Research help please

[lttl]

My women't mysteries group is planning on working with the bonds of friendship between women. Usually we use a myth as a basis for the work. The problem is that I can't think of any stories of femanine friendship. All of the stories I know of involve Goddesses generally being catty or competative or jealous with eachother. This is the exact

Comments

[athenawindsong]

This one is easy. The abduction by Hades of Persephone shows a perfect familial/sisterhood bond between her, Demeter, and Hecate for Persephone's rescue from the underworld - and the Greek explanation for the 4 seasons.

[lykios]

This is an excellent suggestion, and you might even take it further. Research the story of Baubo and Demeter in the same myth cycle. Baubo finds the goddess (Demeter) weeping at a well and pities her sorrow so that she, in desperation, lifts her skirts to get the Goddess to smile. There were whole women's festivals in Greece and parts of Egypt that revolve around this myth.

Hope this is helpful.

[saavik]

If you're looking for heroic tales, try Marion Zimmer-Bradleys stories of the Renunciates of Darkover in her Darkover series.
Examples of moden mythologizing, if you like.

Margo

[el_sharra]

You could also look at Harmonia and the Amazonian culture, both modern and ancient interpritations of it.

Erishkigal and Inanna would be excellent choices as it aslo covers the idea of embracing the part of us we often reject and could easily be interprited in a body image or self confidance ritual.

Other ideas could be Artemis and her companion nymphs or the matron relationship between Inanna and her priestess Enhenduanna

[leeneh]

I'm thinking about the three sisters from popular Scandinavian beliefs that herder girls turn to for help with the animals and against predators in their magical songs. They are often described in ways that makes me think of Fulla, Hlin and Gnå, the three friends and handmaidens of Frigg, but they usually go by bynames like Åsamøy Dyre (precious maiden of the æser) or some such, so I can't really be sure exactly who they really are. They might be lesser æser remembered and venerated only locally; I know them from magical herder songs from one particular district. But they might be worth looking up anyway - Fulla, Hlin and Gnå, that is.

[verdecat]

Probably a little late, but MArion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon series, or the muses from Greek Mythology, the Fates, the Valkeries, the Isle of Lesbos, The Vestial Virgins. It all depends on the way you want to direct it.