| The Kama Sutra, Tantric Goddess
Worship and the Song of Songs – a Comparison
Looking at the latest illustrated
colour edition of the Kama Sutra one could be forgiven for thinking that that
this book is one of the greatest erotic masterpieces ever written. The title
of another edition, “Kama Sutra: Aphorisms of Love”, suggests that the Kama
Sutra is meant to educate, enhance and expand the sex life of men and women,
implying that its philosophy combines sexuality and intimacy with the quest
for fulfilment of mind, body and soul.
The media has effectively made the
Kama Sutra a widely-accepted byword, and the term itself is often used
interchangeably with ‘Tantra’. People take this book as a comprehensive
sexual manual, the true path to tantric pleasure. The various sex positions
in Part Two are promoted for its forward-looking, sex-positive attitudes to
women. Consequently, the Kama Sutra is seen as an empowering tool for women
to use.
But how many people have looked at
the actual text? Those who start reading Part One of the book would certainly
realise that the Kama Sutra will never be mistaken for a feminist manifesto:
“Sexual relations
are forbidden with women of lower or higher caste, or with married women of
one’s own caste. This is not the case however with prostitutes or widows,
provided that it is only for pleasure ...
If the woman who
loves me has a rich and powerful husband who is in touch with my adversary,
she will arrange for her husband to harm him ...
Once she has
fallen in love with me, she (or I) may murder her husband and having obtained
of his wealth, I shall live in luxury ...
...There is
nothing wrong in having an affair with a woman out of (financial) interest.
If I am bankrupt, without any means and livelihood, thanks to this woman, I
can become rich easily; I will therefore become her lover.” (Part 1, Ch.5)
Indeed, what most people imagine to
be a liberal compilation of ideas about sex, sensation and pleasure for men
and women is basically just a handbook describing the best ways to use,
control and manipulate women.
The notion that the Kama Sutra is
one of the greatest treasures in tantric literature is mostly due to the
persistent emphasis on only one of the seven ‘books’ or ‘parts’ that comprise
the Kama Sutra - Part Two, which discusses sexual typology, positions,
kissing, biting, slapping, oral and unusual sex, etc. Part Two is perhaps
also the best known and, because of the erotic illustrations in innumerable
editions of the Kama Sutra, has overshadowed the rest of Vatsyayana's text in
the popular imagination.
Needless to say, the Kama Sutra is
no treasure as far as women’s emancipation is concerned, and scholars have
gone into detailed examination to show that, considering the age and period
of compilation it cannot be tantric either. The fact that the author
mentions, “some learned men, who object, and say that females, not being
allowed to study any science, should not study the Kama Sutra”, is just
further evidence that the text could not have been written in the spirit and
ethos of Tantra, where women are valued as teachers and gurus.
 In a previous article I have
explored authentic tantric goddess worship, but one doesn’t have to be an
expert to know that genuine Tantra requires unconditional respect and
reverence to every woman, as each and every woman is seen in Tantra, the
representative of the Goddess:With his powerful sceptre or wisdom, Even crippled women, artisans and women of the lowest caste”
For good measure, the Kama Sutra
does mention in the introduction to Part One that it is a duty to “visit the
sanctuary of the Goddess Sarasvati” , but as modern translations point out,
the Laws of Manu, India’s most famous early legal code, have a clearly more
significant influence on the text - including the views on women:
“In childhood a female must be subject to her
father, in youth to her husband, and when her lord is dead, to her sons; a
woman must never be independent ... It is the nature of women to seduce men
in this world, for that reason the wise never remain unguarded in the company
of females ... Women, shudra (the lowest of four castes), dog and crow embody
untruth, sin and darkness.”
The Kama Sutra — “kama” means desire, while “sutra” means
thread —was first translated into English in 1883 by two Indian Sanskrit
scholars, and polished by the explorer and linguist, Sir Richard Burton, who,
given censorship laws at the time, helped get it published privately. The
book was formally published only in 1962. We know very little about its
author, Vatsyayana, except that he probably lived sometime around the 4th
century CE. He never actually presents the Kama Sutra as his original work -
but rather as a compilation and impartial examination of existing ideas,
texts and traditions of his time. When Vatsyayana interjects a personal
opinion, he refers to himself in the third person. He makes it clear that this
book is written primarily for rich and powerful men, or as Wendy Doniger’s
new translation puts it: “the man-about-town”.
