第5章

“MotherofGod，“andsoforth。Beforeher，Neith，theVirginoftheWorld，whosefigurebendsfromtheskyovertheearthlyplainsandthechildrenofmen，wasacclaimedasmotherofthegreatgodOsiris。ThesaviourMithra，too，wasbornofaVirgin，aswehavehadoccasiontonoticebefore；andontheMithraismonumentsthemothersucklingherchildisanotuncommonfigure。[3]

[1]ForthisinterpretationofthewordAndromedaseeThePerfectWaybyEdwardMaitland，prefacetoFirstEdition，1881。

[2]ContraJovian，BookI；andquotedbyRhysDavidsinhisBuddhisim。

[3]SeeDoane"sBibleMyths，p。332，andDupuis"OriginsofReligiousBeliefs。

TheoldTeutonicgoddessHertha(theEarth)wasaVirgin，butwasimpregnatedbytheheavenlySpirit(theSky)；andherimagewithachildinherarmswastobeseeninthesacredgrovesofGermany。[1]TheScandinavianFrigga，inmuchthesameway，beingcaughtintheembracesofOdin，theAll-father，conceivedandboreason，theblessedBalder，healerandsaviourofmankind。Quetzalcoatl，the(crucified)saviouroftheAztecs，wasthesonofChimalman，theVirginQueenofHeaven。[2]EventheChinesehadamother-goddessandvirginwithchildinherarms[3]；

andtheancientEtruscansthesame。[4]

[1]R。P。Knight"sAncientArtandMythology，p。21。

[2]SeeKingsborough"sMexicanAntiquities，vol。vi，p。176，whereitissaid“anambassadorwassentfromheavenonanembassytoaVirginofTulan，calledChimalman……announcingthatitwasthewilloftheGodthatsheshouldconceiveason；

andhavingdeliveredherthemessageheroseandleftthehouse；

andassoonashehadleftitsheconceivedason，withoutconnectionwithman，whowascalledQuetzalcoat]，whotheysayisthegodofair。”Further，itisexplainedthatQuetzalcoatlsacrificedhimself，drawingforthhisownbloodwiththorns；andthatthewordQuetzalcoatlotopitzinmeans“ourwell-belovedson。”

[3]Doane，p。327。

[4]SeeInman"sPaganandChristianSymbolism，p。27。

Finally，wehavethecuriouslylargenumberofBLACK

virginmotherswhoareorhavebeenworshiped。NotonlycaseslikeDevakitheIndiangoddess，orIsistheEgyptian，whowouldnaturallyappearblack-skinnedordark；butthelargenumberofimagesandpaintingsofthesamekind，yetextant——especiallyintheItalianchurches——andpassingforrepresentationsofMaryandtheinfantJesus。Sucharethewell-knownimageinthechapelatLoretto，andimagesandpaintingsbesidesinthechurchesatGenoa，Pisa，Padua，Munichandotherplaces。ItisdifficultnottoregardtheseasveryoldPaganorpre-ChristianrelicswhichlingeredonintoChristiantimesandwerebaptizedanew——asindeedweknowmanyrelicsandimagesactuallywere——intotheserviceoftheChurch。“GreatisDianaoftheEphesians“；andthereisIbelievemorethanoneblackfigureextantofthisDiana，who，thoughofcourseavirgin，isrepresentedwithinnumerablebreasts[1]——notunlikesomeofthearchaicstatuesofArtemisandIsis。AtParis，faronintoChristiantimestherewas，itissaid，onthesiteofthepresentCathedralofNotreDame，aTemplededicatedto"ourLady"

Isis；andimagesbelongingtotheearliershrinewouldinallprobabilitybepreservedwithalterednameinthelater。

[1]Seeillustration，p。30，inInman"sPaganandChristianSymbolism。

AllthisillustratesnotonlythewidediffusionofthedoctrineoftheVirgin-mother，butitsextremeantiquity。

Thesubjectisobscure，andworthyofmoreconsiderationthanhasyetbeenaccordedit；andIdonotfeelabletoaddanythingtothetentativeexplanationsgivenapageortwoback，exceptperhapstosupposethatthevisionofthePerfectManhovereddimlyoverthemindofthehumanraceonitsfirstemergencefromthepurelyanimalstage；andthataquitenaturalspeculationwithregardtosuchabeingwasthathewouldbebornfromaPerfectWoman——whoaccordingtoearlyideaswouldnecessarilybetheVirginEarthitself，motherofallthings。

AnyhowitwasawonderfulIntuition，slumberingasitwouldseeminthebreastofearlyman，thattheGreatEarthaftergivingbirthtoalllivingcreatureswouldatlastbringforthaChildwhoshouldbecometheSaviourofthehumanrace。

Thereisofcoursethefurthertheory，entertainedbysome，thatvirgin-parturition——akindofParthenogenesis——

hasasamatteroffactoccasionallyoccurredamongmortalwomen，andevenstilldoesoccur。IshouldbethelasttodenythePOSSIBILITYofthis(orofanythingelseinNature)，but，seeingtheimmensedifficultiesinthewayofPROOFofanysuchassertedcase，andtheabsencesofarofanythoroughlyattestedandverifiedinstance，itwould，I

think，beadvisabletoleavethistheoryoutofaccountatpresent。

ButwhetheranyoftheEXPLANATIONSspokenofarerightorwrong，andwhateverexplanationweadopt，thereremainstheFACToftheuniversalityovertheworldofthislegend——

affordinganotherinstanceofthepracticalsolidarityandcontinuityofthePaganCreedswithChristianity。

XI。RITUALDANCING

Itisunnecessarytolabortheconclusionofthelasttwoorthreechapters，namelythatChristianitygrewoutoftheformerPaganCreedsandisinitsgeneraloutlookandoriginscontinuousandofonepiecewiththem。IhavenotattemptedtobringtogetherALLtheevidenceinfavorofthiscontention，assuchworkwouldbetoovast，butmoreillustrationsofitstruthwilldoubtlessoccurtoreaders，orwillemergeasweproceed。

Ithinkwemaytakeitasproved(1)thatfromtheearliestages，andbeforeHistory，agreatbodyofreligiousbeliefandritual——firstappearingamongveryprimitiveandunformedfolk，whomweshouldcall"savages"——hascomeslowlydown，broadeninganddifferentiatingitselfonthewayintoagreatvarietyofforms，butembodyingalwayscertainmainideaswhichbecameintimetheaccepteddoctrinesofthelaterChurches——theIndian，theEgyptian，theMithraic，theChristian，andsoforth。Whattheseideasintheirgeneraloutlinehavebeenwecanperhapsbestjudgefromour“Apostles"Creed，“asitisrecitedeverySundayinourchurches。

“IbelieveinGodtheFatherAlmighty，Makerofheavenandearth:AndinJesusChristhisonlySonourLord，whowasconceivedbytheHolyGhost，bornoftheVirginMary，sufferedunderPontiusPilate，wascrucified，deadandburied。HedescendedintoHell；thethirddayheroseagainfromthedead，Heascendedintoheaven，andsittethontherighthandofGodtheFatherAlmighty；fromthenceheshallcometojudgethequickandthedead。I

believeintheHolyGhost；theholyCatholicChurch；

thecommunionofSaints；theForgivenessofsins；theResurrectionofthebody，andthelifeeverlasting。Amen。”

HerewehavetheAll-FatherandCreator，descendingfromtheSkyintheformofaspirittoimpregnatetheearthlyVirgin-mother，whothusgivesbirthtoaSaviour-hero。

ThelatterisslainbythepowersofEvil，isburiedanddescendsintothelowerworld，butarisesagainasGodintoheavenandbecomestheleaderandjudgeofmankind。

WehavetheconfirmationoftheChurch(or，inearliertimes，oftheTribe)bymeansofaEucharistorCommunionwhichbindstogetherallthemembers，livingordead，andrestoreserrantindividualsthroughtheSacrificeoftheheroandtheForgivenessoftheirsins；

andwehavethebeliefinabodilyResurrectionandcontinuedlifeofthememberswithinthefoldoftheChurch(orTribe)，itselfregardedaseternal。

