Geography/Culture: Christian adoption (and mortalisation) of a wide-spread Syrian Goddess.
Linguistic Note: The meaning of Mary is often given as 'bitter'. If there is an etymological connection between the Greek and Latin Maria, and the Italian feminine of marino, 'marine', from Latin mare, 'the sea' (not unlikely in view of Her association with the sea) perhaps the meaning signifies the sea by refering to the bitterness of salt-sea water as compared to fresh water. A conjuring perhaps of Christian theologians determined to downplay any resemblance Mary might have to a pagan Goddess. If it was known that Her name meant 'the Sea', Her Goddessness would be indisputable. And 'bitter' as the meaning of Mary's name is not borne out by the following etymology: Indo-European root mori, 'body of water'. 1. Germanic *mari- in a). Old English mere, 'sea, lake, pond'; b). Old Norse marr, 'sea'; c). Old High German mari, 'sea'; d). Middle Low German mare, 'lake'. 2. Germanic *mariska- in a). Old English mersc, merisc, 'marsh'; b). Old French marasc, 'marsh'. 3. Latin mare, 'sea'. 4. Old Irish muir (genitive mora), 'sea'. Related English words: Mere (2), mer-maid, Marram, Meerschaum, Maar, Marina ('Sea-Maiden' -- feminine given name, from the Latin), marsh, morass, mare (2), marine, maritime, beche-de-mare (cormorant), ultramarine, Muriel. English words derived from the name Mary: Marry! 'Mary!' (exclamation); marigold 'Mary-gold'; Marilyn (given name, probably a diminutive); Polly, variant of Molly, a diminutive.
Description: Virgin; Mother of God; Moon of the Church; Our moon; Our Lady; Spiritual Moon; Perfect and Eternal Moon; Star of the sea; Ruler of the Ocean; Queen of flowers; the Holy Spirit; Cauldron of inspiration; the Ark of the Covenant.
Note: Although in Christian theology Mary is merely a sainted mortal, it is clear from the reverence in which She is held by so many, and from Her titles shared by, and probably inherited from, many earlier Goddesses, that She is experienced as a powerful, divine, female force of a sort which in pre-Christian times would have been recognised as a Goddess. Christians call Her the first Christian!
Invocations, Pleas, Hymns and Other Homage to HER: Mary.
To Whom Sacred: Madonna lily (Lilium candidum). And by popular naming: marigold (which is also sacred to Aztec Goddesses); Marijuana; lady's slipper; lady's-tresses]; date palm; dove (i.e.: the Holy Ghost -- Her own self); the month of May; air.
Festival: August 15, some say August 13, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, (adopted from a festival of the Goddess Diana). February 2, Candlemas (adopted from the Goddess Brigit).
Male Associates: son/consort: Jesus, ----, by immaculate conception. Mortal consort, Joseph, ----.

Titles/Variants, etc:
• She assimilated the worship of Greek Alcmene, Power-of-the-Moon.
• Daughter of Middle Eastern Anne, Graceful-One.
• The earlier worship of Semitic Astart, Conceiving-Womb, influenced the worship of Mary, {Sea-Queen}.
• She is identified with Irish Brigit, Bright-Arrow, as Mary-of-the-Goidels.
• She is similar to Dea-Syria, Syrian-Goddess, (of Asia Minor) Who is linked with Derceto, Great-Whale. {prob best to drop this}
• She is identified with Roman Diana, Divine-Queen.
• Title: Ecclesia, YKLEgE6, She-Who-Summons-Together. Jesus is sometimes said to be Mary's spouse, this is probably a reference to Her title Ecclesia, meaning the church, which is often called the bride of Christ).
• Haitiian Erzulie, ----, has been identified with Mary, {Sea-Queen}.
• The lilium candidum is also sacred to Juno, {Shining-One}.
• Title: Madonna, My-Lady, below.
• She may have assimilated Roman Maia, Grandmother, Who is linked with Rosmerta, {Dew-of-the-Sea}.
• The earliest English spelling of Her name was: Marian, Sea-Queen, below.
• Welsh variant Mair.
• For the European language variant, Maria, see also below under Miryam, Sea-Brine.
• The concept of Mary, {Sea-Queen}, may have partly derived from Marienna, High-Fruitful-Mother-of-Heaven, below.
• Title: Mater-Dolorosa, Mourning-Mother, below.
• Her name could be etymologically related to Meri, {Sea-Queen}, Who is linked with Isis, Lap-of-Power.
• The word Mary is an Anglesized form of the Hebraic Miryam, Sea-Brine, below.
• Perhaps etymologically related to Greek Myrrha, She-of-the-Bitter-Tree'.
• Her title: Our-Lady-of-Guadelupe, is an absorption of the Aztec Goddess Tonantzin, Our-Revered-Mother.
• Christian forename: Saint, see Glossary.
• Some images of Mary, {Sea-Queen}, are similar to Greek Selene, Moon, (Who is linked with Phoebe, Moonlight), enthroned on the moon.
• She has been identified with Chinese Sheng-Mu, Holy-Mother.
• She is also called Stilla-Maris, Myrrh-of-the-Sea.
• Her title Stella-Maris, Star-of-the-Sea, was adopted from Egyptian Isis, Lap-of-Power.
• In Muslim tradition She gave birth to Jesus beneath a palm, see also Tamar, Date-Palm.
• She is identified with Aztec Tetevinan, Grandmother-of-Birth, Who is linked with Teteovinnan, Grandmother-of-Birth.
• Title: Theotokos, Mother-of-God.

