第4章
StrangeinourownBaptismalServiceandjustbeforetheactualchristeningwereadthesewords,“ThenshallthePriestsay:OmercifulGod,grantthatoldAdaminthischildmaybesoBURIEDthatthenewmanmayberaisedupinhim:grantthatallcarnalaffectionsmaydieinhim,andthatallthingsbelongingtotheSpiritmayliveandgrowinhim!“CanwedoubtthattheAustralianmedicine-man,standingatthegravesideofthere-arisenoldblack-fellow,pointedthesamemoraltotheyounginitiatesasthepriestdoesto-daytothoseassembledbeforehiminchurch——forindeedweknowthatamongsavagetribesinitiationshavealwaysbeenbeforeallthingstheoccasionsofmoralandsocialteaching?Canwedoubtthathesaid,insubstanceifnotinactualwords:“Asthismanhasarisenfromthegrave,soyoumustalsoarisefromyouroldchildishlifeofamusementandself-gratificationand,ENTERINTOthelifeofthetribe,thelifeoftheSpiritofthetribe。”“Intotemisticsocieties,“toquoteMissHarrisonagain,“andintheanimalsecretsocietiesthatseemtogrowoutofthem,thenoviceisbornagainaSTHESACREDANIMAL。ThusamongtheCarrierIndians[1]
whenamanwantstobecomeaLulemor"Bear,"howevercoldtheseasonhetearsoffhisclothes,putsonabear-skinanddashesintothewoods,wherehewillstayforthreeorfourdays。Everynighthisfellow-villagerswillgooutinsearchpartiestofindhim。TheycryoutYi!
Kelulem(comeon,Bear),andheanswerswithangrygrowls。
Usuallytheyfailtofindhim,buthecomesbackatlasthimself。
Heismet,andconductedtotheceremoniallodge,andthereincompanywiththerestoftheBearsdancessolemnlyhisfirstappearance。Disappearanceandreappearanceisascommonariteininitiationasstimulatedkillingandresurrection,andhasthesameobject。Bothareritesoftransition,ofpassingfromonetoanother。”IntheChristianceremoniestheboyorgirlputsawaychildishthingsandputsonthenewman,butinsteadofputtingonabear-skinheputsonChrist。Thereisnotsomuchdifferenceasmayappearonthesurface。TobeidentifiedwithyourTotemistobeidentifiedwiththesacredbeingwhowatchesoveryourtribe,whohasgivenhislifeforyourtribe;itistobebornagain,tobewashednotonlywithwaterbutwiththeHolySpiritofallyourfellows。TobebaptizedintoChristoughttomeantoberegeneratedintheHolySpiritofallhumanity;andnodoubtincasesitdoesmeanthis,buttoooftenunfortunatelyithasonlyamountedtoapretenceofreligioussanctiongiventothemeanestandbitterestquarrelsoftheChurchesandtheStates。
[1]GoldenBough,Section2,III,p。438。
ThisideaofaNewBirthatinitiationexplainstheprevalentpagancustomofsubjectingtheinitiatestoseriousordeals,oftenpainfulandevendangerous。Ifoneistobebornagain,obviouslyonemustbereadytofacedeath;theonethingcannotbewithouttheother。Onemustbeabletoendurepain,liketheRedIndianbraves;
togolongperiodsfastingandwithoutfoodordrink,likethechoupanamongtheWesternInoits——who,wandersforwholenightsovertheice-fieldsunderthemoon,scantilyclothedandbravingtheintensecold;toovercometheveryfearofdeathanddanger,liketheAustraliannoviceswho,atfirstterrifiedbythesoundofthebull-
roarerandthreatsoffireandtheknife,learnfinallytocasttheirfearsaway。[1]Bysodoingoneputsofftheoldchildishthings,andqualifiesoneselfbyfirmnessandcouragetobecomeaworthymemberofthesocietyintowhichoneiscalled。[2]Therulesofsociallifearetaught——thedutytoone"stribe,andtooneself,truth-
speaking,defenceofwomenandchildren,thecareofcattle,themeaningofsexandmarriage,andeventhemysteriesofsuchreligiousideasandrudimentaryscienceasthetribepossesses。Andbysodoingonereallyentersintoanewlife。Thingsofthespiritualworldbegintodawn。JuliusFirmicus,indescribingthemysteriesoftheresurrectionofOsiris,[3]saysthatwhentheworshipershadsatiatedthemselveswithlamentationsoverthedeathofthegodthenthepriestwouldgoroundanointingthemwithoilandwhispering,“Beofgoodcheer,ONeophytesofthenew-
arisenGod,fortoustoofromourpainsshallcomesalvation。”[4]
[1]AccordingtoaccountsoftheWiradthuritribeofWesternAustralia,intheirinitiations,theladswerefrightenedbyalargefirebeinglightednearthem,andhearingtheawfulsoundofthebull-roarers,whiletheyweretoldthatDhuramoolanwasabouttoburnthem;thelegendbeingthatDhuramoolan,apowerfulbeing,whosevoicesoundedlikethunder,wouldtaketheboysintothebushandinstructtheminallthelaws,traditionsandcustomsofthecommunity。Sohepretendedthathealwayskilledtheboys,cutthemup,andburntthemtoashes,afterwhichhemouldedtheashesintohumanshape,andrestoredthemtolifeasnewbeings。(SeeR。H。Matthews,“TheWiradthuritribes,“JournalAnthrop。Inst。,vol。xxv,1896,pp。297sq。)
[2]SeeCatlin"sNorth-AmericanIndians,vol。i,forinitiationsandordealsamongtheMandans。
[3]DeErrore,c。22。
[4]
Itwouldseemthatatsomeveryearlytimeinthehistoryoftribalandpriestlyinitiationsanattemptwasmadetoimpressupontheneophytestheexistenceandover-
shadowingpresenceofspiritualandghostlybeings。Perhapsthepainsenduredinthevariousordeals,thelongfastings,thesilencesinthedepthoftheforestsoronthemountainsoramongtheice-floes,helpedtorousethevisionaryfaculty。
Thedevelopmentsofthisfacultyamongtheblackandcoloredpeoples——East-Indian,Burmese,African,American-
Indian,etc——arewellknown。MissAliceFletcher,wholivedamongtheOmahaIndiansforthirtyyears,givesamostinterestingaccount[1]ofthegeneralphilosophyofthatpeopleandtheirritesofinitiation。“TheOmahasregardallanimateandinanimateforms,allphenomena,aspervadedbyacommonlife,whichwascontinuouswithandsimilartothewill-powertheywereconsciousofinthemselves。ThismysteriouspowerinallthingstheycalledWakonda,andthroughitallthingswererelatedtomanandtoeachother。Intheideaofthecontinuityoflifearelationwasmaintainedbetweentheseenandtheunseen,thedeadandtheliving,andalsobetweenthefragmentofanythinganditsentirety。”[2]ThusanOmahanovicemightatanytimeseektoobtainWakondabywhatwascalledTHERITEOFTHEVISION。Hewouldgooutalone,fast,chantincantations,andfinallyfallintoatrance(muchresemblingwhatinmoderntimeshasbeencalledCOSMICCONSCIOUSNESS)inwhichhewouldperceivetheinnerrelationsofallthingsandthesolidarityoftheleastobjectwiththerestoftheuniverse。
[1]SummarizedinThemis,pp。68-71。
[2]A。C。Fletcher,TheSignificanceoftheScalp-lock,JournalofAnthropologicalStudies,xxvii(1897-8),p。436。
Anotherriteinconnectionwithinitiation,andcommonalloverthepaganworld——inGreece,America,Africa,Australia,NewMexico,etc——wasthedaubingofthenovicealloverwithclayorchalkorevendung,andthenafterawhileremovingthesame。[1]Thenovicemusthavelookedasufficientlyuglyanduncomfortableobjectinthisstate;
butlater,whenhewasthoroughlyWASHED,theceremonymusthaveaffordedathrillingillustrationoftheideaofanewbirth,andonewhichwoulddwellinthemindsofthespectators。Whenthedaubingwasdoneasnotinfrequentlyhappenedwithwhiteclayorgypsum,andtheritualtookplaceatnight,itcaneasilybeimaginedthatthefiguresofyoungmenandboysmovingaboutinthedarknesswouldlendsupporttotheideathattheywerespiritsbelongingtosomeintermediateworld——whohadalreadypassedthroughdeathandwerenowwaitingfortheirsecondbirthonearth(orintothetribe)whichwouldbesignalizedbytheirthoroughandceremonialwashing。ItwillberememberedthatHerodotus(viii)
givesacircumstantialaccountofhowthePhociansinabattlewiththeThessalianssmearedsixhundredoftheirbravestwarriorswithwhiteclaysothat,lookinglikesupernaturalbeings,andfallingupontheThessaliansbynight,theyterrifiedthelatterandputthemtoinstantflight。
[1]SeeA。Lang"sMyth,RitualandReligion,i,274sq。
Suchthen——thoughonlyveryscantilydescribed——weresomeoftheritesofInitiationandSecondBirthcelebratedintheoldPaganworld。Thesubjectisfartoolargeforadequatetreatmentwithinthepresentlimits;butevensowecannotbutbestruckbytheappropriatenessinmanycasesoftheteachingthusgiventotheyoung,theconcretenessoftheillustrations,theeffectivenessofthesymbolsused,thedramaticcharacteroftherites,thestrongenforcementoflessonsonthenatureanddutiesofthelifeintowhichthecandidateswereabouttoenter。Christianityfollowedon,andinheritedthesetraditions,butonefeelsthatinitsceremoniesofBaptismandConfirmation,whichofcoursecorrespondtothePaganInitiations,itfallsshortofthelatter。Itsceremonies(certainlyaswehavethemto-dayinProtestantcountries)
