Spillway
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Bekirebeka,
Many-Armed
Goddess of the
Garden
By H.M. Woggleberg, T.E
A personification of the forces of creation and destruction inherent in
any gardening or landscaping activity, Bekirebeka is depicted here in a
traditional pose.
Often, as here, she is
shown standing in the Archetypal Garden, feet
planted solidly on the earth that she dominates, with
some piece or
other of garden sculpture in the background (in this
case, the Orb
of Refulgence, first found in images dating from
Classical times).
Also in the background is the Chain-Link Fence of
Separation (a
Neoclassical addition).
The Sacred Implements clutched in the deity's hands include (from top
left, going clockwise): |
|
The Sharp Clippers ; an implement of
control. The earliest known mention of the Clippers in this role is in
the traditional tale of The Too Low River Birch . Earlier stories
mention the Clippers as a means of chopping up small fallen
branches, but it's unclear whether this is also intended as a
manifestation of control, or whether it pertains to the Creation of
Mulch, an important concern in the early Bekirebekan church.
Contemporary tales give more emphasis to the Obtaining of Free Mulch
rather than creation, but Mulch in general is a persistent theme
throughout the history of this faith, and there is no other Implement
that has a bearing on it.
The Plant Started From Seed , a symbol of creation and
growth.
The plant is prominent in the origin fable, The Great Plant Swap .
The Sprayer of Bug Death , a
manifestation of the deity's destructive aspects. This aspect is
featured in the admonitory tale Die You Damn Box Elder Bugs Die
Ha Ha Ha .
The Plastic Pail of Watering ,
symbolic of nurturing, doesn't appear specifically in any tales;
however, its name and function are traditionally known. Many stories
describe her watering things without telling how, and some contemporary
depictions show her holding a Hose and Wand of Watering rather than the
pail.
The Sturdy Trowel is
interpreted by different scholars either as evoking new beginnings, or
as a further manifestation of destruction (as in the uprooting of
uninvited plants). Sharpe (1949) writes that this tool
is probably intentionally ambiguous,
pointing out its differing roles in the tales of The Joe-Pye That
Wasn't , and the traditional Moving the Verbena (reported by Hoskins,
1932).
The Fork of Stirring Things Up
, generally thought to indicate chaos and serendipity, perhaps as a
counterpoint to the control aspect of the Clippers.