Matriarchy.

----- Original Message -----

From: John Croft

 

I have lived and worked in the Toba Batak and Mingankabau areas of this supposed "Matriarchy" in Sumatra and can tell you they are NOT a culture where women rule, make all the decisions, and the men do all the menial work of low status (which is what happens in reverse in Matriarchy).  What happens is characterised by gender equality between men and women (no Matriarchy, no Patriarchy). They make decisions *equally* and have an *equal* amount of social status

 

'Matriarchy' is one of those words that needs careful definition. The modern usage speaks of matrilineal descent and inheritance and its corollary of the man moving to the wife's household (matrilocality).

 

We know such things existed, at least among the upper classes, in places like Mycenaean Greece and ancient Egypt. In Egypt, it lead to brother-sister marriages.

 

Such arrangements make sense only when some substantial property is involved -- be it a farm, or the Palace of Mycenae.