A History of Matrimonial Institutions, Vol. 1 of 3Howard, George Elliott
History
A History of Matrimonial Institutions, Vol. 1 of 3
Howard, George Elliott
Families; Marriage -- History
[94] DELBRÜCK, "Das Mutterrecht bei den Indogermanen,"
in _Preussische Jahrbücher_, XCVII, 15, characterizes the
work as "fantastic," though resting upon "einer äusserst
ausgebreiteten Gelehrsamkeit." DR. STARCKE'S criticism
is too severe: "We should rather call his 'Mutterrecht' the
rhapsody of a well-informed poet than the work of a calm and
clear-sighted man of science."--_Primitive Family_, 243. For
the best analysis of Bachofen, see _ibid._, 241-51. _Cf._ also
BERNHÖFT, "Zur Geschichte des eur. Familienrechts," in
_ZVR._, VIII, 4, 5; LUBBOCK, _Origin of Civilization_,
98 ff.; MCLENNAN, _Studies in Ancient History_, I,
319-25; GIRAUD-TEULON, _La mère chez certains peuples
de l'antiquité_, 6 ff.; ZMIGRODSKI, _Die Mutter_, 178
ff., 196 ff., 311 ff., _passim_; SCHMIDT, _Jus primae
noctis_, 31, 36-38, 178, 190; WAKE, _Marriage and
Kinship_, 14 ff., 257, 258; KAUTSKY, "Die Entstehung der
Ehe und Familie," _Kosmos_, XII, 256, 257, 348; ACHELIS,
_Die Entwicklung der Ehe_, 6 ff.; POSADA, _Théories
modernes_, 47 ff., 148; CHAMBERLAIN, _The Child and
Childhood in Folk-Thought_, 12 ff.
[95] The author first discusses the account given by Herodotus
and others of Lycian customs, which account, he declares,
contains the clearest and most valuable evidence of the
existence and character of _Mutterrecht_ (v). Then follows a
similar treatment of the evidence derived from Crete, Athens,
Lemnos, Egypt, India and central Asia, Orchomenos and the Minyœ,
Epizephyrian Locris, Elis, Lesbos, Mantinea, the Cantabrians, and
from the Pythagorean system.
According to Bachofen, there are three general phases in the
evolution of human sexual relations. The first is the period of
aphrodistic hetairism, in which men and women have each other in
common; the second is the period of demetrian mother-right or
gynocracy, in which kinship and succession are in the maternal line
and woman gains religious and political supremacy; and the third,
the period of the patriarchate or apollonistic father-right, in
which the more spiritual principle of paternity is triumphant.[96]
Each of these periods is regarded as a universal culture-stage.[97]
[96] _Das Mutterrecht_, vi, xviii-xix, xxi, _passim_.
[97] _Ibid._, vi. "Wie auf die Periode des Mutterrechts die
Herrschaft der Paternität folgt, so geht jener eine Zeit
des regellosen Hetärismus voran."--_Ibid._, xviii. For many
illustrations, see the Index at "Aphrodite," "Demeter," and
"Apollo," the names of the divinities presiding respectively over
the three phases.
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