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Females in Patriarchal Societies Myth can be seen as a retroactive history of man: it is a story of origins made to explain the practices of the time. The Greeks and the Hebrews both lived in patriarchies, so it is no surprise that they used the creation of woman to justify the rule of man. In both mythologies, man lived in the grace of his creator before the making of woman. According to the Greeks, man took feasts with gods. He lived in a Golden Age in which he knew peace and in which he there was no need for labor. Genesis tells of man having discourse with Yahweh in Eden, the same garden from which it seems the gods themselves eat (for the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil grant the two gifts exclusive to divinity). Before the making of woman, man lived harmoniously not only with the gods, but with all living beings. Hesiod blames Prometheus’ gift of fire to men for the creation woman. He claims that this is the event that starts the downfall of man. Before man had fire, he ate raw meat. Like other carnivores, he would only what he could be eaten right away, but with fire came cooked food, which preserved it somewhat. Fire also allowed the creation of tools, which enabled man to develop skills beyond and different from those of animals. According to Genesis, before Adam ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Yahweh created the animals of the earth to be companions for Adam. It wasn’t until Adam ate the fruit that he realized that he was different from the animals and desired to do things to compensate for these differences. These men existing peacefully with their creators and the world around them illustrated to the ancient cultures the order in which man once lived and in which he strives to live again. Greek mythology and the Bible tell that it is man who is capable of peace and order and that it is woman who brings evil and chaos. In both myths, woman is created after man and as a gift for him. While their purposes may differ, both women were from the same material that makes man. In Eve’s case it is the bone and flesh of Adam that makes her. Pandora is made from the same material which made man: the earth, and is given the breath of life by a god. Pandora and Eve are victims of temptation. In Genesis, Adam obeys Yahweh’s commands seemingly without any thought of not doing so. He is pure and respectful, living in paradise. The snake which tempts Eve apparently makes no attempt to do the same to Adam, perhaps because Adam is too good to fall. Eve, however, does not resist the snake’s guile and eats the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the sin which casts humankind from Eden, out of God’s care, and into a world of labor and strife. Traditionally, Pandora is given a jar in which the evils of the world are contained, and is instructed to not open it. Like Eve, she disobeys the commands of the gods, and unleashes upon man a multitude of curses. Alternatively, she releases the blessings intended for man. In both instances, Pandora brings upon man the need for labor and hardship. However, one version of the Pandora myth resembles even more closely that of Eve. According to this version, the jar is owned by Epimetheus prior to their marriage. Like Eve, Pandora is warned that opening the jar will bring misfortune unto her. However, curiosity overcomes her, and the fate ensues as in all other versions. Thus it is that in both Hebrew and Greek tradition that woman is to blame for man’s suffering and for his distance from divinity. Man once lived with the gods in order and happiness, but with the creation of woman, he is cast away from the gods and fated to a life of pain. It seems logical to infer from these stories that men have a god-given right to rule over woman. Two reasons are apparent. One is that woman is responsible for the misery of man and is therefore inferior to man, and it is right that he should rule over her. The other reason is that it is clear that man is superior, because he, not woman, is capable of living in peace with his creator. These myths functioned as the explanation for the patriarchal society perpetuated by their respective cultures, just as many myths account for the status quo. top – discuss – essays
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All original material © 2003 Erika Salomon.