Onehasonly，insteadoftheword"Jesus，"toreadDionysusorKrishnaorHerculesorOsirisorAttis，andinsteadof"Mary"toinsertSemeleorDevakiorAlcmeneorNeithorNana，andforPontiusPilatetousethenameofanyterrestrialtyrantwhocomesintothecorrespondingstory，andlo！thecreedfitsinallparticularsintotheritesandworshipofapagangod。Ineednotenlargeuponathesiswhichisself-evidentfromallthathasgonebefore。Idonotsay，ofcourse，thatALLthereligiousbeliefsofPaganismareincludedandsummarizedinourApostles"Creed，for——asIshallhaveoccasiontonoteinthenextchapter——IthinksomeveryimportantreligiouselementsarethereOMITTED；butIdothinkthatallthebeliefswhichAREsummarizedinthesaidcreedhadalreadybeenfullyrepresentedandelaboratelyexpressedinthenon-ChristianreligionsandritualsofPaganism。

Further(2)Ithinkwemaysafelysaythatthereisnocertainproofthatthebodyofbeliefsjustmentionedsprangfromanyoneparticularcentrefarbackandradiatedthencebydisseminationandmentalcontagionovertherestoftheworld；buttheevidencerathershowsthatthesebeliefswere，forthemostpart，theSPONTANEOUSoutgrowths(invariouslocalities)ofthehumanmindatcertainstagesofitsevolution；thattheyappeared，inthedifferentracesandpeoples，atdifferentperiodsaccordingtothedegreeofevolution，andwerelargelyindependentofintercourseandcontagion，thoughofcourse，incases，considerablyinfluencedbyit；andthatonegreatandall-importantoccasionandprovocativeofthesebeliefswasactuallytheRISEOFSELF-CONSCIOUSNESS——thatis，thecomingofthemindtoamoreorlessdistinctawarenessofitselfandofitsownoperation，andtheconsequentdevelopmentandgrowthofIndividualism，andoftheSelf-centredattitudeinhumanthoughtandaction。

Inthethirdplace(3)Ithinkwemaysee——andthisisthespecialsubjectofthepresentchapter——thatataveryearlyperiod，whenhumanitywashardlycapableofsystematicexpressioninwhatwecallPhilosophyorScience，itcouldnotwellrisetoanorderedandliteraryexpressionofitsbeliefs，suchaswefindinthelaterreligionsandthe"Churches"(Babylonian，Jewish，EastIndian，Christian，orwhat-not)，andyetthatitFELTthesebeliefsveryintenselyandwasurged，almostcompelled，totheirutteranceinsomeformorother。Andsoitcameaboutthatpeopleexpressedthemselvesinavastmassofritualandmyth——

customs，ceremonies，legends，stories——whichonaccountoftheirpopularandconcreteformwerehandeddownforgenerations，andsomeofwhichlingeronstillinthemidstofourmoderncivilization。Theseritualsandlegendswere，manyofthem，absurdenough，ramblingandchildishincharacter，andpreposterousinconception，yettheygavetheexpressionneeded；andsomeofthemofcourse，aswehaveseen，werefullofmeaningandsuggestion。

AcriticalandcommercialCivilization，suchasours，inwhich(notwithstandingmuchTALKaboutArt)theartisticsenseisgreatlylacking，oratanyratebutlittlediffused，doesnotasaruleunderstandthatpoeticRITES，intheevolutionofpeoples，camenaturallybeforeanythinglikeorderedpoemsorphilosophyorsystematizedVIEWS

aboutlifeandreligion——suchasWElovetowallowin！

ThingswereFELTbeforetheywerespoken。Theloadingofdiseasesintodisease-boats，ofsinsontoscape-goats，thepropitiationoftheforcesofnaturebyvictims，humanoranimal，sacrifices，ceremoniesofre-birth，eucharisticfeasts，sexualcommunions，orgiasticcelebrationsofthecommonlife，andahostofotherthings——allSAIDplainlyenoughwhatwasmeant，butnotinWORDS。Partlynodoubtitwasthatatsomeearlytimewordsweremoredifficultofcommandandlessflexibleinusethanactions(andatalltimesaretheynotlessexpressive?)。Partlyitwasthatmankindwasinthechild-stage。TheChilddelightsinritual，insymbol，inexpressionthroughmaterialobjectsandactions:

See，athisfeetsomelittleplanorchart，Somefragmentfromhisdreamofhumanlife，Shapedbyhimselfwithnewlylearnedart；

Aweddingorafestival，Amourningorafuneral；

Andthishathnowhisheart。

Andprimitivemaninthechild-stagefeltapositivejoyinritualcelebrations，andindulgedinexpressionswhichwebutlittleunderstand；forthesehadthenhisheart。

OneofthemostpregnantoftheseexpressionswasDANCING。

Childrendanceinstinctively。Theydancewithrage；

theydancewithjoy，withsheervitality；theydancewithpain，orsometimeswithsavagegleeatthesufferingofothers；theydelightinmimiccombats，orinanimalplaysanddisguises。TherearesuchthingsasCourting-dances，whenthematuremaleandfemalegothrougharitualtogether——notonlyincivilizedball-roomsandtheback-parlorsofinns，butinthefarmyardswheretheroosterpayshisaddressestothehen，ortheyearlingbulltothecow——withquiterecognizedformalities；thereareelaborateceremonialsperformedbytheAustralianbower-birdsandmanyotheranimals。Allthesethings——

atanyrateinchildrenandanimals——comebeforespeech；

andanyhowwemaysaythatLOVE-RITES，eveninmatureandcivilizedman，hardlyADMITofspeech。Wordsonlyvulgarizeloveandbluntitsedge。

SoDancetothesavageandtheearlymanwasnotmerelyanamusementoragymnasticexercise(asthebooksoftentrytomakeout)，butitwasalsoaseriousandintimatepartoflife，anexpressionofreligionandtherelationofmantonon-humanPowers。Imagineayoungdancer——andtheadmittedageforritualdancingwascommonlyfromabouteighteentothirty——comingforwardonthedancing-groundorplatformfortheINVOCATIONOFRAIN。Wehaveunfortunatelynokinematicrecords，butitisnotimpossibleorverydifficulttoimaginethevariousgesturesandmovementswhichmightbeconsideredappropriatetosuchariteindifferentlocalitiesoramongdifferentpeoples。AmodernstudentofDalcrozeEurhythmicswouldfindtheproblemeasy。Afteratimeacertainritualdance(forrain)wouldbecomestereotypedandgenerallyadopted。OrimagineayoungGreekleadinganinvocationtoApollotoSTAYSOMEPLAGUEwhichwasravagingthecountry。Hemightaswellbeaccompaniedbyasmallbodyofco-dancers；buthewouldbetheleaderandchiefrepresentative。OritmightbeaWAR-DANCE——

asamoreorlessmagicalpreparationfortheraidorforay。

Wearefamiliarenoughwithaccountsofwar-dancesamongAmericanIndians。C。O。MullerinhisHistoryandAntiquitiesoftheDoricRace[1]givesthefollowingaccountofthePyrrhicdanceamongtheGreeks，whichwasdancedinfullarmor:——“Platosaysthatitimitatedalltheattitudesofdefence，byavoidingathrustoracast，retreating，springingup，andcrouching-asalsotheoppositemovementsofattackwitharrowsandlances，andalsoofeverykindofthrust。SostrongwastheattachmenttothisdanceatSpartathat，longafterithadintheotherGreekstatesdegeneratedintoaBacchanalianrevel，itwasstilldancedbytheSpartansasawarlikeexercise，andboysoffifteenwereinstructedinit。”OftheHunting-

danceIhavealreadygiveninstances。[2]ItalwayshadthecharacterofMagicaboutit，bywhichthegameorquarrymightpresumablybeinfluenced；anditcaneasilybeunderstoodthatiftheHuntwasnotsuccessfultheblamemightwellbeattributedtosomeneglectoftheusualritualmimesormovements——nolaughingmatterfortheleaderofthedance。

[1]BookIV，ch。6，Section7。

[2]SeealsoWinwoodReade"sSavageAfrica，ch。xviii，inwhichhespeaksofthe“gorilladance，“beforehuntinggorillas，asa“religiousfestival。”

