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Wait, 'we bleed when we menstruate'. Other animals don't?
by derrida 15y ago
Wait, 'we bleed when we menstruate'. Other animals don't?
- drostie 15y agoI'm surprised that this is even a question -- when's the last time you knew a cat or dog owner who was like, "yeah it's that time of the month for her, she's bleeding all over the house." But yes, for those of us who didn't grow up on farms, most animals reabsorb their menses and do not bleed externally. It might be one reason why pastoral farmers[1] thought that women were "unclean", and I'd be interested to know whether goddess-worship comes from more agrarian than pastoral societies. [1] The example I'm thinking of here is actually just the Torah. The Cain and Abel story clearly establishes that the authors are pastoral farmers who distrust those sneaky evil agriculturalists; and they also have an extensive code of cleanliness which includes a woman as unclean during menstruation.
- jstclair 15y agoMy dog (miniature schnauzer) bleeds quite a bit during her period. Apparently, it's not that uncommon.
- Sharlin 15y agoTo be precise, dogs (and practically all mammals except humans) don't have a "period" or a menstrual cycle. They have an estrous cycle instead.
- drostie 15y agoInteresting, and useful to know!
- guelo 15y agoThis is different from menstruation, it occurs when the animal is ‘in heat’ during mid-cycle (at the time of ovulation) and the blood comes from the vaginal walls, not the uterus.
- ry0ohki 15y agoMy dog also used to bleed, I figured most people don't complain because they spay their dogs
- evincarofautumn 15y agoYou might be interested in “The Alphabet vs. The Goddess”[1], which argues (dully, but persuasively) that literacy was the cause of the downfall of goddess worship. It doesn’t go much into the religious differences between pastoralists and agriculturalists, though, and I’d be interested to read more on that. Ishmael[2] and other books by Daniel Quinn changed the way I think about culture, and I guess I’ve been looking for the “next thing”. Anyone? [1] http://www.alphabetvsgoddess.com/ http://www.alphabetvsgoddess.com/ [2] http://www.ishmael.com http://www.ishmael.com
- bitwize 15y agoLooked up author. Discovered he is a doctor of laparoscopy, which has bugger-all to do with psychology or neurology. That he's an idiot was apparent as soon as I read his thesis which relies heavily on oversimplified, stereotypical, pop-psy brain lateralization memes straight out of books you might find in that feminist bookstore from the Portlandia skit.
- evincarofautumn 15y agoIt’s been years since I read it, and looking at it now, I see that it wouldn’t stand up to another reading. I do think writing was indeed as socially influential as he claims, and that patriarchal religion could be one of its social effects. But the bit about “rewiring the brain” is obvious crap.