Permanent exhibition

Wisdom asks for the meaning of being and ultimately describes the ability to convey unusual insights and complex knowledge. Sometimes wisdom is also personified as a woman.

This exhibit shows differing interpretations of women and goddesses, which demonstrate the connections between wisdom and the feminine.

Wisdom’s roots in the lively dynamic between knowledge and doubt appear many times over in world creation myths. In certain cultural circles, goddesses are presented as the personification of wisdom. This feminine presentation is also expressed in countless folk tales through the archetype of the wise old woman, because wisdom requires maturity and life experience. The interpretation of wisdom as goddesses allows both the recognition of common themes across traditions and the spurring of meaningful action, which together serve to separate the important from the unimportant and to allow the ability to see beyond the simple expectations of the community, both of which are important steps towards the pursuit of wisdom.