pagan and christian creeds-第8章

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　practice　is　afforded　by　the　rites　of　Dionysus；　to　which　I　will　devote　a　few　lines。　Dionysus；　like　other　Sun　or　Nature　deities；　was　born　of　a　Virgin　（Semele　or　Demeter）　untainted　by　any　earthly　husband；　and　born　on　the　25th。　December。　He　was　nurtured　in　a　Cave；　and　even　at　that　early　age　was　identified　with　the　Ram　or　Lamb；　into　whose　form　he　was　for　the　time　being　changed。　At　times　also　he　was　worshiped　in　the　form　of　a　Bull。＇2＇　He　travelled　far　and　wide；　and　brought　the　great　gift　of　wine　to　mankind。＇3＇　He　was　called　Liberator；　and　Saviour。　His　grave　〃was　shown　at　Delphi　in　the　inmost　shrine　of　the　temple　of　Apollo。　Secret　offerings　were　brought　thither；　while　the　women　who　were　celebrating　the　feast　woke　up　the　new…born　god。　。　。　。　Festivals　of　this　kind　in　celebration　of　the　extinction　and　resurrection　of　the　deity　were　held　（by　women　and　girls　only）　amid　the　mountains　at　night；　every　third　year；　about　the　time　of　the　shortest　day。　The　rites；　intended　to　express　the　excess　of　grief　and　joy　at　the　death　and　reappearance　of　the　god；　were　wild　even　to　savagery；　and　the　women　who　performed　them　were　hence　known　by　the　expressive　names　of　Bacchae；　Maenads；　and　Thyiades。　They　wandered　through　woods　and　mountains；　their　flying　locks　crowned　with　ivy　or　snakes；　brandishing　wands　and　torches；　to　the　hollow　sounds　of　the　drum；　or　the　shrill　notes　of　the　flute；　with　wild　dances　and　insane　cries　and　jubilation。

＇1＇　See　Frazer's　Golden　Bough；　Part　IV；　p。　229。

＇2＇　The　Golden　Bough；　Part　II；　Book　II；　p。　164。

＇3＇　〃I　am　the　TRUE　Vine；〃　says　the　Jesus　of　the　fourth　gospel；　perhaps　with　an　implicit　and　hostile　reference　to　the　cult　of　Dionysusin　which　Robertson　suggests　（Christianity　and　Mythology；　p。　357）　there　was　a　ritual　miracle　of　turning　water　into　wine。


Oxen；　goats；　even　fawns　and　roes　from　the　forest　were　killed；　torn　to　pieces；　and　eaten　raw。　This　in　imitation　of　the　treatment　of　Dionysus　by　the　Titans〃＇1＇who　it　was　supposed　had　torn　the　god　in　pieces　when　a　child。

＇1＇　See　art。　Dionysus。　Dictionary　of　Classical　Antiquities；　Nettleship　and　Sandys　3rd　edn。；　London；　1898）。


Dupuis；　one　of　the　earliest　writers　（at　the　beginning　of　last　century）　on　this　subject；　says；　describing　the　mystic　rites　of　Dionysus＇1＇：　〃The　sacred　doors　of　the　Temple　in　which　the　initiation　took　place　were　opened　only　once　a　year；　and　no　stranger　might　ever　enter。　Night　lent　to　these　august　mysteries　a　veil　which　was　forbidden　to　be　drawn　aside　for　whoever　it　might　be。＇2＇　It　was　the　sole　occasion　for　the　representation　of　the　passion　of　Bacchus　＇Dionysus＇　dead；　descended　into　hell；　and　rearisenin　imitation　of　the　representation　of　the　sufferings　of　Osiris　which；　according　to　Herodotus；　were　commemorated　at　Sais　in　Egypt。　It　was　in　that　place　that　the　partition　took　place　of　the　body　of　the　god；＇3＇　which　was　then　eaten　the　ceremony；　in　fact；　of　which　our　Eucharist　is　only　a　reflection；　whereas　in　the　mysteries　of　Bacchus　actual　raw　flesh　was　distributed；　which　each　of　those　present　had　to　consume　in　commemoration　of　the　death　of　Bacchus　dismembered　by　the　Titans；　and　whose　passion；　in　Chios　and　Tenedos；　was　renewed　each　year　by　the　sacrifice　of　a　man　who　represented　the　god。＇4＇　Possibly　it　is　this　last　fact　which　made　people　believe　that　the　Christians　（whose　hoc　est　corpus　meum　and　sharing　of　an　Eucharistic　meal　were　no　more　than　a　shadow　of　a　more　ancient　rite）　did　really　sacrifice　a　child　and　devour　its　limbs。〃