areofaverymilk-and-waterycharacter;allallusiontoandteachingontheimmenselyimportantsubjectofSexisomitted,thedetailsofsocialandindustrialmoralityarepassedby,andinstructionislimitedtoafewrathercommonplacelessonsingeneralmoralityandreligion。
Itmaybeappropriatehere,beforeleavingthesubjectoftheSecondBirth,toinquirehowithascomeaboutthatthisdoctrine——soremoteandmetaphysicalasitmightappear——hasbeentakenupandembodiedintheircreedsandritualsbyquitePRIMITIVEpeopleallovertheworld,tosuchadegreeindeedthatithasultimatelybeenadoptedandbuiltintothefoundationsofthelatterandmoreintellectualreligions,likeHinduism,Mithraism,andtheEgyptianandChristiancults。Ithinktheanswertothisquestionmustbefoundinthenow-familiarfactthattheearliestpeoplesfeltthemselvessomuchapartofNatureandtheanimalandvegetableworldaroundthemthat(whenevertheythoughtaboutthesemattersatall)
theyneverforamomentdoubtedthatthethingswhichwerehappeningallroundthemintheexternalworldwerealsohappeningwithinthemselves。TheysawtheSun,overcloudedandnightodeathinwinter,cometoitsbirthagaineachyear;theysawtheVegetationshootforthanewinspring——therevivalofthespiritoftheEarth;
theendlessbreedingoftheAnimals,thestrangetransformationsofWormsandInsects;theobviouslynewlifetakenonbyboysandgirlsatpuberty;thesameatalateragewhenthenovicewastransformedintothemedicine-
man——thechoupanintotheangakokamongtheEsquimaux,theDacotahyouthintothewakanamongtheRedIndians;andtheyfeltintheirsub-consciouswaythesameeverlastingforcesofrebirthandtransformationworkingwithinthemselves。InsomeoftheGreekMysteriesthenewlyadmittedInitiateswerefedforsometimeafteronmilkonly“asthoughwewerebeingbornagain。”(SeeSallustius,quotedbyGilbertMurray。)Whensub-consciousknowledgebegantoglimmerintodirectconsciousnessoneofthefirstaspects(andnodoubtoneofthetruest)underwhichpeoplesawlifewasjustthus:asaseriesofrebirthsandtransformations。[1]Themostmodernscience,Ineedhardlysay,inbiologyaswellasinchemistryandthefieldofinorganicNature,supportsthatview。ThesavageinearliesttimesFELTthetruthofsomethingswhichweto-dayareonlybeginningintellectuallytoperceiveandanalyze。
[1]Theferventandwidespreadbeliefinanimalmetamorphosesamongearlypeoplesiswellknown。
Christianityadoptedandabsorbed——asitwasboundtodo——thisworld-widedoctrineofthesecondbirth。Passingoveritsphysiologicalandbiologicalapplications,itgavetoitafinespiritualsignificance——orratheritinsistedespeciallyonitsspiritualsignificance,which(aswehaveseen)hadbeenwidelyrecognizedbefore。Only——asI
supposemusthappenwithalllocalreligions——itnarrowedtheapplicationandoutlookofthedoctrinedowntoaspecialcase——“AsinAdamalldie,soinCHRISTshallallbemadealive。”TheUniversalSpiritwhichcangiverebirthandsalvationtoEVERYchildofmantowhomitcomes,wasofferedonlyunderaveryspecialform——thatofJesusChrist。[1]Inthisrespectitwasnobetterthanthereligionswhichprecededit。Insomerespects——thatis,whereitwasespeciallyfanatical,blinkered,andhostiletoothersects——itwasWORSE。ButtothosewhoperceivethattheGreatSpiritmaybringnewbirthandsalvationtosomeundertheformofOsiris,equallywellastoothersundertheformofJesus,oragaintosomeundertheformofaSiberiantotem-BearequallyastoothersundertheformofOsiris,thesequestioningsandnarrowingsfallawayasofnoimportance。Weinthislatterdaycanseethemainthing,namelythatChristianitywasandisjustonephaseofaworld-oldreligion,slowlyperhapsexpandingitsscope,butwhosechiefattitudesandorientationshavebeenthesamethroughthecenturies。
[1]ThesamehappenedwithregardtoanothergreatPagandoctrine(towhichIhavejustalluded),thedoctrineoftransformationsandmetamorphoses;andwhereasthepagansbelievedinthesethings,asthecommonandpossibleheritageofEVERYman,theChristiansonlyallowedthemselvestoentertaintheideainthespecialanduniqueinstanceoftheTransfigurationofChrist。
Manyotherillustrationsmightbetakenofthetruthofthisview,butIwillconfinemyselftotwoorthreemore。
ThereistheinstanceoftheEucharistanditsexceedinglywidespreadcelebration(underveryvariousforms)amongthepagansallovertheworld——aswellasamongChristians。
Ihavealreadysaidenoughonthissubject,andneednotdelayoverit。Bypartakingofthesacramentalmeal,eveninitswildestandcrudestshapes,asinthemysteriesofDionysus,onewasidentifiedwithandunitedtothegod;initsmilderandmorespiritualaspectsasintheMithraic,Egyptian,HinduandChristiancults,onepassedbehindtheveilofmayaandthisever-changingworld,andenteredintotheregionofdivinepeaceandpower。[1]
[1]BaringGouldinhisOrig。Relig。Belief,I。401,says:——“AmongtheancientHindusSomawasachiefdeity;heiscalledtheGiverofLifeandHealth……Hebecameincarnateamongmen,wastakenbythemandslain,andbrayedinamortar[agodofcornandwineapparently]。Butheroseinflametoheaventobe"theBenefactoroftheWorld"andthe"MediatorbetweenGodandMan!"Throughcommunionwithhiminhissacrifice,man(whopartookofthisgod)hasanassuranceofimmortality,forbythatsacramentheobtainsunionwithhisdivinity。”
OragainthedoctrineoftheSaviour。ThatalsoisoneonwhichIneednotaddmuchtowhathasbeensaidalready。
Thenumberofpagandeities(mostlyvirgin-bornanddonetodeathinsomewayorotherintheireffortstosavemankind)issogreat[1]astobedifficulttokeepaccountof。ThegodKrishnainIndia,thegodIndrainNepaulandThibet,spilttheirbloodforthesalvationofmen;Buddhasaid,accordingtoMaxMuller,[2]“Letallthesinsthatwereintheworldfallonme,thattheworldmaybedelivered“;theChineseTien,theHolyOne——“onewithGodandexistingwithhimfromalleternity“——diedtosavetheworld;theEgyptianOsiriswascalledSaviour,sowasHorus;sowasthePersianMithras;sowastheGreekHerculeswhoovercameDeaththoughhisbodywasconsumedintheburninggarmentofmortality,outofwhichheroseintoheaven。SoalsowasthePhrygianAttiscalledSaviour,andtheSyrianTammuzorAdonislikewise——bothofwhom,aswehaveseen,werenailedortiedtoatree,andafterwardsroseagainfromtheirbiers,orcoffins。Prometheus,thegreatestandearliestbenefactorofthehumanrace,wasNAILEDBYTHEHANDSandfeet,andwitharmsextended,totherocksofMountCaucasus。BacchusorDionysus,bornofthevirginSemeletobetheLiberatorofmankind(DionysusEleutheriosashewascalled),wastorntopieces,notunlikeOsiris。EveninfarMexicoQuetzalcoatl,theSaviour,wasbornofavirgin,wastempted,andfastedfortydays,wasdonetodeath,andhissecondcominglookedforsoeagerlythat(asiswellknown)
whenCortesappeared,theMexicans,poorthings,greetedHIMasthereturninggod![3]InPeruandamongtheAmericanIndians,NorthandSouthoftheEquator,similarlegendsare,orwere,tobefound。
[1]SeeforaconsiderablelistDoane"sBibleMyths,ch。xx。
[2]Hist。SanskritLiterature,p。80。
[3]SeeKingsborough,MexicanAntiquities,vol。vi。
Brieflysketchedasallthisis,itisenoughtoprovequiteabundantlythatthedoctrineoftheSaviourisworld-wideandworld-old,andthatChristianitymerelyappropriatedthesameand(astheothercultsdid)gaveitaspecialcolor。Probablythewiderangeofthisdoctrinewouldhavebeenfarbetterandmoregenerallyknown,hadnottheChristianChurch,allthrough,madethegreatestofeffortsandtakenthegreatestprecautionstoextinguishandsnuffoutallevidenceofpaganclaimsonthesubject。
ThereismuchtoshowthattheearlyChurchtookthislinewithregardtopre-Christiansaviours;[1]andinlatertimesthesamepolicyisremarkablyillustratedbythetreatmentinthesixteenthcenturyofthewritingsofSahaguntheSpanishmissionary——towhoseworkIhavealreadyreferred。