The Kama Sutra itself has 36
chapters, divided into 7 parts: the first is an introduction giving general
advice, the second covers sexual union. The next three sections are titled:
“About the Acquisition of a Wife”, “About a Wife” and “About the Wives of
Other People”. In these parts, the book describes courtship and the way a
woman behaves in response to male attention, proposals or sexual advances.
The descriptions range from old-fashioned but expected gender-normative
idiocy to offensive degradation. Among others, he warns, that the following
women should be avoided by prospective husbands:
“... One who
looks masculine, whose breasts are too big ... One who has been (raped)
polluted by another.1 One who is disfigured in any way (disabled) … also a girl whose name
ends in 'r' or 'l'...”
In Part Three, Chapter 5, “On the
Different Forms of Marriage”, Vatsyayana also gives details of the various
means by which a man can legitimately acquire a wife. While he agrees that a
marriage of love is, and should be, the best preferred option, he also lists
different scenarios of rape as perfectly legal and legitimate ways of
marriage. Some “practical advice” on marriage by rape:
“The man should
on the occasion of festivals get the nurse to give the girl some intoxicating
substance, and then cause her to be brought to some secure place under the
pretence of some business, and there having raped her before she recovers
from her intoxication – she would marry him.
The man should,
with the connivance of the (female accomplice) nurse, carry off the girl from
her house while she is asleep, and then, having raped her before she recovers
from her sleep ...
When the girl
goes to a garden, or to some village in the neighbourhood, the man should,
with his friends, fall on her guards, and having killed them, or frightened
them away, forcibly carry her off, rape her ….1)” … and because of the shame associated with rape,
she would have no choice but marry him.
The enormous sense of shame
associated with rape in the Indian psyche has filtered through to modern
times with lasting damage. Even the “father of modern India”, Mahatma Gandhi,
believed that women who were raped lost their value as human beings. He
argued that fathers could be justified in killing daughters who had been
sexually assaulted for the sake of family and community honour. He moderated
his views towards the end of his life. But the damage was done, and the
legacy lingers in every present-day Indian press report of a rape victim who
commits suicide out of "shame".2
The Song of Songs – “I am my
lover’s and my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies” (6:3)
“I am black and beautiful, O daughters of
Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.”3 (Song of
songs 1:5), proclaims the heroine in the Song of Solomon. Doing so however,
this sensuous, Goddess-like woman of the Hebrew Bible falls foul of the
exceptional “standards” of the Kama Sutra.
Unlike the Kama Sutra of
Vatsyayana, which addresses a male readership, the Song of Solomon clearly
refers to the “daughters of Jerusalem” in several verses (1:5. 2:7, 3:5, 10,
11. 5:8, 16, 8:4) as her audience. Here the woman’s voice and presence
dominates the rest of the Song. The Shulamite is a strong, independent woman
– hers is the first word (1:2) and hers is the last word also (8:14). She
takes more initiative in the acts of love than her beloved (3:1-5; 5:6-7),
and only she makes dramatic declarations about herself: she insists that her
very blackness is beautiful (1:5), and “I am a wall and my breasts like the
towers; then was I in his eyes as one that found peace (8:10)”
The author of Song of Songs is
clearly a woman, and we mainly hear a feminine voice that challenges
patriarchal values. Astonishingly the Song begins with the female initiating,
with the famous opening lines: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,
for your lovemaking (dodecha – דֹּדֶיךָ) is better than wine”. (1:2)
Solomon’s Song is, from the outset,
a love poem, two lovers celebrating their mutual love for one another,
including the delights of one others’ bodies. Although it has been compared
to the Kama Sutra, there is nothing that justifies this assertion. The
suggestion that it bears similarities to tantric texts, however, is much more
realistic and closer to the truth. The fact that the main protagonist is the
female is a good indication of tantric character. The author of the Hebrew
Goddess, Raphael Patai (1990), also reminds us about the similarity of
tantric hymns to the black and beautiful goddess Kali (p. 150), to certain
verses in the Song of Songs, especially (1:5), referring to the contemporary
interpretation of M. H Pope.
Marvin H. Pope (1995), in his epic
modern translation (over 700 pages) comments that the author of Song of Songs
reveals that sexual desire is an integral part of Eros, something to be
celebrated. In his focus, being true to the original text, Pope reveals some
key aspects of the Hebrew mindset, which both men and women can learn from.
