Ancient Fertility Goddesses, Mary and Spirituality: The Austrian-Hungarian Case

The article is part of the series “Ancient Fertility Goddesses, Mary, Spirituality,” and it examines the unique spiritual and cultural landscape of Austria and Hungary, highlighting the historical connections between ancient fertility goddesses, the Virgin Mary, and regional spiritual practices. For a comprehensive overview of the intertwining of spirituality, culture, and history in the Austrian-Hungarian context, please visit the Zeno Holisticus Index Page.

11 Sept 24
Eben van Tonder

Table of Contents

Full Series

Introduction

The relationship between food and spirituality is not always obvious, yet the connection runs deep. Salt, a vital element in food production, held sacred significance in ancient fertility rites across Europe. These rituals focused on the nourishment of the earth and found a new spiritual expression in Marian devotion, particularly in Austria. Every blessing of the earth’s bounty, symbolized by Mary, bridges the ancient worship of fertility goddesses with Christian tradition, creating a spiritual link between agriculture and faith. This article delves into how these practices persist in the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The Basilica of Mariazell, one of Austria’s most venerated Marian pilgrimage sites, intertwines a rich Christian history with deep-rooted pre-Christian traditions. Located in Styria, its origins date back to 1157, when the Benedictine monk Magnus from St. Lambrecht Abbey brought a statue of the Virgin Mary to the area, marking the beginning of this sacred site. The veneration of Mary at Mariazell later intertwined with ancient earth goddess worship, particularly in regions where pagan customs, fertility rituals, and local deities like Perchta and Isis Noreia were prominent. As Christianity spread, many of these fertility goddesses were absorbed into the figure of the Virgin Mary, a practice evident throughout Hungary and Austria.

In this paper, we explore the historical, religious, and cultural transformation that took place from the worship of ancient female fertility deities to the Christian Marian devotion, particularly within the context of the Basilica of Mariazell. We trace the impact of the Reformation on these long-standing traditions and highlight how contemporary spiritual and scientific movements are rediscovering the interconnectedness between humanity, nature, and divinity.

Pre-Christian Mother Goddess Worship

In ancient Hungarian and Austrian pagan traditions, the worship of female fertility deities was central to religious life, with roots tracing back to pre-Celtic times (around 800 BCE). These regions, especially present-day Graz in Austria, were part of the Hallstatt culture, which stretched across modern Austria, Hungary, and parts of Germany. Regnum Noricum, a Celtic kingdom established around 400 BCE in the eastern Alps, was a cultural and economic centre that heavily influenced these regions.

The Great Mother Goddess symbolized fertility, birth, and rebirth, and worship of her predated the rise of Celtic culture. Evidence of these practices comes from archaeological findings, such as inscriptions, relics, and shrines. Deities like Isis Noreia were discovered in Carinthia, a region in southern Austria, particularly in the Magdalensberg, an important spiritual and trade centre during Roman and pre-Roman times. The discovery of inscriptions in this area, dating back to around 100 BCE, reveals the reverence for feminine divine power in local customs. The Egyptian goddess Isis, associated with magic and birth, was integrated into the local belief systems as evidenced by statues, inscriptions, and historical records from Roman times.

Before Isis, the goddess Retia was also venerated. The worship of Retia is known from scattered Roman and pre-Roman inscriptions and relics found throughout the region. She was revered as a mother goddess and protector of agricultural fertility. These traditions were gradually discovered through excavations, and inscriptions shed light on the roles these deities played in early societies.

These pagan deities influenced the later worship of Mary in Christian times, particularly in areas like Graz and Carinthia, where Marian devotion developed as Christianity spread through the region after the fall of the Roman Empire (around 400-600 CE). Many of these early fertility symbols were incorporated into the Christian veneration of the Virgin Mary. Mary took on roles such as protector and fertility symbol, reflecting the attributes of these earlier goddesses. This continuity is evident in the Marian devotion that remains strong in rural Austria and Hungary.

The integration of these deities into Christian practice is further seen in Perchta, a figure from Alpine folklore. Known for her association with household prosperity and fertility, Perchta was prominent in areas like Alpine Austria during the Middle Ages. Folk traditions related to Perchta persisted even as Christianity became dominant in the region by the 8th century CE. Her role in linking the well-being of the home and the earth is indicative of how pre-Christian traditions merged with new religious practices.

