pagan and christian creeds-第3部分

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ianity　itself；　xiv　and　xv　explain　the　inner　Meaning　of　the　whole　process　from　the　beginning；　and　xvi　and　xvii　look　to　the　Future。

The　appendix　on　the　doctrines　of　the　Upanishads　may；　I　hope；　serve　to　give　an　idea；　intimate　even　though　inadequate；　of　the　third　Stagethat　which　follows　on　the　stage　of　self…consciousness；　and　to　portray　the　mental　attitudes　which　are　characteristic　of　that　stage。　Here　in　this　third　stage；　it　would　seem；　one　comes　upon　the　real　FACTS　of　the　inner　lifein　contradistinction　to　the　fancies　and　figments　of　the　second　stage；　and　so　one　reaches　the　final　point　of　conjunction　between　Science　and　Religion。



II。　SOLAR　MYTHS　AND　CHRISTIAN　FESTIVALS

To　the　ordinary　publicnotwithstanding　the　immense　amount　of　work　which　has　of　late　been　done　on　this　subject　the　connection　between　Paganism　and　Christianity　still　seems　rather　remote。　Indeed　the　common　notion　is　that　Christianity　was　really　a　miraculous　interposition　into　and　dislocation　of　the　old　order　of　the　world；　and　that　the　pagan　gods　（as　in　Milton's　Hymn　on　the　Nativity）　fled　away　in　dismay　before　the　sign　of　the　Cross；　and　at　the　sound　of　the　name　of　Jesus。　Doubtless　this　was　a　view　much　encouraged　by　the　early　Church　itselfif　only　to　enhance　its　own　authority　and　importance；　yet；　as　is　well　known　to　every　student；　it　is　quite　misleading　and　contrary　to　fact。　The　main　Christian　doctrines　and　festivals；　besides　a　great　mass　of　affiliated　legend　and　ceremonial；　are　really　quite　directly　derived　from；　and　related　to；　preceding　Nature　worships；　and　it　has　only　been　by　a　good　deal　of　deliberate　mystification　and　falsification　that　this　derivation　has　been　kept　out　of　sight。

In　these　Nature…worships　there　may　be　discerned　three　fairly　independent　streams　of　religious　or　quasi…religious　enthusiasm：　（1）　that　connected　with　the　phenomena　of　the　heavens；　the　movements　of　the　Sun；　planets　and　stars；　and　the　awe　and　wonderment　they　excited；　（2）　that　connected　with　the　seasons　and　the　very　important　matter　of　the　growth　of　vegetation　and　food　on　the　Earth；　and　（3）　that　connected　with　the　mysteries　of　Sex　and　reproduction。　It　is　obvious　that　these　three　streams　would　mingle　and　interfuse　with　each　other　a　good　deal；　but　as　far　as　they　were　separable　the　first　would　tend　to　create　Solar　heroes　and　Sun…myths；　the　second　Vegetation…gods　and　personifications　of　Nature　and　the　earth…life；　while　the　third　would　throw　its　glamour　over　the　other　two　and　contribute　to　the　projection　of　deities　or　demons　worshipped　with　all　sorts　of　sexual　and　phallic　rites。　All　three　systems　of　course　have　their　special　rites　and　times　and　ceremonies；　but；　as；　I　say；　the　rites　and　ceremonies　of　one　system　would　rarely　be　found　pure　and　unmixed　with　those。　belonging　to　the　two　others。　The　whole　subject　is　a　very　large　one；　but　for　reasons　given　in　the　Introduction　I　shall　in　this　and　the　following　chapterwhile　not　ignoring　phases　（2）　and　（3）lay　most　stress　on　phase　（1）　of　the　question　before　us。