Far from the Kama Sutra, where “men are the actors, and women are the persons
acted upon”, the Song of Songs is describing a relationship of equals, and
genuine tantric dialogue of the lovers, with all the senses, just as Tantra
teaches, using the senses in our relationships and sensuality:
Sight - ... show me your face (2:14); You have stolen my heart with
one glance of your eyes (4:9); How beautiful are your feet, your navel, your
stomach, your breasts, your eyes (7:1-6).
Hearing - ... let me hear your voice (2:14); Listen! My lover is
knocking (5:2); You who dwell in the gardens ... let me hear your voice!
(8:13)
Touch – Kiss me with kisses of your mouth (1:2); His left arm is under
my head and his right arm embraces me (2:6)
Taste – His fruit is sweet to my taste (2:3); ... and taste its choice
fruits (4:16); ... your mouth like the best wine (7:9)
Smell – Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes (1:3); The
mandrakes give a smell (7:13)
Throughout Pope’s translation one
also gets the distinct impression of the empowerment of the woman – she
proudly proclaims to the world that she is all woman, and beautiful,
betraying a clear confidence in herself and her body – a true Tantric
Goddess. While this is present in other translations, it comes through much
clearly in Pope. Repeatedly the man and woman within the Song show their care
for each other- not just for their bodies, but for their entire being. In
tantric terms, the word “prema” love as emotional attachment come to mind,
rather than just “kama” (physical desire), in contrast to the language of the
Kama Sutra.
In the spirit of authentic Tantra
the Goddess literally invites her lover to make love to her – “Let my beloved
come to his garden...”. The Hebrew word literally “come into” is used
frequently of sexual penetration. “... eat of the sweet fruit” (4:16). Here the
Shulamite also seems to encourage her lover to taste her sex. The fact that
contemporary scholars are not being constrained by religious constraints has
also allowed modern translations to re-interpret centuries-old traditional
translations. Significantly, the noun שֹׁרֶר (shorer) is a hapax legomenon, appearing in the
Hebrew Bible only once, here (7:2.). There is a debate whether it means
“navel” or “vulva”. Pope, in his interpretation asserts that the original
intended meaning is “vulva”:
“Your navel/vulva
is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of
wheat encircled by lilies.” (7:2)
This is contextually supported by
several factors: the descriptive praise of her begins with her feet and
concludes with her hair, as if her lover was on his knees at her feet, slowly
standing up, worshipping the Shulamite in a true tantric way. The movement
from her feet, to thighs (in 7:1), to her vulva (7:2), and then to her waist
(7:2), breasts, neck, nose, head and hair would fit this. The vivid
comparison to a glass of wine would be strange, if her navel were in view –
filled with liquid – but appropriately poetic, if her vulva were in view with
the moisture of desire, Pope suggests.4
“How beautiful your sandaled feet...
Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of an artist’s hands. Your navel/vulva is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns
of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose ... Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses. How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love, with your delights! Your stature is like that of the palm...” (Song of Songs 7:1-7)
These verses clearly echo the
instructions of the tantric goddess in early tantric texts:
“He should
continuously worship Vajrayogini, with flowers incense ...
Honour Her with speeches and ornate expressions ... He should gaze, touch and contemplate (her) ... Constantly take refuge at my feet ..., look at my three-petaled lotus, look at me up and down.”5 Drink sweet nectar from the lips below... Activities that produce the musk of desire ... Looking her up and down. Thus one attains extensive spiritual perfections and becomes equal to all Buddhas.”
This “spiritual perfection” is also
present in the Song of Songs, as Rabbi Akiba, one of the most famous sages of
the Talmud declares:
"The whole
world is not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was written, for all
the Scriptures are holy and the Song of Songs is holy of holies.” (Mishnah
Yadayim 3:5).
**********
(First published in ‘Goddess pages’: http://www.goddess-pages.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=807&Itemid=1&ed=25#ixzz28hH25wB7)
References: Dane, L (2003) The Complete Illustrated Kama
Sutra, Inner Traditions, Rochester
Danilou, A (1994) The Complete Kama Sutra : The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text, Park Street Press, [Unabridged edition] Patai, R (1990) The Hebrew Goddess, (3rd enlarged edition) Wayne State University Press Pope, M. H. (1995) Song of Songs: A New Translation and Commentary, Anchor Bible 7, Doubleday, New York Shaw, M (1995) Passionate Enlightenment: Women in Tantric Buddhism, Princeton University Press Vatsyayana, M ((Wendy Doniger, Sudhir Kakar - Translators) (2003) Kamasutra, Oxford University Press
Notes 1. The Kama Sutra was first published by Sir
Richard Burton (1883) and his is the most well-known translation, albeit
somewhat archaic and at times inaccurate. Two different modern scholarly
translations by Alain Danielou (1994) and Wendy Doniger (2003) also have some
difficulty with the ancient Sanskrit text, terms and expressions. Here, I
have made an attempt to integrate these translations with my understanding
and offer interpretation. It has to be pointed out therefore, that the
original text does not actually use the word, “rape” and the English
translations also use euphemisms, however in her notes Doniger (2009) does
draw attention to the fact that the Kama Sutra is effectively offering a
lesson in rape.