Isis Noreia and Retia are known to us through the study of historical inscriptions, statues, and dedications found in archaeological sites like the Magdalensberg and Hallstatt. Their names and attributes have been preserved in historical records, as well as in local legends and oral traditions passed down over centuries.

By the 12th century CE, the worship of Mary had fully integrated these ancient traditions, and sites like the Mariazell Basilica (established in 1157 CE) stand as monuments to this syncretism. Pilgrimages to these sites, much like the earlier earth goddess shrines, reflect the enduring reverence for the fertility and protection once offered by pagan goddesses, now embodied in the figure of Mary. Through these Christian sites, ancient customs of earth reverence and divine female power continue to influence religious practice in Austria and Hungary.

The Specific History of the Mariazell Basilica

The story of the Mariazell Basilica begins in 1157 with Magnus, a Benedictine monk from St. Lambrecht Abbey, setting off on a mission to deliver a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary to a nearby village. During his journey, Magnus was blocked by a large boulder. He prayed to the Virgin Mary, and miraculously, the boulder split in half, allowing him to continue. In gratitude for this divine intervention, Magnus built a small chapel at the exact location where the miracle occurred, housing the statue.

This wooden statue, now known as the Magna Mater Austriae, is believed to have been either brought from St. Lambrecht Abbey or crafted by Magnus himself. The small wooden figure remains enshrined in the Mariazell Basilica today and has been associated with many miraculous occurrences, especially healings. Pilgrims began flocking to the site, seeking spiritual healing and guidance through Mary’s intercession.

The original small chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary grew over the centuries. By the 17th century, a grand Baroque basilica was constructed on the same sacred site. Over time, the basilica became one of the most significant Marian pilgrimage destinations in Europe, attracting millions of visitors each year. The shrine became a place where the faithful could offer prayers for personal and communal concerns, especially relating to health, fertility, and protection.

The basilica’s Baroque design, with its ornate decorations and its spiritual significance, solidified Mariazell’s place as Austria’s most important Marian shrine. The wooden statue of the Magna Mater Austriae continues to inspire devotion and is regarded as a powerful symbol of the Virgin Mary’s protection over Austria, which has earned her the title “Great Mother of Austria”. This site remains one of Europe’s most visited pilgrimage destinations, encapsulating centuries of devotion and the enduring belief in the intercessory power of the Virgin Mary.

The Syncretic Transition to Marian Devotion

As Christianity spread across Europe, many pagan traditions were adapted rather than erased. In Hungary, Mary was given the title Magna Domina Hungarorum (Great Lady of the Hungarians). This reflected a local tradition of female protectors, previously symbolized by figures like Boldogasszony, a fertility goddess overseeing childbirth. In Austria, similar absorption took place, particularly in the worship of Perchta, an Alpine goddess linked to household protection and the earth’s cycles.

The transformation was not immediate but a gradual blending of older pagan traditions with Christian practices. As Christianity took root, people incorporated their pre-Christian customs into Marian devotion. For example, shrines dedicated to Mary often mirrored sacred spaces for ancient goddesses, like natural settings near water or mountains, common places of worship for earth goddesses. Scholars such as Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Mannhardt have studied these folk traditions, noting how the rituals survived in Marian prayers and festivals for safe childbirth and good harvests.

The Marian devotion evident today in Hungary and Austria owes much to these pre-Christian influences. What started as veneration for local deities was transformed into a deep cultural and religious tradition around the Virgin Mary.

The Impact of the Reformation and Rediscovering Spirituality

The Reformation significantly altered spiritual traditions, especially in Austria and Hungary, where earth goddess worship had long influenced religious life. Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin emphasized returning to the Bible as the ultimate source of truth, dismissing long-standing rituals and practices that integrated spirituality with nature. The reformers of the Protestant Reformation championed the idea of “Sola Fide”, meaning “by faith alone”, which emphasized salvation through faith without the need for works or mystical rituals. This belief stripped away the more mystical connections that many had to the land, fertility, and divine female figures like Mary. Alongside this, they also rallied behind “Sola Scriptura”—meaning “by Scripture alone”—dismissing other forms of divine knowledge, such as the inner light or inherent spiritual connection present in all humans.

