The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1896-03-05
WOMAN IN PAGAN TIMES.

The best test of civilization is said
TO be found In the position OF woman.
In semi-civiliZed countries women are
dependents and victims; in progressive
countries they are free, self-reliant and
endowed with ample opportunities.
Many claim that woman owes her ele-
walton TO Christianity, but this has
often been disputed. The latest attack
upon this claim is found In an article
in the Forum (November), written by
the late Prof. II. H. Boyesen. 1t deals
with woman's position in pagan times,
ard attempts to show that Christianity
h. 4 really helped to degrade women In
stead OF to ameliorate their condition
All that the new women" demand to-
day, he holds, was fully enjoyed by
the wives of the ancient Teutons, who.
indeed, invested woman with kind or
sancity This Is from the article:
81 am inclined to believe that the
Germans, amid all the rudeness or
pastoral and militant life, possessed
elements OF higher civilization than
the fastidious and over-refned Ro-
mans. The chief evidence of this su-
periority is, / think. to be found In
their attitude toward women. There Is
to me something very noble In the COM
radeship of husband and wife which
appears to have existed among these
rude and hardy warriors-a comrade-
ship half resembling that of boy and
girl before the consciousness OF sex
has markedly differentiated them. Not
even from the tribal council were wo-
men excluded. Tacitus expressly states
that they were attentively listened to,
and that their advice was never left
unheeded l was once inclined to sus-
pect a bit of courteous exaggeration In
this, induced by the writer's desire to
emphasize the contrast between the
weight of personality and serious worth
OF the barbarian women and the fiim-
- ktu 1ftxyx nan
But a deeper study OF Germanic pa
Eanism convinced me that the sus-
picion was unfounded. Paganism in
the North did, undoubtedly. tend to
evolve sturdier types or womanhood
than Christianity has done; and 1t ac-
gence which Christianity has been far
slower In according. Largely, to be
sure. the rude conditions incident to
pastoral life, interrupted by frequent
wars and migrations. were responsible
for the sagacity, the readiness of re-
source, and the splendid courage which
the daughters OF Germany seem to
have exhibited a thousand years ago
in far higher degree than they do to-
day. For all that, / cannst but think
that the Oriental view OF womanhood,
implied In the Bible, has had an enor-
nous influence in forcibly checking the
normal development The Catholic
church not only adopted, but immense
ly exaggerated the disabilities under
which the sex had labored In Semitic
lands; and the result was that the free
born, sagacious, and nobly self-depen-
dent daughter of the Teutonic forests
was dwarfed, subdued and spiritually
crippled until she became the common
place. insignificant, obedient Hausfrau
of today"
While, continues Prof Boyesen, II
would be an exaggeratlon to maintain
that Christianity Is alone responsible
for the degeneration of womanhood, 1t
Is beyond dispute that II has been the
strongest of a number of cooperating
factors In bringing about this result
Combating the notion that the position
of women was virtually that of slaves
during pagan times. he goes on to say:
1T will perhaps surprise many to
learn that the legislation regarding
marriage and divorce was In Iceland
and Norway far more mindful OF the
wife's interest than II has ever been
during the Christian era The old Ice
landic law stipulated. for instance, that
II a man were divorced from his wife
(even though she were the offending
partly he had to return her dowry In
tact. Divorce was legally obtainable
II both parties desired 1t, and the law
did not as in Christian times, insist
upon publicly humiliatng and dis
grazing every man and woman who In
youthful folly had committed them
selves to a choice which made every
breath a blight upon the face of life.
and the hours a burden to be dragged
was not held to be a woman's only con-
Germ. Marital affection was rarely of
the wildly romantic sort. but a mutual
hearty goodwill esteem. and devotion.
often amounting to tenderness, bred
by habits and a community OF in
terests. There are in the Sagas a few
sublime instances of romantic attach
ments, as in the touchingly beautiful
tale OF 'Gunlaug Serpent-Tongue and
Helga the Fair But they are relative
iy exceptional. What strikes one above
all In the women Of the Morse Sagas is
their admirable practical efficiency and
their passionate absorption In the quar-
reis, rivalries, ambitions and feuds or
their husbands. sons and brothers.
Generally speaking, love was not all of
life to them, but an episode, though
highly important one. But it did not
engross and possess them to the exclu-
sion Of all other interests. Primarily
they were human beings; secondarily.
women"
During their age OF chivalry women
lost individuality, independence and
strength. says Prof. Boyesen. and their
sex came to take precedence of their
humanity, (which is the most disas-
trous thing that can happen to any
creature. male or female" Unfortu-
nately. European and American wo-
men Of too v, according to him, have
by no means fully emancipated them
selves from the feudal idea. Love 1t
still held to be the dominant concern
in a woman's life, and the demand for
real independence Is met with ridicule
and cheap cynicism.