pagan and christian creeds-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


…folk　in　common　to　worship　and　pay　it　reverence。　In　the　Bible　with　more　or　less　veiled　sexual　significance　we　have　this　combination　in　the　Eden…garden；　and　again　in　the　brazen　Serpent　and　Pole　which　Moses　set　up　in　the　wilderness　（as　a　cure　for　the　fiery　serpents　of　lust）；　illustrations　of　the　same　are　said　to　be　found　in　the　temples　of　Egypt　and　of　South　India；　and　even　in　the　ancient　temples　of　Central　America。＇1＇　In　the　myth　of　Hercules　the　golden　apples　of　the　Hesperides　garden　are　guarded　by　a　dragon。　The　Etruscans；　the　Persians　and　the　Babylonians　had　also　legends　of　the　Fall　of　man　through　a　serpent　tempting　him　to　taste　of　the　fruit　of　a　holy　Tree。　And　De　Gubernatis；＇2＇　pointing　out　the　phallic　meaning　of　these　stories；　says　〃the　legends　concerning　the　tree　of　golden　apples　or　figs　which　yields　honey　or　ambrosia；　guarded　by　dragons；　in　which　the　life；　the　fortune；　the　glory；　the　strength　and　the　riches　of　the　hero　have　their　beginning；　are　numerous　among　every　people　of　Aryan　origin：　in　India；　Persia；　Russia；　Poland；　Sweden；　Germany；　Greece　and　Italy。〃

＇1＇　See　Ancient　Pagan　and　Modern　Christian　Symbolism；　by　Thomas　Inman　（Trubner；　1874）；　p。　55。

＇2＇　Zoological　Mythology；　vol。　ii；　pp。　410　sq。


Thus　we　see　the　natural…magic　tendency　of　the　human　mind　asserting　itself。　To　some　of　us　indeed　this　tendency　is　even　greater　in　the　case　of　the　Snake　than　in　that　of　the　Tree。　W。　H。　Hudson；　in　Far　Away　and　Long　Ago；　speaks　of　〃that　sense　of　something　supernatural　in　the　serpent；　which　appears　to　have　been　universal　among　peoples　in　a　primitive　state　of　culture；　and　still　survives　in　some　barbarous　or　semi…barbarous　countries。〃　The　fascination　of　the　Snakethe　fascination　of　its　mysteriously　gliding　movement；　of　its　vivid　energy；　its　glittering　eye；　its　intensity　of　life；　combined　with　its　fatal　dart　of　Deathis　a　thing　felt　even　more　by　women　than　by　menand　for　a　reason　（from　what　we　have　already　said）　not　far　to　seek。　It　was　the　Woman　who　in　the　story　of　the　Fall　was　the　first　to　listen　to　its　suggestions。　No　wonder　that；　as　Professor　Murray　says；＇1＇　the　Greeks　worshiped　a　gigantic　snake　（Meilichios）　the　lord　of　Death　and　Life；　with　ceremonies　of　appeasement；　and　sacrifices；　long　before　they　arrived　at　the　worship　of　Zeus　and　the　Olympian　gods。

＇1＇　Four　Stages　of　Greek　Religion；　p。　29。


Or　let　us　take　the　example　of　an　Ear　of　Corn。　Some　people　wonderhearing　nowadays　that　the　folk　of　old　used　to　worship　a　Corn…spirit　or　Corn…godwonder　that　any　human　beings　could　have　been　so　foolish。　But　probably　the　good　people　who　wonder　thus　have　never　REALLY　LOOKED　（with　their　town…dazed　eyes）　at　a　growing　spike　of　wheat。＇1＇　Of　all　the　wonderful　things　in　Nature　I　hardly　know　any　that　thrills　one　more　with　a　sense　of　wizardry　than　just　this　very　thingto　observe；　each　year；　this　disclosure　of　the　Ear　within　the　Bladefirst　a　swelling　of　the　sheath；　then　a　transparency　and　a　whitey…green　face　within　a　hooded　shroud；　and　then　the　perfect　spike　of　grain　disengaging　itself　and　spiring　upward　towards　the　sky〃the　resurrection　of　the　wheat　with　pale　visage　appearing　out　of　the　ground。〃

＇1＇　Even　the　thrice…learned　Dr。　Famell　quotes　apparently　with　approval　the　scornful　words　of　Hippolytus；　who　（he　says）　〃speaks　of　the　Athenians　imitating　people　at　the　Eleusinian　mysteries　and　showing　to　the　epoptae　（initiates）　that　great　and　marvelous　mystery　of　perfect　revelationin　solemn　silencea　CUT　CORNSTALK　（　）。〃Cults　of　the　Greek　States；　vol。　iii；　p。　182。