Luther’s Sola Scriptura (by scripture alone) doctrine rejected centuries of evolving Christian traditions, such as Marian devotion that had gradually absorbed pagan goddess worship. While Luther appreciated Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus, he objected to her veneration as divine, a key component of the spirituality that had survived in Austria and Hungary, where Marian shrines were places of deep cultural significance.

Calvin, in his writings, harshly criticized the continued veneration of Mary and saints, arguing that these practices distracted from true Christian faith. The focus shifted from the interconnectedness of all things—humans, nature, the divine—to strict adherence to scripture, creating a disconnect from older, nature-based practices.

This shift had profound implications. What had been an interconnected spiritual framework—where fertility rituals and prayers for successful harvests were tied to the veneration of both pagan deities and Christian figures—was now replaced by a more rigid, dogmatic interpretation of scripture. This transition led to a form of dead orthodoxy, where spiritual practices became more about adhering to doctrine than experiencing divine connection.

The consequences of this shift became evident in the centuries that followed. Spirituality lost its organic, life-giving aspect, reduced to a series of formal, often hollow practices. Humanity’s connection to the divine through nature, rituals, and stories that had evolved over thousands of years was systematically dismantled.

By the Age of Enlightenment, during the Industrial Revolution, the focus of human thought moved further toward reason and away from spirituality. The emphasis on logic, scientific inquiry, and material progress sidelined traditional beliefs about human interconnectedness and divine intervention. Religion, stripped of its spiritual richness, became more of a societal duty than a personal, mystical experience. The result was an age of spiritual emptiness for many, where meaning was found in reason rather than in the mysteries of the universe.

However, in recent decades, scientific studies and philosophical inquiries have started correcting this course. The re-emergence of quantum physics, consciousness research, and spiritual exploration has opened new possibilities. Thinkers like Donald Hoffman and Roger Penrose argue that consciousness and reality are far more interconnected than previously thought. They suggest that quantum entanglement might explain phenomena like intuition, synchronicity, and collective experiences. This realization mirrors the ancient practices of interconnectedness found in pre-Christian and Christian spirituality, particularly those traditions that involved earth goddesses, fertility, and the worship of Mary.

Today, a growing awareness of a universal consciousness is reviving spirituality, offering people new ways to interpret old traditions. No longer do religious texts have to be seen as rigid, infallible dictates. Instead, they are understood as living stories that help guide people through life, much like the stories of ancient gods and goddesses once did. The resurgence of interest in meditation, mindfulness, and mystical experiences reflects a shift back toward spirituality that embraces both reason and the divine.

In this context, Carl Jung’s theory of synchronicity—meaningful coincidences that defy conventional explanation—resonates. Whether in human relationships or natural phenomena, we are discovering deeper connections to the world and each other. This insight challenges the Enlightenment’s emphasis on cold rationality and invites a return to the spiritual richness of earlier times, not in the form of dead orthodoxy, but as a dynamic, living force that integrates both ancient wisdom and modern understanding.

The dismantling of rich, mystical traditions during the Reformation led to centuries of spiritual disconnection. However, today’s discoveries in quantum mechanics and consciousness studies are breathing life back into spirituality, allowing us to embrace a more connected, integrated view of reality. This new perspective not only validates ancient beliefs but invites us to explore deeper truths that transcend reason and touch the very essence of existence.

The Impact of the Reformation

Lastly, a few words are in order about the impact of the Counter-Reformation on the basilica. During the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church sought to make itself more relevant in the face of Protestant challenges. A key focus was on streamlining religious practices, emphasizing practicality over the mystical elements that had characterized much of the medieval Church. This movement aimed to clarify doctrine, reinforce church hierarchy, and combat Protestantism’s criticism of Catholic excesses.

In regions like Styria, authorities sought to reduce what they viewed as superstitious practices, particularly pilgrimages, and excessive veneration of relics. This push for practicality came from figures like Emperor Joseph II, who implemented reforms aimed at limiting religious festivals and pilgrimages to restore a sense of rationality and order within Catholicism. His policies, known as Josephinism, were focused on curbing what he saw as irrational, emotional, or excessive religious practices, promoting instead a more restrained and utilitarian form of Catholic devotion.