＇1＇　See　Charles　F。　Dupuis；　〃Traite　des　Mysteres；〃　ch。　i。

＇2＇　Pausan；　Corinth；　ch。　37。

＇3＇　Clem；　Prot。　Eur。　Bacch。

＇4＇　See　Porphyry；　De　Abstinentia；　lii；　Section　56。


That　Eucharistic　rites　were　very　very　ancient　is　plain　from　the　Totem…sacraments　of　savages；　and　to　this　subject　we　shall　now　turn。



IV。　TOTEM…SACRAMENTS　AND　EUCHARISTS

Much　has　been　written　on　the　origin　of　the　Totem…system　the　system；　that　is；　of　naming　a　tribe　or　a　portion　of　a　tribe　（say　a　CLAN）　after　some　ANIMALor　sometimesalso　after　some　plant　or　tree　or　Nature…element；　like　fire　or　rain　or　thunder；　but　at　best　the　subject　is　a　difficult　one　for　us　moderns　to　understand。　A　careful　study　has　been　made　of　it　by　Salamon　Reinach　in　his　Cultes；　Mythes　et　Religions；＇1＇　where　he　formulates　his　conclusions　in　twelve　statements　or　definitions；　but　even　sothough　his　suggestions　are　helpfulhe　throws　very　little　light　on　the　real　origin　of　the　system。＇2＇

＇1＇　See　English　translation　of　certain　chapters　（published　by　David　Nutt　in　1912）　entitled　Cults；　Myths　and　Religions；　pp。　1…25。　The　French　original　is　in　three　large　volumes。

＇2＇　The　same　may　be　said　of　the　formulated　statement　of　the　subject　in　Morris　Jastrow's　Handbooks　of　the　History　of　Religion；　vol。　iv。

There　are　three　main　difficulties。　The　first　is　to　understand　why　primitive　Man　should　name　his　Tribe　after　an　animal　or　object　of　nature　at　all；　the　second；　to　understand　on　what　principle　he　selected　the　particular　name　（a　lion；　a　crocodile；　a　lady　bird；　a　certain　tree）；　the　third；　why　he　should　make　of　the　said　totem　a　divinity；　and　pay　honor　and　worship　to　it。　It　may　be　worth　while　to　pause　for　a　moment　over　these。

（1）　The　fact　that　the　Tribe　was　one　of　the　early　things　for　which　Man　found　it　necessary　to　have　a　name　is　interesting；　because　it　shows　how　early　the　solidarity　and　psychological　actuality　of　the　tribe　was　recognized；　and　as　to　the　selection　of　a　name　from　some　animal　or　concrete　object　of　Nature；　that　was　inevitable；　for　the　simple　reason　that　there　was　nothing　else　for　the　savage　to　choose　from。　Plainly　to　call　his　tribe　〃The　Wayfarers〃　or　〃The　Pioneers〃　or　the　〃Pacifists〃　or　the　〃Invincibles；〃　or　by　any　of　the　thousand　and　one　names　which　modern　associations　adopt；　would　have　been　impossible；　since　such　abstract　terms　had　little　or　no　existence　in　his　mind。　And　again　to　name　it　after　an　animal　was　the　most　obvious　thing　to　do；　simply　because　the　animals　were　by　far　the　most　important　features　or　accompaniments　of　his　own　life。　As　I　am　dealing　in　this　book　largely　with　certain　psychological　conditions　of　human　evolution；　it　has　to　be　pointed　out　that　to　primitive　man　the　animal　was　the　nearest　and　most　closely　related　of　all　objects。　Being　of　the　same　order　of　consciousness　as　himself；　the　animal　appealed　to　him　very　closely　as　his　mate　and　equal。　He　made　with　regard　to　it　little　or　no　distinction　from　himself。　We　see　this　very　clearly　in　the　case　of　children；　who　of　course　represent　the　savage　mind；　and　who　regard　animals　simply　as　their　mates　and　equals；　and　come　quickly　into　rapport　with　them；　not　differentiating　themselves　from　them。