3. Traditional
bible translations translate this verse: "I am black but
beautiful..." - new translations acknowledge that the simple meaning is
"I am black and beautiful..."
4. Navel/vulva -
Classical Hebrew does not have words for sexual organs and often poetic
euphemisms are used instead. For example in Genesis (24:9), “So the servant
put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him
concerning this matter.” Here the text refers to the servant actually putting
his hand on Abraham’s circumcision, this being the most sacred thing to swear
an oath on. However, regardless of literal meaning, there can be no doubt
that the intended meaning here, is vulva.
|
| I first became aware of the personal, cultural and religious
significance of menstruation during my post-graduate research of the origins
of male circumcision. Among other theories, the term “menstruation envy” –
men’s desire to equal and imitate menstruation, creating parallel menstrual
rituals - were suggested in studies of different cultures all over the world. This revelation was the opening to me to search for,
and discover the Goddess. (First published in "Goddess Pages")
Olympia
The Temple of Hera at Olympia is
thought to be by far the oldest and predates the temple of Zeus (470 BCE -
completed circa 456 BCE). In fact the earliest Greek temple, according to
Carl Kerényi, was that of Hera, and it was a prototype for the later, more
"Olympian structures”.
Hera’s first Temple - the Heraion
of Samos - was a sanctuary on the
Southern region of Samos. Research has revealed many of construction phases,
the first dating to the 8th century BCE. The religion of Hera included
menstrual rituals to follow the cycles of the moon and every four years the
Goddess Hera was celebrated at the games & feast of the Heraia, where
only women ran races. Runners were selected from three age groups
representing the phases of the moon. These special games, Carl Kerényi
believes, originated what became the Olympic Games.
Pre-Olympian Myth: On the day of
the new moon, women of the city walked together to the river Eleutherion
(ελευθεριον - freedom) - the Water of Freedom. They bathed and then gathered
branches from the lygos bushes, which they laid in a circle. With the
blessing of Hera, the lygos encouraged the flow of their menstrual blood that
would complete the cleansing. As evening approached, they called upon the Goddess
in Her appearance as the Moon. Or as Carl Kerényi has called Her "the
spellbinding moonlight of Greece", the "origin of all things".
Gradually Hera drew forth the blood of purification and renewed fertility.
********
Working as a complementary therapist
in London, I have seen a significant increase in the number of women seeking
help for menstrual problems in the last few years. During the course of
treatments, I have time and again observed an overwhelming need to talk in
detail about the physical and emotional experience of menstruation, as if
there was an unstoppable desire to make it a shared experience.
Having read Comparative Religion at
post-graduate level, I often see these occasions as an opportunity to recall
the history of the Goddess as Her origin relates inextricably to the rituals
and mythology of menstruation. Clients find these sessions especially
healing, but Her story has not only engendered amazement, but often rage –
anger, that this rich heritage is not in the public domain and is missing
from general culture and awareness.
During treatments, these
conversations have repeatedly developed into integral part of some sessions,
leading to requests to give talks on the history of the Goddess as it relates
to menstruation. Consequently I have returned to the library of the University
of London, my alma mater, to have another look at the literature and some of
the archaeological, historical and etymological sources on this topic.
The Moon
 The phases of the Moon affect the
ebb and flow of the tides on earth. The Moon also affects our mood as well.
The gravitational pull of the Moon affects all bodies of water, including the
human body system, primarily made of water. Most commonly, women tend to
ovulate around the time of the full moon and begin menstruating just before or around the new
moon. Many cultures throughout time have referred to a woman's menses as her
"Moon time". From ancient times people recognized the connection of
the Moon’s cyclic nature with the cyclic nature of women's menstrual cycles.
Many creation myths follow the familiar theme that menstrual blood was the
source, from which the World and humans were created. Greek, Roman, Norse,
Celtic, Egyptian, Hindu and aboriginal Australian creation myths, all refer
to the mysterious and sacred nature of the Moon's cycle and menstrual
blood-flow as the very origin of life and Creation.