At　the　time　of　the　life　or　recorded　appearance　of　Jesus　of　Nazareth；　and　for　some　centuries　before；　the　Mediterranean　and　neighboring　world　had　been　the　scene　of　a　vast　number　of　pagan　creeds　and　rituals。　There　were　Temples　without　end　dedicated　to　gods　like　Apollo　or　Dionysus　among　the　Greeks；　Hercules　among　the　Romans；　Mithra　among　the　Persians；　Adonis　and　Attis　in　Syria　and　Phrygia；　Osiris　and　Isis　and　Horus　in　Egypt；　Baal　and　Astarte　among　the　Babylonians　and　Carthaginians；　and　so　forth。　Societies；　large　or　small；　united　believers　and　the　devout　in　the　service　or　ceremonials　connected　with　their　respective　deities；　and　in　the　creeds　which　they　confessed　concerning　these　deities。　And　an　extraordinarily　interesting　fact；　for　us；　is　that　notwithstanding　great　geographical　distances　and　racial　differences　between　the　adherents　of　these　various　cults；　as　well　as　differences　in　the　details　of　their　services；　the　general　outlines　of　their　creeds　and　ceremonials　wereif　not　identicalso　markedly　similar　as　we　find　them。

I　cannot　of　course　go　at　length　into　these　different　cults；　but　I　may　say　roughly　that　of　all　or　nearly　all　the　deities　above…mentioned　it　was　said　and　believed　that：

（1）　They　were　born　on　or　very　near　our　Christmas　Day。

（2）　They　were　born　of　a　Virgin…Mother。

（3）　And　in　a　Cave　or　Underground　Chamber。

（4）　They　led　a　life　of　toil　for　Mankind。

（5）　And　were　called　by　the　names　of　Light…bringer；　Healer；　Mediator；　Savior；　Deliverer。

（6）　They　were　however　vanquished　by　the　Powers　of　Darkness。

（7）　And　descended　into　Hell　or　the　Underworld。

（8）　They　rose　again　from　the　dead；　and　became　the　pioneers　of　mankind　to　the　Heavenly　world。

（9）　They　founded　Communions　of　Saints；　and　Churches　into　which　disciples　were　received　by　Baptism。

（10）　And　they　were　commemorated　by　Eucharistic　meals。

Let　me　give　a　few　brief　examples。

Mithra　was　born　in　a　cave；　and　on　the　25th　December。＇1＇　He　was　born　of　a　Virgin。＇2＇　He　traveled　far　and　wide　as　a　teacher　and　illuminator　of　men。　He　slew　the　Bull　（symbol　of　the　gross　Earth　which　the　sunlight　fructifies）。　His　great　festivals　were　the　winter　solstice　and　the　Spring　equinox　（Christmas　and　Easter）。　He　had　twelve　companions　or　disciples　（the　twelve　months）。　He　was　buried　in　a　tomb；　from　which　however　he　rose　again；　and　his　resurrection　was　celebrated　yearly　with　great　rejoicings。　He　was　called　Savior　and　Mediator；　and　sometimes　figured　as　a　Lamb；　and　sacramental　feasts　in　remembrance　of　him　were　held　by　his　followers。　This　legend　is　apparently　partly　astronomical　and　partly　vegetational；　and　the　same　may　be　said　of　the　following　about　Osiris。

＇1＇　The　birthfeast　of　Mithra　was　held　in　Rome　on　the　8th　day　before　the　Kalends　of　January；　being　also　the　day　of　the　Circassian　games；　which　were　sacred　to　the　Sun。　（See　F。　Nork；　Der　Mystagog；　Leipzig。）

＇2＇　This　at　any　rate　was　reported　by　his　later　disciples　（see　Robertson's　Pagan　Christs；　p。　338）。