OrthereweredancesbelongingtotheceremoniesofInitiation——dancesbothbytheinitiatorsandtheinitiated。JaneE。HarrisoninThemis(p。24)says，“Instructionamongsavagepeoplesisalwaysimpartedinmoreorlessmimeticdances。Atinitiationyoulearncertaindanceswhichconferonyoudefinitesocialstatus。Whenamanistoooldtodance，hehandsoverhisdancetoanotherandayounger，andhethenamongsometribesceasestoexistsocially……ThedancestaughttoboysatinitiationarefrequentlyifnotalwaysARMEDdances。Thesearenotnecessarilywarlike。Theaccoutrementofspearandshieldwasinpartdecorative，inpartaprovisionformakingthenecessaryhubbub。”(HereMissHarrisonreproducesaphotographofanInitiationdanceamongtheAkikuyuofBritishEastAfrica。)TheInitiation-

dancesblendinsensiblyandnaturallywiththeMysteryandReligiondances，forindeedinitiationwasforthemostpartaninstructioninthemysteriesandsocialritesoftheTribe。Theyweretheexpressionofthingswhichwouldbehardevenforus，andwhichforrudefolkwouldbeimpossible，toputintodefinitewords。Hencearosetheexpression——whosemeaninghasbeenmuchdiscussedbythelearned——“todanceout()amystery。”[1]

Lucian，inamuch-quotedpassage，[2]observes:“Youcannotfindasingleancientmysteryinwhichthereisnotdancing……andthismuchallmenknow，thatmostpeoplesayoftherevealersofthemysteriesthatthey"dancethemout。"“AndrewLang，commentingonthispassage，[3]

continues:“ClementofAlexandriausesthesametermwhenspeakingofhisown"appallingrevelations。"SocloselyconnectedaremysterieswithdancingamongsavagesthatwhenMr。OrpenaskedQing，theBushmanhunter，aboutsomedoctrinesinwhichQingwasnotinitiated，hesaid:

"Onlytheinitiatedmenofthatdanceknowthesethings。"

To"dance"thisorthatmeanstobeacquaintedwiththisorthatmyth，whichisrepresentedinadanceorballetd"action。

SowidelydistributedisthepracticethatAcostainaninterestingpassagementionsitasfamiliartothepeopleofPerubeforeandaftertheSpanishconquest。”[Andwemaysaythatwhenthe"mysteries"areofasexualnatureitcaneasilybeunderstoodthatto"dancethemout"

istheonlywayofexplainingthem！]

[1]Meaningapparentlyeithersimplytorepresent，or，sometimestoDIVULGE，amystery。

[2]，Ch。xv。277。

[3]Myth，RitualandReligion，i，272。

Thuswebegintoappreciatetheseriousnatureandtheimportanceofthedanceamongprimitivefolk。Todubayouth“agooddancer“istopayhimagreatcompliment。

Amongthewell-knowninscriptionsontherocksintheislandofTheraintheAegeanseatherearemanywhichrecordindeeplygravenlettersthefriendshipanddevotiontoeachotherofSpartanwarrior-comrades；itseemsstrangeatfirsttofindhowoftensuchanepithetofpraiseoccursasBathyclesDANCESWELL，EumelosisaPERFECT

DANCER()。Onehardlyingeneralexpectsonewarriortopraiseanotherforhisdancing！Butwhenonerealizeswhatisreallymeant——namelythefitnessofthelovedcomradetoleadinreligiousandmagicalrituals——thenindeedthecomplimenttakesonanewcomplexion。

Religiousdances，indedicationtoagod，haveofcoursebeenhonoredineverycountry。Muller，intheworkjustcited，[1]describesalivelydancecalledthehyporchemawhich，accompaniedbysongs，wasusedintheworshipofApollo。“Inthis，besidesthechorusofsingerswhousuallydancedaroundTHEBLAZINGALTAR，severalpersonswereappointedtoaccompanytheactionofthepoemwithanappropriatepantomimicdisplay。”ItwasprobablysomesimilardancewhichisrecordedinExodus，ch。xxxii，whenAaronmadetheIsraelitesagoldenCalf(imageoftheEgyptianApis)。Therewasanaltarandafireandburntofferingsforsacrifice，andthepeopledancingaround。WhetherintheApolloritualthedancerswerenakedIcannotsay，butintheaffairofthegoldenCalftheyevidentlywere，foritwillberememberedthatitwasjustthiswhichupsetMoses"equanimitysobadly——

“whenheSAWTHATTHEPEOPLEWERENAKED“——andledtothebreakingofthetwotablesofstoneandtheslaughterofsomethousandsoffolk。ItwillberememberedalsothatDavidonasacrificialoccasiondancednakedbeforetheLord。[2]

[1]BookII，ch。viii，Section14。

[2]2Sam。vi。

Itmayseemstrangethatdancesinhonorofagodshouldbeheldnaked；butthereisabundantevidencethatthiswasfrequentlythecase，anditleadstoaninterestingspeculation。Manyoftheseritualsundoubtedlyowedtheirsanctityandsolemnitytotheirextremeantiquity。Theycamedowninfactfromveryfarbacktimeswhentheaveragemanorwoman——asinsomeoftheCentralAfricantribesto-day——woresimplynothingatall；andlikeallreligiousceremoniestheytendedtopreservetheirformslongaftersurroundingcustomsandconditionshadaltered。Consequentlynakednesslingeredoninsacrificialandotherritesintoperiodswheninordinarylifeithadcometobeabandonedorthoughtindecentandshameful。

Thiscomesoutveryclearlyinbothinstancesabove——

quotedfromtheBible。ForinExodusxxxii。25itissaidthat“Aaronhadmadethem(thedancers)nakedUNTOTHEIR

SHAMEamongtheirenemies(READopponents)，“andin2

Sam。vi。20wearetoldthatMichalcameoutandsarcasticallyrebukedthe“gloriouskingofIsrael“for“shamelesslyuncoveringhimself，likeavainfellow“(forwhichrebuke，Iamsorrytosay，DavidtookameanrevengeonMichal)。Inbothcasesevidentlycustomhadsofarchangedthattoaconsiderablesectionofthepopulationthesenakedexhibitionshadbecomeindecent，thoughaspartsofanacknowledgedritualtheywerestillretainedandsupportedbyothers。ThesameconclusionmaybederivedfromthecommandsrecordedinExodusxx。26andxxviii。42，thatthepriestsbenot“uncovered“beforethealtar——commandswhichwouldhardlyhavebeenneededhadnotthepracticebeeninvogue。

Thenthereweredances(partlymagicalorreligious)performedatrusticandagriculturalfestivals，liketheEpilenios，celebratedinGreeceatthegatheringofthegrapes。[1]

OfsuchadancewegetaglimpseintheBible(Judgesxxi。

20)whentheeldersadvisedthechildrenofBenjamintogooutandlieinwaitinthevineyards，atthetimeoftheyearlyfeast；and“whenthedaughtersofShilohcomeouttodanceinthedances，thencomeyeoutofthevineyardsandcatchyoueverymanawifefromthedaughtersofShiloh“——atouchingexampleapparentlyofearlyso-called"marriagebycapture"！Orthereweredances，alsopartlyororiginallyreligious，ofaquiteorgiasticandBacchanaliancharacter，liketheBryallichaperformedinSpartabymenandwomeninhideousmasks，ortheDeimaleabySileniandSatyrswaltzinginacircle；ortheBibasiscarriedoutbybothmenandwomen——aquitegymnasticexerciseinwhichtheperformerstookaspecialprideinstrikingtheirownbuttockswiththeirheels！orotherswilderstill，whichitwouldperhapsnotbeconvenienttodescribe。

[1]:hymnssungoverthewinepress(Dictionary)。

WemustseehowimportantapartDancingplayedinthatgreatpanoramaofRitualandReligion(spokenofinthelastchapter)which，havingoriginallybeenleduptobythe"FallofMan，"haseversincethedawnofhistorygraduallyoverspreadtheworldwithitsstrangeprocessionofdemonsanddeities，anditssymbolicrepresentationsofhumandestiny。WhenitisrememberedthatritualdancingwasthematrixoutofwhichtheDramasprang，andfurtherthatthedramainitsinception(asstillto-dayinIndia)wasanaffairofreligionandwasactedin，orinconnectionwith，theTemples，itbecomeseasiertounderstandhowallthismassofceremonialsacrifices，expiations，initiations，SunandNaturefestivals，eucharisticandorgiasticcommunionsandcelebrations，mystery-plays，dramaticrepresentations，mythsandlegends，etc。，whichIhavetoucheduponintheprecedingchapters——togetherwithalltheemotions，thedesires，thefears，theyearningsandthewondermentwhichtheyrepresented——havepracticallysprungfromthesameroot:arootdeepandnecessaryinthepsychologyofMan。PresentlyIhopetoshowthattheywillallpracticallyconvergeagainintheendtoonemeaning，andpreparethewayforonegreatSynthesistocome——anevolutionalsonecessaryandinevitableinhumanpsychology。