Sahagunwasawonderfullybroad-mindedandfinemanwho,whilehedidnotconcealthebarbaritiesoftheAztecreligion,wastruthfulenoughtopointoutredeemingtraitsinthemannersandcustomsofthepeopleandsomeresemblancestoChristiandoctrineandpractice。ThisinfuriatedthebigotedCatholicsofthenewlyformedMexicanChurch。TheypurloinedthemanuscriptsofSahagun"sHistoriaandscatteredandhidthemaboutthecountry,anditwasonlyafterinfinitelaborandanappealtotheSpanishCourtthathegotthemtogetheragain。Finally,attheageofeighty,havingtranslatedthemintoSpanish(fromtheoriginalMexican)hesentthemintwobigvolumeshometoSpainforsafety;
buttherealmostimmediatelyTHEYDISAPPEARED,andcouldnotbefound!ItwasonlyafterTWOCENTURIESthattheyultimatelyturnedup(1790)inaConventatTolosainNavarre。LordKingsboroughpublishedtheminEnglandin1830。
[1]SeeTertullian"sApologia,c。16;AdNationes,c。xii。
IhavethusdweltuponseveralofthemaindoctrinesofChristianity——namely,thoseofSinandSacrifice,theEucharist,theSaviour,theSecondBirth,andTransfiguration——asshowingthattheyarebynomeansuniqueinourreligion,butwerecommontonearlyallthereligionsoftheancientworld。Thelistmightbemuchfurtherextended,butthereisnoneedtodelayoverasubjectwhichisnowverygenerallyunderstood。Iwill,however,devoteapageortwotooneinstance,whichIthinkisveryremarkable,andfullofdeepsuggestion。
ThereisnodoctrineinChristianitywhichismorereverencedbytheadherentsofthatreligion,orheldinhigherestimation,thanthatGodsacrificedhisonlySonforthesalvationoftheworld;alsothatsincetheSonwasnotonlyoflikenaturebutoftheSAMEnaturewiththeFather,andequaltohimasbeingthesecondPersonoftheDivineTrinity,thesacrificeamountedtoanimmolationofHimselfforthegoodofmankind。Thedoctrineissomystical,soremote,andinasensesoabsurdandimpossible,thatithasbeenafavoritemarkthroughthecenturiesfortheridiculeofthescoffersandenemiesoftheChurch;andhere,itmighteasilybethought,isabeliefwhich——whetheritbeconsideredgloriousorwhethercontemptible——isatanyrateunique,andpeculiartothatChurch。
Andyettheextraordinaryfactisthatasimilarbeliefrangesallthroughtheancientreligions,andcanbetracedbacktotheearliesttimes。ThewordhostwhichisusedintheCatholicMassforthebreadandwineontheAltar,supposedtobethetransubstantiatedbodyandbloodofChrist,isfromtheLatinHostiawhichthedictionaryinterpretsas“ananimalslaininsacrifice,asin-offering。”IttakesusfarfarbacktotheTotemstageoffolk-life,whenthetribe,asIhavealreadyexplained,crownedavictim-bullorbearorotheranimalwithflowers,andhonoringitwitheveryofferingoffoodandworship,sacrificedthevictimtotheTotemspiritofthetribe,andconsumeditinanEucharisticfeast——themedicine-manorpriestwhoconductedtheritualwearingaskinofthesamebeastasasignthatherepresentedtheTotem-
divinity,takingpartinthesacrificeof"himselftohimself。"
ItremindsusoftheKhondsofBengalsacrificingtheirmeriahscrownedanddecoratedasgodsandgoddesses;
oftheAztecsdoingthesame;ofQuetzalcoatlprickinghiselbowsandfingerssoastodrawblood,whichheofferedonhisownaltar;orofOdinhangingbyhisowndesireuponatree。“IknowIwashangeduponatreeshakenbythewindsforninelongnights。Iwastransfixedbyaspear;IwasmovedtoOdin,myselftomyself。”Andsoon。Theinstancesareendless。“Iamtheoblation,“
saystheLordKrishnaintheBhagavadGita,[1]“Iamthesacrifice,Itheancestraloffering。”“Inthetrulyorthodoxconceptionofsacrifice,“saysElieReclus,[2]“theconsecratedoffering,beitman,womanorvirgin,lamborheifer,cockordove,representstHEDEITYHIMSELF……
Brahmaisthe"imperishablesacrifice";Indra,Soma,Hariandtheothergods,becameincarnateinanimalstothesoleendthattheymightbeimmolated。Perusha,theUniversalBeing,causedhimselftobeslainbytheImmortals,andfromhissubstancewerebornthebirdsoftheair,wildanddomesticanimals,theofferingsofbutterandcurds。Theworld,declaredtheRishis,isaseriesofsacrificesdisclosingothersacrifices。TostopthemwouldbetosuspendthelifeofNature。ThegodSiva,towhomtheTipperahsofBengalaresupposedtohavesacrificedasmanyasathousandhumanvictimsayear,saidtotheBrahamins:"ItisIthatamtheactualoffering;itisIthatyoubutcheruponmyaltars。"“
[1]Ch。ix,v。16。
[2]PrimitiveFolk,ch。vi。
ItwasinallusiontothisdoctrinethatR。W。Emerson,paraphrasingtheKatha-Upanishad,wrotethatimmortalverseofhis:-
Iftheredslayerthinksheslays,Ortheslainthinksheisslain,TheyknownotwellthesubtlewaysItake,andpass,andturnagain。
IsayitisanastonishingthingtothinkandrealizethatthisprofoundandmysticdoctrineoftheeternalsacrificeofHimself,ordainedbytheGreatSpiritforthecreationandsalvationoftheworld——adoctrinewhichhasattractedandfascinatedmanyofthegreatthinkersandnoblermindsofEurope,whichhasalsoinspiredthereligiousteachingsoftheIndiansagesandtoalessphilosophicaldegreethewritingsoftheChristianSaints——shouldhavebeenseizedinitsgeneraloutlineandessencebyrudeandprimitivepeoplebeforethedawnofhistory,andembodiedintheirritesandceremonials。Whatistheexplanationofthisfact?
Itisverypuzzling。Thewholesubjectispuzzling。Theworld-wideadoptionofsimilarcreedsandrituals(and,wemayadd,legendsandfairytales)amongearlypeoples,andinfar-sunderedplacesandtimesissoremarkablethatithasgiventhestudentsofthesesubjects"furiouslytothink"[1]——yetforthemostpartwithoutgreatsuccessinthewayoffindingasolution。Thesuppositionthat(1)thecreed,riteorlegendinquestionhassprungup,sotospeak,accidentally,inoneplace,andthenhastravelled(owingtosomeinherentplausibility)
overtherestoftheworld,isofcourseonethatcommendsitselfreadilyatfirst;butoncloserexaminationthepracticaldifficultiesitpresentsarecertainlyverygreat。
Theseincludethemigrationsofcustomsandmythsinquiteearlyagesoftheearthacrosstracklessoceansandcontinents,andbetweenracesandpeoplesabsolutelyincapableofunderstandingeachother。Andiftoavoidthesedifficultiesitisassumedthatthepresenthumanraceallproceedsfromoneoriginalstockwhichradiatingfromonecentre——sayinSouth-EasternAsia[2]——overspreadtheworld,carryingitsritesandcustomswithit,why,thenwearecompelledtofacethedifficultyofsupposingthisradiationtohavetakenplaceatanenormoustimeago(thecontinentsbeingthenallmoreorlessconjoined)andataperiodwhenitisdoubtfulifanyreligiousritesandcustomsatallexisted;nottomentionthefurtherdifficultyofsupposingallthefourorfivehundredlanguagesnowexistingtobedescendedfromonecommonsource。ThefartraditionoftheIslandofAtlantisseemstoaffordapossibleexplanationofthecommunityofritesandcustomsbetweentheOldandNewWorld,andthiswithoutassuminginanywaythatAtlantis(ifitexisted)wastheoriginalandSOLEcradleofthehumanrace。[3]Anyhowitisclearthattheseoriginsofhumanculturemustbeofextremeantiquity,andthatitwouldnotbewisetobeputoffthetrackoftheinvestigationofapossiblecommonsourcemerelybythatfactofantiquity。
[1]SeeA。Lang"sMyth,RitualandReligion,vol。ii。
[2]SeeHastings,Encycl。ReligionandEthics,art。“Ethnology。”
[3]E。J。Payne,HistoryoftheNewWorldcalledAmerica(vol。i,p。93)says:“ItiscertainthatEuropeandAmericaonceformedasinglecontinent,“butinroadsofthesea“leftavastislandorpeninsulastretchingfromIcelandtotheAzores——whichgraduallydisappeared。”Alsohespeaks(i。93)ofthe“MioceneBridge“
betweenSiberiaandtheNewWorld。
Asecondsupposition,however,is(2)thatthenaturalpsychologicalevolutionofthehumanmindhasinthevarioustimesandclimesledfolkofthemostdiversesurroundingsandheredity——andperhapsevensprungfromseparateanthropoidstocks——todeveloptheirsocialandreligiousideasalongthesamegenerallines——andthateventotheextentofexhibitingattimesaremarkablesimilarityinminutedetails。Thisisatheorywhichcommendsitselfgreatlytoadeeperandmorephilosophicalconsideration;
butitbringsusuppoint-blankagainstanothermostdifficultquestion(whichwehavealreadyraised),namely,howtoaccountforextremelyrudeandprimitivepeoplesinthefarpast,andontheveryborderlandoftheanimallife,havingbeenSUSCEPTIBLEtothegermsofgreatreligiousideas(suchaswehavementioned)andhavingbeeninstinctively——thoughnotofcoursebyanyprocessofconsciousreasoning——movedtoexpresstheminsymbolsandritesandceremonials,and(laternodoubt)
