The Great Goddess and the Aistian Mythical World

This study presents development of European mythical culture, which began with the cults of the Great Goddess some 30,000-20,000 B.C. and flourished in Europe for millennia. This matriarchic culture - invaded by the patriarchic Indo-Europeans (Pre-Aistians), the worshippers of sky deities (3,000 B.C.) - remained alive in the souls of the Indo-Europeans, especially the Aistians. Moreover, during the break-down of the patriarchic order, the matriarchic deities surfaced and became dominant again. Thus they closed the cycle of mythical development. At its end this study shows philosophy’s cyclic development, analogous to that of the mythical. Ultimately, this study suggests Old Europe’s matriarchic culture as the cradle of Western civilization.