InthattrulyinspiredOdefromwhichIquotedafewpagesback，occurthosewell-knownwordswhoserepetitionnowwill，onaccountoftheirbeauty，Iamsurebeexcused:——

Ourbirthisbutasleepandaforgetting:

TheSoulthatriseswithus，ourlife"sStar，Hathhadelsewhereitssetting，Andcomethfromafar；

Notinentireforgetfulness，Andnotinutternakedness，ButtrailingcloudsofglorydowecomeFromGod，whoisourhome:

Heavenliesaboutusinourinfancy！

Shadesoftheprison-housebegintocloseUponthegrowingBoy，ButHebeholdsthelightandwhenceitflowsHeseesitinhisjoy；

TheyouthwhodailyfartherfromtheeastMusttravel，stillisNature"sPriest，AndbythevisionsplendidIsonhiswayattended；

AtlengththemanperceivesitdieawayAndfadeintothelightofcommonday。

Wordsworth——thoughhehadnottheinestimableadvantageofanineteenth-centuryeducationandtheinheritanceoftheDarwinianphilosophy——doesneverthelessputthematteroftheGeniusoftheChildinawaywhich(withthealterationofafewconventionalterms)wescientificmodernsarequiteinclinedtoaccept。WealladmitnowthattheChilddoesnotcomeintotheworldwithamentaltabularasaofentireforgetfulnessbutonthecontraryasthepossessorofvaststoresofsub-consciousmemory，derivedfromitsancestralinheritances；wealladmitthatacertaingraceandintuitiveinsightandevenpropheticquality，inthechild-nature，areduetotheharmonizationoftheseracialinheritancesintheinfant，evenbeforeitisborn；andthatafterbirththeimpactoftheouterworldservesrathertobreakupanddisintegratethisharmonythantoconfirmandstrengthenit。Somepsychologistsindeednowadaysgosofarastomaintainthatthechildisnotonly"Fatheroftheman，"butsuperiortotheman，[1]andthatBoyhoodandYouthandMaturityareattainedtonotbyanyadditionbutbyaprocessoflossandsubtraction。

Itwillbeseenthatthelasttenlinesoftheabovequotationratherfavorthisview。

[1]ManinthecourseofhislifefallsawaymoreandmorefromthespecificallyHUMANtypeofhisearlyyears，buttheApeinthecourseofhisshortlifegoesverymuchfartheralongtheroadofdegradationandprematuresenility。”(ManandWoman，byHavelockEllis，p。24)。

ButmyobjectinmakingthequotationwasnottoinsistonthetruthofitsapplicationtotheindividualChild，butrathertopointouttheremarkablewayinwhichitillustrateswhatIhavesaidabouttheChildhoodoftheRace。Infact，ifthequotationbereadoveragainwiththisinterpretation(whichIdonotsayWordsworthintended)thatthe"birth"

spokenofisthebirthorevolutionofthedistinctivelyself-

consciousManfromtheAnimalsandtheanimal-natured，unself-conscioushumanbeingsofaprecedingage，thentheparableunfoldsitselfperfectlynaturallyandconvincingly。

THATbirthcertainlywassleepandaforgetting；thegraceandintuitionandinstinctiveperfectionoftheanimalswaslost。Buttheforgetfulnesswasnotentire；thememorylingeredlongofanageofharmony，ofanEden-

gardenleftbehind。Andtrailingcloudsofthisremembrancethefirsttribalmen，ontheedgeofbutnotyetWITHINthecivilization-period，appearinthedawnofHistory。

AsIhavesaidbefore，theperiodofthedawnofSelf-

consciousnesswasalsotheperiodofthedawnofthepracticalandinquiringIntellect；itwastheperiodofthebabyhoodofboth；andsoweperceiveamongtheseearlypeople(aswealsodoamongchildren)thatwhileinthemaintheheartandtheintuitionswereright，theintellectwasforalongperiodfutileandramblingtoadegree。Assoonasthemindlefttheancientbasesofinstinctandsub-consciousracialexperienceitfellintoahopelessbog，outofwhichitonlyslowlyclimbedbymeansofthepainfully-gatheredstepping-stonesoflogicandwhatwecallScience。“Heavenliesaboutusinourinfancy。”Wordsworthperceivedthatwonderfulworldofinnerexperienceandgloryoutofwhichthechildemerges；andsomeevenofusmayperceivethatsimilarworldinwhichtheuntamperedanimalsSTILL

dwell，andOUTofwhichself-regardingManinthehistoryoftheracewaslongagodriven。Butacursewentwiththeexile。AstheBraingrew，theHeartwithered。Theinheritedinstinctsandraciallyaccumulatedwisdom，onwhichthefirstmenthrivedandbymeansofwhichtheyachievedakindoftemporaryParadise，werebrokenup；

delusionsanddiseaseanddissensionsetin。Cainturneduponhisbrotherandslewhim；andtheshadesoftheprison-

housebegantoclose。ThegrowingBoy，however，(bywhomwemayunderstandtheearlytribesofMankind)

hadyetaradianceofLightandjoyinhislife；andtheYouth——thoughtravellingdailyfartherfromtheEast——stillremainedNature"spriest，andbythevisionsplendidwasonhiswayattended:butAtlengththeManperceiveditdieaway。

Andfadeintothelightofcommonday。

Whatastrangelyaptpictureinafewwords(ifweliketotakeitso)ofthelongpilgrimageoftheHumanRace，itsearlyandpatheticclingingtothetraditionoftheEden-

garden，itscarelessandvigorousboyhood，itsmeditativeyouth，withconsciousnessofsinandendlessexpiatoryritualinNature"sbosom，itsfleetingvisionsofsalvation，andfinallyitscompletedisillusionmentanddespairintheworld-

slaughterandunbeliefofthetwentiethcentury！

LeavingWordsworth，however，andcomingbacktoourmainlineofthought，wemaypointoutthatwhileearlypeopleswereintellectuallymerebabies——withtheirendlessyarnsaboutheroesonhorsebackleapingoverwideriversorcloudsofmonksflyingforhundredsofmilesthroughtheair，andtheirutterfailuretounderstandthegeneralconcatenationsofcauseandeffect——yetpracticallyandintheirinstinctoflifeanddestinytheywere，asIhavealreadysaid，bynomeansfools；certainlynotsuchfoolsasmanyofthearm-chairstudentsofthesethingsdelighttorepresentthem。Forjustas，afewyearsago，wemoderncivilizeesstudyingoutlyingnations，theChineseforinstance，rejoiced(inourvanity)topickouteveryquaintpeculiarityandabsurdityandmonstrosityofasupposedtopsyturvydom，andfailedentirelytoseetherealpictureofagreatandeminentlysensiblepeople；sointhecaseofprimitivemenwehavebeen，andevenstillare，fartoopronetocataloguetheircrueltiesandobscenitiesandidioticsuperstitions，andtomissthesaneandbalancedsettingoftheiractuallives。

Mr。R。R。Marett，whohasagoodpracticalacquaintancewithhissubject，hadintheHibbertJournalforOctober1918

anarticleon“ThePrimitiveMedicineMan“inwhichheshowsthatthelatterisasaruleanythingbutafoolandaknave——althoughlike"medicals"inallageshehocuspocuseshispatientsoccasionally！Heinstancesthemedicine-

man"sexcellentmanagement，inmostcases，ofchildbirth，orofwoundsandfractures，orhisprimevalskillintrepanningortrephining——allofwhichoperations，headmits，maybeaccompaniedwithgrotesqueandsuperstitiousceremonies，yetshowrealperceptionandability。Weallknow——thoughIthinkthearticledoesnotmentionthematter——

whataconsiderablelistthereisofdrugsandherbswhichthemodernartofhealingowestotheancientmedicine-man，anditmaybeagainmentionedthatoneofthemostup-to-

datetreatments——theuseofaprolongedandexclusivedietofMILKasameansofgivingtheorganismanewstartinseverecases——hasreallycomedowntousthroughtheagesfromthisearlysource。[1]Therealmedicine-man，Mr。Marettsays，islargelya"faith-healer"and"soul-doctor"；hebelievesinhisvocation，andundergoesmuchforthesakeofit:“Themainpointistograspthatbyhisspecialinitiationandtherigidtabooswhichhepractises——nottospeakofoccasionalremarkablegifts，sayoftranceandecstasy，whichhemayinheritbynatureandhaveimprovedbyart——heHASaccesstoawonder-workingpower……