While Genesis, the most familiar
creation story to the Western mind, in the Bible does not appear to echo this
premise - God creating Earth simply from chaos and later
forming the first man, Adam from earth, breathing soul into him. A closer examination of
the original Hebrew text, however appears to reflect earlier creation myths
that place a kind of primordial blood as the fundamental source of creation.
Thus an examination of the Hebrew reveal that words for earth - adamah - and human/man – adam - can be traced to the actual root word: dam meaning blood. It is also important to note that unlike English, in the Hebrew
language nouns are divided into feminine and masculine gender and
interestingly both words (mother) earth (adamah) and soul(nefesh) are in the feminine
gender.
Researching and analysing this
theme from entirely diverse backgrounds, Chris Knight , Judy Grahn , as
well as authors of ‘The Wise Wound’ and
others, in their writings on different cultures and world mythologies, have
shown that all religious ceremonies, rites originated from ancient menstrual
rituals. Menstrual blood was considered by the earliest cultures to be one of
the most sacred substances since it is the only kind of blood that's not
linked to death and dying – but to the potential for new life.
In ancient times, the obvious and
visible relationship between phases of the Moon and the female cycle clearly
indicated women’s special relationship with nature generally and uniquely
with the Moon. It has been suggested that the very first religious rituals
developed, when in harmony with nature, as the New Moon menstrual synchrony
was celebrated in small communities by women. In various cultures the Moon
became the symbol of menstruation and femininity. This is again reflected in
language: in Latin languages - luna and once more in Hebrew - levanah, one of the expressions for moon is feminine.
Wisdom
A woman's cyclical life opens her
to a vast elemental force that is both deeply intimate and at the same time
cosmic; euphoric, creative, erotic and healing. She can enter the depth of
this sphere monthly at menstruation and the menstrual cycle is itself can be
the guidance for fully understanding and realizing this power, writes Alexandra Pope in the “Wild Genie”.
For our ancestors this power
reflected the rhythms of Mother Earth as the female body is also able to
renew, nurture, give birth, nourish and feed new life. For early humans it
seemed that it is by design that the menstrual blood, the only blood that is not
the result of illness or violence, holds the blessing and wisdom of Goddess
Earth and each and every woman carry within herself HER wisdom and blessing.
The negative patriarchal attitudes
to the Goddess, menstruation and women generally during the last 5,000 years
are well documented today. Yet it is significant that in ancient Greece the
Goddess Athena remained the representative of “Wisdom”. Later with the
emergence of Christianity the very name Sophia, meaning “wisdom”, perpetuated
this link between female blood and wisdom.
In the English language the words
“blood” and “blessing” has been traced back to a common root: bleodswean - “to sanctify with blood” - according to The Woman's Encyclopaedia of Myths
and Secrets. Here, Barbara Walker suggests
that the word has its origin in menstrual rituals.
The Kabbalah teaches us the
Scriptures are full of alluded meanings. So it should not come as a surprise
that the Hebrew word for blessing - berachah - is feminine. Moreover, in
Hebrew, words that represent wisdom - hochmah, insight - binah, knowledge – daat, are all feminine.
Healing
Menstrual blood was not only seen
as fundamental and central part of ritual, and perhaps magic. It was also
widely viewed as a universal elixir of life. Ancient Taoist teachings imply
that a person consuming it, could achieve longevity or even eternal life.
Ayurvedic medical practices recorded the use of menstrual blood, and in the
past it could be prescribed, both for internal and external use.
In Olympia the life of the Gods
depended on ambrosia: the mixture of the Goddess Hera’s menstrual blood and
honey ensuring their immortality. As well as the Moon, honey was also associated and used as a synonym for
menstrual blood in many cultures. The word “honeymoon", according to The Woman's Encyclopaedia, refers to the lunar month following the wedding
that would include a menstrual period, the real source of what was
euphemistically called moon-honey. According to ancient beliefs, the groom
had to be literally in contact with the source of life; the menstrual blood
of the bride. There are similar expressions today in different languages. The
Hungarian language has comparable traditions, calling this time mézeshetek - “honeyed weeks”.
