ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the myths and rituals that have always played a role in promoting fertility around the world. It starts with an overview of ancient Mesopotamia and the female divinities. It describes Greek and Egyptian myths and the role of the gods in Indonesia alongside fertility rituals in Latin America. It addresses the topic of women's stories in the Bible and the role of deities in fertility issues under the influence of the patriarchal order. The myth of maternal love in modernity with heroic and self-sacrificial characteristics is also analysed. Finally, the Oedipus myth is revisited from three angles: infanticide, incest, and infertility.