Andthegreatneedofprimitivefolkisforthishealerofsouls。”OurauthorfurtherinsistsontheenormousplayandinfluenceofFearinthesavagemind——apointwehavetouchedonalready——andgivesinstancesofThanatomania，orcaseswhere，afteraquiteslightandsuperficialwound，thepatientbecomessodepressedthathe，quiteneedlessly，persistsindying！Suchcases，obviously，canonlybecounteredbyFaith，orsomething(whateveritmaybe)whichrestorescourage，hopeandenergytothemind。NorneedIpointoutthatthesituationisexactlythesameamongavastnumberof"patients"to-day。Astothevalue，inhisdegree，ofthemedicine-manmanymodernobserversandstudentsquiteagreewiththeabove。[2]AlsoasthepresentchapterisonRitualDancingitmaynotbeoutofplacetocallattentiontothesupposedhealingofsickpeopleinCeylonandotherplacesbyDevil-dancing——theenormousoutputofenergyandnoiseintheritualpossiblyhavingtheeffectofreanimatingthepatient(ifitdoesnotkillhim)，orofexpellingthediseasefromhisorganism。

[1]Milk(“fast-milk“orvrata)was，saysMr。Hewitt，theonlydietintheSoma-sacrifice。SeeRulingRacesofPrehistoricTimes(preface)。TheSomaitselfwasafermenteddrinkpreparedwithceremonyfromthemilkyandsemen-likesapofcertainplants，andmuchusedinsacrificialofferings。(SeeMonier-Williams。

SanskritDictionary。)

[2]SeeWinwoodReade(SavageAfrica)，SalamonReinach(Cults，MythsandReligions)，andothers。

Withregardtothepracticalintelligenceofprimitivepeoples，derivedfromtheirclosecontactwithlifeandnature，BishopColenso"sexperiencesamongtheZulusmayappropriatelyberemembered。WhenexpoundingtheBibletothesesupposedlybackward"niggers"hewasmetatallpointsbypracticalinterrogationsandargumentswhichhewasperfectlyunabletoanswer——especiallyovertherecordedpassageoftheRedSeabytheIsraelitesinasinglenight。

FromthestatisticsgivenintheSacredBookthesenaughtysavagesprovedtohimabsolutelyconclusivelythatthenumbersoffugitivesweresuchthatevensupposingthemtohavemarched——men，womenandchildren——FIVEABREAST

andincloseorder，theywouldhaveformedacolumn100

mileslong，andthisnotincludingthebaggage，sheepandcattle！Ofcoursethefeatwasabsolutelyimpossible。

TheycouldnothavepassedtheRedSeainanightoraweekofnights。

Butthesequelisstillmoreamusingandinstructive。

Colenso，inhisinnocentsincerity，tookthesideoftheZulus，andfeelingsuretheChurchathomewouldbequitegladtohaveitsviewswithregardtotheaccuracyofBiblestatisticscorrected，wroteabookembodyingtheamendmentsneeded。

Modestashiscriticismswere，theyraisedaSTORMofprotestandangrydenunciation，whichevenledtohisdepositionforthetimebeingfromhisbishopric！Whileatthesametimeanavalancheofbookstoopposehisheresypouredforthfromthepress。LatelyIhadthecuriositytolookthroughtheBritishMuseumcatalogueandfoundthatinrefutationofColenso"sPentateuchExaminedsome140

(ahundredandforty)volumeswereatthattimepublished！

To-day，Ineedhardlysay，allthesearm-chaircriticsandtheirworkshavesunkintoutterobscurity，buttheargumentsoftheZulusandtheirBishopstillstandunmovedandimmovable。

Thisisacaseofsearchingintelligenceshownby"savages，"

anintelligencefoundedonintimateknowledgeoftheneedsofactuallife。Ithinkwemaysaythata，similarlyinstinctiveintelligence(sub-consciousifyoulike)hasguidedthetribesofmenonthewholeintheirlongpassagethroughtheRedSeaofthecenturies，fromthosefirstdaysofwhichI

speakevendowntothepresentage，andhasinsomestrange，eveniffitful，waykeptthemalongthepathofthatfinalemancipationtowardswhichHumanityisinevitablymoving。

XII。THESEX-TABOO

InthecourseofthelastfewchaptersIhavespokenmorethanonceofthesolidarityandcontinuityofChristianity，initsessentialdoctrines，withthePaganrites。Thereis，however，onenotableexceptiontothisstatement。IreferofcoursetoChristianity"streatmentofSex。ItiscertainlyveryremarkablethatwhilethePagancultsgenerallymadeagreatdealofallsortsofsex-rites，laidmuchstressuponthem，andintroducedtheminwhatweconsideranunblushingandshamelesswayintotheinstinctsconnectedwithit。Isay"theChristianChurch，"

onthewholetookquitetheoppositeline——ignoredsex，contemnedit，anddidmuchdespitetotheperfectlynaturalinstinctsconnectedwithit。Isay"theChristianChurch，"

becausethereisnothingtoshowthatJesushimself(ifweadmithisfigureashistorical)adoptedanysuchextremeordoctrinaireattitude；andthequiteearlyChristianteachers(withthechiefexceptionofPaul)donotexhibitthisbiastoanygreatdegree。Infact，asiswellknown，strongcurrentsofpaganusageandbeliefranthroughtheChristianassembliesofthefirstthreeorfourcenturies。“TheChristianartofthisperiodremaineddelightfullypagan。InthecatacombsweseetheSaviourasabeardlessyouth，likeayoungGreekgod；sometimesrepresented，likeHermestheguardianoftheflocks，bearingaramorlambroundhisneck；sometimesasOrpheustuninghisluteamongthewildanimals。”[1]ThefollowersofJesuswereattimesevenaccused——whetherrightlyorwronglyIknownot——

ofcelebratingsexualmysteriesattheirlove-feasts。ButastheChurchthroughthecenturiesgrewinpowerandscope——withitsmonksandtheirmutilationsandasceticisms，anditscelibateclergy，anditsabsoluterefusaltorecognizethesexualmeaningofitsownacclaimedsymbols(liketheCross，thethreefingersofBenediction，theFleurdeLysandsoforth)——itmoreandmoreconsistentlydefineditselfasanti-sexualinitsoutlook，andstoodoutinthatwayinmarkedcontrasttotheearlierNature-religions。

[1]Angels"Wings，byE。Carpenter，p。104。

Itmaybesaidofcoursethatthisanti-sexualtendencycanbetracedinotherofthepre-ChristianChurches，especiallythelaterones，liketheBuddhist，theEgyptian，andsoforth；andthisisperfectlytrue；butitwouldseemthatinmanywaystheChristianChurchmarkedtheculminationofthetendency；andthefactthatothercultsparticipatedinthetaboomakesusallthemorereadyandanxioustoinquireintoitsrealcause。

TogointoadisquisitionontheSex-ritesofthevariouspre-

Christianreligionswouldbe"alargeorder"——largerthanIcouldattempttofill；butthegeneralfactsinthisconnectionarefairlypatent。Weknow，ofcourse，fromtheBiblethattheSyriansinPalestineweregiventosexualworships。Therewereerectimages(phallic)and“groves“

(sexualsymbols)oneveryhighhillandundereverygreentree；[1]andthesesameimagesandtheritesconnectedwiththemcreptintotheJewishTempleandwerepopularenoughtomaintaintheirfootingthereforalongperiodfromKingRehoboamonwards，notwithstandingtheeffortsofJosiah[2]andotherreformerstoextirpatethem。Moreoverthereweregirlsandmen(hierodouloi)regularlyattachedduringthisperiodtotheJewishTempleastotheheathenTemples，fortherenderingofsexualservices，whichwererecognizedinmanycasesaspartoftheritual。Womenwerepersuadedthatitwasanhonorandaprivilegetobefertilizedbya"holyman"(apriestorothermanconnectedwiththerites)，andchildrenresultingfromsuchunionswereoftencalled“ChildrenofGod“——anappellationwhichnodoubtsometimesledtoalegendofmiraculousbirth！GirlswhotooktheirplaceashierodouloiintheTempleorTemple-precinctswereexpectedtosurrenderthemselvestomen-worshipersintheTemple，muchinthesameway，probably，asHerodotusdescribesinthetempleoftheBabylonianVenusMylitta，whereeverynativewoman，onceinherlife，wassupposedtositintheTempleandhaveintercoursewithsomestranger。[3]IndeedtheSyrianandJewishritesdatedlargelyfromBabylonia。

