“Daughter of the Goddess, Sister of Man: Matriarchal Patterns in the International Fairy Tales”

with Dr. Heide Goettner-Abendroth

Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 12 Noon Eastern Daylight Time 

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The general matriarchal patterns of the goddess and her partner, the holy king or “heros”, which abound in mythology, are also to be found in the international fairy tales. This reveals these folklore traditions as hidden matriarchal myths, made anonymous and passed on through millennia. The matriarchal structures in the fairy tales are demonstrated using some examples, which refer to the relations of the goddess to the woman and of the woman to the man. At the end, it will be shown, how the matriarchal patterns in fairy tales have been systematically transformed into patriarchal patterns. Heide says, “This way of analyzing fairy tales is based on a new method and may guide to a new understanding of this important folk tradition.”

See  Heide’s book: “The Goddess and her Heros”, Part II, available for free on her website. 

Dr Heide Goettner-Abendroth  is a mother and a grandmother. She earned her Ph.D. in philosophy of science at the University of Munich where she lectured for ten years (1973-1983). She has published on philosophy of science, and extensively on matriarchal society and culture, and through her lifelong research on matriarchal societies has become a founder of Modern Matriarchal Studies. Her magnum opus: Matriarchal Societies. Studies on Indigenous Cultures across the Globe, (New York 2013, Peter Lang) defines scientifically this new field of knowledge and provides a world tour of examples of contemporary matriarchal cultures. She has been visiting professor at the University of Montreal in Canada, and the University of Innsbruck in Austria. She lectured extensively at home and abroad. In 1986, she founded the “International ACADEMY HAGIA for Matriarchal Studies” in Germany, and since then has been its director. She guided three World Congresses on Matriarchal Studies: 2003 in Luxembourg, 2005 in Texas, U.S., and 2011 in Switzerland. In 2012, she received ASWM’s Saga Award for Contributions to Women’s History and Culture. She was twice a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, in 2005 by a Swiss initiative, 2007 by a Finnish initiative.

(The Sterrett illustration is from Art Passions, an encyclopedic website of works by 19th and 20th century illustrators.)

Save these dates for upcoming ASWM Salons:

April 21 at 3pm Eastern Daylight Time
“Bringing The Civilization of the Goddess to Life in The Four Novels of The Earthsong Series”
Mary Mackey

May 5at 3pm Eastern Daylight Time
Title TBA: Paleolithic Animal Mysteries
Susan Moulton

The Salon recording will also be available to members after the event.