Modes of Power for Women Essay -- Theogony Females Birth Greek Essays

Modes of Power for Women The struggle for control over birth transcends centuries and continents. Gloria Steinem, a women’s rights advocate of the 1990s describes how â€Å"the traditional design of most patriarchal buildings of worship imitates the female body† in order that â€Å"men [can] take over the yoni-power of creation by giving birth symbolically† (Steinem XV). The struggle for control over the power of procreation between the sexes existed in Ancient Greece. It is apparent in the Theogony, an account of the creation of Greek deities, composed by Hesiod sometime between the eighth and seventh centuries. The Theogony depicts how males attempted to subvert control of procreation by monitoring the womb, through force, and by undermining mother-child relationships. The Theogony also describes how women combated the subversion through willpower, deceit, and forming mother-child bonds to preserve the female power of birth, the unique power to control what is created and influenc e the actions of that creation. In the Theogony, creation starts with two powerful initial goddesses: Chaos and Gaia. These goddesses give birth to a plethora of children, all of them born â€Å"without [the goddesses] mating in sweet love† (line 132). Because they give birth through self-procreation the goddesses have absolute control over their wombs. As other deities are born self-procreation is replaced by births of dual parentage. With gods and dual parentage, subversion of the female womb begins. Absolute control of birth is replaced by the struggle between genders for control of birth. Gods gain access to the womb three ways: limiting or monitoring the offspring that the womb releases, using sexual force against women, an... ...by unabating trouble in his heart and in his mind, and there is no cure for his plight† (611-612), indicates men are unable to conquer the female womb. Through desire, deceit, and offspring mortal women and goddesses preserve autonomy over birth. Birth is an amazing ability. It is a uniquely female power. The Theogony provides a portrait of the struggle between the sexes for control of the womb. Men attempt to gain access to birth by monitoring and grasping control over what leaves the womb, through sexual force, and by destroying the powerful mother-child bonds. Nonetheless, women retain autonomy. Sheer force of will, as Hera’s birth illustrates, deceit, and strong mother-child bonds preserve female power of procreation. Through birth women influence and control the course of human (or deities) destiny. Through their wombs women gain powerful agency.