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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Months created by women?

83 replies

delilabell · 21/12/2022 11:11

I saw a sandi toksvig quote yesterday and it got me thinking. It was about how 28bdays had been marked on a prehistoric bone. So possibly it was women marking tjebdays of their cycle.
Womens cycles are generally a month long. As are months. So does this mean women created months?
Or are months based on the moon so our cycles follow the moon. Which again I think is amazing.
I know this is random ramblings but it all just popped into my head the other day.

OP posts:
Onnabugeisha · 22/12/2022 00:02

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:51

Ok, so at this point I say you are misrepresenting me. I have specifically said it was not matriarchal, but they were goddess worshipping.

The Roman Catholic church.

Then why did you say that Christianity was a “patriarchal take over” and that Christianity = patriarchy when I corrected you initially saying that the number 13 was deemed unlucky due to “patriarchy”?

You are now saying you agree with me in that the pagan society and religion before Christianity was also a patriarchy…..not a “patriarchal take over”

So, you also didn’t mean to say that it is “patriarchy” that says that 13 is unlucky after all? You agree with me when I said, no it’s not patriarchy but Christianity?

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:51

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 23:42

I have looked at our folklore and it’s romantic nonsense that you are arguing that our Celtic ancestors were living in some matriarchal society with supreme goddesses. We weren’t, it was still a patriarchy. Women were still oppressed then.

Furthermore, you are arguing that Christianity was a “patriarchal take over” from our pagan origins when it definitely wasn’t because you are ignoring the centuries of Roman preChristian conquest and occupation and the fact that the increase in patriarchy was due to Roman law and culture, not the much later arriving Christianity.

Ok, so at this point I say you are misrepresenting me. I have specifically said it was not matriarchal, but they were goddess worshipping.

The Roman Catholic church.

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:45

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 23:38

@BlessedKali
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, not lunar.
Im going to believe what the Chinese say about their own calendar. You are welcome to believe your 1986 book.

Of course, I also will trust what the best scholar has to say, the best evidence. I bothered to type out such a long fucking excerpt as a point of interest and discussion, its an encyclopedia of fucking MYTHS!

But if the creator of the chinese lunar calendar is male from MYTH also, then I say why not that myth be a woman??

I am not a scholar of Chinese myths, I have no idea!!

BoreOfWhabylon · 21/12/2022 23:42

ErrolTheDragon · 21/12/2022 14:35

On this Solstice day, I've been vaguely wondering why New Year's Day isn't today, and now why we have 12 rather than 13 months. Nothing to do with feminism!

Happy Solstice all.

Happy Solstice, Errol
m.youtube.com/watch?v=BbBCCqPtEV8

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 23:42

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:36

When christianity took over from European pagan religions - not Greek, nor Hinduism, nor Judaism, but heathen Pagan religions, and I can talk specifically of the UK, 13 became an unlucky number. It was the church's opposition to pagan symbolism.

You can try to belittle and call what I am saying 'romantic nonsense' but if you look at our old folklore, if you look at our pagan stories, myths, rituals, then there is the divine balance, the divine communion.

Whether the balance was right, Christianity was more patriarchal than this. Christianity, the father worshipping, eve made of Adam's rib, woman owned by her husband, Witch burning, dirty menstruation religion.

I have looked at our folklore and it’s romantic nonsense that you are arguing that our Celtic ancestors were living in some matriarchal society with supreme goddesses. We weren’t, it was still a patriarchy. Women were still oppressed then.

Furthermore, you are arguing that Christianity was a “patriarchal take over” from our pagan origins when it definitely wasn’t because you are ignoring the centuries of Roman preChristian conquest and occupation and the fact that the increase in patriarchy was due to Roman law and culture, not the much later arriving Christianity.

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:38

I never said peaceful, there have been fantastic female warriors.

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 23:38

@BlessedKali
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, not lunar.
Im going to believe what the Chinese say about their own calendar. You are welcome to believe your 1986 book.

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:36

When christianity took over from European pagan religions - not Greek, nor Hinduism, nor Judaism, but heathen Pagan religions, and I can talk specifically of the UK, 13 became an unlucky number. It was the church's opposition to pagan symbolism.