Geography/Culture: Western European.
Linguistic Note: Italian ma, from Latin mea, 'my', plus donna, from Latin domina, 'Lady'.
Description: Title of Mary, frequently used for representations of Her.

Titles/Variants, etc:
• See also Dame, Lady, in glossary.
• Variant Madonna-of-Mercy.
• Variant Madonna-of-the-Sheaves.
• French variant Notre-Dame, Our-Lady, See the Glossary entry for Our-Lady.

Geography/Culture: From Eastern Mediterranean. British folk-lore and wicca tradition.
Description: Blue-robed, pearl neckleted, swarthy faced Goddess of the moon and the sea: She Whose rites save sailors from shipwreck; Queen of heaven and of love; May Bride; Matron of poets, lovers and archers; Civilizing influence.
To Whom Sacred: apple; myrtle; myrrh-tree; murex; quince-tree and fruit (the fruit was always held in Her hand as a love gift); pearls (which represent sea foam); purple amulet; mirror (which probably stood for 'know thyself'); plectrum (the comb in mermaid images may be in mistake for the plectrum); the oath "Marry Gyp"; the colours white, green, blue and scarlet; penny; merritotters (see-saws).
Iconography: The traditional mermaid (originally merry-maid) is Her image.
Festival: May Day - and all May Day jolities including the begetting of merribegots.
Male Associates: consort, Robin-Hood, (originally called Merddin), Lord of the Greenwood. The test of archery marksmanship by which Her consort was chosen was for the contestant to shoot an apple on the head of, or at a penny set in the cap of, the marksman's own son.

Titles/Variants, etc:
• Also called Maid-Marian.
• Also called Mary-Gypsy.
• Christianized as Saint Mary-of-Egypt.
• Marian, Sea-Queen, was the earliest English form of the Virgin's name, see also Miryam, Sea-Brine, below.

Geography/Culture: Sumerian, Cyprus, Crete.
Linguistic Note: the ri is from rim, 'to bear a child'.
Description: Goddess of the moon; eponym of the city Mariandyne.

Titles/Variants, etc:
• Anath, {Strength-of-Life}, is said to be comparable with Mari.
• She is also called Ay-Mari, ----. {Could the Ay- element be related to Akkadian Aya, The-Bride? She is linked with Aa, Great-Mother}.
• Variant: Mari, {Fruitful-Mother}, Whose name is written with a "buckled post" which stands for reed-hut, meaning "dwelling in", and a buskin; as resident in a buskin the sense is of the phallus container. It was on Her account that the Eygptians of 1000 B.C. called Cyprus Ay-Mari. She also ruled at Mari on the Euphrates and at Amari in Minoan Crete. Source: Graves WG 371.
• Also called: Mariamne, Sea-Lamb. See also
  Invocations, Pleas, Hymns and Other Homage to HER: Mariamne
• Perhaps Marienna, High-Fruitful-Mother-of-Heaven, was the percursor of Mary, {Sea-Queen}, above.
• The name Marienna, High-Fruitful-Mother-of-Heaven, and the name of Finnish Mier-Iema, {Water-Mother}, (Who is linked with Vete-Ema, Water-Mother), seem suggestively similiar.
• Perhaps etymologically related to Myrine, Sea-Goddess, Who is linked with Myrrha, She-of-the-Bitter-Tree.

Geography/Culture: Western European.

Titles/Variants, etc:
• Perhaps prefigured in Isis, Lap-of-Power, mourning for Osiris.

Geography/Culture: Syria: Hebraic and Moslemic.
Linguistic Note: Men-yodh-resh-mem, {I think}. Derived words: Mary, Marie.
Description: Mortal mother of God.
In an earlier, also mortal form as sister of Moses, She was associated with prophesy.
To Whom Sacred: the direction East (to which She withdrew from Her people and concieved there); palm-tree (the trunk of which She held when giving birth); dates (they sustained Her in Her travail).
Male Associate: son, Jesus, ESWS, ---.

Titles/Variants, etc:
• Roman transliteration of the Greek variant: Maria.
• Greek transliteration of the Hebrew used in the Gospels: Mariam.
• Variant: Marian, Sea-Queen, earliest English form of the name Mary, {Sea-Queen}, above.
• Variant: Miriam.