Wild and strange stories have been told about the female body since antiquity.

While tales of poisoned hymens and witches with multiple breasts circulated, the first creation figure, Mother Earth, fell out of popular culture. Ranging from the empowering to the absurd, ancient myths about women’s bodies have not only survived into the twenty-first century but continue to influence modern discourse.

The Shrinking Goddess brings together myths about the female form and traces subsequent male efforts to ‘tame’ it. Mineke Schipper explores how women’s bodies have been represented around the world, from the demon daughter of New Mexico with a toothed vagina, to the Japanese supermarkets and European festivals where ‘breast puddings’ are considered delicacies.

Drawing from the vast reservoir of writing and art that shape how women are seen in today’s world, The Shrinking Goddess reclaims the female body as a source of power.