You can try to belittle and call what I am saying 'romantic nonsense' but if you look at our old folklore, if you look at our pagan stories, myths, rituals, then there is the divine balance, the divine communion.

Whether the balance was right, Christianity was more patriarchal than this. Christianity, the father worshipping, eve made of Adam's rib, woman owned by her husband, Witch burning, dirty menstruation religion.

MangyInseam · 21/12/2022 23:32

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:05

Maybe it would not occur accross a village but just within houses. I have alway bled with the women I live with.

Christianity took over from the pagan, female worshipping religions. It was male dominated. It was a patriarchal domination. Women went from sacred to dirty.

The witch burning, one of the most patriarchal atrocities in recent centuries was at the hands of christianity.

The worship of the father and the son overtook the worship of the mother. Adam before Eve. It is pure patriarchy, in my opinion.

There have been scientific studies on menstrual synching, which say that no, it doesn't happen. What's normally observed by people as such is just normal variation where menstrual cycles align, just like other cycles will align at various times.

But this idea that pagan religions were all, or even mostly, peaceful and goddess focused is equally a myth. Nor were they all pro "13" while Christianity was uniquely anti-13.

You don't have to look far into various non-Christian or pagan religions to see that many were incredibly bloody and cruel. Not only to humans, but to animals. And to women, in many cases.

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:27

The wording is exactly - '' Chinese women established a lunar calendar 3000 years ago, dividing the celestial sphere into 28 stella mansions through which the moon passed'' this is within long paragraph about all the various ancient calendars from around the world.

Having tried to look this up I find nothing. Having tried to look up who invented the chinese lunar calendar, it comes up with varying dates, some from this age, some older, it says it is a ''myth'' that the calendar was invented by Emperor Huangdi'. I suppose its easier to believe the myth of male invention, than female invention.

Unless you have some better information/evidence than what I can find?

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 23:24

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:15

The pagan religions were definitely less patriarchal than christianity, polytheistic being god and goddess woship, no? When you live with nature and worship nature you see that it is a divine balance. I am not suggesting they were 'matriarchal' but that christianity was a patriarchal takeover. Are you trying to tell me that christianity is not patriarchal?

No, I’m trying to tell you that patriarchy predates Christianity and is completely separate from Christianity. That your example of the number 13 being unlucky is due to “patriarchy” is completely wrong because when and where it was/is lucky, there is/was still patriarchy. And often a more patriarchal religion and society than what was in the Christian religion.

Greeks- 13 is lucky….more patriarchal than Christianity
Hindus- 13 is lucky…more patriarchal than Christianity
Jewish- 13 is lucky…more patriarchal than Christianity

And it’s romantic nonsense that if you “live with nature and worship nature you see that it is a divine balance” as most ancient religions are based on nature but still had gods supreme over goddesses.

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 23:17

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:07

Ps i think you saying ''there’s never once been a case of all the women in a family or village being in the hut at once.'' is probably untrue, its quite a large statement there.

The huts are not big enough for that many girls/women to sleep in, and ethnographers have interviewed the girls/women who have confirmed this. It stands to reason that if cultures with more natural lifestyles did have this woo of period synching, then each village would have built a menstruation big house and not a teeny tiny menstruation hut.

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:15

The pagan religions were definitely less patriarchal than christianity, polytheistic being god and goddess woship, no? When you live with nature and worship nature you see that it is a divine balance. I am not suggesting they were 'matriarchal' but that christianity was a patriarchal takeover. Are you trying to tell me that christianity is not patriarchal?

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 23:13

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:10

Yes possibly outdated... Although 40 years is miniscule when we are talking about 3000 years. China is a big place aswell, so although yes you are very possibly correct, it is also possible that this reference is also correct, but maybe not specific enough.

No your reference is 1986 pulp fiction. Why would women in China invent a lunar calendar 3,000 yrs ago when there’d already been a much more accurate lunisolar calendar in existence for two thousand years? Lunar calendars are a feature of prehistory not history. As in 10,000 BCE and earlier.

