Fierce Feminine Divinities of Eurasia and Latin America

In this provocative book, Malgorzata Oleszkiewicz-Peralba examines untamed feminine divinities from around the world. Although distant geographically, these divine figures are surprisingly similar-representing concepts of liminality, outsiderhood, and structural inferiority, embodied in the divine feminine. These strong, independent, unrestrained figures are connected to the periphery and to magical powers, including power over sexuality, transformation, and death. Oleszkiewicz-Peralba offers a study of the origin and worship of four feminine deities across cultures and continents: the Slavic Baba Yaga, the Hindu Kali, the Brazilian Pombagira, and the Mexican Santa Muerte. Although these divinities have often been marginalized through dismissal, demonization, and dulcification, they continue to be extremely attractive, as they empower their devotees confronting them with the ultimate reality of transience and death. Oleszkiewicz-Peralba examines how these sacred icons have been adaptedand transformed across time and place.

*Chestnut, Andrew. (Oxford University Press, 2012).*McDermott, Rachel Fell and Jeffrey J. Kripal (editors). (University of California Press, 2003).*Hayes, Kelly E. (University of California Press, 2011).While all are valuable studies about individual divinities, this book is the only to consider them in a comparative study.

IntroductionPART I: EURASIA1. Baba Yaga, the Witch from Slavic Fairy Tales2. Ka¯li¯, the Ultimate Fierce FemininePART II: LATIN AMERICA3. Pombagira, the Holy Streetwalker4. Santa Muerte, Death the ProtectorConclusion