pagan and christian creeds-第26章

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n　era；　and　worshiped　under　the　names　of　〃Our　Lady；〃　〃Queen　of　Heaven；〃　〃Star　of　the　Sea；〃　〃Mother　of　God；〃　and　so　forth。　Before　her；　Neith；　the　Virgin　of　the　World；　whose　figure　bends　from　the　sky　over　the　earthly　plains　and　the　children　of　men；　was　acclaimed　as　mother　of　the　great　god　Osiris。　The　saviour　Mithra；　too；　was　born　of　a　Virgin；　as　we　have　had　occasion　to　notice　before；　and　on　the　Mithrais　monuments　the　mother　suckling　her　child　is　a　not　uncommon　figure。＇3＇

＇1＇　For　this　interpretation　of　the　word　Andromeda　see　The　Perfect　Way　by　Edward　Maitland；　preface　to　First　Edition；　1881。

＇2＇　Contra　Jovian；　Book　I；　and　quoted　by　Rhys　Davids　in　his　Buddhisim。

＇3＇　See　Doane's　Bible　Myths；　p。　332；　and　Dupuis'　Origins　of　Religious　Beliefs。


The　old　Teutonic　goddess　Hertha　（the　Earth）　was　a　Virgin；　but　was　impregnated　by　the　heavenly　Spirit　（the　Sky）；　and　her　image　with　a　child　in　her　arms　was　to　be　seen　in　the　sacred　groves　of　Germany。＇1＇　The　Scandinavian　Frigga；　in　much　the　same　way；　being　caught　in　the　embraces　of　Odin；　the　All…father；　conceived　and　bore　a　son；　the　blessed　Balder；　healer　and　saviour　of　mankind。　Quetzalcoatl；　the　（crucified）　saviour　of　the　Aztecs；　was　the　son　of　Chimalman；　the　Virgin　Queen　of　Heaven。＇2＇　Even　the　Chinese　had　a　mother…goddess　and　virgin　with　child　in　her　arms＇3＇；　and　the　ancient　Etruscans　the　same。＇4＇

＇1＇　R。　P。　Knight's　Ancient　Art　and　Mythology；　p。　21。

＇2＇　See　Kingsborough's　Mexican　Antiquities；　vol。　vi；　p。　176；　where　it　is　said　〃an　ambassador　was　sent　from　heaven　on　an　embassy　to　a　Virgin　of　Tulan；　called　Chimalman　。　。　。　announcing　that　it　was　the　will　of　the　God　that　she　should　conceive　a　son；　and　having　delivered　her　the　message　he　rose　and　left　the　house；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　left　it　she　conceived　a　son；　without　connection　with　man；　who　was　called　Quetzalcoat＇；　who　they　say　is　the　god　of　air。〃　Further；　it　is　explained　that　Quetzalcoatl　sacrificed　himself；　drawing　forth　his　own　blood　with　thorns；　and　that　the　word　Quetzalcoatlotopitzin　means　〃our　well…beloved　son。〃

＇3＇　Doane；　p。　327。

＇4＇　See　Inman's　Pagan　and　Christian　Symbolism；　p。　27。


Finally；　we　have　the　curiously　large　number　of　BLACK　virgin　mothers　who　are　or　have　been　worshiped。　Not　only　cases　like　Devaki　the　Indian　goddess；　or　Isis　the　Egyptian；　who　would　naturally　appear　black…skinned　or　dark；　but　the　large　number　of　images　and　paintings　of　the　same　kind；　yet　extantespecially　in　the　Italian　churchesand　passing　for　representations　of　Mary　and　the　infant　Jesus。　Such　are　the　well…known　image　in　the　chapel　at　Loretto；　and　images　and　paintings　besides　in　the　churches　at　Genoa；　Pisa；　Padua；　Munich　and　other　places。　It　is　difficult　not　to　regard　these　as　very　old　Pagan　or　pre…Christian　relics　which　lingered　on　into　Christian　times　and　were　baptized　anewas　indeed　we　know　many　relics　and　images　actually　wereinto　the　service　of　the　Church。　〃Great　is　Diana　of　the　Ephesians〃；　and　there　is　I　believe　more　than　one　black　figure　extant　of　this　Diana；　who；　though　of　course　a　virgin；　is　represented　with　innumerable　breasts＇1＇not　unlike　some　of　the　archaic　statues　of　Artemis　and　Isis。　At　Paris；　far　on　into　Christian　times　there　was；　it　is　said；　on　the　site　of　the　present　Cathedral　of　Notre　Dame；　a　Temple　dedicated　to　'our　Lady'　Isis；　and　images　belonging　to　the　earlier　shrine　would　in　all　probability　be　preserved　with　altered　name　in　the　later。

