Women and the Continuing Transformation of Humanity
We live in an environment
which continually informs us
that there is something
wrong with humanity.
They tell us that there are genuinely
evil people out there
who commit
horrendous crimes.
We see the lists
of these crimes
every day
in the newspapers.
Capitalist governments
argue that we need armies
and police forces
to protect us against these evil people.
They tell us that this is just
“human nature”
and that things
have always been this way.
They tell us that the one
progressive force in society is the family.
If all else fails, we can rely
on the family for support and this is the way it has always been.
What those who have power never tell us is,
What is the real
story of human history?
This poem will attempt to begin to answer that question.
We are the descendants of animals.
Animals who cared for their young,
but, at times,
killed and ate their young.
We are the descendants
of male animals who fought,
and, at times killed one another
in order to have access to females.
This is because males are, at times,
a small minority where groups of animals live.
However, rape never happens
in the animal world.
Humanity changed these relationships.
First there were hoards or clans
where all members of the clan
protected one another.
Sex was not allowed within the clan
and all relations came through the mother.
Uncles were the men
who helped to raise the children of the mother.
Although women were always the physically weaker sex,
collectively women were the ones who pioneered the changes
that allowed humanity to do skilled work in a social environment
and advance from the animal world.
The concept of natural death was unknown.
All deaths were attributed to humans or animals from the outside.
Therefore everyone from other clans
were seen as enemies.
This included the fathers of all children.
Eventually fathers would have to
prove themselves to the mother-in-law
in order to marry the daughter.
As time went by this state of affairs became impractical.
People gave worthless gifts
to those from the other clans who accepted those gifts.
Fathers now became outsiders.
During these years men were the hunters
and women did most of the rest of the work.
Women were the first doctors, construction workers,
farmers, ship builders, and scientists.
During these years, women needed to carry heavy loads
of water, construction materials, food, as well as an infant.
This was not seen as drudgery,
but as a deeply appreciated contribution to society.
During these years biological fatherhood was unknown.
People were not interested in who biological fathers were.
Children played sexual games
and adults thought this was natural.
Men lived in the home of the mother’s clan
and if the wife or mother wanted a divorce,
she simply placed the fathers things
outside of her home.
The words mine and yours were not known.
All things were shared by all.
When someone received a gift,
everyone expected to share in the use of that gift.
Food was divided equally amongst all.
The idea of fighting each other
for morsels of food
was seen as something only animals did.
During these years, in many areas of the world,
humanity experienced a relatively care-free existence.
Everyone contributed to the welfare of all,
and individuals didn’t worry about paying bills.
This wasn’t always an easy process.
At times men murdered their children
to avoid conflicts with other clans.
This was better than war.
Then the world changed.
Men began to trade cattle for wives.
The wife and child now belonged to the father.
There was no more reason to murder children.
Uncles lost their right to raise their sister’s children.
Fathers, for the first time in human history,
became the ones who were responsible
for their children.
However, women lost their independence
and became tied to their husbands.
The ancient Greeks had the myth of Orestes where Orestes
murdered his mother and the social relations of the world were transformed.
However, humanity, at this time,
still did not know
that there was such
a thing as biological fatherhood.
Even as late as the Egyptian Empire,
heredity came through the mother.
The queen ruled with her brother,
but had children with her husband, not her brother.
In other words, fatherhood, the family
and even private property are relatively
new inventions in the 150,000 years
of human history.
When Europeans came to the Western Hemisphere,
they came with the ideas of private property and the family.
The Native American could not understand why
European men abused women.
They could not understand what private property was,
or why the European was
so adamant about taking
the land they had lived on for centuries.
Today people who have power continue to
insist that we need to defend the idea of
private property, the family, and the state.
They refuse to even consider the reality of our history.
As the crisis in the world becomes more and more deplorable,
humanity will discover that during most of our history
women were treated with the utmost respect
and private property wasn’t even known to exist.
When humanity makes this discovery,
We will transform the world into a place
Where there is liberty. justice,
and human dignity for all.
Most of the ideas in this poem come from Evelyn Reed’s book: “Woman’s Evolution – from matriarchal clan to patriarchal family.” Published by Pathfinder press