A popular hypothesis is that sheela na gigs represent a pagan goddess, but academics believe the situation was more complex, with multiple interpretations and roles for the female character as spiritual traditions changed over time. The goddess in question usually is identified as Celtic, the hag-like Cailleach figure of Irish and Scottish mythology. Margaret Murray proposed this, as did Anne Ross, who wrote in her essay, ``The Divine Hag of the Pagan Celts'', ``I would like to suggest that in their earliest iconographic form they do in fact portray the territorial or war-goddess in her hag-like aspect...''
A popular hypothesis is that sheela na gigs represent a pagan goddess, but academics believe the situation was more complex, with multiple interpretations and roles for the female character as spiritual traditions changed over time.
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
A
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
popular
popular
ADJ
JJ
nsubj:outer
Number=Sing
hypothesis
hypothesis
NOUN
NN
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
be
is
AUX
VBZ
mark
that
that
SCONJ
IN
compound
Number=Sing
Sheela
sheela
PROPN
NNP
case
to
na
PART
TO
nsubj
Number=Plur
gig
gigs
NOUN
NNS
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
represent
represent
VERB
VBP
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
pagan
pagan
ADJ
JJ
obj
Number=Sing
goddess
goddess
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
cc
but
but
CCONJ
CC
nsubj
Number=Plur
academic
academics
NOUN
NNS
conj
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
believe
believe
VERB
VBP
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
nsubj
Number=Sing
situation
situation
NOUN
NN
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
was
AUX
VBD
advmod
Degree=Cmp
more
more
ADV
RBR
ccomp
Degree=Pos
complex
complex
ADJ
JJ
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
case
with
with
ADP
IN
amod
Degree=Pos
multiple
multiple
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Plur
interpretation
interpretations
NOUN
NNS
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
conj
Number=Plur
role
roles
NOUN
NNS
case
for
for
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
female
female
ADJ
JJ
nmod
Number=Sing
character
character
NOUN
NN
mark
as
as
SCONJ
IN
amod
Degree=Pos
spiritual
spiritual
ADJ
JJ
nsubj
Number=Plur
tradition
traditions
NOUN
NNS
advcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
change
changed
VERB
VBD
case
over
over
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Sing
time
time
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
The goddess in question usually is identified as Celtic, the hag-like Cailleach figure of Irish and Scottish mythology.
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
The
DET
DT
nsubj:pass
Number=Sing
goddess
goddess
NOUN
NN
case
in
in
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Sing
question
question
NOUN
NN
advmod
usually
usually
ADV
RB
aux:pass
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
be
is
AUX
VBZ
root
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass
identify
identified
VERB
VBN
case
as
as
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Sing
Celtic
Celtic
PROPN
NNP
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
compound
Number=Sing
hag
hag
NOUN
NN
punct
-
-
PUNCT
HYPH
amod
like
like
ADP
IN
compound
Number=Sing
Cailleach
Cailleach
PROPN
NNP
appos
Number=Sing
figure
figure
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
amod
Degree=Pos
Irish
Irish
ADJ
JJ
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
conj
Degree=Pos
Scottish
Scottish
ADJ
JJ
nmod
Number=Sing
mythology
mythology
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
Margaret Murray proposed this, as did Anne Ross, who wrote in her essay, ``The Divine Hag of the Pagan Celts'', ``I would like to suggest that in their earliest iconographic form they do in fact portray the territorial or war-goddess in her hag-like aspect...''
nsubj
Number=Sing
Margaret
Margaret
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
Murray
Murray
PROPN
NNP
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
propose
proposed
VERB
VBD
obj
Number=Sing|PronType=Dem
this
this
PRON
DT
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
mark
as
as
SCONJ
IN
advcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
do
did
AUX
VBD
nsubj
Number=Sing
Anne
Anne
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
Ross
Ross
PROPN
NNP
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj
PronType=Rel
who
who
PRON
WP
acl:relcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
write
wrote
VERB
VBD
case
in
in
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP$
obl
Number=Sing
essay
essay
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
The
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
Divine
Divine
ADJ
NNP
appos
Number=Sing
Hag
Hag
PROPN
NNP
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
pagan
Pagan
ADJ
NNP
nmod
Number=Plur
Celts
Celts
PROPN
NNPS
punct
''
''
PUNCT
''
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
nsubj
Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs
I
I
PRON
PRP
aux
VerbForm=Fin
would
would
AUX
MD
parataxis
VerbForm=Inf
like
like
VERB
VB
mark
to
to
PART
TO
xcomp
VerbForm=Inf
suggest
suggest
VERB
VB
mark
that
that
SCONJ
IN
case
in
in
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
their
their
PRON
PRP$
amod
Degree=Sup
early
earliest
ADJ
JJS
amod
Degree=Pos
iconographic
iconographic
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Sing
form
form
NOUN
NN
nsubj
Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs
they
they
PRON
PRP
aux
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
do
do
AUX
VBP
case
in
in
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Sing
fact
fact
NOUN
NN
ccomp
VerbForm=Inf
portray
portray
VERB
VB
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
territorial
territorial
ADJ
JJ
cc
or
or
CCONJ
CC
compound
Number=Sing
war
war
NOUN
NN
punct
-
-
PUNCT
HYPH
obj
Number=Sing
goddess
goddess
NOUN
NN
case
in
in
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP$
compound
Number=Sing
hag
hag
NOUN
NN
punct
-
-
PUNCT
HYPH
amod
Degree=Pos
like
like
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Sing
aspect
aspect
NOUN
NN
punct
...
...
PUNCT
,
punct
''
''
PUNCT
''