03-22-2024, 02:06 AM
Honoring Sally na Gig, Faery Woman of the Vulva. ![[Image: 2b50.png]](https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t3b/1.5/16/2b50.png)
St Patrick's Day was yesterday, however it’s lesser known that today (March 18th) is the day that honors Sally na Gigh, a powerful and mysterious figure / folk goddess from medieval Europe.
Her name is thought to mean “faery woman of the vulva” and her carvings can be found in Ireland, Britain, France, Spain, and beyond. Her carvings are especially abundant in Ireland, where there are more carvings of her than anywhere else combined.
She is mostly found on forgotten walls of country churches, graveyards, crumbling castles, and near sacred wells.
The origins of Sally are mysterious, dating back to the medieval period. Some people speculate that the first Sally na Gigs were carved in France and Spain and then made their way to Ireland during the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century.
There are lots of theories about Sally na Gig. Some of the early theories claimed they were grotesque figures to warn people against the sins of lust, given that so many of her carvings are found in the Christian setting of churches.
Shane Lehane, an archaeologist, folklorist & historian, says: “Sally has been the subject of a strong misogynistic perspective for a long time. They were seen as being symbols of evil, symbols of lust, symbols of eroticism.”
Interestingly, the act of women flashing their genitals has been believed to scare off demons as far back as the ancient Greeks.
More recently, researchers have leaned towards the idea that the Sally is a pre-Christian folk goddess and her exaggerated vulva a sign of life-giving powers and fertility, a portal between life and death.
During the centuries when pregnancy was a delicate balance between a fruitful new beginning or a young life cut short, women turned to Sally in their time of need. I’ve heard of a beautiful folk ritual in which women touch Sally carvings (her vulva specifically) for fertility.
Whatever her meaning may be, it can’t be ignored that her symbology echoes a much more ancient goddess tradition that can be found in Europe. In recent years, she's become a symbol of empowered female sexuality.
Long live Sally na Gig!
![[Image: SheelaWiki.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/SheelaWiki.jpg)
St Patrick's Day was yesterday, however it’s lesser known that today (March 18th) is the day that honors Sally na Gigh, a powerful and mysterious figure / folk goddess from medieval Europe.Her name is thought to mean “faery woman of the vulva” and her carvings can be found in Ireland, Britain, France, Spain, and beyond. Her carvings are especially abundant in Ireland, where there are more carvings of her than anywhere else combined.
She is mostly found on forgotten walls of country churches, graveyards, crumbling castles, and near sacred wells.
The origins of Sally are mysterious, dating back to the medieval period. Some people speculate that the first Sally na Gigs were carved in France and Spain and then made their way to Ireland during the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century.
There are lots of theories about Sally na Gig. Some of the early theories claimed they were grotesque figures to warn people against the sins of lust, given that so many of her carvings are found in the Christian setting of churches.
Shane Lehane, an archaeologist, folklorist & historian, says: “Sally has been the subject of a strong misogynistic perspective for a long time. They were seen as being symbols of evil, symbols of lust, symbols of eroticism.”
Interestingly, the act of women flashing their genitals has been believed to scare off demons as far back as the ancient Greeks.
More recently, researchers have leaned towards the idea that the Sally is a pre-Christian folk goddess and her exaggerated vulva a sign of life-giving powers and fertility, a portal between life and death.
During the centuries when pregnancy was a delicate balance between a fruitful new beginning or a young life cut short, women turned to Sally in their time of need. I’ve heard of a beautiful folk ritual in which women touch Sally carvings (her vulva specifically) for fertility.
Whatever her meaning may be, it can’t be ignored that her symbology echoes a much more ancient goddess tradition that can be found in Europe. In recent years, she's become a symbol of empowered female sexuality.
Long live Sally na Gig!