Milk and honey
In popular thinking, the Jews of
the Hebrew Bible shared a common belief system, ruled by a male God. The
evidence from the Bible itself paints a different picture. Raphael Patai, the
noted Biblical scholar and author of The Hebrew Goddess states: "... it would be strange if the
Hebrew-Jewish religion, which flourished for centuries in a region of
intensive goddess cults, had remained immune to them." Archaeologists
have uncovered Hebrew settlements where the goddesses Asherah and
Astarte-Anath were routinely worshipped. And in fact, for about 3,000 years,
the Hebrews worshipped female deities.
The enduring presence of the
feminine facet of God, the female deity, Sechina, in the Hebrew Bible also
backs up Patai’s thesis. This is supported by evidence from wall paintings in
the earliest known synagogue - built in the middle of the 3rd century CE at
Dura Europos (in present day Syria). In the most sacred area of the building,
the heroic women of the Old Testament are portrayed on the murals. Only one
central figure is shown nude on the frescos. Raphael Patai, relying on early
rabbinic literature, the Midrash, convincingly presents a case that the naked
female figure is God’s female aspect - the Shechina.
The eternally present, but never
actually revealed divine feminine, never ceases to permeate the language - lashon, soul - nefesh and land – eretz, of the Hebrew Scriptures. Can it be
just a coincidence that these words are all feminine?
It is universally known that in
Judaism, contact with menstrual blood is not permitted and consuming any kind
of blood is forbidden as blood is believed to contain the (feminine) nefesh - soul (Leviticus 17: 14). The Kabbalah points out however that, after
giving birth, the mother’s body transforms menstrual blood, to life-giving
milk to feed the baby.
The familiar biblical phrase in
Deuteronomy (11:9) “A land flows with milk and honey” - 'eretz zavat halav udvash’ - appears several times in the Bible, and serves as the description of
the land of Israel. This phrase can be understood at many levels. The simple
meaning is - a rich and fertile land. In Numbers (13:23), we read that the
scouts return with pomegranates, figs and grapes as a confirmation that it is a land 'flowing
with milk and honey'.
Here, repeatedly, the reader comes
across an imagery of the feminine that was widespread in the ancient world.
Pomegranates were a universal symbol of fertility because of their many
seeds, and at the same time of menstruation because of the vivid blood red
colour. In mythology, the pomegranate was a symbol of the Aegean Triple
Goddess who evolved into Hera, who is often represented offering the
pomegranate. The fig in early and oriental cultures was similarly a symbol of
the feminine and fertility. In ancient Rome, where Hera has evolved to Juno,
She was celebrated as Goddess of the wild fig tree. Ancient rabbinic
literature also records discussions among the sages, suggesting that the
“forbidden fruit” of the ‘tree of knowledge’ in the Garden of Eden was either
the fig or the pomegranate that has given Adam and Eve sexual knowledge.
It is difficult not to notice the
rich sexual and clearly menstrual imagery here. The fact that milk and honey
are both considered feminine substances, literally or symbolically,
strengthens this argument. Additionally the word 'zavat' , which is translated as ‘flowing’ or 'oozing' ,
usually appears in the Bible within the context of sexual and body fluids,
including semen and menstrual blood.
There is further evidence to
support this interpretation of the feminine. The sexual imagery of the Bible
in King Solomon’s poetry uses similar expressions. In the Song of Songs
(4:11), we read: 'milk and honey are under your tongue’. Later (5:1) the erotic imagery of the feminine
or even menstrual, seems even more explicit: “I have come into my garden, my
sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh, with my spice; I have eaten my honey-comb with my
honey; I have drank my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yes, drink abundantly, O beloved.”
Searching for an additional layer
of meaning, when exploring the word “honey” again the Kabbalah puts forward an effortless but compelling
argument, simply by using numerology - gematria, the study of the numerical
value of Hebrew letters to reveal hidden meanings of words of the Bible. It
draws attention to the fact that the value of the letters in the word dvash - honey and the word isha - woman is equal. The numerical value in both words is 306. 3+0+6=9. Once again the timeless, pre-Olympian
Hera comes to mind, Goddess of fecundity, renewing her fertility in the river
at the new moon, revealing Her sacred number - 9.
©André Zsigmond
References:
Kerényi, C (1975) Zeus and Hera: Archetypal Image of Father, Husband and Wife
Patai, R (1990) The Hebrew
Goddess
Knight, C (1988) Menstrual Synchrony and the Australian Rainbow
Snake, In T. Buckley and A. Gottlieb (eds), Blood Magic:
The Anthropology of Menstruation
Shuttle, P; Redgrove, P (2005) The Wise Wound,
London: Marion Boyars Publishers
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