Illustration for The Three Mulla-mulgars 

This Illustration for The Three Mulla-mulgars by Dorothy Lathrop shows us the story's ethereal guide amidst a scene thick with symbolic weight. We see a woman draped in white, her gesture open and inviting, acting as a luminous beacon against the dark forms of the panthers at her feet and the strange creatures looming above. The ‘white goddess’ motif she embodies traces back through centuries, a symbol of purity, guidance, and transformation that is constantly re-emerging. You can see her echoes in classical depictions of Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, or even the Virgin Mary. Her vulnerability, emphasized by her pale robes, creates a powerful tension. Like an Aphrodite emerging from the sea foam, she suggests an emotional or psychological transformation that captivates us subconsciously. The panthers, traditionally symbols of power, and the monkey-like creatures, suggest primal energies lurking just beneath the surface.