Grandmother Stones of Megalithic Europe The female statue-menhirs are Europe’s earliest monumental art, yet omitted by most histories and even many archeological surveys. Max Dashu provides a visual overview of these rarely-published monuments of France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Sardinia, and a few from Germany, Ukraine, and Greece. In some places both female and male monoliths appear, but in others, they are exclusively female, suggesting a matrilineal cultural pattern. She offers a look at their recurrent symbols of breasts and necklaces, vulva signs, and the “ancestor-face,” and notes similarities to megalithic women in the Maghreb and Ethiopia. This hidden female heritage lies at the foundations of European history, at the end of the neolithic era. a live digital presentation by Max Dashu full length 90 minutes, add 10 minutes for break Requires digital projector, mic, and screen. Related: Monumental Women of Ethiopia (new)

Megalithic Europe II: Womb Tombs

Max Dashu presens a visual survey of “passage Graves"/ "allées couvertes” in neolithic Europe. Includes: the engraved halls of Gavrinis and Loughcrew, Dowth and Fourknocks. The Hag's Chair at Cairn T on Sliabh na Callighe (Crone's Mountain). Los Millares and the Dolmen de Soto in Spain, and the painted chambers of Portugal. Engraved niches and stone basins of Bru na Boinne, Knowth, and Dowth. Stone idolillos of Spain, Roches des Fées in France, and Domas de Janas in Sardinia. Thematic connections with petroglyphs, and folk traditions of the síddhe, bergfolk, ludkova gora, and the dead among the fairy hosts. Legends of the Merry Maidens and druidesses petrifiées. Christianized megalithic sanctuaries and stones.

live digital presentation by Max Dashu

"I have often said that an hour with Max is like a private tour with the art historian of the library at Alexandria.  She looks at and looks for sacred images of women with a passion that is second to none.  But she also knows how to present this elusive, esoteric material in a way that makes it accessible.  She ties together all the disjointed bits of information found in literature of art history, folklore, and archaeology." --Sid Reger, Association for Women and Mythology