Osiris　was　born　（Plutarch　tells　us）　on　the　361st　day　of　the　year；　say　the　27th　December。　He　too；　like　Mithra　and　Dionysus；　was　a　great　traveler。　As　King　of　Egypt　he　taught　men　civil　arts；　and　〃tamed　them　by　music　and　gentleness；　not　by　force　of　arms〃；＇1＇　he　was　the　discoverer　of　corn　and　wine。　But　he　was　betrayed　by　Typhon；　the　power　of　darkness；　and　slain　and　dismembered。　〃This　happened；〃　says　Plutarch；　〃on　the　17th　of　the　month　Athyr；　when　the　sun　enters　into　the　Scorpion〃　（the　sign　of　the　Zodiac　which　indicates　the　oncoming　of　Winter）。　His　body　was　placed　in　a　box；　but　afterwards；　on　the　19th；　came　again　to　life；　and；　as　in　the　cults　of　Mithra；　Dionysus；　Adonis　and　others；　so　in　the　cult　of　Osiris；　an　image　placed　in　a　coffin　was　brought　out　before　the　worshipers　and　saluted　with　glad　cries　of　〃Osiris　is　risen。〃＇1＇　〃His　sufferings；　his　death　and　his　resurrection　were　enacted　year　by　year　in　a　great　mystery…play　at　Abydos。〃＇2＇

＇1＇　See　Plutarch　on　Isis　and　Osiris。

＇2＇　Ancient　Art　and　Ritual；　by　Jane　E。　Harrison；　chap。　i。


The　two　following　legends　have　more　distinctly　the　character　of　Vegetation　myths。

Adonis　or　Tammuz；　the　Syrian　god　of　vegetation；　was　a　very　beautiful　youth；　born　of　a　Virgin　（Nature）；　and　so　beautiful　that　Venus　and　Proserpine　（the　goddesses　of　the　Upper　and　Underworlds）　both　fell　in　love　with　him。　To　reconcile　their　claims　it　was　agreed　that　he　should　spend　half　the　year　（summer）　in　the　upper　world；　and　the　winter　half　with　Proserpine　below。　He　was　killed　by　a　boar　（Typhon）　in　the　autumn。　And　every　year　the　maidens　〃wept　for　Adonis〃　（see　Ezekiel　viii。　14）。　In　the　spring　a　festival　of　his　resurrection　was　heldthe　women　set　out　to　seek　him；　and　having　found　the　supposed　corpse　placed　it　（a　wooden　image）　in　a　coffin　or　hollow　tree；　and　performed　wild　rites　and　lamentations；　followed　by　even　wilder　rejoicings　over　his　supposed　resurrection。　At　Aphaca　in　the　North　of　Syria；　and　halfway　between　Byblus　and　Baalbec；　there　was　a　famous　grove　and　temple　of　Astarte；　near　which　was　a　wild　romantic　gorge　full　of　trees；　the　birthplace　of　a　certain　river　Adonisthe　water　rushing　from　a　Cavern；　under　lofty　cliffs。　Here　（it　was　said）　every　year　the　youth　Adonis　was　again　wounded　to　death；　and　the　river　ran　red　with　his　blood；＇1＇　while　the　scarlet　anemone　bloomed　among　the　cedars　and　walnuts。

＇1＇　A　discoloration　caused　by　red　earth　washed　by　rain　from　the　mountains；　and　which　has　been　observed　by　modern　travelers。　For　the　whole　story　of　Adonis　and　of　Attis　see　Frazer's　Golden　Bough；　part　iv。


The　story　of　Attis　is　very　similar。　He　was　a　fair　young　shepherd　or　herdsman　of　Phrygia；　beloved　by　Cybele　（or　Demeter）；　the　Mother　of　the　gods。　He　was　born　of　a　Virgin　Nanawho　conceived　by　putting　a　ripe　almond　or　pomegranate　in　her　bosom。　He　died；　either　killed　by　a　boar；　the　symbol　of　winter；　like　Adonis；　or　self…castrated　（like　his　own　priests）；　and　he　bled　to　death　at　the　foot　of　a　pine　tree　（the　pine　and　pine…cone　being　symbols　of　fertility）。　The　sacrifice　of　his　blood　renewed　the　fertility　of　the　earth；　and　in　the　ritual　celebration　of　his　death　and　resurrection　his　image　was　fastened　to　the　trunk　of　a　pine…　tree　（compare　the　Crucifixion）。　But　I　shall　return　to　this　legend　presently。　The　worship　of　Attis　became　very　widespread　and　much　honored；　and　was　ultimately　incorporat