inmythsandlegends,whichsatisfiedtheirFEELINGSandsenseoffitness——thoughtheymaynothaveknownWHY——
andafterwardswerecapableofbeingtakenupandembodiedinthegreatphilosophicalreligions。
Thisdifficultyalmostcompelsustoaviewofhumanknowledgewhichhasfoundsupportersamongsomeablethinkers——theview,namely,thatavaststoreofknowledgeisalreadycontainedinthesubconsciousmindofman(andtheanimals)andonlyneedstheprovocationofouterexperiencetobringittothesurface;andthatinthesecondstageofhumanpsychologythisprocessofcrudeandpiecemealexternalizationistakingplace,inpreparationforthefinalorthirdstageinwhichtheknowledgewillbere-absorbedandbecomedirectandintuitionalonahighandharmoniousplane——somethinglikethepresentintuitionoftheanimalsasweperceiveitontheanimalplane。HoweverthisgeneralsubjectisoneonwhichIshalltouchagain,andIdonotproposetodwellonitatanylengthnow。
Thereisathirdalternativetheory(3)——acombinationof(1)and(2)——namely,thatifoneaccepts(2)andtheideathatatanygivenstageofhumandevelopmentthereisaPREDISPOSITIONtocertainsymbolsandritesbelongingtothatstage,thenitismuchmoreeasytoaccepttheory(1)
asanimportantfactorinthespreadofsuchsymbolsandrites;forclearly,then,thesmallestgermofacustomorpractice,transportedfromonecountryorpeopletoanotherattherighttime,wouldbesufficienttowakethedevelopmentorgrowthinquestionandstimulateitintoactivity。Itwillbeseen,therefore,thattheimportantpointtowardsthesolutionofthiswholepuzzlingquestionisthediscussion,oftheory(2)——andtothistheory,asillustratedbytheworld-widemythoftheGoldenAge,Iwillnowturn。
IX。MYTHOFTHEGOLDENAGE
Thetraditionofa“GoldenAge“iswidespreadovertheworld,anditisnotnecessarytogoatanylengthintothestoryoftheGardenofEdenandtheotherlegendswhichinalmosteverycountryillustratethistradition。Withoutindulginginsentimentonthesubjectwemayholditnotunlikelythatthetraditionisjustifiedbytheremembrance,amongthepeopleofeveryrace,ofapre-civilizationperiodofcomparativeharmonyandhappinesswhentwothings,whichto-dayweperceivetobetheprolificcausesofdiscordandmisery,wereabsentoronlyweaklydeveloped——namely,PROPERTYandSELF-CONSCIOUSNESS。[1]
[1]Forafullerworkingoutofthis,seeCivilisation:itsCauseandCure,byE。Carpenter,ch。i。
DuringthefirstcenturyB。C。therewasagreatspreadofMessianicIdeasovertheRomanworld,andVirgil"s4thEclogue,commonlycalledtheMessianicEclogue,reflectsveryclearlythisstateofthepublicmind。TheexpectedbabeinthepoemwastobethesonofOctavian(Augustus)
thefirstRomanemperor,andamessianichalosurroundeditinVirgil"sverse。UnfortunatelyitturnedouttobeaGIRL!HoweverthereislittledoubtthatVirgildid——
inthatverysadageoftheworld,anageof“miseryandmassacre,“andincommonwiththousandsofothers——lookforthecomingofagreat"redeemer。"Itwasonlyafewyearsearlier——aboutB。C。70——thatthegreatrevoltoftheshamefullymaltreatedRomanslavesoccurred,andthatinrevengesixthousandprisonersfromSpartacus"
armywerenailedoncrossesallthewayfromRometoCapua(150miles)。ButlongbeforethisHesiodhadrecordedapastGoldenAgewhenlifehadbeengraciousincommunalfraternityandjoyfulinpeace,whenhumanbeingsandanimalsspokethesamelanguage,whendeathhadfollowedonsleep,withoutoldageordisease,andafterdeathmenhadmovedasgooddaimonesorgeniioverthelands。Pindar,threehundredyearsafterHesiod,hadconfirmedtheexistenceoftheIslandsoftheBlest,wherethegoodledablameless,tearless,life。Platothesame,[1]
withfurtherreferencestothefabledislandofAtlantis;
theEgyptiansbelievedinaformergoldenageunderthegodRtowhichtheylookedbackwithregretandenvy;thePersianshadagardenofEdensimilartothatoftheHebrews;theGreeksagardenoftheHesperides,inwhichdwelttheserpentwhoseheadwasultimatelycrushedbeneaththeheelofHercules;andsoon。
Thereferencestoasupposedfar-backstateofpeaceandhappinessareindeednumerous。
[1]Seearts。byMargaretScholes,SocialistReview,Nov。andDec。1912。
Somuchsothatlatterly,andpartlytoexplaintheirprevalence,atheoryhasbeenadvancedwhichmaybeworthwhilementioning。Itiscalledthe“Theoryofintra-uterineBlessedness,“and,remoteasitmayatfirstappear,itcertainlyhassomeclaimforattention。Thetheoryisthatinthemindsofmaturepeopletherestillremaincertainvaguememoriesoftheirpre-nataldaysinthematernalwomb——memoriesofalifewhich,thoughfullofgrowingvigorandvitality,wasyetatthattimeoneofabsoluteharmonywiththesurroundings,andofperfectpeaceandcontentment,spentwithinthebodyofthemother——theembryoindeedstandinginthesamerelationtothemotherasSt。PaulsaysWEstandtoGod,“INwhomweliveandmoveandhaveourbeing“;andthatthesevaguememoriesoftheintra-uterinelifeintheindividualarereferredbackbythematuremindtoapastageinthelifeoftheRACE。Thoughitwouldnotbeeasyatpresenttopositivelyconfirmthistheory,yetonemaysaythatitisneitherimprobablenorunworthyofconsideration;
alsothatitbearsacertainlikenesstotheformeronesabouttheEden-gardens,etc。Thewell-knownparallelismoftheIndividualhistorywiththeRace-history,the“recapitulation“bytheembryoofthedevelopmentoftherace,doesinfactaffordanadditionalargumentforitsfavorablereception。
Theseconsiderations,andwhatwehavesaidsooftenintheforegoingchaptersabouttheunityoftheAnimals(andEarlyMan)withNature,andtheirinstinctiveandage-longadjustmenttotheconditionsoftheworldaroundthem,bringusuphardandfastagainstthefollowingconclusions,whichIthinkweshallfinddifficulttoavoid。
Weallrecognizetheextraordinarygraceandbeauty,intheirdifferentways,ofthe(wild)animals;andnotonlytheirbeautybuttheextremefitnessoftheiractionsandhabitstotheirsurroundings——theirsubtleandpenetratingIntelligenceinfact。Onlywedonotgenerallyusetheword“Intelligence。”Weuseanotherword(Instinct)——
andrightlyperhaps,becausetheiractionsareplainlynottheresultofdefiniteself-consciousreasoning,suchasweuse,carriedoutbyeachindividual;butare(ashasbeenabundantlyprovedbySamuelButlerandothers)thesystematicexpressionofexperiencesgatheredupandsortedoutandhandeddownfromgenerationtogenerationinthebosomoftherace——anIntelligenceinfact,orInsight,oflargersubtlerscopethantheother,andbelongingtothetribalorracialBeingratherthantotheisolatedindividual——asuper-consciousnessinfact,ramifyingafarinspaceandtime。
Butifweallow(aswemust)thisunityandperfectionofnature,andthissomewhatcosmiccharacterofthemind,toexistamongtheAnimals,wecanhardlyrefusetobelievethattheremusthavebeenaperiodwhenMan,too,hardlyasyetdifferentiatedfromthem,didhimselfpossessthesesamequalities——perhapseveningreaterdegreethantheanimals——ofgraceandbeautyofbody,perfectionofmovementandaction,instinctiveperceptionandknowledge(ofcourseinlimitedspheres);andaperiodwhenhepossessedaboveallasenseofunitywithhisfellowsandwithsurroundingNaturewhichbecamethegroundofacommonconsciousnessbetweenhimselfandhistribe,similartothatwhichMaeterlinck,inthecaseoftheBees,callstheSpiritoftheHive。[1]Itwouldbedifficult,nayimpossible,tosupposethathumanbeingsontheirfirstappearanceformedanentireexceptionintheprocessofevolution,orthattheywerecompletelylackingintheverygracesandfacultieswhichwesoadmireintheanimals——onlyofcourseweseethat(LIKEtheanimals)
theywouldnotbeSELF-consciousinthesematters,andwhatperceptiontheyhadoftheirrelationstoeachotherortotheworldaroundthemwouldbelargelyinarticulateandSUB-conscious——thoughnonethelessrealforthat。
[1]SeeTheLifeoftheBeebyMauriceMaeterlinck;andfornumeroussimilarcasesamongotheranimals,P。Kropotkin"sMutualAid:afactorinEvolution。
Letusthengrantthispreliminaryassumption——anditclearlyisnotalargeorhazardousone——andwhatfollows?
