A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses: Tales of the Feminine Divine from India and Beyond, edited by Mich

A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses: Tales of the Feminine Divine from India and Beyond, edited by Michael Slouber, University of California Press, 2020. Info: ucpress.edu.

Imagining the divine as female is rare—even controversial—in most religions. Hinduism, by contrast, preserves a rich and continuous tradition of goddess worship. A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses conveys the diversity of this tradition by bringing together a fresh array of captivating and largely overlooked Hindu goddess tales from different regions. As the first such anthology of goddess narratives in translation, this collection highlights a range of sources from ancient myths to modern lore. The goddesses featured here battle demons, perform miracles, and grant rare Tantric visions to their devotees. Each translation is paired with a short essay that explains the goddess’s historical and social context, elucidating the ways religion adapts to changing times.

Contents:
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
  Part One. Demons and Battle
1. Bhadrakali: Slaying the Demon in the Backwaters – Noor van Brussel
2. Camundi and Uttanahalli: Sisters of the Mysuru Hills – Caleb Simmons
3. Kausiki: The Virgin Demon Slayer – Judit Törzsök
4. The Seven Mothers: Origin Tales from Two Early Medieval Puranas – Shaman Hatley
  Part Two. Miracles and Devotees
5. Svasthani: Goddess of One’s Own Place – Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz
6. Kaila Devi: The Great Goddess as Local Avatar of Miracles – R. Jeremy Saul
7. Bahucara Mata: She Who Roams Widely – Darry Dinnell
8. Rastrasena: Hawk Goddess of the Mewar Mountains – Adam Newman
  Part Three. Tantras and Magic
9. Rangda in the Calon Arang: A Tale of Magic – Thomas M. Hunter and Ni Wayan Pasek Ariati
10. Tvarita: The Swift Goddess – Michael Slouber
11. Kamesvari: Visualizing the Goddess of Desire – Anna A. Golovkova
12. Avyapadesya: Indefinable Kali – Olga Serbaeva
Glossary
List of Deities and Characters
Primary Sources
References
List of Contributors
Index