＇1＇　See　illustration；　p。　30；　in　Inman's　Pagan　and　Christian　Symbolism。


All　this　illustrates　not　only　the　wide　diffusion　of　the　doctrine　of　the　Virgin…mother；　but　its　extreme　antiquity。　The　subject　is　obscure；　and　worthy　of　more　consideration　than　has　yet　been　accorded　it；　and　I　do　not　feel　able　to　add　anything　to　the　tentative　explanations　given　a　page　or　two　back；　except　perhaps　to　suppose　that　the　vision　of　the　Perfect　Man　hovered　dimly　over　the　mind　of　the　human　race　on　its　first　emergence　from　the　purely　animal　stage；　and　that　a　quite　natural　speculation　with　regard　to　such　a　being　was　that　he　would　be　born　from　a　Perfect　Womanwho　according　to　early　ideas　would　necessarily　be　the　Virgin　Earth　itself；　mother　of　all　things。　Anyhow　it　was　a　wonderful　Intuition；　slumbering　as　it　would　seem　in　the　breast　of　early　man；　that　the　Great　Earth　after　giving　birth　to　all　living　creatures　would　at　last　bring　forth　a　Child　who　should　become　the　Saviour　of　the　human　race。

There　is　of　course　the　further　theory；　entertained　by　some；　that　virgin…parturitiona　kind　of　Parthenogenesis　has　as　a　matter　of　fact　occasionally　occurred　among　mortal　women；　and　even　still　does　occur。　I　should　be　the　last　to　deny　the　POSSIBILITY　of　this　（or　of　anything　else　in　Nature）；　but；　seeing　the　immense　difficulties　in　the　way　of　PROOF　of　any　such　asserted　case；　and　the　absence　so　far　of　any　thoroughly　attested　and　verified　instance；　it　would；　I　think；　be　advisable　to　leave　this　theory　out　of　account　at　present。

But　whether　any　of　the　EXPLANATIONS　spoken　of　are　right　or　wrong；　and　whatever　explanation　we　adopt；　there　remains　the　FACT　of　the　universality　over　the　world　of　this　legend　affording　another　instance　of　the　practical　solidarity　and　continuity　of　the　Pagan　Creeds　with　Christianity。



XI。　RITUAL　DANCING

It　is　unnecessary　to　labor　the　conclusion　of　the　last　two　or　three　chapters；　namely　that　Christianity　grew　out　of　the　former　Pagan　Creeds　and　is　in　its　general　outlook　and　origins　continuous　and　of　one　piece　with　them。　I　have　not　attempted　to　bring　together　ALL　the　evidence　in　favor　of　this　contention；　as　such　work　would　be　too　vast；　but　more　illustrations　of　its　truth　will　doubtless　occur　to　readers；　or　will　emerge　as　we　proceed。

I　think　we　may　take　it　as　proved　（1）　that　from　the　earliest　ages；　and　before　History；　a　great　body　of　religious　belief　and　ritualfirst　appearing　among　very　primitive　and　unformed　folk；　whom　we　should　call　'savages'has　come　slowly　down；　broadening　and　differentiating　itself　on　the　way　into　a　great　variety　of　forms；　but　embodying　always　certain　main　ideas　which　became　in　time　the　accepted　doctrines　of　the　later　Churchesthe　Indian；　the　Egyptian；　the　Mithraic；　the　Christian；　and　so　forth。　What　these　ideas　in　their　general　outline　have　been　we　can　perhaps　best　judge　from　our　〃Apostles'　Creed；〃　as　it　is　recited　every　Sunday　in　our　churches。

〃I　believe　in　God　the　Father　Almighty；　Maker　of　heaven　and　earth：　And　in　Jesus　Christ　his　only　Son　our　Lord；　who　was　conceived　by　the　Holy　Ghost；　born　of　the　Virgin　Mary；　suffered　under　Pontius　Pilate；　was　crucified；　dead　and　buried。　He　descended　into　Hell；　the　third　day　he　rose　again　from　the　dead；　He　ascended　into　heaven；　and　sitteth　on　the　right　hand　of　God　the　Father　Almighty；　from　thence　he　shall　come　to　judge　the　quick　and　the　dead。　I　believe　in　the　Holy　Ghost；　the　holy　Catholic　Church；　the　communion　of　Saints；　the　Forgiveness　of　sins；　the　Resurrection　of　the　body；　and　the　life　everlasting。　Amen。〃

Here　we　have　the　All…Father　and　Creator；　descending　from　the　Sky　in　the　form　of　a　spirit　to　impregnate　the　earthly　Virgin…mother；　who　thus　gives　birth　to　a　Saviour…hero。　The　latter　is　slain　by　the　powers　of　Evil；　is　buried　and　descends　into　the　lower　world；　but　arises　again　as　God　into　heaven　and　becomes　the　leader　and　judge　of　mankind。　We　have　the　confirmation　of　the　Church　（or；　in　earlier　times；　of　the　Tribe）　by　means　of　a　Eucharist　or　Communion　which　binds　together　all　the　members；　living　or　dead；　and　restores　errant　individuals　through　the　Sacrifice　of　the　hero　and　the　Forgiveness　of　their　sins；　and　we　have　the　belief　in　a　bodily　Resurrection　and　continued　life　of　the　members　within　the　fold　of　the　Church　（or　Tribe）；　itself　regarded　as　eternal。

