Baubo and Sheela na Gig: Tracing the Roots of Sacred Eroticism

​The Near Eastern figure of Baubo and the Sheela na Gig of the British Isles and Western Europe share striking similarities in their iconography and possible functions. Both are often depicted as grotesque, exaggerated female figures emphasizing the vulva, and both are linked to themes of fertility, protection, and the subversive power of sexuality.

Baubo: The Laughing Goddess of Obscenity and Healing
Baubo appears in Greek mythology, particularly in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, where she is a bawdy, grotesque, and humorous figure who exposes her genitals to the grieving goddess Demeter, causing her to laugh. This act restores Demeter’s spirit, ultimately allowing her to resume her search for her daughter Persephone. Some scholars believe that Baubo has roots in earlier Near Eastern goddesses associated with fertility and sexuality, such as Inanna-Ishtar or Anat, who were also linked to themes of death, renewal, and the life cycle.

Baubo’s role suggests that sexuality, rather than being solely reproductive, held ritualistic and transformative power. Her explicit humor and bodily display appear to be tied to ancient rites of catharsis, protection, and renewal—functions that overlap with the later Sheela na Gig figures of Europe.

Sheela na Gig: The Apotropaic Vulva Display
Sheela na Gigs are medieval stone carvings found in Ireland, Britain, France, and Spain, featuring female figures holding open exaggerated vulvas. Their origins are debated, but their placement on churches, castles, and other structures suggests an apotropaic (protective) function, possibly to ward off evil, much like grotesques or gargoyles.

Theories about Sheela na Gigs range from Christian moral warnings against lust to survivals of pre-Christian goddess worship. Some interpretations align them with fertility figures akin to Baubo or prehistoric mother goddess statues. Others view them as remnants of older beliefs in the magical power of female sexuality, reflecting traditions where the act of exposing the vulva—akin to the ancient Greek ritual of anasyrma—was thought to drive away malevolent forces.

Connections and Theoretical Links
The correlation between Baubo and the Sheela na Gig suggests a broader, possibly ancient Indo-European or even older Neolithic tradition in which exaggerated representations of female sexuality were not just fertility symbols but also had protective and liminal functions. The act of exposing the vulva, whether in art or ritual, appears across multiple cultures as a form of power—one that could restore balance, dispel negativity, and affirm life.

1. Ritualistic and Protective Purposes: Both figures may have been used in fertility rites, initiation ceremonies, or as protective charms, similar to how the Sheela na Gig appears on churches and fortifications.
2. Links to Pagan Goddesses: Baubo’s origins possibly connect her to fertility deities like Inanna-Ishtar or even the Anatolian Cybele, while the Sheela na Gig may represent a folk memory of earlier goddess traditions in Europe.
3. Sexuality as a Sacred Force: Both figures suggest that sexuality was not merely about reproduction but had a deeper role in the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. Rather than being seen as obscene, the display of female sexuality in these contexts may have been viewed as a source of power, healing, and protection.

Conclusion
While there is no definitive proof that the Sheela na Gig directly descends from Baubo, their similarities hint at a continuity of belief systems where female sexuality and humor played key roles in sacred traditions. These figures challenge later moralistic interpretations of the body, revealing a more complex understanding of sexuality in early religious and spiritual contexts. They may represent echoes of a pre-Christian worldview where the vulva was not a source of shame but a symbol of life’s resilience and the mysteries of the divine.