Sorrowful God

The Sorrowful God is a concept in the late writings of Marija Gimbutas, notably her book The Gods and Goddesses of Old Europe (1974). Gimbutas argued that Neolithic figurines of males, depicted seated, and often with their head in their hands, represented a coherent divine figure widespread thoughout what she called "Old Europe". She believed that the figure could be a "god of vegetation" or representative of the "old year". He was portrayed as sad because he had to die to be reborn in the new year. It this respect he was an example of a dying and rising god. Alternatively, she thought it might represent the "god of Death" understood as the consort of the Great Goddess "in her aspect of death". Gimbutas believed that the Sorrowful God was the prototype of the classical god Dionysus.
Other theories
The interpretation of these figures as "sorrowful" has been disputed. They are often referred to as "contemplative", sometimes labelled "the Thinker" after the Rodin sculpture. It has also been suggested that the poses are intended to be comical and that perhaps the figurines are toys.

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