>>50462
All characters in fiction have their own personality traits and behaviour patterns - which comes from real life characteristics and preferred actions, as you pointed out - and all can be sorted along these archetypes of gods and goddesses, based on Greek mythology, defined by this psychologist (psychiatrist, etc. whatever). Even before her people recognized these patterns and there are only a finite amount of patterns, and all kinds of categorization were created. One categorization is of the zodiac for example, or someone thought the temperament was the result of the balance of bodily fluids (like blood, bile, etc.), others categorized along 4 (+1) elements. And there are mixes of these theories too (and there are the personality systems of tabletop rpgs, like DnD has it's 3x3 matrix). That INPT-ESJT whatever categorization is also the same, we can recognize various demeanor of these fictional characters.
Sure in those fairytales the story of the main hero/heroin is the driving factor, but Snow White and Cinderella also have their own goddesses in themselves. Just read the book and think of how they behave and you'll see the patterns.
But the topic is at hand is the "evil devouring mother" and how it appears in literature.
And the great advantage of this goddesses/gods categorization over any other is that each god and goddess has their own stories, tales, not one but quite a few. Frankly even Greeks made up these gods and goddesses by fitting them upon certain roles they saw in themselves.
I really don't understand why I have to explain this, btw.

Btw just because someone is a parent it doesn't mean she's a Hera or Demeter. She can be very well Aphrodite and she has her own parenting patterns too. Or Athene, or Persephone, or the others. They have their behaviour pattern as children, young woman, adult woman, old woman. And more than one goddess and god can live in one person, many can influence the person's actions and feelings.