If　this　spectacle　amazes　one　to…day；　what　emotions　must　it　not　have　aroused　in　the　breasts　of　the　earlier　folk；　whose　outlook　on　the　world　was　so　much　more　direct　than　ours　more　'animistic'　if　you　like！　What　wonderment；　what　gratitude；　what　deliverance　from　fear　（of　starvation）；　what　certainty　that　this　being　who　had　been　ruthlessly　cut　down　and　sacrificed　last　year　for　human　food　had　indeed　arisen　again　as　a　savior　of　men；　what　readiness　to　make　some　human　sacrifice　in　return；　both　as　an　acknowledgment　of　the　debt；　and　as　a　gift　of　something　which　would　no　doubt　be　graciously　accepted！（for　was　it　not　well　known　that　where　blood　had　been　spilt　on　the　ground　the　future　crop　was　so　much　more　generous？）what　readiness　to　adopt　some　magic　ritual　likely　to　propitiate　the　unseen　powereven　though　the　outline　and　form　of　the　latter　were　vague　and　uncertain　in　the　extreme！　Dr。　Frazer；　speaking　of　the　Egyptian　Osiris　as　one　out　of　many　corn…gods　of　the　above　character；　says＇1＇：　〃The　primitive　conception　of　him　as　the　corn…god　comes　clearly　out　in　the　festival　of　his　death　and　resurrection；　which　was　celebrated　the　month　of　Athyr。　That　festival　appears　to　have　been　essentially　a　festival　of　sowing；　which　properly　fell　at　the　time　when　the　husbandman　actually　committed　the　seed　to　the　earth。　On　that　occasion　an　effigy　of　the　corn…god；　moulded　of　earth　and　corn；　was　buried　with　funeral　rites　in　the　ground　in　order　that；　dying　there；　he　might　come　to　life　again　with　the　new　crops。　The　ceremony　was　in　fact　a　charm　to　ensure　the　growth　of　the　corn　by　sympathetic　magic；　and　we　may　conjecture　that　as　such　it　was　practised　in　a　simple　form　by　every　Egyptian　farmer　on　his　fields　long　before　it　was　adopted　and　transfigured　by　the　priests　in　the　stately　ritual　of　the　temple。〃＇2＇

＇1＇　The　Golden　Bough；　iv；　p。　330。

＇2＇　See　ch。　xv。


The　magic　in　this　case　was　of　a　gentle　description；　the　clay　image　of　Osiris　sprouting　all　over　with　the　young　green　blade　was　pathetically　poetic；　but；　as　has　been　suggested；　bloodthirsty　ceremonies　were　also　common　enough。　Human　sacrifices；　it　is　said；　had　at　one　time　been　offered　at　the　grave　of　Osiris。　We　bear　that　the　Indians　in　Ecuador　used　to　sacrifice　men's　hearts　and　pour　out　human　blood　on　their　fields　when　they　sowed　them；　the　Pawnee　Indians　used　a　human　victim　the　same；　allowing　his　blood　to　drop　on　the　seed…corn。　It　is　said　that　in　Mexico　girls　were　sacrificed；　and　that　the　Mexicans　would　sometimes　GRIND　their　（male）　victim；　like　corn；　between　two　stones。　（〃I'll　grind　his　bones　to　make　me　bread。〃）　Among　the　Khonds　of　East　Indiawho　were　particularly　given　to　this　kind　of　ritualthe　very　TEARS　of　the　sufferer　were　an　incitement　to　more　cruelties；　for　tears　of　course　were　magic　for　Rain。＇1＇

＇1＇　The　Golden　Bough；　vol。　vii；　〃The　Corn…Spirit；〃　pp。　236　sq。


And　so　on。　We　have　referred　to　the　Bull　many　times；　both　in　his　astronomical　aspect　as　pioneer　of　the　Spring…　Sun；　and　in　his　more　direct　role　as　plougher　of　the　fields；　and　provider　of　food　from　his　own　body。　〃The　tremendous　mana　of　the　wild　bull；〃　says　Gilbert　Murray；　〃occupies　almost　half　the　stage　of　pre…Olympic　ritual。〃＇1＇　Even　to　us　there　is　something　mesmeric　and　overwhelming　in　the　sense　of　this　animal's　glory　of　strength　and　fury　and　sexual　power。　No　wonder　the　primitives　worshiped　him；　or　that　they　devised　rituals　which　should　convey　his　power　and　vitality　by　mere　contact；　or　that　in　sacramental　feasts　they　ate　his　flesh　and　drank　his　blood　as　a　magic　symbol　and　means　of　salvation。

＇1＇　Four　Stages；　p。　34。



VI。　MAGICIANS；　KINGS　AND　GODS

It　is　perhaps　necessary；　at　the　commencement　of　this　chapter；　to　say　a；　few　more　words　about　the　nature　and　origin　of　the　belief　in　Magic。　Magic　represented　on　one　side；　and　clearly　enough；　the　beginnings　of　Religioni。e。　the　instinctive　sense　of　Man's　inner　continuity　with　the　world　around　him；　TAKING　SHAPE：　a　fanciful　shape　it　is　true；　but　with　very　real　reaction　on　his　practical　life　and　feelings。＇1＇　On　the　other　side　it　represented　the　beginnings　of　Science。　It　was　his　first　attempt　not　merely　to　FEEL　but　to　UNDERSTAND　the　mystery　of　things。

