What I've learned from Old European research and how it has changed me
My understanding of history has been thoroughly changed by learning about Old European civilization. I am of a generation for whom Ancient Greece was always emphasized in school history lessons as the birthplace of European culture – as though the Greeks would have created their wonderful culture in a void. These history lessons also gave me the impression that hierarchies, inequality and war had always existed in Europe ever since the first civilization. There were no alternative conceptions.
My worldview has changed since then. I am intrigued by the idea that we have been able to live as a high culture on this continent – not simply surviving, but indeed thriving as a society. Many inventions and achievements were first created here, such as the construction of cities, writing, the wheel and the wagon, and smelting. There was bustling trade, and its profits were shared. People created art, worshipped the Great Goddess, celebrated the annual cycle, performed rituals and circle dances.
Old European society seems to have been low-hierarchy. For example, no separate residences for nobility have been found – all lodgings resembled one another. It is assumed that they lived in peace, as no weapons were buried together with the deceased, and no traces of walls surrounding the population centers have been found. Equality between the sexes seems to have been the norm. Evidence of this can be found in e.g. burial traditions: men's and women's graves did not differ from one another when it comes to valuable grave goods. Neither were men's and women's living spaces separate from each other, and there is also evidence of cooperation between men and women in workspaces, such as in potter's workshops.
The Danubians worshipped the Great Goddess. This can be assumed due to the discovery of female figurines, as well as the goddess figures who were later taken into and preserved by Greek culture. I believe that values associated with femininity were strongly present in Danubian life. In the same vein, divine power was seen as expressly feminine. The Danubians respected natural cycles and placed value on care and the common good. There was no twisted competition or the seeking of personal profit – qualities which are linked to hypermasculinity. Masculine and feminine values were presumably in balance: the Danubians were productive and they even had a word ”amilla”, meaning peaceful competition. Neither were they hyperfeminine daydreamers. Paired together, both feminine and masculine values created a society in which people banded together, living in harmony with the environment. Life was soulful (values linked to femininity), and it was sustained and protected by work and innovations (values linked to masculinity).
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). In some traditions, yarrow represents the perfect balance between the feminine and the masculine.
Hypermasculinity prevails in the modern world – a feeling of constant hurry, individual performance, competitiveness, material and numbers. It leads us to wars and ecological crisis, not to mention malaise: modern people's sense of detachment, worthlessness and insignificance can show up as mental health problems, alienation and violence. In our times, it is more important than ever to reawaken the forgotten soft values linked to femininity. This would not be a triumph for women only, but would be beneficial for everyone – the goal is balance, after all.
I am grateful for being able to share this information through my work, and see how it interests and inspires many, opening up new worlds. I am most likely speaking for many others when I say that above all, knowledge about the Old Europeans has given me newfound hope.
Auli Kurvinen
Read this blog in Finnish here.