“TheHebrewsenteringSyria，“saysRichardBurton[4]

“founditreligionized。byAssyriaandBabylonia，whentheAccadianIshtarhadpassedWest，andhadbecomeAshtoreth，Ashtaroth，orAshirah，theAnaitisofArmenia，thePhoenicianAstarte，andtheGreekAphrodite，thegreatMoon-

goddesswhoisqueenofHeavenandLove。”Thewordtranslated“grove“asabove，inourBible，isinfactAsherah，whichconnectsitprettyclearlywiththeBabylonianQueenofHeaven。

[1]1Kingsxiv。22-24。

[2]2Kingsxxiii。

[3]SeeHerodotusi。199；alsoareferencetothiscustomintheapocryphalBaruch，vi。42，43。

[4]TheThousandNightsandaNight(1886edn。)，vol。x，p。229。

InIndiaagain，inconnectionwiththeHinduTemplesandtheirrites，wehaveexactlythesameinstitutionofgirlsattachedtotheTempleservice——theNautch-girls——whosefunctionsinpasttimeswerecertainlysexual，andwhosedancesinhonorofthegodare，evendowntothepresentday，decidedlyamatoryincharacter。Thenwehavetheverynumerouslingams(conventionalrepresentationsofthemaleorgan)tobeseen，scoresandscoresofthem，inthearcadesandcloistersoftheHinduTemples——

towhichwomenofallclasses，especiallythosewhowishtobecomemothers，resort，anointingthemcopiouslywithoil，andsignalizingtheirrespectanddevotiontotheminaverypracticalway。Astothelingamasrepresentingthemaleorgan，insomeformorother——asuprightstoneorpillarorobeliskorslenderroundtower——itoccursalloverthe，world，notablyinIreland，andformssuchamemorialoftheadorationpaidbyearlyfolktothegreatemblemandinstrumentofhumanfertility，ascannotbemistaken。

ThepillarssetupbySolomoninfrontofhistemplewereobviouslyfromtheirnames——JachinandBoaz[1]——meanttobeemblemsofthiskind；andthefactthattheywerecrownedwithpomegranates——theuniversallyacceptedsymbolofthefemale——confirmsandclinchesthisinterpretation。

TheobelisksbeforetheEgyptians"templesweresignsofthesamecharacter。Thewell-knownT-shapedcrosswasinuseinpaganlandslongbeforeChristianity，asarepresentationofthemalemember，andalsoatthesametimeofthe"tree"onwhichthegod(AttisorAdonisorKrishnaorwhoeveritmightbe)wascrucified；andthesamesymbolcombinedwiththeoval(oryoni)formedTHE

CruxAnsata{Ankh}oftheoldEgyptianritual——afigurewhichisto-daysoldinCairoasapotentcharm，andconfessedlyindicatestheconjunctionofthetwosexesinonedesign。[2]MacLennaninTheFortnightlyReview(Oct。1869)

quoteswithapprovalthewordsofSanchoniathon，assayingthat“menfirstworshipplants，nexttheheavenlybodies，supposedtobeanimals，then"pillars"(emblemsoftheProcreator)，andlast，theanthropomorphicgods。”

[1]“Heshallestablish“and“Initisstrength“areintheBiblethemarginalinterpretationsofthesetwowords。

[2]Theconnectionbetweentheproductionoffirebymeansofthefire-drillandthegenerationoflifebysex-intercourseisaveryobviousone，andlendsitselftomagicalideas。J。E。HewittinhisRulingRacesofPrehistoricTimes(1894)says(vol。i，p。

8)that“Magha，themother-goddessworshippedinAsiaMinor，wasoriginallythesocket-blockfromwhichfirewasgeneratedbythefire-drill。”Hencewehave，hesays，theMagiofPersia，andtheMaghadasofIndianHistory，alsotheword"Magic。”

Itisnotnecessarytoenlargeonthissubject。Thefactsoftheconnectionofsexualriteswithreligiousservicesnearlyeverywhereintheearlyworldare，asIsay，sufficientlypatenttoeveryinquirer。ButitISnecessarytotrytounderstandtherationaleofthisconnection。Todispatchallsuchcasesunderthemereterm“religiousprostitution“

isnoexplanation。Thetermsuggests，ofcourse，thatthepleaofreligionwasusedsimplyasanexcuseandacoverforsexualfamiliarities；butthoughthiskindofexplanationcommendsitself，nodoubt，tothemodernman——whosereligionisascommercialashissex-relationshipsare——andthoughinCASESnodoubtitwasatrueexplanation——yetitisobviousthatamongpeoplewhotookreligionseriously，asamatteroflifeanddeathandwhodidnotneedhypocriticalexcusesorcoversforsex-relationships，itcannotbeacceptedasingeneraltheRIGHTexplanation。No，therealexplanationis——andI

willreturntothispresently——thatsexualrelationshipsaresodeepandintimateapartofhumannaturethatfromthefirstithasbeensimplyimpossibletokeepthemOUT

ofreligion——itbeingofcoursetheobjectofreligiontobringthewholehumanbeingintosomeintelligiblerelationwiththephysical，moral，andifyoulikesupernaturalorderofthegreatworldaroundhim。Sexwasfeltfromthefirsttobepart，andafoundationalpart，ofthegreatorderoftheworldandofhumannature；andthereforetoseparateitfromReligionwasunthinkableandakindofcontradictioninterms。[1]

[1]Forfurtherdevelopmentofthissubjectseech。xv。

Ifthatistrue——itwillbeasked——howwasitthatthatdivorceDIDtakeplace——thatthetaboodidarise?HowwasitthattheJews，undertheinfluenceofJosiahandtheHebrewprophets，turnedtheirfacesawayfromsexandstrenuouslyopposedtheSyriancults?HowwasitthatthisreactionextendedintoChristianityandbecameevenmoredefiniteintheChristianChurch——thatmonkswentbythousandsintothedesertsoftheThebaid，andthattheearlyFathersandChristianapologistscouldnotfindtermsfoulenoughtohurlatWomanasthesymbol(tothem)

ofnothingbutsex-corruptionanddelusion?Howwasitthatthiscontemptofthebodyanddegradationofsex-

thingswentonfarintotheMiddleAgesofEurope，andultimatelycreatedanorganizedsystemofhypocrisy，andconcealmentandsuppressionofsex-instincts，which，actingascovertoavilecommercialProstitutionandasabreedinggroundforhorribleDisease，haslastedoneventotheedgeofthepresentday?

Thisisafairquestion，andonewhichdemandsananswer。

Theremusthavebeenareason，andadeep-rootedone，forthisremarkablereactionandvolte-facewhichhascharacterizedChristianity，and，perhapstoalesserdegree，otherbothearlierandlatercultslikethoseoftheBuddhists，theEgyptians，theAztecs，[1]andsoforth。

[1]FortheAztecs，seeAcosta，vol。ii，p。324(London，1604)。

Itmaybesaid——andthisisafairanswerontheSURFACE

oftheproblem——thatthemainreasonWASsomethinginthenatureofareaction。TheexcessesandcorruptionsofsexinSyriahadevidentlybecomeprettybad，andthatveryfactmayhaveledtoapendulum-swingoftheJewishChurchintheoppositedirection；andagaininthesamewaythegenerallaxityofmoralsinthedecayoftheRomanempiremayhaveconfirmedtheChurchofearlyChristendominitsdeterminationtokeepalongthegreathighroadofasceticism。

TheChristianfollowedontheJewishandEgyptianChurches，andinthiswayagreattraditionofsexualcontinenceandanti-paganmoralitycamerightdownthecenturiesevenintomoderntimes。

