pagan and christian creeds-第4章
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stivals had by that time become so popular that Christianity was OBLIGED to accommodate itself to them。＇1＇
＇1＇ As； for instance； the festival of John the Baptist in June took the place of the pagan midsummer festival of water and bathing； the Assumption of the Virgin in August the place of that of Diana in the same month； and the festival of All Souls early in November； that of the world…wide pagan feasts of the dead and their ghosts at the same season。
＇2＇ See Encycl。 Brit。 art。 〃Chronology。〃
＇3＇ 〃There is however a difficulty in accepting the 25th December as the real date of the Nativity； December being the height of the rainy season in Judaea； when neither flocks nor shepherds could have been at night in the fields of Bethlehem〃 （！）。 Encycl。 Brit。 art。 〃Christmas Day。〃 According to Hastings's Encyclopaedia； art。 〃Christmas；〃 〃Usener says that the Feast of the Nativity was held originally on the 6th January （the Epiphany）； but in 353…4 the Pope Liberius displaced it to the 25th December 。 。 。 but there is no evidence of a Feast of the Nativity taking place at all； before the fourth century A。D。〃 It was not till 534 A。D。 that Christmas Day and Epiphany were reckoned by the law…courts as dies non。
This brings us to the second point mentioned a few pages backthe analogy between the Christian festivals and the yearly phenomena of Nature in the Sun and the Vegetation。
Let us take Christmas Day first。 Mithra； as we have seen； was reported to have been born on the 25th December （which in the Julian Calendar was reckoned as the day of the Winter Solstice AND of the Nativity of the Sun）； Plutarch says （Isis and Osiris； c。 12） that Osiris was born on the 361st day of the year； when a Voice rang out proclaiming the Lord of All。 Horus； he says； was born on the 362nd day。 Apollo on the same。
Why was all this？ Why did the Druids at Yule Tide light roaring fires？ Why was the cock supposed to crow all Christmas Eve （〃The bird of dawning singeth all night long〃）？ Why was Apollo born with only one hair （the young Sun with only one feeble ray）？ Why did Samson （name derived from Shemesh； the sun） lose all his strength when he lost his hair？ Why were so many of these gods Mithra； Apollo； Krishna； Jesus； and others； born in caves or underground chambers？＇1＇ Why； at the Easter Eve festival of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem is a light brought from the grave and communicated to the candles of thousands who wait outside； and who rush forth rejoicing to carry the new glory over the world？＇2＇ Why indeed？ except that older than all history and all written records has been the fear and wonderment of the children of men over the failure of the Sun's strength in Autumnthe decay of their God； and the anxiety lest by any means he should not revive or reappear？
＇1＇ This same legend of gods （or idols） being born in caves has； curiously enough； been reported from Mexico； Guatemala； the Antilles； and other places in Central America。 See C。 F。 P。 von Martius； Etknographie Amerika； etc。 （Leipzig； 1867）； vol。 i； p。 758。
＇2＇ Compare the Aztec ceremonial of lighting a holy fire and communicating it to the multitude from the wounded breast of a human victim； celebrated every 52 years at the end of one cycle and the beginning of anotherthe constellation of the Pleiades being in the Zenith （Prescott's Conquest of Mexico； Bk。 I； ch。 4）。
Think for a moment of a time far back when there were absolutely NO Almanacs or Calendars； either nicely printed or otherwise； when all that timid mortals could see was that their great source of Light and Warmth was daily failing； daily sinking lower in the sky。 As everyone now knows there are about three weeks at the fag end of the year when the days are at their shortest and there is very little change。 What was happening？ Evidently the god had fallen upon evil times。 Typhon； the prince of darkness； had betrayed him； Delilah； the queen of Night； had shorn his hair； the dreadful Boar had wounded him； Hercules was struggling with Death itself； he had fallen under the influence of those malign constellationsthe Serpent and the Scorpion。 Would the god grow weaker and weaker； and finally succumb； or would he conquer after all？ We can imagine the anxiety with which those early men and women watched for the first indication of a lengthening day； and the universal joy when the Priest （the representative of primitive science） having made some simple observations； announced from the Temple steps that the day WAS lengtheningthat the Sun was really born again to a new and glorious career。＇1＇
＇1＇ It was such things as these which doubtless gave the Priesthood its power。
Let us look at the elementary science of those days a little closer。 How without Almanacs or Calendars could the day； or probable day； of the Sun's rebirth be fixed？ Go out next Christmas Evening； and at midnight you will see the brightest of the fixed stars； Sirius； blazing in the southern skynot however due south from you； but somewhat to the left of the Meridian line。 Some three thousand years ago （owing to the Precession of the Equinoxes） that star at the winter solstice did not stand at midnight where you now see it； but almost exactly ON the meridian line。 The coming of Sirius therefore to the meridian at midnight became the sign and assurance of the Sun having reached the very lowest point of his course； and therefore of having arrived at the moment of his re…birth。 Where then was the Sun at that moment？ Obviously in the underworld beneath our feet。 Whatever views the ancients may have had about the shape of the earth； it was evident to the mass of people that the Sungod； after illuminating the world during the day； plunged down in the West； and remained there during the hours of darkness in some cavern under the earth。 Here he rested and after bathing in the great ocean renewed his garments before reappearing in the East next morning。
