Description

The Drowning of Morana
Jenna Wing-Hu – US
Medium: Oil on cradled wood panel, Satin Varnish
Art Size: 6 by 8 inches

Goddess: Morana, Slavic Goddess of Winter, Death, and the Rebirth of Nature
Inspiration: After being betrayed by her lover, Morana’s grief turns to vengeful fury, covering the world in a cold, barren winter. To welcome spring and drive winter away, people would burn an effigy of Morana before casting it into a river.

Blooming above her are hellebore and snowdrops. Hellebore reminds us that even in the season of death, life endures beneath the frost. Snowdrops, the first flowers of spring, signal that her reign is coming to an end. Together they reflect Morana’s dual nature. She is the goddess of winter and death, but she is also the guardian of the cycle that makes new life possible.