Mutterrecht (Mother Right) by Johann Jakob Bachofen was the seminal document of the 19th century concerning the role of women in ancient societies. This translation shows that Bachofen documented that motherhood is the source of human society, religion, morality, and decency in societies.
The Swiss thinker J. J. Bachofen is most often connected with his theory of matriarchy, or "mother right," but that concept is only a small part of his contribution to our understanding of cultural history. This book includes an autobiographical essay and selections from An Essay on Ancient Mortuary Symbolism, Mother Right, and The Myth of Tanaquil. ?