Itfollows——sinceto-daydiscordistherule,andManhascertainlylostthegrace,bothphysicalandmental,oftheanimals——thatatsomeperiodabreakmusthaveoccurredintheevolution-process,adiscontinuity——
similarperhapstothatwhichoccursinthelifeofachildatthemomentwhenitisbornintotheworld。Humanitytookanewdeparture;butadeparturewhichforthemomentwassignalizedasaLOSS——thelossofitsformerharmonyandself-adjustment。AndthecauseoraccompanimentofthischangewasthegrowthofSelf-consciousness。
Intothegeneralconsciousnessofthetribe(inrelationtoitsenvironment)whichinfacthadconstitutedthementalityoftheanimalsandofmanuptothisstage,therenowwasintrudedanotherkindofconsciousness,aconsciousnesscenteringroundeachlittleindividualselfandconcernedalmostentirelywiththeinterestsofthelatter。Herewasevidentlyathreattothecontinuanceoftheformerhappyconditions。Itwasliketheappearanceofinnumerablelittleulcersinahumanbody——amenacewhichifcontinuedwouldinevitablyleadtothebreak-upofthebody。Itmeantlossoftribalharmonyandnature-adjustment。Itmeantinsteadofunityamyriadconflictingcentres;itmeantalienationfromthespiritofthetribe,theseparationofmanfromman,discord,recrimination,andthefatalunfoldingofthesenseofsin。
TheprocesssymbolizeditselfinthelegendoftheFall。ManateoftheTreeoftheknowledgeofgoodandevil。
Sometimespeoplewonderwhyknowledgeofanykind——andespeciallytheknowledgeofgoodandevil——shouldhavebroughtacurse。Butthereasonisobvious。Into,theplacidandharmoniouslifeoftheanimalandhumantribesfulfillingtheirdaysinobediencetotheslowevolutionsandage-longmandatesofnature,Self-consciousnessbrokewithitsinconvenientandimpossiblequery:
“HowdothesearrangementssuitME?Aretheygoodforme,aretheyevilforme?Iwanttoknow。I
WILLKNOW!“Evidentlyknowledge(suchknowledgeasweunderstandbytheword)onlybegan,andcouldonlybegin,byqueriesrelatingtothelittlelocalself。Therewasnootherwayforittobegin。Knowledgeandself-
consciousnesswereborn,astwins,together。KnowledgethereforemeantSin[1];forself-consciousnessmeantsin(anditmeanssinto-day)。SinisSeparation。Thatisprobably(thoughdisputed)theetymologyoftheword——
thatwhichsunders。[2]Theessenceofsinisone"sseparationfromthewhole(thetribeorthegod)ofwhichoneisapart。Andknowledge——whichseparatessubjectfromobject,andinitsinceptionisnecessarilyoccupiedwiththe"goodandevil"ofthelittlelocalself,isthegreatengineofthisseparation。[Mark!IsaynothingAGAINSTthisassociationofSelf-consciousnesswith"Sin"(so-called)and"Knowledge"(so-called)。Thegrowthofallthreetogetherisanabsolutelynecessarypartofhumanevolution,andtorailagainstitwouldbeabsurd。Butwemayaswellopenoureyesandseethefactstraightinsteadofblinkingit。]Theculminationoftheprocessandthefulfilmentofthe"curse"wemaywatchto-dayinthetoweringexpansionoftheself-consciousindividualizedIntellect——scienceasthehandmaidofhumanGreeddevastatingthehabitableworldanddestroyingitsunworthycivilization。Andtheprocessmustgoon——necessarilymustgoon——untilSelf-consciousness,ceasingitsvainquest(vaininbothsenses)fortheseparatedominationoflife,surrendersitselfbackagainintothearmsoftheMother-consciousnessfromwhichitoriginallysprang——surrendersitselfback,nottobemergedinnonentity,buttobeaffiliatedinlovingdependenceonandharmonywiththecosmiclife。
[1]Comparealsoothermyths,likeCupidandPsyche,Lohengrinetc。,inwhichafatalcuriosityleadstotragedy。
[2]GermanSunde,sin,andsonder,separated;Dutchzonde,sin;
Latinsons,guilty。NotunlikelythattheGermanrootSuhn,expiation,isconnected;Suhn-bock,ascape-goat。
AllthisIhavedealtwithinfarmoredetailinCivilization:
itsCauseandCure,andinTheArtofCreation;butIhaveonlyrepeatedtheoutlineofitasabove,becausesomesuchoutlineisnecessaryfortheproperorderingandunderstandingofthepointswhichfollow。
Wearenotconcernednowwiththeultimateeffectsofthe"Fall"ofManorwiththepresent-dayfulfilmentoftheEden-curse。Whatwewanttounderstandishowthe"Fall"intoself-consciousnessledtothatgreatpanoramaofRitualandReligionwhichwehaveverybrieflydescribedandsummarizedintheprecedingchaptersofthisbook。WewantforthepresenttofixourattentionontheCOMMENCEMENTofthatprocessbywhichmanlapsedawayfromhislivingcommunitywithNatureandhisfellowsintothedesertofdiscordandtoil,whiletheangelsoftheflamingswordclosedthegatesofParadisebehindhim。
ItisevidentIthinkthatinthat"golden"stagewhenmanwassimplythecrownandperfectionoftheanimals——
anditishardlypossibletorefusethebeliefinsuchastage——hepossessedinrealityalltheessentialsofReligion。[1]
Itisnotnecessarytosentimentalizeoverhim;hewasprobablyrawandcrudeinhislustsofhungerandofsex;
hewascertainlyignorantandsuperstitious;helovedfightingwithandpersecuting"enemies"(whichthingsofcourseallreligionsto-day——exceptperhapstheBuddhist——lovetodo);hewasdominatedoftenbyunreasoningFear,andwasconsequentlycruel。YethewasfullofthatFaithwhichtheanimalshavetosuchanadmirabledegree——unhesitatingfaithintheinnerpromptingsofhisOWN
nature;hehadthejoywhichcomesofaboundingvitality,springinguplikeafountainwhoseoutletisfreeandunhindered;herejoicedinanuntroubledandunbrokensenseofunitywithhisTribe,andinelaboratesocialandfriendlyinstitutionswithinitsborders;hehadamarveloussense-acutenesstowardsNatureandagiftinthatdirectionvergingtowards“second-sight“;strengthenedbyaconviction——whichhadneverbecomeCONSCIOUSbecauseithadneverbeenQUESTIONED——ofhisownpersonalrelationtothethingsoutsidehim,theEarth,theSky,theVegetation,theAnimals。OfsuchaManwegetglimpsesinthefarpast——thoughindeedonlyglimpses,forthesimplereasonthatallourknowledgeofhimcomesthroughcivilizedchannels;andwherevercivilizationhastouchedtheseearlypeoplesithasalreadywitheredandcorruptedthem,evenbeforeithashadthesensetoproperlyobservethem。
Itissufficient,however,justtomentionpeopleslikesomeoftheearlyPacificIslanders,theZulusandKafirsofSouthAfrica,theFansoftheCongoRegion(ofwhomWinwoodReade[2]speakssohighly),someoftheMalaysianandHimalayantribes,theprimitiveChinese,andeventheevidencewithregardtotheneolithicpeoplesofEurope,[3]
inordertoshowwhatImean。
[1]SeeS。Reinach,Cults,Myths,etc。,introduction:“Theprimitivelifeofhumanity,insofarasitisnotpurelyanimal,isreligious。Religionistheparentstemwhichhasthrownoff,onebyone,art,agriculture,law,morality,politics,etc。”
[2]SavageAfrica,ch。xxxvii。
[3]SeeKropotkin"sMutualAid,ch。iii。
Perhapsoneofthebestideasofthegulfofdifferencebetweenthesemi-civilizedandthequiteprimalmanisgivenbyA。R。WallaceinhisLife(Vol。i,p。288):“Amostunexpectedsensationofsurpriseanddelightwasmyfirstmeetingandlivingwithmaninastateofnaturewithabsoluteuncontaminatedsavages!ThiswasontheUaupesriver……Theywereallgoingabouttheirownworkorpleasure,whichhadnothingtodowiththewhitemenortheirways;theywalkedwiththefreestepoftheindependentforest-dweller……originalandself-sustainingasthewildanimalsoftheforests,absolutelyindependentofcivilization……livingtheirownlivesintheirownway,astheyhaddoneforcountlessgenerationsbeforeAmericawasdiscovered。IndeedthetruedenizenoftheAmazonianforests,liketheforestitself,isuniqueandnottobeforgotten。”Elsewhere[3]Wallacespeaksofthequiet,good-natured,inoffensivecharacterofthesecopper-coloredpeoples,andoftheirquicknessofhandandskill,andcontinues:“theirfiguresaregenerallysuperb;
andIhaveneverfeltsomuchpleasureingazingatthefineststatueasattheselivingillustrationsofthebeautyofthehumanform。”
[3]TravelsontheAmazon(1853),ch。xvii。
Thoughsomeofthepeoplesjustmentionedmaybesaidtobelongtodifferentgradesorstagesofhumanevolutionandphysicallysomenodoubtwerefarsuperiortoothers,yettheymostlyexhibitthissimplegraceofthebodilyandmentalorganism,aswellasthatclosenessoftribalsolidarityofwhichIhavespoken。Theimmenseantiquity,oftheclanorganization,asshownbyinvestigationsintoearlymarriage,pointstothelatterconclusion。
