pagan and christian creeds-第9部分

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nerally　associated　with　Hercules'　struggle　with　and　victory　over　Deathlinks　on　to　the　descent　of　the　Sun　into　the　underworld；　and　its　long　and　doubtful　strife　with　the　forces　of　winter；　and　the　cleansing　of　the　stables　of　Augeas　（5）　has　the　same　signification。　It　appears　in　fact　that　the　stables　of　Augeas　was　another　name　for　the　sign　of　Capricorn　through　which　the　Sun　passes　at　the　Winter　solstice＇1＇the　stable　of　course　being　an　underground　chamberand　the　myth　was　that　there；　in　this　lowest　tract　and　backwater　of　the　Ecliptic　all　the　malarious　and　evil　influences　of　the　sky　were　collected；　and　the　Sungod　came　to　wash　them　away　（December　was　the　height　of　the　rainy　season　in　Judaea）　and　cleanse　the　year　towards　its　rebirth。

＇1＇　See　diagram　of　Zodiac。


It　should　not　be　forgotten　too　that　even　as　a　child　in　the　cradle　Hercules　slew　two　serpents　sent　for　his　destruction　the　serpent　and　the　scorpion　as　autumnal　constellations　figuring　always　as　enemies　of　the　Sungodto　which　may　be　compared　the　power　given　to　his　disciples　by　Jesus＇1＇　〃to　tread　on　serpents　and　scorpions。〃　Hercules　also　as　a　Sungod　compares　curiously　with　Samson　（mentioned　above；　ii）；　but　we　need　not　dwell　on　all　the　elaborate　analogies　that　have　been　traced＇2＇　between　these　two　heroes。

＇1＇　Luke　x。　19。

＇2＇　See　Doane's　Bible　Myths；　ch。　viii；　（New　York；　1882。）


The　Jesus…story；　it　will　now　be　seen；　has　a　great　number　of　correspondences　with　the　stories　of　former　Sungods　and　with　the　actual　career　of　the　Sun　through　the　heavensso　many　indeed　that　they　cannot　well　be　attributed　to　mere　coincidence　or　even　to　the　blasphemous　wiles　of　the　Devil！　Let　us　enumerate　some　of　these。　There　are　（1）

the　birth　from　a　Virgin　mother；　（2）　the　birth　in　a　stable　（cave　or　underground　chamber）；　and　（3）　on　the　25th　December　（just　after　the　winter　solstice）。　There　is　（4）　the　Star　in　the　East　（Sirius）　and　（5）　the　arrival　of　the　Magi　（the　〃Three　Kings〃）；　there　is　（6）　the　threatened　Massacre　of　the　Innocents；　and　the　consequent　flight　into　a　distant　country　（told　also　of　Krishna　and　other　Sungods）。　There　are　the　Church　festivals　of　（7）　Candlemas　（2nd　February）；　with　processions　of　candles　to　symbolize　the　growing　light；　of　（8）　Lent；　or　the　arrival　of　Spring；　of　（9）　Easter　Day　（normally　on　the　25th　March）　to　celebrate　the　crossing　of　the　Equator　by　the　Sun；　and　（10）　simultaneously　the　outburst　of　lights　at　the　Holy　Sepulchre　at　Jerusalem。　There　is　（11）　the　Crucifixion　and　death　of　the　Lamb…God；　on　Good　Friday；　three　days　before　Easter；　there　are　（12）　the　nailing　to　a　tree；　（13）　the　empty　grave；　（14）　the　glad　Resurrection　（as　in　the　cases　of　Osiris；　Attis　and　others）；　there　are　（15）　the　twelve　disciples　（the　Zodiacal　signs）；　and　（16）　the　betrayal　by　one　of　the　twelve。　Then　later　there　is　（17）　Midsummer　Day；　the　24th　June；　dedicated　to　the　Nativity　of　John　the　Baptist；　and　corresponding　to　Christmas　Day；　there　are　the　festivals　of　（18）　the　Assumption　of　the　Virgin　（15th　August）　and　of　（19）　the　Nativity　of　the　Virgin　（8th　September）；　corresponding　to　the　movement　of　the　god　through　Virgo；　there　is　the　conflict　of　Christ　and　his　disciples　with　the　autumnal　asterisms；　（20）　the　Serpent　and　the　Scorpion；　and　finally　there　is　the　curious　fact　that　the　Church　（21）　dedicates　the　very　day　of　the　winter　solstice　（when　any　one　may　very　naturally　doubt　the　rebirth　of　the　Sun）　to　St。　Thomas；　who　doubted　the　truth　of　the　Resurrection！

These　are　some　of；　and　by　no　means　all；　the　coincidences　in　question。　But　they　are　sufficient；　I　think；　to　prove　even　allowing　for　possible　margins　of　errorthe　truth　of　our　general　contention。　To　go　into　the　parallelism　of　the　careers　of　Krishna；　the　Indian　Sungod；　and　Jesus　would　take　too　long；　because　indeed　the　correspondence　is　so　extraordinarily　close　and　elaborate。＇1＇　I　propose；　however；　at　the　close　of　this　chapter；　to　dwell　now　for　a　moment　on　the　Christian　festival　of　the　Eucharist；　partly　on　account　of　its　connection　with　the　derivation　from　the　astronomical　rites　and　Nature…celebrations　already　alluded　to；　and　partly　on　account　of　the　light　which　the　festival　generally；　whether　Christian　or　Pagan；　throws　on　the　origins　of　Religious　Magica　subject　I　shall　have　to　deal　with　in　the　next　chapter。

＇1＇　See　Robertson's　Christianity　and　Mythology；　Part　II；　pp。　129…302；　also　Doane's　Bible　Myths；　ch。　xxviii；　p。　278。


I　have　already　（Ch。　II）　mentioned　the　Eucharistic　rite　held　in　commemoration　of　Mithra；　and　the　indignant　ascription　of　this　by　Justin　Martyr　to　the　wiles　of　the　Devil。　Justin　Martyr　clearly　had　no　doubt　about　the　resemblance　of　the　Mithraic　to　the　Christian　ceremony。　A　Sacramental　meal；　as　mentioned　a　few　pages　back；　seems　to　have　been　held　by　the　worshipers　of　Attis＇1＇　in　commemoration　of　their　god；　and　the　'mysteries'　of　the　Pagan　cults　generally　appear　to　have　included　rites　sometimes　half…savage；　sometimes　more　aestheticin　which　a　dismembered　animal　was　eaten；　or　bread　and　wine　（the　spirits　of　the　Corn　and　the　Vine）　were　consumed；　as　representing　the　body　of　the　god　whom　his　devotees　desired　to　honor。　But　the　best　example　of　this　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