The Origins of Mother Goose

Mother Goose may not be one of the first figures to come to mind when one thinks "goddess" but she is a continuation of an incredibly ancient tradition. One of the Bird goddess, specifically of the Goose/Swan. One can trace these remnants from the Northern Swan Maidens, Lohengrin the Swan Knight, or even to deities like Perchta and Juno! Though her more direct antecedents seem to have been figures like Swan Footed Berthe of French Folklore, who spun fate with a swans foot. The famous image of a woman riding a Goose can be seen in old Gaulish Deities like Frau Herra, who is depicted riding a goose. This idea of Goose Riding even appears in European Saints Myths, though it is often mistranslated as "Donkey". These elements fed into the choice for Mother Goose as the framing of many fairy tales and in keeping with many "Witch Cults" she was given a visage more akin to a Witch with magic broom and hat to match.-TLK