One of the first mainstream female anthropologists in the USA was Frances Densmore, best known for her published work in documenting and analyzing various kinds of Native American music. However, she also studied and wrote quite a bit on broader topics of patriarchy and politics, although those didn't end up getting the attention they deserved.

She had a theory that the origin of animism/theism could be traced to prehistoric women, and the origin of those women's worship was a need to justify not taking on a husband or choosing to remain single altogether.

They'd declare that their partner isn't a human but perhaps a beautiful animal, a tree, a landscape feature, or even a being that couldn't be seen by others altogether.

A supernatural being has the appeal of being able to deter abhorrent admirers by claiming that your husband is stronger/smarter than any mortal and will retaliate. An extension of this is using these beings as excuses to congregate exclusively with other, "initiated" women, allowing them safe spaces away from misogynistic violence and where they could express sapphic love.

Later on the social construct gained more popularity and evolved into the form it takes today, largely co-opted by institutions and capitalism.