The matriarchy is currently encountered mainly in esoteric and feminist circles. For them, the matriarchy represents a positively evoked, globally widespread, peaceful society from earlier times, centered around a cult of the Great Goddess—mistress of the eternal cycle of life and death. This social order is said to have been replaced by patriarchy in historical times. The genesis of this concept, which appears in various contexts, is unraveled. Since the late 19th century, numerous scientific disciplines have taken up the idea of the former dominance of the female gender in religious, social, and cultural spheres. Among those involved in its development were religious studies, archaeology, folklore, and psychology. The matriarchy found a home not only in academia. Various social movements, such as the first women's movement, the life reform movement, certain religious currents, and the second women's movement, also discovered the allure of the matriarchy to advocate for alternative social forms. Their aim was the renewed establishment of the matriarchy as a prototype of a society perceived as better. The reconstruction of the contexts of emergence and use, considering the social and cultural background, reveals that the reference to the differently shaped concept of matriarchy has been ideologically charged since its first appearance in the 19th century and has served as an expression of contemporary longings and fears.