"Women" trilogy

3 themed tours with Frank Merkle on ancient goddesses and female figures as part of the "Heilbronner Land Cultural Region" initiative. **Part 1: Temptation. May 17, 2026, 11 a.m.** Homer’s *Odyssey* is filled with female figures—often appearing as temptations, longings, or threats: Many of them seek to lead Odysseus astray on his perilous journey or even cause his death. Eager only to return home to his beloved wife Penelope, he encounters figures such as the sea monster Scylla or the Sirens, who appear to him as personified dangers and temptations. The nymph Calypso symbolizes a timeless, paradisiacal place of longing, which for Odysseus, however, becomes a seven-year prison. The role of the sorceress Circe is quite different: as one of the most important key figures, she initially jeopardizes the mission to return home—but ultimately proves to be of decisive help to him in doing so. **Part 2: Reason? July 19, 2026, 11 a.m. November 29, 2026, 3 p.m.** It is symbolic that Athena/Minerva, born from her father’s head, became the much-revered goddess of wisdom and the arts. The virgin goddess was always depicted heavily armored and armed. Her worship played a role in many areas: in science and craftsmanship as well as among artists of all kinds, doctors, and teachers. Wisdom and rationality were one aspect of her nature—yet, like many ancient goddesses, she was exceedingly easy to offend, and woe to anyone who incurred her vengeance…! As Jupiter’s wife, Juno was traditionally associated with female domains such as marriage, childbirth, and nurturing. Yet this goddess, otherwise considered very virtuous, was also known for her jealousy and wrath, which both mortals and gods had to fear—especially those involved in Jupiter’s amorous escapades. Thus, in her overwhelming thirst for vengeance, Juno killed Bacchus’s mother through a plot, and Jupiter was only able to save the unborn boy through a ruse. She also assumed the role of the wicked stepmother toward Hercules, under whom Jupiter’s son had to suffer throughout his life… **Part 3: Fertility. October 18, 2026, 11 a.m.** It is hardly surprising that in antiquity, female goddesses were associated with fertility: Demeter/Ceres is among them, as is Proserpina, of whom Güglingen is one of only two places in Baden-Württemberg where a mention has been preserved—or the Matrones from the Gallo-Roman region, who frequently appear in a magical triad. In the collective imagination, fertility was always closely linked to aspects of the underworld as well as elements of the feminine nature, in which people saw the subconscious, the hidden, and that which cannot be explained rationally. #### Further Information: - Themed tours with Frank Merkle, M.A. - Cost: €4 per person plus reduced admission (Museums-PASS-Musées holders: free)