Thisseemssofarareasonabletheory；butIthinkweshallgofartherandgetnearertheheartoftheproblemifwereverttothegeneralcluewhichIhavefollowedalreadymorethanonce——theclueofthenecessaryevolutionofhumanConsciousnss。Inthefirstoranimalstageofhumanevolution，Sexwas(asamongtheanimals)aperfectlynecessary，instinctiveandunself-consciousactivity。Itwasharmoniouswithitself，natural，andunproductiveofevil。Butwhenthesecondstagesetin，inwhichmanbecamepreponderantlySELF-conscious，heinevitablysetaboutdeflectingsex-activitiestohisownprivatepleasureandadvantage；heemployedhisbuddingintellectinschemingthederailmentofpassionanddesirefromtribalneedsand，Nature"susestothepoordetailsofhisowngratification。Ifthefirststageofharmonioussex-instinctandactivitymaybeheldascharacteristicoftheGoldenAge，thesecondstagemustbetakentorepresenttheFallofmanandhisexpulsionfromParadiseintheGardenofEdenstory。ThepleasureandgloryofSexhavingbeenturnedtoself-purposes，SexitselfbecamethegreatSin。A

senseofguiltoverspreadman"sthoughtsonthesubject。“Heknewthathewasnaked，“andhefledfromthevoiceandfaceoftheLord。Fromthatmomentoneofthemainobjectsofhislife(initsinnerandneweractivities)

cametobetheDENIALofSex。SexwasconceivedofasthegreatAntagonist，theoldSerpentlyingeverinwaittobetrayhim；andtherearrivedamomentinthehistoryofeveryrace，andofeveryrepresentativereligion，whenthesexualritesandceremoniesoftheoldertimelosttheirnaiveandquasi-innocentcharacterandbecameafflictedwithasenseofguiltandindecency。Thisextraordinarilyinterestinganddramaticmomentinhumanevolutionwasofcoursethatinwhichself-consciousnessgrewpowerfulenoughtopenetratetothecentreofhumanvitality，thesanctumofman"sinnerlife，hissexualinstinct，andtodealitaterrificblow——ablowfromwhichithasneveryetrecovered，andfromwhichindeeditwillnotrecover，untiltheverynatureofman"sinnerlifeischanged。

ItmaybesaidthatitwasveryfoolishofMantodenyandtotrytoexpelaperfectlynaturalandsensiblething，anecessaryandindispensablepartofhisownnature。

Andthat，asfarasIcansee，isperfectlytrue。Butsometimesitisunavoidable，itwouldseem，todofoolishthings——

ifonlytoconvinceoneselfofone"sownfoolishness。Ontheotherhand，thispolicyonthepartofManwascertainlyverywise——wiserthanheknew——forinattemptingtodriveoutSex(whichofcoursehecouldnotdo)heenteredintoaconflictwhichwasboundtoendintheexpulsionofSOMETHING；andthatsomethingwasthedomination，withinhimself，ofself-consciousness，theverythingwhichmakesandeverhasmadesexdetestable。MandidnotsucceedindrivingthesnakeoutoftheGarden，buthedrovehimselfout，takingtherealoldserpentofself-greedandself-

gratificationwithhim。WhensomedayhereturnstoParadisethislatterwillhavediedinhisbosomandbeencastaway，buthewillfindthegoodSnakethereasofold，fullofhealingandfriendliness，amongthebranchesoftheTreeofLife。

BesidesitisevidentfromotherconsiderationsthatthismomentofthedenialofsexHADtocome。Whenonethinksoftheenormouspowerofthispassion，anditsage-long，holduponthehumanrace，onerealizesthatonceliberatedfromtheinstinctivebondsofnature，andbackedbyaself-consciousandself-seekinghumanintelligenceitwasonthewaytobecomeafearfulcurse。

AmonstrousEftwasofoldtheLordandMasterofEarth；

Forhimdidhishighsunflame，andhisriverbillowingran。

AndthismayhavebeenallverywellandappropriateinthecarboniferousEpoch，butWEintheendofTimehavenodesiretofallunderanysuchpreposterousdomination，ortoreturntotheprimalswampsfromwhichorganicnaturehassoslowlyandpainfullyemerged。

Isayitwastheentryofself-consciousnessintothesphereofSex，andtheconsequentuseofthelatterforprivateends，whichpoisonedthisgreatrace-poweratitsroot。

Foraboveall，Sex，asrepresentingthroughChildbirththelifeoftheRace(oroftheTribe，or，ifyoulike，ofHumanityatlarge)shouldbesacredandguardedfrommerelyselfishaims，andthereforetouseitonlyforsuchaimsisindeedadesecration。Andevenif——assomemaintainandIthinkrightly[1]——sexisnotMERELYforchild-birthandphysicalprocreation，butformutualvitalizingandinvigoration，itstillsubservesunionandnotegotism；andtouseitegotisticallyistocommitthesinofSeparationindeed。

Itistocastawayandcorrupttheverybondoflifeandfellowship。Theancientpeoplesatanyratethrewanilluminationofreligious(thatis，ofcommunalandpublic)valueoversex-acts，andtoagreatextentmadethemintomatterseitherofTemple-ritualandtheworshipofthegods，orofcommunalandpandemiccelebration，asintheSaturnaliaandothersimilarfestivals。Wehavecertainlynorighttoregardthesecelebrations——ofeitherkind——asinsincere。Theywere，atanyrateintheirinception，genuinelyreligiousorgenuinelysocialandfestal；andfromeitherpointofviewtheywerefarbetterthanthesecrecyofprivateindulgencewhichcharacterizesourmodernworldinthesematters。ThethoroughandshamelesscommercialismofSexhasalas！beenreservedforwhatiscalled“Christiancivilization，“andwithit(perhapsasanecessaryconsequence)ProstitutionandSyphilishavegrownintoappallingevils，accompaniedbyagiganticdegradationofsocialstandards，andupgrowthofpettyPhilistinismandniaiserie。Love，infact，havinginthismodernworld-movementbeendenied，anditsnaturalmanifestationsaffectedwithasenseofguiltandofsin，hasreallylanguishedandceasedtoplayitsnaturalpartinlife；andavastnumberofpeople——bothmenandwomen，findingthemselvesbarredorderailedfromthemainobjectofexistence，haveturnedtheirenergiesto"business"or"money-making"

or"socialadvancement"orsomethingequallyfutile，astheonlypoorsubstituteandpisalleropentothem。

[1]SeeHavelockEllis，TheObjectsofMarriage，apamphletpublishedbythe“BritishSocietyfortheStudyofSex-psychology。”

Why(againweask)didChristianitymakethisapparentlygreatmistake?Andagainwemustreply:Perhapsthemistakewasnotsogreatasitappearstobe。Perhapsthiswasanothercaseofthenecessityoflearningbyloss。

Lovehadtobedenied，intheformofsex，inorderthatitmightthusthebetterlearnitsowntruevaluesandneeds。Sexhadtoberejected，ordefiledwiththesenseofguiltandself-

seeking，inorderthathavingcastoutitsdefilementitmightreturnoneday，transformedintheembraceoflove。

Thewholeprocesshashadadeepandstrangeworld-

significance。Ithasledtoanimmenselylongperiodofsuppression——suppressionoftwogreatinstincts——thephysicalinstinctofsexandtheemotionalinstinctoflove。Twothingswhichshouldnaturallybeconjoinedhavebeenseparated；andbothhavesuffered。AndweknowfromtheFreudianteachingswhatsuppressionsintheroot-instinctsnecessarilymean。Weknowthattheyinevitablyterminateindiseasesanddistortionsofproperaction，eitherinthebodyorinthemind，orinboth；andthattheseevilscanonlybecuredbytheliberationofthesaidinstinctsagaintotheirproperexpressionandharmoniousfunctioninginthewholeorganism。Nowonderthenthat，withthisagelongsuppression(necessaryinasensethoughitmayhavebeen)whichmarkstheChristiandispensation，thereshouldhavebeenassociatedendlessSicknessandCrimeandsordidPoverty，theCrucifixionofanimalsinthenameofScienceandofhumanworkersinthenameofWealth，andwarsandhorrorsinnumerable！HerculeswrithingintheNessus-shirtorPrometheusnailedtotherocksareonlyasfiguresofatoyminiaturecomparedwiththisvisionofthegreatanddivineSpiritofMancaughtintheclutchesofthosedreadDiseaseswhichthroughthecenturieshavebeeneatingintohisveryheartandvitals。

ItwouldnotbefairtopileontheChristianChurchtheblameforallthis。Ithad，nodoubt，itsparttoplayinthewholegreatscheme，namely，toaccentuatetheself-motive；anditplayedthepartverythoroughlyandsuccessfully。Foritmustberemembered(whatIhaveagainandagaininsistedon)thatinthepagancultsitwasalwaysthesalvationoftheCLAN，theTRIBE，thepeoplethatwasthemainconsideration；theadvantageoftheindividualtookonlyaverysecondarypart。ButinChristendom——afterthecommunalenthusiasmsofapostolicdaysandofthemedievalandmonasticbrotherhoodsandsisterhoodshaddieddown——religionoccupieditselfmoreandmorewitheachmanorwoman"sINDIVIDUALsalvation，regardlessofwhatmighthappentothecommunity；till，withtheriseofProtestantismandPuritanism，thistendencyreachedsuchanextremethat，assomeonehassaid，eachmanwasabsorbedinpolishinguphisownlittlesoulinacornertohimself，inentiredisregardtothedamnationwhichmightcometohisneighbor。Religion，andMoralitytoo，underthecommercialregimebecame，aswasnatural，perfectlyselfish。Itwasalways:“Am_I_saved?Am_I_doingtherightthing?Am_I_winningthefavorofGodandman?Willmyclaimstosalvationbeallowed?