（2）　As　to　the　particular　animal　or　other　object　selected　in　order　to　give　a　name　to　the　Tribe；　this　would　no　doubt　be　largely　accidental。　Any　unusual　incident　might　superstitiously　precipitate　a　name。　We　can　hardly　imagine　the　Tribe　scratching　its　congregated　head　in　the　deliberate　effort　to　think　out　a　suitable　emblem　for　itself。　That　is　not　the　way　in　which　nicknames　are　invented　in　a　school　or　anywhere　else　to…day。　At　the　same　time　the　heraldic　appeal　of　a　certain　object　of　nature；　animate　or　inanimate；　would　be　deeply　and　widely　felt。　The　strength　of　the　lion；　the　fleetness　of　the　deer；　the　food…value　of　a　bear；　the　flight　of　a　bird；　the　awful　jaws　of　a　crocodile；　might　easily　mesmerize　a　whole　tribe。　Reinach　points　out；　with　great　justice；　that　many　tribes　placed　themselves　under　the　protection　of　animals　which　were　supposed　（rightly　or　wrongly）　to　act　as　guides　and　augurs；　foretelling　the　future。　〃Diodorus；〃　he　says；　〃distinctly　states　that　the　hawk；　in　Egypt；　was　venerated　because　it　foretold　the　future。〃　＇Birds　generally　act　as　weather…prophets。＇　〃In　Australia　and　Samoa　the　kangaroo；　the　crow　and　the　owl　premonish　their　fellow　clansmen　of　events　to　come。　At　one　time　the　Samoan　warriors　went　so　far　as　to　rear　owls　for　their　prophetic　qualities　in　war。〃　＇The　jackal；　or　'pathfinder'　whose　tracks　sometimes　lead　to　the　remains　of　a　food…　animal　slain　by　a　lion；　and　many　birds　and　insects；　have　a　value　of　this　kind。＇　〃The　use　of　animal　totems　for　purposes　of　augury　is；　in　all　likelihood；　of　great　antiquity。　Men　must　soon　have　realized　that　the　senses　of　animals　were　acuter　than　their　own；　nor　is　it　surprising　that　they　should　have　expected　their　totemsthat　is　to　say；　their　natural　alliesto　forewarn　them　both　of　unsuspected　dangers　and　of　those　provisions　of　nature；　WELLS　especially；　which　animals　seem　to　scent　by　instinct。〃＇1＇　And　again；　beyond　all　this；　I　have　little　doubt　that　there　are　subconscious　affinities　which　unite　certain　tribes　to　certain　animals　or　plants；　affinities　whose　origin　we　cannot　now　trace；　though　they　are　very　realthe　same　affinities　that　we　recognize　as　existing　between　individual　PERSONS　and　certain　objects　of　nature。　W。　H。　Hudsonhimself　in　many　respects　having　this　deep　and　primitive　relation　to　nature　speaks　in　a　very　interesting　and　autobiographical　volume＇2＇　of　the　extraordinary　fascination　exercised　upon　him　as　a　boy；　not　only　by　a　snake；　but　by　certain　trees；　and　especially　by　a　particular　flowering…plant　〃not　more　than　a　foot　in　height；　with　downy　soft　pale　green　leaves；　and　clusters　of　reddish　blossoms；　something　like　valerian。〃　。　。　。　〃One　of　my　sacred　flowers；〃　he　calls　it；　and　insists　on　the　〃inexplicable　attraction〃　which　it　had　for　him。　In　various　ways　of　this　kind　one　can　perceive　how　particular　totems　came　to　be　selected　by　particular　peoples。

＇1＇　See　Reinach；　Eng。　trans。；　op。　cit。；　pp。　20；　21。

＇2＇　Far　away　and　Long　ago　（1918）　chs。　xvi　and　xvii。


（3）　As　to　the　tendency　to　divinize　these　totems；　this　arises　no　doubt　partly　out　of　question　（2）。　The　animal　or　other　object　admired　on　account　of　its　strength　or　swiftness；　or　adopted　as　guardian　of　the　tribe　because　of　its　keen　sight　or　prophetic　quality；　or　infinitely　prized　on　account　of　its　food…value；　or　felt　for　any　other　reason　to　have　a　peculiar　relation　and　affinity　to　the　tribe；　is　by　that　fact　SET　APART。　It　becomes　taboo。　It　must　not　be　killedexcept　under　necessity　and　by　sanction　of　the　whole　tribenor　injured；　and　all　dealings　with　it　must　be　fenced　round　with　regulations。　It　is　out　of　this　taboo　or　system　of　taboos　that；　according　to　Reinach；　religion　arose。　〃I　propose　（he　says）　to　define　religion　as：　A　SUM　OF　SCRUPLES　（TABOOS）　WHICH　IMPEDE　THE　FREE　EXERCISE　OF　OUR　FACULTIES。〃＇1＇　Obviously　this　definition　is　gravely　deficient；　simply　because　it　is　purely　negative；　and　leaves　out　of　account　the　positive　aspect　of　the　subject。　In　Man；　the　positive　content　of　religion　is　the　instinctive　sensewhether　conscious　or　subconsciousof　an　inner　unity　and　continuity　with　the　world　around。　This　is　the　stuff　out　of　which　religion　is　made。　The　scruples　or　taboos　which　〃impede　the　freedom〃　of　this　relation　are　the　negative　forces　which　give　outline　and　form　to　the　relation。　These　are　the　things　which　generate　the　RITES　AND　CEREMONIALS　of　religion；　and　as　far　as　Reinach　means　by　religion　MERELY　rites　and　ceremonies　he　is　correct；　but　clearly　he　only　covers　half　the　subject。　The　tendency　to　divinize　the　totem　is　at　least　as　much　dependent　on　the　positive　sense　of　unity　with　it；　as　on　the　negative　scruples　which　limit　the　relation　in　each　particular　case。　But　I　shall　return　to　this　subject　presently；　and　more　than　once；　with　the　view　of　clarifying　it。　Just　now　it　w