TravellersamongBushmen,Hottentots,Fuegians,Esquimaux,Papuansandotherpeoples——peopleswhohavebeenpushedasideintounfavorableareasbytheinvasionofmorewarlikeandbetter-equippedraces,andwhohavesufferedphysicallyinconsequence——confirmthis。Kropotkin,speakingoftheHottentots,quotestheGermanauthorP。Kolbenwhotravelledamongthemin1275orso。“HeknewtheHottentotswellanddidnotpassbytheirdefectsinsilence,butcouldnotpraisetheirtribalmoralityhighlyenough。Theirwordissacred,hewrote,theyknownothingofthecorruptionandfaithlessartsofEurope。Theyliveingreattranquillityandareseldomatwarwiththeirneighbors,andareallkindnessandgoodwilltooneanother。”[1]Kropotkinfurthersays:“LetmeremarkthatwhenKolbensays"theyarecertainlythemostfriendly,themostliberalandthemostbenevolentpeopletooneanotherthateverappearedontheearth"hewroteasentencewhichhascontinuallyappearedsinceinthedescriptionofsavages。Whenfirstmeetingwithprimitiveraces,theEuropeansusuallymakeacaricatureoftheirlife;butwhenanintelligentmanhasstayedamongthemforalongertimehegenerallydescribesthemasthe"kindest"orthe"gentlest"raceontheearth。TheseverysamewordshavebeenappliedtotheOstyaks,theSamoyedes,theEskimos,theDyaks,theAleuts,thePapuans,andsoon,bythehighestauthorities。IalsorememberhavingreadthemappliedtotheTunguses,theTchuktchis,theSioux,andseveralothers。Theveryfrequencyofthathighcommendationalreadyspeaksvolumesinitself。”[2]
[1]P。Kropotkin,MutualAid,p。90。W。J。SoliasalsospeaksintermsofthehighestpraiseoftheBushmen——“theirenergy,patience,courage,loyalty,affection,goodmannersandartisticsense“(AncientHunters,1915,p。425)。
[2]Ibid,p。91。
Manyofthetribes,liketheAleuts,Eskimos,Dyaks,Papuans,Fuegians,etc。,arethemselvesintheNeolithicstageofculture——thoughforthereasongivenaboveprobablydegeneratedphysicallyfromthestandardoftheirneolithicancestors;andsotheconclusionisforcedupononethattheremusthavebeenanIMMENSEPERIOD,[1]priortothefirstbeginningsof"civilization,"inwhichthehumantribesingeneralledapeacefulandfriendlylifeontheearth,comparativelylittlebrokenupbydissensions,inclosecontactwithNatureandinthatdegreeofsympathywithandunderstandingoftheAnimalswhichledtotheestablishmentoftheTotemsystem。Thoughitwouldbeabsurdtocreditthesetribeswithanygreatdegreeofcomfortandwell-beingaccordingtoourmodernstandards,yetwemaywellsupposethatthememoryofthislongperiodlingeredonforgenerationsandgenerationsandwasultimatelyidealizedintotheGoldenAge,incontrasttothesucceedingperiodofeverlastingwarfare,rancorandstrife,whichcameinwiththegrowthofPropertywithitsgreedsandjealousies,andtheaccentuationofSelf-consciousnesswithallitsvanitiesandambitions。
[1]Seeforestimatesofperiodsch。xiv;also,forthepeacefulnessoftheseearlypeoples,HavelockEllison“TheOriginofWar,“wherehesays“WedonotfindtheWEAPONSofwarfareortheWOUNDSofwarfareamongthesePalaeolithicremains……itwaswithcivilizationthattheartofkillingdeveloped,i。e。withinthelast10,000or12,000yearswhenNeolithicmen(whobecameourancestors)werejustarriving。”
IsaythateachtribeatthisearlystageofdevelopmenthadwithinittheESSENTIALSofwhatwecallReligion——
namelyabedrocksenseofitscommunitywithNature,andoftheCommonlifeamongitsmembers——asensesointimateandfundamentalthatitwashardlyawareofitself(anymorethanthefishisawareoftheseainwhichitlives),butyetwasreallythematrixoftribalthoughtandthespringoftribalaction。ItwasthissenseofunitywhichwasdestinedbythegrowthofSELF-CONSCIOUSNESStocometolightandevidenceintheshapeofallmannerofritualsandceremonials;andbythegrowthoftheIMAGINATIVEINTELLECTtoembodyitselfinthefiguresandformsofallmannerofdeities。
Letusexamineintothisalittlemoreclosely。Alarksoaringintheeyeofthesun,andsingingraptbetweenits“heavenandhome“realizesnodoubtinactualfactallthatthosetwowordsmeantous;yetitsrealizationisquitesubconscious。Itdoesnotdefineitsownexperience:
itFEELSbutitdoesnotTHINK。InordertocometothestageofTHINKINGitwouldperhapsbenecessarythatthelarkshouldbeexiledfromtheearthandthesky,andconfinedinacage。EarlyManFELTthegreattruthsandrealitiesofLife——oftenIbelievemorepurelythanwedo——buthecouldnotgiveformtohisexperience。THAT
stagecamewhenhebegantolosetouchwiththeserealities;
anditshoweditselfinritesandceremonials。Theinbreakofself-consciousnessbroughtOUTthefactsofhisinnerlifeintoritualisticandafterwardsintointellectualforms。
Letmegiveexamples。ForalongtimetheTribeisallinall;theindividualiscompletelysubjecttothe"SpiritoftheHive";hedoesnotevenTHINKofcontraveningit。Thenthedaycomeswhenself-interest,asapartfromtheTribe,becomessufficientlystrongtodrivehimagainstsometribalcustom。Hebreaksthetabu;
heeatstheforbiddenapple;hesinsagainstthetribe,andiscastout。Suddenlyhefindshimselfanexile,lonely,condemnedanddeserted。Ahorriblesenseofdistressseizeshim——somethingofwhichhehadnoexperiencebefore。Hetriestothinkaboutitall,tounderstandthesituation,butisdazedandcannotarriveatanyconclusion。
HisoneNECESSITYisReconciliation,Atonement。HefindshecannotLIVEoutsideofandalienatedfromhistribe。HemakesaSacrifice,anofferingtohisfellows,asasealofsincerity——anofferingofhisownbodilysufferingorpreciousblood,orthebloodofsomefood-animal,orsomevaluablegiftorother——ifonlyhemaybeallowedtoreturn。Theofferingisaccepted。Theritualisperformed;andheisreceivedback。Ihavealreadyspokenofthisperfectlynaturalevolutionofthetwin-ideasofSinandSacrifice,soIneednotenlargeuponthesubject。Buttwothingswemaynotehere:(1)thattheritual,beingsoconcrete(andoftensevere),gravesitselfonthemindsofthoseconcerned,andexpressesthefeelingsofthetribe,withanintensityandsharpnessofoutlinewhichnowordscouldrival,and(2)thatsuchritualsmayhave,andprobablydid,comeintouseevenwhilelanguageitselfwasinaninfantileconditionandincapableofdealingwiththepsychologicalsituationexceptbysymbols。They,therituals,werethefirsteffortoftheprimitivemindtogetbeyond,subconsciousfeelingandemergeintoaworldofformsanddefinitethought。
Letuscarrytheparticularinstance,givenabove,astagefarther,eventotheconfinesofabstractThoughtandPhilosophy。Ihavespokenof“TheSpiritoftheHive“asifthetermwereapplicabletotheHumanaswellastotheBeetribe。TheindividualbeeobviouslyhasneverTHOUGHTaboutthat"Spirit,"normentallyunderstoodwhatMaeterlinckmeansbyit;andyetintermsofactualexperienceitisanintenserealitytothebee(ordainingforinstanceonsomefatefuldaytheslaughterofallthedrones),controllingbee-movementsandbee-
moralitygenerally。Theindividualtribesmansimilarlysteepedintheage-longhumanlifeofhisfellowshasneverthoughtoftheTribeasanordainingbeingorSpirit,separatefromhimself——TILLthatdaywhenheisexiledandoutcastfromit。THENheseeshimselfandthetribeastwoopposingbeings,himselfofcourseanIntelligenceorSpiritinhisownlimiteddegree,theTribeasamuchgreaterIntelligenceorSpirit,standingagainstandoverhim。Fromthatdaytheconceptionofagodarisesonhim。Itmaybeonlyatotem-god——adivineGrizzly-Bearorwhatnot——butstillagodorsupernaturalPresence,embodiedinthelifeofthetribe。ThisiswhatSinhastaughthim。[1]ThisiswhatFear,foundedonself-consciousness,hasrevealedtohim。Therevelationmaybetrue,oritmaybefallacious(I
donotprejudgeit);butthereitis——thebeginningofthatlongseriesofhumanevolutionswhichwecallReligion。
[1]Itistobenoted,inthatcharmingidylloftheEdengarden,thatitisonlyAFTEReatingoftheforbiddenfruitthatAdamandEveperceivetheLordGodwalkinginthegarden,andconversewithhim(Genesisiii。8)。
[Forwhenthehumanmindhasreachedthatstageofconsciousnessinwhicheachmanrealizeshisown"self"asarationalandconsistentbeing,“lookingbeforeandafter,“then,asIhavesaidalready,themindprojectsonthebackgroundofNaturesimilarlyrationalPresenceswhichwemaycall"Gods";andatthatstage"Religion"
begins。Beforethat,whenthemindisquiteunformedanddream-like,andconsistschieflyofbrokenandscatteredrays,andwhendistinctself-consciousnessishardlyyetdeveloped,thenthepresencesimaginedinNaturearemerelyflickeringandintermittentphantoms,andtheirpropitiationandplacationcomesmoreproperlyunder,theheadof"Magic。"]