But in this long night of his greatest winter weakness； when all the world was hoping and praying for the renewal of his strength； it is evident that the new birth would come if it came at allat midnight。 This then was the sacred hour when in the underworld （the Stable or the Cave or whatever it might be called） the child was born who was destined to be the Savior of men。 At that moment Sirius stood on the southern meridian （and in more southern lands than ours this would be more nearly overhead）； and that starthere is little doubtis the Star in the East mentioned in the Gospels。
To the right； as the supposed observer looks at Sirius on the midnight of Christmas Eve； stands the magnificent Orion； the mighty hunter。 There are three stars in his belt which； as is well known； lie in a straight line pointing to Sirius。 They are not so bright as Sirius； but they are sufficiently bright to attract attention。 A long tradition gives them the name of the Three Kings。 Dupuis＇1＇ says： 〃Orion a trois belles etoiles vers le milieu； qui sont de seconde grandeur et posees en ligne droite； l'une pres de l'autre； le peuple les appelle les trois rois。 On donne aux trois rois Magis les noms de Magalat； Galgalat； Saraim； et Athos； Satos； Paratoras。 Les Catholiques les appellent Gaspard； Melchior； et Balthasar。〃 The last…mentioned group of names comes in the Catholic Calendar in connection with the feast of the Epiphany （6th January）； and the name 〃Trois Rois〃 is commonly to…day given to these stars by the French and Swiss peasants。
＇1＇ Charles F。 Dupuis （Origine de Tous les Cultes； Paris； 1822） was one of the earliest modern writers on these subjects。
Immediately after Midnight then； on the 25th December； the Beloved Son （or Sun…god） is born。 If we go back in thought to the period； some three thousand years ago； when at that moment of the heavenly birth Sirius； coming from the East； did actually stand on the Meridian； we shall come into touch with another curious astronomical coincidence。 For at the same moment we shall see the Zodiacal constellation of the Virgin in the act of rising； and becoming visible in the East divided through the middle by the line of the horizon。
The constellation Virgo is a Y…shaped group； of which ； the star at the foot； is the well…known Spica； a star of the first magnitude。 The other principal stars； at the centre； and and at the extremities； are of the second magnitude。 The whole resembles more a cup than the human figure； but when we remember the symbolic meaning of the cup； that seems to be an obvious explanation of the name Virgo； which the constellation has borne since the earliest times。 ＇The three stars ； and ； lie very nearly on the Ecliptic； that is； the Sun's patha fact to which we shall return presently。＇
At the moment then when Sirius； the star from the East； by coming to the Meridian at midnight signalled the Sun's new birth； the Virgin was seen just rising on the Eastern skythe horizon line passing through her centre。 And many people think that this astronomical fact is the explanation of the very widespread legend of the Virgin…birth。 I do not think that it is the sole explanationfor indeed in all or nearly all these cases the acceptance of a myth seems to depend not upon a single argument but upon the convergence of a number of meanings and reasons in the same symbol。 But certainly the fact mentioned above is curious； and its importance is accentuated by the following considerations。
In the Temple of Denderah in Egypt； and on the inside of the dome； there is or WAS an elaborate circular representation of the Northern hemisphere of the sky and the Zodiac。＇1＇ Here Virgo the constellation is represented； as in our star…maps； by a woman with a spike of corn in her hand （Spica）。 But on the margin close by there is an annotating and explicatory figurea figure of Isis with the infant Horus in her arms； and quite resembling in style the Christian Madonna and Child； except that she is sitting and the child is on her knee。 This seems to show thatwhatever other nations may have done in associating Virgo with Demeter； Ceres； Diana＇2＇ etc。the Egyptians made no doubt of the constellation's connection with Isis and Horus。 But it is well known as a matter of history that the worship of Isis and Horus descended in the early Christian centuries to Alexandria； where it took the form of the worship of the Virgin Mary and the infant Savior； and so passed into the European ceremonial。 We have therefore the Virgin Mary connected by linear succession and descent with that remote Zodiacal cluster in the sky！ Also it may be mentioned that on the Arabian and Persian globes of Abenezra and Abuazar a Virgin and Child are figured in connection with the same constellation。＇3＇
＇1＇ Carefully described and mapped by Dupuis； see op。 cit。
＇2＇ For the harvest…festival of Diana； the Virgin； and her parallelism with the Virgin Mary； see The Golden Bough； vol。 i； 14 and ii； 121。
＇3＇ See F。 Nork； Der Mystagog （Leipzig； 1838）。
A curious confirmation of the same astronomical connection is afforded by the Roman Catholic Calendar。 For if this be consulted it will be found that the festival of the Assumption of the Virgin is placed on the 15th August； while the festival of the Birth of the Virgin is dated the 8th September。 I have already pointed out that the
