Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt, the wild, the moon, young girls, archery, and self-ownership. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo. Artemis was born first and then assisted her mother in delivering her twin, leading to many mothers looking to her for protection during childbirth. She is one of three maiden goddesses, and is considered "virginal" in the ancient sense. She is beholden to no man, free to make her own decisions and tread her own path (Mateer, 2022).

Reflections of Female Virginity

3 Mar 2024 06:45

There are many rituals revolving around coming of age and discovering sexuality in folklore. Psychoanalytic interpretations stresses these broad themes of understanding human behavior through psychological, social, and sexual development. This is especially true for young girls through folktales such as Bloody Mary, representing a girl's first menses (Sims & Stephens, 2011). In Ancient Greece, girls would visit temples of Artemis and donate their childhood clothing and toys to represent their transition into womanhood and their preparation for marriage. There is an idea that much like Apollo did with young men, Artemis aided in the transition during this ritual by teaching them that their sexuality was their own. They are more than vessels for childbearing and male gratification, but open to sexuality in their own right (Sherwood, 1996). 

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