SomuchforthegenesisofthereligiousideasofSinandSacrifice,andtheritesconnectedwiththeseideas——
theirgenesisthroughthein-breakofself-consciousnessuponthecorporateSUB-consciousnessofthelifeoftheCommunity。Butanexactlysimilarprocessmaybeobservedinthecaseoftheotherreligiousideas。
IspokeofthedoctrineoftheSECONDBIRTH,andtheritesconnectedwithitbothinPaganismandinChristianity。
Thereismuchtoshowthatamongquiteprimitivepeoplesthereislessofshrinkingfromdeathandmoreofcertaintyaboutacontinuedlifeafterdeaththanwegenerallyfindamongmoreintellectualandcivilizedfolk。Itis,orhasbeen,quite,commonamongmanytribesfortheoldanddecrepit,whoarebecomingaburdentotheirfellows,toofferthemselvesforhappydispatch,andtotakewillingpartintheceremonialpreparationsfortheirownextinction;
andthisreadinessisencouragedbytheirna
Butwhenonememberhasbrokenfaithwiththetribe,whenhehassinnedagainstitandbecomeanoutcast——
ah!thentheterrorsofdeathandextinctionloomlargeuponhim。“Thewagesofsinisdeath。”Therecomesaperiodintheevolutionoftriballifewhentheprimitivebondsareloosening,whenthetendencytowardsSELF-willandSELF-determination(sonecessaryofcourseinthelongrunfortheevolutionofhumanity)becomesarealdangertothetribe,andaterrortothewisemenandeldersofthecommunity。Itisseenthatthechildreninheritthistendency——evenfromtheirinfancy。Theyarenolongermereanimals,easilyherded;itseemsthattheyareborninsin——oratleastinignoranceandneglectoftheirtriballifeandcalling。TheonlycureisthattheyMUSTBEBORN
AGAIN。Theymustdeliberatelyandofsetpurposebeadoptedintothetribe,andbemadetorealize,evenseverely,intheirownpersonswhatishappening。Theymustgothroughtheinitiationsnecessarytoimpressthisuponthem。
Thusawholeseriesofsolemnritesspringup,differentnodoubtineverylocality,butallhavingthesameobjectandpurpose。[Andonecanunderstandhowthenecessityofsuchinitiationsandsecondbirthmayeasilyhavebeenitselffeltineveryrace,atsomestageofitsevolution——andTHATquiteasaspontaneousgrowth,andindependentlyofanycontagionofexamplecaughtfromotherraces。]
Thesamemaybesaidabouttheworld-widepracticeoftheEucharist。Nomoreeffectivemethodexistsforimpressingonthemembersofabodytheircommunityoflifewitheachother,andcausingthemtoforgettheirjanglingself-interests,thantoholdafeastincommon。
Itisamethodwhichhasbeenhonoredinallagesaswellasto-day。ButwhenthefleshpartakenofatthefeastisthatoftheTotem——theguardianandpresidinggeniusofthetribe——orperhapsofoneofitschieffood-animals——
thenclearlythefeasttakesonaholyandsolemncharacter。
Itbecomesasacramentofunity——oftheunityofallwiththetribe,andwitheachother。Self-interestsandself-
consciousnessareforthetimesubmerged,andthecommonlifeassertsitself;buthereagainweseethatacustomlikethiswouldnotcomeintobeingasadeliberateriteUNTILself-consciousnessandthedivisionsconsequentthereonhadgrowntobeanobviousevil。Theherd-
animals(cows,sheep,andsoforth)donothaveEucharists,simplybecausetheyaresensibleenoughtofeedalongthesamepastureswithoutquarrellingovertherichesttuftsofgrass。
Whenthefleshpartakenof(eitheractuallyorsymbolically)
isnotthatofadivinizedanimal,butthefleshofahuman-formedgod——asinthemysteriesofDionysusorOsirisorChrist——thenweareledtosuspect(andofcoursethistheoryiswidelyheldandsupported)thattheritesdatefromaveryfar-backperiodwhenahumanbeing,asrepresentativeofthetribe,wasactuallyslain,dismemberedandpartlydevoured;thoughastimewenton,theritegraduallybecameglossedoverandmitigatedintoalove-communionthroughthesharingofbreadandwine。
Itiscuriousanyhowthatthedismembermentordivisionintofragmentsofthebodyofagod(asinthecaseofDionysus,Osiris,Attis,Prajpatiandothers)shouldbesofrequentatenetoftheoldreligions,andsocommonlyassociatedwithalove-feastofreconciliationandresurrection。
ItmaybefairlyinterpretedasasymbolofNature-dismembermentinWinterandresurrectioninSpring;butwemustalsonotforgetthatitmay(andindeedmust)havestoodasanallegoryofTRIBALdismembermentandreconciliation——
thetribe,conceivedofasadivinity,havingthussufferedanddiedthroughtheinbreakofsinandtheself-motive,andrisenagainintowholenessbytheredemptionofloveandsacrifice。Whateverviewtherankandfileofthetribemayhavetakenofthematter,Ithinkitisincontestablethatthemorethoughtfulregardedtheseritesasfullofmysticandspiritualmeaning。Itisofthenature,asIhavesaidbefore,oftheseearlysymbolsandceremoniesthattheyheldsomanymeaningsinsolution;anditisthisfactwhichgavethemapoeticorcreativequality,andtheirgreatholduponthepublicmind。
Iusetheword“tribe“inmanyplaceshereasamatterofconvenience;notforgettinghoweverthatinsomecases“clan“mightbemoreappropriate,asreferringtoasectionofatribe;or“people“or“folk“asreferringtounionsofSEVERALtribes。Itisimpossibleofcoursetofollowoutallthegradationsoforganizationfromtribaluptonationallife;butitmayberememberedthatwhileanimaltotemsprevailasaruleintheearlierstages,human-
formedgodsbecomemoreconspicuousinthelaterdevelopments。
Allthrough,thepracticeoftheEucharistgoeson,invaryingformsadaptingitselftothesurroundingconditions;andwhereinthelatersocietiesareligionlikeMithraismorChristianityincludespeopleofveryvariousrace,theRitelosesquitenaturallyitstribalsignificanceandbecomesacelebrationofallegiancetoaparticulargod——ofunitywithinaspecialChurch,infact。
Ultimatelyitmaybecome——asforabriefmomentinthehistoryoftheearlyChristiansitseemedlikelytodo——acelebrationofallegiancetoallHumanity,irrespectiveofraceorcreedorcolorofskinorofmind:thoughunfortunatelythatdayseemsstillfardistantandremainsyetunrealized。Itmustnotbeoverlooked,however,thatthereligionofthePersianBb,firstpromulgatedin1845to1850——andasubjectIshalldealwithpresently——hadasamatteroffactthisallembracinganduniversalscope。
ToreturntotheGoldenAgeorGardenofEden。Ourconclusionseemstobethattherereallywassuchaperiodofcomparativeharmonyinhumanlife——towhichlatergenerationswerejustifiedinlookingback,andlookingbackwithregret。ItcorrespondedinthepsychologyofhumanEvolutiontostageOne。ThesecondstagewasthatoftheFall;andsooneisinevitablyledtotheconjectureandthehopethatathirdstagewillredeemtheearthanditsinhabitantstoaconditionofcomparativeblessedness。
X。THESAVIOUR-GODANDTHEVIRGIN-MOTHER
Fromtheconsiderationoftheworld-widebeliefinapastGoldenAge,andtheworld-widepracticeoftheEucharist,inthesenseindicatedinthelastchapter,tothatoftheequallywidespreadbeliefinahuman-divineSaviour,isabriefandeasystep。Somethirtyyearsago,dealingwiththissubject,[1]Iwroteasfollows:——“ThetrueSelfofmanconsistsinhisorganicrelationwiththewholebodyofhisfellows;andwhenthemanabandonshistrueSelfheabandonsalsohistruerelationtohisfellows。Themass-Manmustruleineachunit-man,elsetheunit-manwilldropoffanddie。Butwhentheoutermantriestoseparatehimselffromtheinner,theunit-manfromthemass-Man,thenthereignofindividualitybegins——afalseandimpossibleindividualityofcourse,buttheonlymeansofcomingtotheconsciousnessofthetrueindividuality。”
Andfurther,“Thusthisdivinityineachcreature,beingthatwhichconstitutesitandcausesittocoheretogether,wasconceivedofasthatcreature"ssaviour,healer——healerofwoundsofbodyandwoundsofheart——theManwithintheman,whomitwasnotonlypossibletoknow,butwhomtoknowandbeunitedwithwasthealonesalvation。This,Itakeit,wasthelawofhealth——andofholiness——asacceptedatsomeeldertimeofhumanhistory,andbyusseenasthroughaglassdarkly。”
[1]SeeCivilisation:itsCauseandCure,ch。i。
Ithinkitisimpossiblenottosee——howevermuchinourprideofCivilization(!)weliketojeeratthepettinessesoftriballife——thattheseelderpeopleperceivedasamatteroffactanddirectconsciousnesstheredeemingpresence(withineachunit-memberofthegroup)ofthelargerlifetowhichhebelonged。Thislargerlifewasareality——
“aPresencetobefeltandknown“;andwhetherhecalleditbythenameofaTotem-animal,orbythenameofaNature-divinity,orbythenameofsomegracioushuman-limbedGod——someHercules,Mithra,Attis,Orpheus,orwhat-not——orevenbythegreatnameofHumanityitself,itwasstillinanycasetheSaviour,thelivingincarnateBeingbytherealizationofwhosepresencethelittlemortalcouldbeliftedoutofexileanderroranddeathandsufferingintosplendorandlifeeternal。
