Stories