Re: Heortlings: Sexist/Egalitarian?/Post Freudian Feminism 101

From: ian_hammond_cooper_at_...
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 11:19:02 -0000


John Hughes wrote:
>
> Are Heortling women tied to the domestic sphere? YES. Is this a
> valued and honoured occupation? YES. Do women control their own
> wealth and fortunes?
> YES ( as much as men do). Do they influence and participate fully
> in public life? ABSOLUTELY. Do real alternatives exist if their
> wyrd challenges them to another way? YES. Will these alternatives
> be difficult? YES. Are the ways of women superior? YES, there is >
always another way.
>

I was going to avoid this, because it seems too GD, but...

In my opinion it is important to understand that Ernaldan mythology is positive about women's non-martial role.

Western society tends to be heavily influenced by Freudian notions of the possession of the phallus/weapon. Women are seen as 'lacking' because they do not have the phallus/weapoon. Western society has tended to emphasis this 'lack', as something women need to overcome by taking on male roles. We see our heroes are those that possess the phallus/weapon, our heroes are those for whom 'violence is always an option'. Some schools of second wave feminism has identified that 'There is another Way'. The reason I referred to Julia Kristeva in an earlier post was that she is one of the exponents of focusing not on what women lack, but on what women possess, the power of the clitoris over the power of the phallus. They seek to celebrate and empower female sexual difference, not to aspire to possession of the phallus. We are in danger of adopting the position that women are 'subservient' if they 'lack' the phallus/weapon; we are siding with the proposition that presence = positive, absence = negative. The belief that women who need to possess the phallus/weapon, to adopt a male role/worldview, in order to be 'whole' only reinforces self-doubt through a woman's continual awareness of the lack of the phallus without acceptance of the positive nature of the clitoris.

Of interest to us is that many of these writers have turned to an examination of myth to identify and reclaim powerful roles for women from myth and religion. For there we tend to find a celebration of the mythic side of female sexuality.

Heortling society certianly has both these models. The baseline Ernaldan model is the celebration of sexual difference an understanding of the mythic power of life that women carry within their bodies, and a celebration of the 'feminine' aspect. In addition however this fundamental acceptance of the of power of difference, leads to women to their idea that "there is always another way". I am sure a celebration of the power of the clitoris/womb lies a the heart of the mysteries of the loom house. I doubt the mainstream Ernaldan women percieves the 'lack' of the weapon/penis in her non-martial role. But paradoxically that willingnes to accept difference must lead to an allowance of the roles of Maran and Vinga, roles that seek to replace the 'lack' of the phallus. Can Vinga erase the self-doubt of the lack of the phallus through her mysteries, I've no idea. I suspect that mainstream Ernaldan culture might feel that those women who are drawn to this path have not truly understood the power of the divine feminine principal, and feel sorrow for them.

In contrast the phallic nature of men's religion may binds them to a focus on presence over absence, of the female 'lack', and an intolerance to difference, ana cceptance of violence. Men are far less likely in Heortling society to be tolerant of 'other ways' unless guided by Ernaldans. Hence the grandmothers' rejection of male rule and its intloerance in Esrolia. I suspect that Nandan worshippers find far less acceptance among men for their mythic 'castration' [no not literal, I mean their abandonment of the power of the phallus/weapon in other men's eyes] than Vingans do from their Ernaldan sisters.

Mythology is complex and does reflects social and psychological struggles for role and identity.

Ian

Powered by hypermail