ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the representations of the goddess in Eastern and Western texts with the aim of suggesting the existence of a body of literature, Gothic in flavor and effect, inspired by the much-feared divinity. It offers a survey of the representations of the goddess in subcontinental texts, followed by a survey of their Western counterparts with a special emphasis on Marguerite Yourcenar's tale "Kali Beheaded," read from a Gothic angle. During the epic period, Kali's first and most important attributes – that of a warrior goddess – emerge from an episode of "Mahabharata," the great Hindu classic. In Hindu writings, as much as in the Western ones, Kali is celestial, displaying noble wrath, directed against various demons, but she is also the goddess who delights in killing, abjection, and unleashed sexuality. The worshippers prefer to focus on her benevolent aspects since, although never shy of punishing wrongdoers, Kali is also capable of forgiveness and compassion.