Itisimpossible,Ithink,nottoseethatthemyriadworshipof“Saviours“allovertheworld,fromChinatoPeru,canonlybeascribedtothenaturalworkingofsomesuchlawofhumanandtribalpsychology——fromearliesttimesandinallracesthesame——springingupquitespontaneouslyandindependently,and(sofar)unaffectedbythemerecontagionoflocaltradition。TosupposethattheDevil,longbeforetheadventofChristianity,puttheideaintotheheadsofalltheseearlierfolk,isreallytopayTOOgreatacomplimentbothtothepowerandtheingenuityofhisSatanicMajesty——thoughtheingenuitywithwhichtheearlyChurchDIDitselfsuppressallinformationaboutthesepre-ChristianSavioursalmostrivalsthatwhichitcreditedtoSatan!Andontheotherhandtosupposethismarvellousanduniversalconsentofbelieftohavesprungbymerecontagionfromoneaccidentalsourcewouldseemequallyfar-fetchedandunlikely。
Butalmostmoreremarkablethantheworld-encirclingbeliefinhuman-divineSavioursistheequallywidespreadlegendoftheirbirthfromVirgin-mothers。Thereishardlyagod——aswehavealreadyhadoccasiontosee——whoseworshipasabenefactorofmankindattainedpopularityinanyofthefourcontinents,Europe,Asia,AfricaandAmerica——whowasnotreportedtohavebeenbornfromaVirgin,oratleastfromamotherwhoowedtheChildnottoanyearthlyfather,buttoanimpregnationfromHeaven。Andthisseemsatfirstsightallthemoreastonishingbecausethebeliefinthepossibilityofsuchathingissoentirelyoutofthelineofourmodernthought。
Sothatwhileitwouldseemnotunnaturalthatsuchalegendshouldhave,sprungupspontaneouslyinsomeoddbenightedcorneroftheworld,wefinditverydifficulttounderstandhowinthatcaseitshouldhavespreadsorapidlyineverydirection,or——ifitdidnotspread——howwearetoaccountforitsSPONTANEOUSappearanceinallthesewidelysunderedregions。
Ithinkhere,andfortheunderstandingofthisproblem,wearethrownbackuponaveryearlyageofhumanevolution——theageofMagic。Beforeanysettledscienceorphilosophyorreligionexisted,therewerestillcertainThings——andconsequentlyalsocertainWords——whichhadatremendousinfluenceonthehumanmind,whichinfactaffecteditdeeply。Suchaword,forinstance,is"Thunder";
tohearthunder,toimitateit,eventomentionit,aresurewaysofrousingsuperstitiousattentionandimagination。
Suchanotherwordis"Serpent,"another"Tree,"andsoforth。Thereisnoonewhoisinsensibletothereverberationoftheseandothersuchwordsandimages[1];andamongthem,standingprominentlyout,arethetwo"Mother"and"Virgin。"ThewordMothertouchesthedeepestspringsofhumanfeeling。Astheearliestwordlearntandclungtobythechild,ittwinesitselfwiththeheart-stringsofthemaneventohislatestday。Normustweforgetthatinaprimitivestateofsociety(theMatriarchate)thatinfluencewasprobablyevengreaterthannow;forthefatherofthechildbeing(oftenasnot)
UNKNOWNtheattachmenttothemotherwasallthemoreintenseandundivided。ThewordMotherhadamagicaboutitwhichbasremainedevenuntilto-day。ButifthatwordrooteditselfdeepintheheartoftheChild,theotherword"virgin"hadanobviousmagicforthefullgrownandsexuallymatureMan——amagicwhichit,too,hasneverlost。
[1]Norisitdifficulttoseehowoutofthediscreetuseofsuchwordsandimages,combinedwithelementaryformslikethesquare,thetriangleandthecircle,andelementarynumberslike3,4,5,etc。,quiteascience,sotospeak,ofMagicarose。
ThereisampleevidencethatoneoftheveryearliestobjectsofhumanworshipwastheEarthitself,conceivedofasthefertileMotherofallthings。GaiaorGe(theearth)
hadtemplesandaltarsinalmostallthecitiesofGreece。
RheaorCybele,sprungfromtheEarth,was“motherofallthegods。”Demeter(“earthmother“)washonoredfarandwideasthegraciouspatronessofthecropsandvegetation。Ceres,ofcourse,thesame。MaiaintheIndianmythologyandIsisintheEgyptianareformsofNatureandtheEarth-spirit,representedasfemale;andsoforth。TheEarth,intheseancientcults,wasthemysticsourceofalllife,andtoit,asapropitiation,lifeofallkindswassacrificed。[Therearestrangeaccountsofahugefirebeingmade,withanaltartoCybeleinthemidst,andofdeerandfawnsandwildanimals,andbirdsandsheepandcornandfruitsbeingthrownpell-mellintotheflames。[1]]
Itwas,inaway,themostnatural,asitseemstohavebeentheearliestandmostspontaneousofcults——theworshipoftheEarth-mother,theall-producingeternalsourceoflife,andonaccountofhernever-failingever-renewedfertilityconceivedofasanimmortalVirgin。
[1]SeePausaniasiv。32。6;andLucian,DeSyriaDea,49。
ButwhentheSaviour-legendsprangup——asindeedI
thinkitmusthavesprungup,intribeaftertribeandpeopleafterpeople,independently——then,whetheritsprangfromthedivinizationofsomeactualmanwhoshowedthewayoflightanddeliverancetohisfellows“sittingindarkness,“orwhetherfromthepersonificationofthetribeitselfasagod,ineithercasethequestionofthehero"sparentagewasboundtoarise。Ifthe"saviour"
wasplainlyapersonificationofthetribe,itwasobviouslyimpossibletosupposehimthesonofamortalmother。Inthatcase——andifthetribewasgenerallytracedinthelegendstosomeprimevalAnimalorMountainorthingofNature——itwasprobablyeasytothinkofhim(thesaviour)as,bornoutofNature"swomb,descendedperhapsfromthatpureVirginoftheWorldwhoistheEarthandNature,whorulestheskiesatnight,andstandsinthechangingphasesoftheMoon,andisworshiped(aswehaveseen)inthegreatconstellationVirgo。If,ontheotherhand,hewasthedivinizationofsomeactualman,moreorlessknowneitherpersonallyorbytraditiontohisfellows,theninallprobabilitythenameofhismortalmotherwouldberecognizedandaccepted;butastohisfather,thatsideofparentagebeing,aswehavesaid,generallyveryuncertain,itwouldbeeasytosupposesomeheavenlyAnnunciation,themidnightvisitofaGod,andwhatisusuallytermedaVirgin-birth。
Therearetwoelementstoberememberedhere,asconspiringtothisconclusion。Oneistheconditionofaffairsinaremotematriarchialperiod,whendescentwasreckonedalwaysthroughthematernalline,andthefatherhoodineachgenerationwasobscureorunknownorcommonlyleftoutofaccount;andtheotheristhefact——sostrangeanddifficultforustorealize——thatamongsomeveryprimitivepeoples,liketheAustralianaborigines,thenecessityforawomantohaveintercoursewithamale,inordertobringaboutconceptionandchild-birth,wasactuallynotrecognized。Scientificobservationhadnotalwaysgotasfarasthat,andthematterwasstillunderthedomainofMagic![1]AVirgin-Motherwasthereforeaquiteimaginable(nottosay"conceivable")thing;andindeedaverybeautifulandfascinatingthing,combininginoneimagethepotentmagicoftwoverywonderfulwords。Itdoesnotseemimpossiblethatconsiderationsofthiskindledtotheadoptionofthedoctrineorlegendofthevirgin-motherandtheheavenlyfatheramongsomanyracesandinsomanylocalities——evenwithoutanycontagionoftraditionamongthem。
[1]Probablythelongperiod(ninemonths)elapsingbetweencohabitationandchildbirthconfusedearlyspeculationonthesubject。ThenclearlycohabitationwasNOTalwaysfollowedbychildbirth。And,moreimportantstill,thenumberofvirginsofamatureageinprimitivesocietieswassoveryminutethatthefactoftheirchildlessnessattractednoattention——whereasinOURsocietiesthesterilityofthewholeclassispatenttoeveryone。
Anyhow,andasamatteroffact,theworld-widedisseminationofthelegendismostremarkable。Zeus,Fatherofthegods,visitedSemele,itwillberemembered,intheformofathunderstorm;andshegavebirthtothegreatsaviouranddelivererDionysus。Zeus,again,impregnatedDanaeinashowerofgold;andthechildwasPerseus,whoslewtheGorgons(thepowersofdarkness)andsavedAndromeda(thehumansoul[1])。Devaki,theradiantVirginoftheHindumythology,becamethewifeofthegodVishnuandboreKrishna,thebelovedheroandprototypeofChrist。WithregardtoBuddhaSt。Jeromesays[2]“ItishandeddownamongtheGymnosophists,ofIndiathatBuddha,thefounderoftheirsystem,wasbroughtforthbyaVirginfromherside。”TheEgyptianIsis,withthechildHorus,onherknee,washonoredcenturiesbeforetheChristianera,andworshipedunderthenamesof“OurLady,““QueenofHeaven,““StaroftheSea,“