One　has　only；　instead　of　the　word　'Jesus；'　to　read　Dionysus　or　Krishna　or　Hercules　or　Osiris　or　Attis；　and　instead　of　'Mary'　to　insert　Semele　or　Devaki　or　Alcmene　or　Neith　or　Nana；　and　for　Pontius　Pilate　to　use　the　name　of　any　terrestrial　tyrant　who　comes　into　the　corresponding　story；　and　lo！　the　creed　fits　in　all　particulars　into　the　rites　and　worship　of　a　pagan　god。　I　need　not　enlarge　upon　a　thesis　which　is　self…evident　from　all　that　has　gone　before。　I　do　not　say；　of　course；　that　ALL　the　religious　beliefs　of　Paganism　are　included　and　summarized　in　our　Apostles'　Creed；　foras　I　shall　have　occasion　to　note　in　the　next　chapterI　think　some　very　important　religious　elements　are　there　OMITTED；　but　I　do　think　that　all　the　beliefs　which　ARE　summarized　in　the　said　creed　had　already　been　fully　represented　and　elaborately　expressed　in　the　non…Christian　religions　and　rituals　of　Paganism。

Further　（2）　I　think　we　may　safely　say　that　there　is　no　certain　proof　that　the　body　of　beliefs　just　mentioned　sprang　from　any　one　particular　centre　far　back　and　radiated　thence　by　dissemination　and　mental　contagion　over　the　rest　of　the　world；　but　the　evidence　rather　shows　that　these　beliefs　were；　for　the　most　part；　the　SPONTANEOUS　outgrowths　（in　various　localities）　of　the　human　mind　at　certain　stages　of　its　evolution；　that　they　appeared；　in　the　different　races　and　peoples；　at　different　periods　according　to　the　degree　of　evolution；　and　were　largely　independent　of　intercourse　and　contagion；　though　of　course；　in　cases；　considerably　influenced　by　it；　and　that　one　great　and　all…important　occasion　and　provocative　of　these　beliefs　was　actually　the　RISE　OF　SELF…CONSCIOUSNESSthat　is；　the　coming　of　the　mind　to　a　more　or　less　distinct　awareness　of　itself　and　of　its　own　operation；　and　the　consequent　development　and　growth　of　Individualism；　and　of　the　Self…centred　attitude　in　human　thought　and　action。

In　the　third　place　（3）　I　think　we　may　seeand　this　is　the　special　subject　of　the　present　chapterthat　at　a　very　early　period；　when　humanity　was　hardly　capable　of　systematic　expression　in　what　we　call　Philosophy　or　Science；　it　could　not　well　rise　to　an　ordered　and　literary　expression　of　its　beliefs；　such　as　we　find　in　the　later　religions　and　the　'Churches'　（Babylonian；　Jewish；　East　Indian；　Christian；　or　what…not）；　and　yet　that　it　FELT　these　beliefs　very　intensely　and　was　urged；　almost　compelled；　to　their　utterance　in　some　form　or　other。　And　so　it　came　about　that　people　expressed　themselves　in　a　vast　mass　of　ritual　and　myth　customs；　ceremonies；　legends；　storieswhich　on　account　of　their　popular　and　concrete　form　were　handed　down　for　generations；　and　some　of　which　linger　on　still　in　the　midst　of　our　modern　civilization。　These　rituals　and　legends　were；　many　of　them；　absurd　enough；　rambling　and　childish　in　character；　and　preposterous　in　conception；　yet　they　gave　the　expression　needed；　and　some　of　them　of　course；　as　we　have　seen；　were　full　of　meaning　and　suggestion。

A　critical　and　commercial　Civilization；　such　as　ours；　in　which　（notwithstanding　much　TALK　about　Art）　the　artistic　sense　is　greatly　lacking；　or　at　any　rate　but　little　diffused；　does　not　as　a　rule　understand　that　poetic　RITES；　in　the　evolution　of　peoples；　came　naturally　before　anything　like　ordered　poems　or　philosophy　or　systematized　VIEWS　about　life　and　religionsuch　as　WE　love　to　wallow　in！　Things　were　FELT　before　they　were　spoken。　The　loading　of　diseases　into　disease…boats；　of　sins　onto　scape…goats；　the　propitiation　of　the　forces　of　nature　by　victims；　human　or　animal；　sacrifices；　ceremonies　of　re…birth；　eucharistic　feasts；　sexual　communions；　orgiastic　celebrations　of　the　common　life；