The Correct Role of Gender Has Changed


Every week somewhere in the world, the person presenting the message to those gathered in many different religions has instructed listeners about the appropriate roles of men and women in family and society. I suppose in every case this information was provided them by some god. When women in the past did not conform to the proper role assigned them they risked being declared witches. 

The more we learn about ancient societies the more we learn about changes that have taken place in beliefs about gender roles. In ancient Greece, witchcraft was a common issue and the witches were almost always women. The basis for this was the mysterious power women had to produce children. 

The link, written by a scholar of ancient literature, explains that most everything about witches through time has been about power. While there occasionally have been male witches, the purpose behind the phenomenon since the beginning has been persecution of women.

In ancient Greece, male gods like Cronus and Zues were known for their strength. Females were known for their intelligence and mysterious birthing of children. This trait of intelligence made them a threat to society-- more of a threat than male gods. We need only consider the Adam and Eve tale in the Bible. As I read it, Eve has more smarts than Adam. She makes decisions which Adam follows. 

In Greek mythology witches drank blood and had powers over men. There were many of them mentioned by name. 

By a later time, Europeans selected women who differed in some way and labeled them witches. We know quite large numbers of the were killed both in Europe and New England/U.S. I visited Salem, MA a few years ago and toured the museum dedicated to the terrible period of witch mythology. One part of the barbaric practice of witch prosecution was a cottage industry of sacking the homes of those women killed, taking all possessions and selling them. This was part of the motivation to name women and kill as witches.

We have strange stuff going on in the U.S. and many other places. Thank goodness, prosecution of women as witches is gone or at least in remission. 

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