The Ever-Unfolding Marriage of
Loewenmensch and Venus of Hohle Fels
The subtext of this episode: Slaves, Followers, and Foot Soldiers, was seeded, once again, in that period 3,000 to 5,000 years ago, when villages began to form; when most citizens were content to farm and leave the administration of their village to others. Some, due to the circumstances of their business environment, became dependent upon their communities. They often sold their families, or themselves, to the service of others. Societal class structure began.
War became another creation of societal “evolution.” Some communities saw their neighbors with more of what they needed or wanted and attempted to obtain those resources by force. Defense forces were assembled for protection.
Citizens of defeated communities became Slaves without political or social rights, extracted to service their captors. The treatment of these Slaves was dependent upon the attitude of the society to which they were taken, as well as that of the individual owner of their personage. This varied from one civilization to another: from Egypt, to Mesopotamia, to southern Europe, to middle and eastern Asia. The practice of taking and holding Slaves continued, as a universal practice, until about 1,000 years ago (though we know that indenture in many forms continued to this day).
Why would individuals and cultures, immersed in the development of their homes and farms and businesses and communities – one would think focused on creating meaningful lives – a group that I am loosely labeling Followers, agree to become Footsoldiers, participating in the use of offensive military practices? After all, there were distinct dangers. One thought:
“war is so prevalent because of its positive psychological effects. It creates a sense of unity in the face of a collective threat. It binds people together – not just the army engaged in battle, but the whole community. It brings a sense of cohesion, with communal goals, and inspires individual citizens (not just soldiers) to behave honourably and unselfishly, in the service of a greater good. It supplies meaning and purpose, transcending the monotony of everyday life. Warfare also enables the expression of higher human qualities that often lie dormant in ordinary life, such as courage and self-sacrifice.”
William James