Despite these efforts, popular devotion to the Mariazell Basilica persisted. The church had long been a focal point for Marian devotion, and the connection people felt to the Magna Mater Austriae (the small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary) was deeply ingrained. Rather than diminishing, pilgrimage and veneration at Mariazell continued to flourish, bolstered by the strong spiritual and cultural significance the site held for locals. The devotion to Mary in places like Mariazell allowed for the continuity of older religious traditions, despite the broader efforts to modernize and make the church more relevant to Enlightenment ideals of reason and order.

Ultimately, while the Counter-Reformation did introduce reforms aimed at modernizing the church and making it more “relevant” in the face of Protestant critiques, the spiritual practices surrounding Mariazell reflected a resistance to this rationalization. The basilica’s role as a site of miracles and healing proved too deeply rooted in the religious consciousness of the region to be easily swept away by the reformist impulses of the era.

For more insights, visit the Omnes Magazine article on the Shrine of Mariazell.

In the Gospel of Luke, the Magnificat is found in Luke 1:46-55. This is Mary’s hymn of praise to God after being told by the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to Jesus. Luke, known for emphasizing the significance of women, children, and the marginalized, highlights Mary’s deep humility and joy in God’s grace. The first lines of the Magnificat read: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”

The Syncretic Magnificat reimagines this, blending ancient earth goddess reverence with Christian devotion to Mary. It draws on the continuity of spiritual traditions, paying homage to fertility goddesses like Isis and Retia, who were revered for their nurturing power and integrates them into Marian worship. This transformation acknowledges the deep roots of maternal divinity in Christian and pre-Christian belief systems, showing how Mary came to symbolize not only divine grace but also the protective, life-giving forces traditionally embodied by these goddesses.

This reimagining allows for the reflection of both Christian and ancient traditions, bridging the spiritual connection across centuries.

The Syncretic Magnificat

My soul magnifies the ancient mothers,
And my spirit rejoices in their nurturing power.
For they have blessed the earth with their abundance,
And guided the harvest with their sacred hands.

From the mountains, they sent forth rivers,
And they watered the valleys, making them fertile.
They cast down barren lands,
And raised up fields full of life and sustenance.

Yet as the old paths met the new,
A virgin arose, carrying the grace of the earth.
In her, the wisdom of the goddesses resides,
In her, the fruits of the earth are blessed.

For the mighty are brought low, and the humble lifted up,
And Mary now watches over all who toil upon the land.
Her hands bless the seeds, and her prayers bring rain,
For as once the goddesses did, so now she nurtures life.

From age to age, her mercy endures,
For the land and its people, for the earth and its bounty.
She has filled the hungry with good things,
And sent the wealthy away with nothing, as the mothers of old once decreed.

Conclusion

As we reflect on the history of the Basilica of Mariazell and the broader spiritual transformations within Austria and Hungary, a remarkable thread of continuity emerges. From ancient times, when fertility goddesses like Isis and Retia were venerated, to the rise of Marian devotion, these traditions have deeply influenced the cultural and religious landscape. The Reformation momentarily disrupted this connection, but the echoes of these rich, earth-centred traditions remain in the spiritual fabric of these regions. In modern times, as scientific discoveries in consciousness and quantum mechanics rekindle the exploration of universal connectedness, we find ourselves returning to a holistic understanding of spirituality. This understanding embraces both the ancient reverence for the natural world and the more structured religious traditions that have since followed. As the Syncretic Magnificat reveals, the stories, myths, and deities of old still resonate with contemporary spiritual seekers, offering a bridge between past and present, faith and nature, and science and mysticism.

Full Index of all our work on the Virgin Mary.

Vollständiges Verzeichnis all unserer Arbeiten über die Jungfrau Maria.

References

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Jung, C.G. (1952). Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle. Princeton University Press.
Mannhardt, W. (1858). Germanische Mythen. Berlin: F. Dummler.
Penrose, R. (2004). The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe. Jonathan Cape.
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