Publications

All of these books can be ordered at Academy HAGIA.

www.hagia.de

akademiehagia@aol.com

 

The whole of the work of Heide Goettner-Abendroth is collected and kept in the "MatriArchiv" in the Cantonal Library of St. Gallen/Switzerland.

www.matriarchiv.info

mail@matriarchiv.info


Books

1. Main work

Matriarchal Societies of the Past and the Rise of Patriarchy in West Asia and Europe

Peter Lang, New York 2022
 

Historiography tends to focus on war; it is concerned about domination, about emperors, kings and other potentates, and their expansion of power. As such, it is male history, that is, the history of the victors. Women do not form part of this history, aside from a few exceptions, which do not alter the patriarchal nature of the narrative. They and their achievements have been treated as marginal or non-existent by conventional archaeology.

 

The aim of this book is to help redress this bias by using an integrating approach to rewrite and rebalance human cultural history. This provides a new perception, seeing cultural history not only from “above” but also from “below”, the only way to achieve complete understanding.

Above all, it is not simply about the early history of women, but rather the history of a very different form of society, matriarchal society. This kind of society is found out in early history by thorough research based on archaeological findings.

 

The emergence of patriarchal patterns is also explained, not through theoretical speculation, but again based on archaeological findings. The origins and development of patriarchy differ widely in the various cultural zones of the world, so there is no simple, universal explanatory pattern. This book looks at the emergence of patriarchal patterns in the major cultural areas of West Asia and Europe, and also the conditions for their subsequent expansion.


Matriarchal Societies. Indigenous Cultures across the Globe

Peter Lang, New York 2012/2013
 

This book presents the results of Heide Goettner-Abendroth’s pioneering research in the field of modern matriarchal studies, based on a new definition of „matriarchy“  as true gender-egalitarian societies. Accordingly, matriarchal societies should not be regarded as mirror images of patriarchal ones, as they have never needed patriarchy’s hierarchical structures of domination. On the contrary, matriarchal patterns are socially egalitarian, economically balanced, and politically based on consensus decisions. They have been created by women and are founded on maternal values. This new perspective on matriarchal societies is developed step by step by the analysis of extant indigenous cultures in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Book Review

Matriarchal Societies: Studies on Indigenous Culture Across the Globe

Clearly, the time is overdue to overthrow the structures of violence and financial and cultural oppression that support the patriarchy. But a revolution like that can’t happen in a vacuum–it can’t be just a matter of getting rid of something. For real change, we need to be for something–something new that will take the place of the old.


Matriarchal Societies by Dr. Heide Goettner-Abendroth is a book about that new something — First published a decade ago in German, Matriarchal Societies started a worldwide movement–Matriarchal studies. This stunningly unique and influential book is now, excitingly, translated into English. Dr. Goettner-Abendroth’s exhaustively documented research illuminates the widespread patterns of indigenous matriarchal cultures: consensus decision-making, matrilineal cultures, gift economy, and goddess-centered spirituality.


Hearing this brilliant scholar speak, I was overwhelmed with respect for the depth and care of her research and excitement over the impact of her mind-blowing findings. When I contemplate Dr. Goettner-Abendroth’s core description and definition of matriarchal societies, I am joyfully amazed at how naturally these ways of living come to me, and how good they feel.


November 2014
Annie Finch

 

Read more


2009

Societies of Peace. Matriarchies Past, Present and Future
Edited by Heide Goettner-Abendroth

Inanna Publications and Educations Inc., Toronto/Canada 2009
 

This book includes the speeches from the First and Second World Congress on Matriarchal Studies 2003 and 2005. It is an outstanding representation of the intellectual sharing of matriarchal-indigenous and non-indigenous scholars from all over the world in their knowledge on matriarchal societies. There is a wealth of insightful work on past and present matriarchal societies, which makes this book a powerful life-affirming political one.

2007

The Way to an Egalitarian Society. Principles and Practice of a Matriarchal Politics
Broschure, Edition Hagia, Winzer / Germany

1995

The Goddess and Her Heros. Matriarchal Religion in Mythology, Fairy-Tales and Poetry
Anthony Publishing Company, Stow USA
 

E-book edition:

Please find here the complete edition online, it is free of charge

1991

The Dancing Goddess. Principles of a Matriarchal Aesthetic
Beacon Press, Boston USA

 

E-book edition:

Please find here the complete edition online, it is free of charge