I've heard it argued that there are no RW matriarchal cultures (possibly by Sandy Petersen?).
>suggesting that these are in any way related to Esrolian practice,
>more a review of avaiable sources of inspiration:
>
>"Matrilineal descent systems ... [are] found in many widely differing
>societies in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, as well as in Amerindian
>societies. Examples include the Trobriand Islanders of Melanesia, the
>Crow and Iroquois Indians of North America, the Bemba of Central
>Africa, and the Nayars of India. Nayar society, however, is unusual
>in that the social role of the father is virtually nonexistent."
Matrilineal cultures tend to be common in promiscuous, pre-literate cultures (often with uncles taking a lot of responsibility for providing the male/father role model).
Thom
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