＇1＇　For　an　excellent　account　of　the　relation　of　Magic　to　Religion　see　W。　McDougall；　Social　Psychology　（1908）；　pp。　317…320。


Inevitably　these　first　efforts　to　understand　were　very　puerile；　very　superficial。　As　E。　B。　Tylor　says＇1＇　of　primitive　folk　in　general；　〃they　mistook　an　imaginary　for　a　real　connection。〃　And　he　instances　the　case　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　City　of　Ephesus；　who　laid　down　a　rope；　seven　furlongs　in　length；　from　the　City　to　the　temple　of　Artemis；　in　order　to　place　the　former　under　the　protection　of　the　latter！　WE　should　lay　down　a　telephone　wire；　and　consider　that　we　established　a　much　more　efficient　connection；　but　in　the　beginning；　and　quite　naturally；　men；　like　children；　rely　on　surface　associations。　Among　the　Dyaks　of　Borneo＇2＇　when　the　men　are　away　fighting；　the　WOMEN　must　use　a　sort　of　telepathic　magic　in　order　to　safeguard　themthat　is；　they　must　themselves　rise　early　and　keep　awake　all　day　（lest　darkness　and　sleep　should　give　advantage　to　the　enemy）；　they　must　not　OIL　their　hair　（lest　their　husbands　should　make　any　SLIPS）；　they　must　eat　sparingly　and　put　aside　rice　at　every　meal　（so　that　the　men　may　not　want　for　food）。　And　so　on。　Similar　superstitions　are　common。　But　they　gradually　lead　to　a　little　thought；　and　then　to　a　little　more；　and　so　to　the　discovery　of　actual　and　provable　influences。　Perhaps　one　day　the　cord　connecting　the　temple　with　Ephesus　was　drawn　TIGHT　and　it　was　found　that　messages　could　be；　by　tapping；　transmitted　along　it。　That　way　lay　the　discovery　of　a　fact。　In　an　age　which　worshiped　fertility；　whether　in　mankind　or　animals；　TWINS　were　ever　counted　especially　blest；　and　were　credited　with　a　magic　power。　（The　Constellation　of　the　Twins　was　thought　peculiarly　lucky。）　Perhaps　after　a　time　it　was　discovered　that　twins　sometimes　run　in　families；　and　in　such　cases　really　do　bring　fertility　with　them。　In　cattle　it　is　known　nowadays　that　there　are　more　twins　of　the　female　sex　than　of　the　male　sex。＇3＇

＇1＇　Primitive　Culture；　vol。　i；　p。　106。

＇2＇　See　The　Golden　Bough；　i；　127。

＇3＇　See　Evolution　of　Sex；　by　Geddes　and　Thomson　（1901）；　p。　41；　note。


Observations　of　this　kind　were　naturally　made　by　the　ablest　members　of　the　tribewho　were　in　all　probability　the　medicine…men　and　wizardsand　brought　in　consequence　power　into　their　hands。　The　road　to　power　in　factand　especially　was　this　the　case　in　societies　which　had　not　yet　developed　wealth　and　propertylay　through　Magic。　As　far　as　magic　represented　early　superstition　land　religion　it　laid　hold　of　the　HEARTS　of　mentheir　hopes　and　fears；　as　far　as　it　represented　science　and　the　beginnings　of　actual　knowledge；　it　inspired　their　minds　with　a　sense　of　power；　and　gave　form　to　their　lives　and　customs。　We　have　no　reason　to　suppose　that　the　early　magicians　and　medicine…men　were　peculiarly　wicked　or　bent　on　mere　self…aggrandizementany　more　than　we　have　to　think　the　same　of　the　average　country　vicar　or　country　doctor　of　to…day。　They　were　merely　men　a　trifle　wiser　or　more　instructed　than　their　flocks。　But　though　probably　in　most　cases　their　original　intentions　were　decent　enough；　they　were　not　proof　against　the　temptations　which　the　possession　of　power　always　brings；　and　as　time　went　on　they　became　liable　to　trade　more　and　more　upon　this　power　for　their　own　advancement。　In　the　matter　of　Religion　the　history　of　the　Christian　priesthood　through　the　centuries　shows　sufficiently　to　what　misuse　such　power　can　be　put；　and　in　the　matter　of　Science　it　is　a　warning　to　us　of　the　dangers　attending　the　formation　of　a　scientific　priesthood；　such　as　we　see　growing　up　around　us　to…day。　In　both　caseswhether　Science　or　Religionvanity；　personal　ambitio