ld have to write another book.
All I can say is this: these avoidances had in their origin no
connection with the relative power of the two sexes; nor do I believe
it can be proved that they were established by men rather than by
women. They arose quite naturally, out of the necessity for regulation
as a condition of peace.

Let me give one example that will serve to show how easily mistakes
may arise. One of these rules, common among primitive peoples,
prevents the women from eating with the men. This is often considered
as a proof of the inferior position of the women, whereas it proves
nothing of the kind. It is just one instance out of many numerous laws
of avoidance between wife and husband, sister and brother, mother and
son, and, indeed, between all relations in the family, which are part
of the general rule to restrict sexual familiarity between the two
sexes, set up at a time when moral restraints upon desire could act
but feebly. It was only much later that these sexual taboos came to be
fixed as superstitions, that with unbreakable fetters bound the
freedom of women.

Here, indeed, are facts causing us to think. We perceive how old and
strongly rooted are many customs from which to-day we are fighting to
escape; customs of separation between women and men, which, with
appalling conservatism, have descended through the ages. Will they
ever be broken down? I do not know. These questions are not considered
in adequate fashion; often we are ignorant of the deep forces driving
the sexes into situations of antagonism. Clearly these primitive
avoidances shed strong light on the sexual problems of our day. The
subject is one of profound interest. I wish that it were possible to
follow it, but all this lies outside the limit set to my inquiry, and
already I have been led far from the patriarchal family.

The group has advanced in progress, and now has many features in
common with existing savage peoples. The friendly conjunction of the
father and his sons has established peace. Exogamy has begun to be
practised; and the family in this way has been increased not only by
the presence of the group-sons, but by their captured wives. We have
seen that this would necessitate certain rules of sexual avoidance;
thus the patriarch still holds marital rights over his wives and the
group-daughters, while the captured women are sacred to the
group-sons.

There is now a further important change to consider. Again the rights