The Blasphemous Art Project

Amazons were a legendary group of female warriors in Greek mythology whose skills in hunting and on the battlefield often surpassed that of men. They were believed to have come from the edges of the known world and were rumored to live in a society free of men, either killing their sons or exiling them. According to myth, their most famous trait is that they would cut off their right breasts to aid the precision and ease of their archery. There were elite Greek troops that were well known for the gay couples that would fight with an increased passion for the sake of protecting their lover on the battlefield; perhaps this was a tactic the Amazons utilized as well!

In Greek Mythology, Oceanids, or Sea Nymphs, were feminine spirits that personified many bodies of water and springs. They were the 3,000 daughters of the Titan Oceanus, himself a river that encircled the world, and the sea goddess Tethys. Many oceanids were more significant than typical nymphs; for example, the oceanid Metis mothered the goddess of wisdom Athena, and Styx personified the infamous river to the underworld. Sailors would routinely pay tribute to the oceanids by giving them drinks and sacrifices, praying to them to ensure a safe passage free of storms and obstructions, and for calm waters on the seas. However, these sacrifices may not stop these nymphs from wrecking a ship that carried a passenger that caught their eye!

According to one pre-colonial Filipino Tagalog creation myth, Ikapati, a fertility goddess, created Earth when she gave her lover, Bathala, clay to play with to help ease his boredom amid the empty universe. Bathala was amused and formed the clay into a ball and carefully crafted mountains, islands, rivers, and valleys. Ikapati thought his artistry was so beautiful that she hung it up in the sky, where they could admire his work together. Bathala is worshiped as an omnipotent creator of the universe, and he was known to communicate with humans through his auspicious blue "tigmamanukan" omen birds. Ikapati, also known as Lakanpati, is venerated for the abundance that she brings to crops and herds, and she is associated with unhusked rice. Both deities were identified with male and female qualities and are believed to be gender fluid.

Yawa, also known by her full title "Nagmalitong Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata," is a Filipino goddess of seduction and lust. According to some legends, she was birthed from a night flower as a fully grown woman. Her parents guarded her to the extent that sunlight never touched her skin, making her exceptionally pale. While she was under guardianship, she was taught weaponry skills and sorcery, and some worshippers even regarded her as a physical embodiment of a weapon. Her name translates roughly to "beguiling demoness, bedazzling goddess" and thus reveals how a shadow side accompanies her beauty. Due to Spanish colonialism, she became demonized, and for many, the word "Yawa" is synonymous with "Demon." She was originally married to Saragnayan, the Lord of Darkness, and they ruled over night creatures in Galdun, a realm where the sun never shines.

Lalahon is a pre-colonial Filipino goddess of volcanos. She is a guardian of wildlife and protects against natural calamities, like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and wildfires. Many native Negrense groups believed that she lived within the active volcano of Mt. Canloan on Negros Island. She was also worshipped as an agricultural goddess because the volcanic eruptions provided rich minerals to the soil in the surrounding areas, hence the meaning behind her name, which can be translated to "the one who brings times of plenty." The volcano was seen to represent her feminine nature; beautiful when serene and dormant, yet mighty, deadly, and destructive when a fiery outburst erupts. Her physical traits also express her spirit; her ruby eyes evoke images of hot coals, her dark hair is reminiscent of volcanic ash and rock, and her body can turn into flowing lava. She also has the power of pyrokinesis and can do everything from shooting fireballs from her palms to making a volcano explode at the snap of a finger. Despite being a mostly benevolent goddess who would come down to the mortals to grant them abundance, she was also known for her fondness for virgin sacrifices, as they would increase her beautiful appearance. Needless to say, with a goddess this powerful, it's best to stay on Lalahon's good side.