| abstract | - Kubebe was the goddess of Komos. A mother-goddess, regarded as the source of all life, animal and plant. Her absence brought death, as each year the world died as a result of this. Mythological explanation for the reason of her "absence" varied from region to region, but this death consistently explained the passage of the seasons and the infertility of fall and winter. Only her return could resurrect the planet and to ensure that even the most serious rituals of mourning, cleansing, reinvigoration, and finally rejoicing became a yearly cycle. These rituals were directed by a tribe's chief priestess, who was seen as the link between the goddess and the Komans. Naturally, the Komans were aware that these beliefs could not be reconciled with the astronomical facts of their star system. However Kubebe could have chosen to create winter by the revolution of their planet around their star; if she desired, she could also see to it that winter continued, rather than turning into the spring. That might mean changing the course of their planet's orbit, or it might not — who knew?
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