The leonine seeds of patriarchy
When in doubt, follow the trail. This principle applies to circumstances where we aren’t sure what led to who and how led to when. In simpler words, murder investigation. You move from one clue to another and try to connect the dots — both invisible as well as invisible — to reach the cliff of no return. Solving a case requires attention to details and more importantly, the desire to question everything again and again and again and if needed, again. None of the links can be overlooked at any given point of time. Conversely, a solved case comes back to haunt the investigators because they missed something that was barely apparent. Not entirely their fault. Not entirely their excuse either.
A similar pattern of curiosity can be noted among those who try to understand human history. We call them historians but generally, they are authors of books that challenge a certain viewpoint. It’s their job to rinse our understanding of what happened and why it happened. The upside of this profession is you play a role in keeping the past relevant. The downside being nothing is definite as far as the past is concerned. Why so? Well, a part of the blame can be placed on our prejudice. No matter how balanced we are in our perception of the world, we know where our sympathies lie. No matter how stern we appear in our demeanor, we are soft towards one thing and stone towards others. And this sentimental parlay plays a part in how we regale an old forgotten story.
Fortunately, some stories don’t have morals. (Nevertheless, our generation is more afraid of morals than Trump is of facts.) Particularly if you pull the chronological rubber-band back to Africa where our ancestors took birth. That must have been the period when early men must have noticed the majestic life a lion led. They must have initially felt fear, followed by awe, and then the greatest form of flattery must have taken place: imitation.
Yes, too many musts but then that’s how investigation of the past works.
The early men must have aspired to be like a lion, their ultimate role model. He’s asleep for more than 15 hours a day and rarely does any hunting for his family. It’s his harem of half a dozen lionesses who do all the hard work. His job is to mate and then help raise the cubs. Must have sounded good then. Sounds good now. It’s only when his might gives way to senility that he appears sham-y. Otherwise, he is the supreme being in the deserted jungle; as royal as it’s naturally possible to be. Men must have picked up mental notes from their interaction with these glorious being. We are creatures of our surroundings and a bit of influence must have made the men believe that they are superior to the womenfolk and that the world is laid out for them to conquer.
Maybe, just maybe, that’s when the first seeds of patriarchy were sown in our society.
