The term *Dʰéǵʰōm, or her epithet *Pl̥th₂éwih₂, refers to the Earth goddess in Proto-Indo-European mythology, representing concepts of fertility, growth, and the eventual resting place for humans.
Mythology[]
This goddess, symbolizing the earth's vastness and darkness, played a crucial role in the belief systems of early Indo-European cultures, often juxtaposed with Dyēus, the sky deity, to symbolize the unity and contrast between earth and sky. This relationship was believed to bring prosperity and nourishment to communities through the blessings of rain.
Etymology[]
The word *dʰéǵʰōm, meaning 'earth', is one of the most robustly reconstructed terms across Indo-European languages, indicating a widespread reverence for the Earth goddess across various cultures. The goddess was also known by other names and epithets, such as the 'Broad One', highlighting her expansive nature. Linguistic evidence suggests the Earth goddess was conceptualized not just as a deity associated with the earth but as the Earth itself, embodying a divine presence in nature. This interpretation is supported by the epithets and expressions linked to her, such as *Dʰéǵʰōm Méh₂tēr ('Mother-Earth') and *Dʰéǵʰōm Dʰengwo- ('Dark Earth'), which reflect her nurturing and all-encompassing characteristics.
The Earth goddess's portrayal as a mother, the 'Broad One', and a dark, fertile ground underscores her central role in Proto-Indo-European mythology as the source of life and the final abode for the dead. This dual aspect of nurturing and receiving the deceased aligns with the broader Indo-European narrative of a cyclical view of life and death, fertility, and renewal.
In various mythologies, the Earth goddess was paired with a sky or storm deity, symbolizing the marriage of heaven and earth that fosters growth and fertility. This union is celebrated in numerous Indo-European traditions through rituals and invocations, emphasizing the goddess's role in agriculture, prosperity, and the natural order.
The Earth goddess's association with death and the underworld, alongside her nurturing aspect, paints a complex picture of her as both the giver of life and the receiver of the dead, highlighting the interconnectedness of life, death, and rebirth in the natural world. This connection is further explored in various cultural expressions and rituals across Indo-European societies, emphasizing the reverence for the earth as a divine entity that sustains and envelops all life.