Deadringer · 21/12/2022 23:10

EdgeOfACoin · 21/12/2022 22:21

The periods 'synching' theory has been completely debunked.

Maybe, but it seems a massive coincidence to me that my dds start their periods within a day or two of each other every month despite the fact that they started their period at different ages, at different times of the month, and aren't biologically related to each other. They all start on around 12/13 each month which coincidencely is the same time of the month i always got mine until they stopped.(none of them are on the pill btw)

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:10

Yes possibly outdated... Although 40 years is miniscule when we are talking about 3000 years. China is a big place aswell, so although yes you are very possibly correct, it is also possible that this reference is also correct, but maybe not specific enough.

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 23:10

@BlessedKali
Christianity took over from the pagan, female worshipping religions. It was male dominated. It was a patriarchal domination. Women went from sacred to dirty.

Lol. No it didn’t. It replaced earlier male dominated religions.

Our various pagan European religions at the time of conversion were not female worshipping but polytheistic with goddesses ruled by gods- patriarchy even applied to goddesses.

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:07

Ps i think you saying ''there’s never once been a case of all the women in a family or village being in the hut at once.'' is probably untrue, its quite a large statement there.

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 23:06

Chinese women established a lunar calendar 3000 years ago...

Im sorry but your 1986 book is chock full of outdated and incorrect info. The Chinese have had a lunisolar calendar for almost 6,000 yrs. Emperor Huangdi introduced it around 2637 BCE. It is also thought that his minister Ta Nao prepared the first calendar, called the Chia-tzu or Kan-chih system, which is translated as “the system of cyclical characters”.

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:05

Maybe it would not occur accross a village but just within houses. I have alway bled with the women I live with.

Christianity took over from the pagan, female worshipping religions. It was male dominated. It was a patriarchal domination. Women went from sacred to dirty.

The witch burning, one of the most patriarchal atrocities in recent centuries was at the hands of christianity.

The worship of the father and the son overtook the worship of the mother. Adam before Eve. It is pure patriarchy, in my opinion.

TheBiologyStupid · 21/12/2022 23:05

All credit to May, June, and Julie, I suppose!

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 23:01

EdgeOfACoin · 21/12/2022 22:21

The periods 'synching' theory has been completely debunked.

It has been debunked.
In all the cultures with zero hormonal contraception and menstruation huts, there’s never once been a case of all the women in a family or village being in the hut at once. These huts are always small too- built to accommodate a handful of girls/women cycling in and out. Periods do not synch up by any natural means.

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 23:01

Babara G walker's (FANTASTIC) book ' The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths & Secrets' ( which I totally reccomend - won London Times Educational book of the year 1986)

Says, under 'menstrual cycle':

''two conficting calendars used during mostmof the Christian era in Europe. The church's official solar calendar, and peasants unnofficial, lunar, goddess-given menstrual calendar....

.... Calendar consciousness developed first in women, because of their natural cycle, correlated with observations of the moon's phases. Chinese women established a lunar calendar 3000 years ago...

Gaelic word for 'menstruation' and 'calendar' are the same - 'miosach' and 'miosachan'...

...in generak the symbols of ancient matriarchy came to be known as night, the moon and number 13. While those of patriarchy were day, the sun, and number 12.''

There us so much under the entry it is fascinating, I cant type it all.

I very much reccomend this book. I wonder what an ROGD girl might think to read it.

Maybe we need to start shining some moonlight onto these gender issues.

The very long entry under 'witch hunting' is absolutely mind blowing.

Onnabugeisha · 21/12/2022 22:58

BlessedKali · 21/12/2022 22:43

Sorry i said mensis = moon, but i meant mensis = month!

Christianity = patriarchy, no?

I have witnessed periods sync, my doula said that she often bled a little at people's births. I had a really heavy period recently and two friends bled at the same time, even though it wasnt their period normally, so debunked or not I definitely think there is some connection.

No, Christianity doesn’t equal patriarchy.
When/where 13 was/is a lucky number, there is still patriarchy.

Changemaname1 · 21/12/2022 22:49

Iv never understood the period synching thing my period is every 28 days like clockwork for as long as I can remember ( minus a break for pregnancies ) so how would that work 🤔

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