Did_I_makeagoodbargaininallowingJesustobecrucifiedforme?“Thepoisonofadiseasedself-consciousnessenteredintothewholehumansystem。

AsIsay，onemustnotblametheChristianstoomuchforallthis——partlybecause，AFTERthecommunalperiodswhichIhavejustmentioned，ChristianitywasevidentlydeeplyinfluencedbytheriseofCOMMERCIALISM，towhichduringthelasttwocenturiesithassocarefullyandpiouslyadapteditself；andpartlybecause——ifourviewisanywherenearright——thismicrobialinjectionofself-consciousnesswasjustthenecessaryworkwhich(inconjunctionwithcommercialism)itHADtoperform。ButthoughonedoesnotblameChristianityonecannotblindoneselftoitsdefects——thedefectsnecessarilyarisingfromthepartithadtoplay。WhenonecomparesahealthyPaganritual——sayofApolloorDionysus——includingitsrudeandcrudesacrificesifyoulike，butalsoincludingitswhole-heartedspontaneityanddedicationtothecommonlifeandwelfare——withthemorbidself-introspectionoftheChristianandtheeternallyrecurringquestion“WhatshallIdotobesaved?“——thecomparisonisnotfavorabletothelatter。Thereis(atanyrateinmoderndays)amawkishmilk-and-waterinessabouttheChristianattitude，andalsoapainfulself-

consciousness，whichisnotpleasant；andthoughNietzsche"sblondebeastisasufficientlydisagreeableanimal，onealmostthinksthatitwerebettertobeTHATthantogoaboutwithone"sheadmeeklyhangingononeside，andtalkingalwaysofaltruismandself-sacrifice，whileinrealityone"sheartwasentirelyoccupiedwiththequestionofone"sownsalvation。

ThereisbesidesalamentablewantofgritandsubstanceabouttheChristiandoctrinesandceremonials。Somehowunderthesex-tabootheybecamespiritualizedandetherealizedoutofallhumanuse。Studytheinitiation-ritesofanysavagetribe——withtheirstrictdisciplineoftheyoungbravesinfortitude，andtheovercomingofpainandfear；

withtheirverydetailedlessonsintheartsofwarandlifeandthedutiesofthegrownmantohistribe；andwiththeirquitepracticalinstructioninmattersofSex；andthenreadourlittleBaptismalandConfirmationservices，whichoughttocorrespondthereto。Howthinandattenuatedandweakthelatterappear！OrcomparetheHolyCommunion，ascelebratedinthesentimentalatmosphereofaProtestantChurch，withanancientEucharisticfeastofrealjollityandcommunityoflifeundertheacknowledgedpresenceofthegod；ortheRomanCatholicserviceoftheMass，includingitsgenuflexionsandmockoblationsanddroningritualsing-song，withtheactualsacrificeinearlydaysofananimal-god-victimonablazingaltar；andIthinkmymeaningwillbeclear。Wedonotwant，ofcourse，toreturntoallthecruditiesandbarbaritiesofthepast；butalsowedonotwanttobecomeattenuatedandspiritualizedoutofallmundanesenseandrecognition，andtoliveinanotherworldParadisevoidofapplicationtoearthlyaffairs。

Thesex-tabooinChristianitywasapparently，asIhavesaid，aneffortofthehumansoultowrestitselffreefromtheentanglementofphysicallust——whichlust，thoughnormalandappropriateandinawaygraciousamongtheanimals，hadthroughthedominationofself-consciousnessbecomediseasedandmorbidormonstrousinMan。Theworkthusdonehasprobablybeenofthegreatestvaluetothehumanrace；but，justasinothercasesithassometimeshappenedthattheefforttodoacertainworkhasresultedintheendinanunbalancedexaggerationsohere。Wearebeginningtoseenowtheharmfulsideoftherepressionofsex，andaretentativelyfindingourwaybackagaintoamorepaganattitude。Andasthisreturn-movementistakingplaceatatimewhen，frommanyobvioussigns，theself-conscious，grasping，commercialconceptionoflifeispreparingtogoonthewane，andthesenseofsolidaritytore-establishitself，thereisreallygoodhopethatourreturn-journeymayproveinsomedegreesuccessful。

Manprogressesgenerally，notbothlegsatoncelikeasparrow，butbyputtingonelegforwardfirst，andthentheother。TherewasthisadvantageintheChristiantabooofsexthatbydiscouragingthephysicalandsensualsideofloveitdidforthetimebeingallowthespiritualsidetocomeforward。But，asIhavejustnowindicated，thereisalimittothatprocess。Wecannotalwayskeeponelegfirstinwalking，andwedonotwant，inlife，alwaystoputthespiritualfirst，noralwaysthematerialandsensual。

Thetwosidesinthelongrunhavetokeeppacewitheachother。

Anditmaybethatagreatnumberoftheverycuriousandseeminglysenselesstaboosthatwefindamongtheprimitivepeoplescanbepartlyexplainedinthisway:thatis，thatbyrulingoutcertaindirectionsofactivitytheyenabledpeopletoconcentratemoreeffectually，forthetimebeing，onotherdirections。Toprimitivefolkthegreatworld，whosewaysarepuzzlingenoughinallconsciencetous，musthavebeensimplybewilderinginitsdangersandcomplications。ItwasanamazementofFearandIgnorance。

Thunderboltsmightcomeatanymomentoutofthebluesky，orademonoutofanoldtreetrunk，oradevastatingplagueoutofabadsmell——orapparentlyevenoutofnothingatall！Underthosecircumstancesitwasperhapswise，wherevertherewasthesmallestSUSPICIONofdangerorill-luck，tocreateahardandfastTABOO——justaswetellourchildrenONNOACCOUNTtowalkunderaladder(therebycreatingasuperstitionintheirminds)，partlybecauseitwouldtaketoolongtoexplainallabouttherealdangersofpaint-potsandotherthings，andpartlybecauseforthechildrenthemselvesitseemssimplertohaveafixedandinviolablelawthantoargueovereverycasethatoccurs。

ThepriestsandeldersamongearlyfolknodoubttookthelineofFORBIDDALofactivities，assaferandsimpler，evenifcarriedsometimestoofar，thantheopposite，ofeasypermissionandencouragement。Taboosmultiplied——manyofthemquitesenseless——butperhapsinthisperilousmazeoftheworld，ofwhichIhavespoken，itreallyWASsimplertocutoutalargepartofthelabyrinth，asforbiddenground，thusrenderingiteasierforthepeopletofindtheirwayinthoseportionsofthelabyrinthwhichremained。IfyoureadinDeuteronomy(ch。xiv)thelistofbirdsandbeastsandfishespermittedforfoodamongtheIsraelites，ortabooed，youwillfindthelistonthewholereasonable，butyouwillbestruckbysomecuriousexceptions(accordingtoourideas)，whichareprobablytobeexplainedbythenecessityofmakingtherulessimpleenoughtobecomprehendedbyeverybody——eveniftheyincludedtheforbiddalofsomequiteeatableanimals。

Atsomeearlyperiod，inBabyloniaorAssyria，averystringenttabooontheSabbatharose，which，takenupinturnbytheJewishandChristianChurches，hasruledtheWesternWorldforthreethousandyearsormore，andstillsurvivesinaquitesenselessformamongsomeofourruralpopulations，whowillseetheircornrotinthefieldsratherthansaveitonaSunday。[1]Itisquitelikelythatthistabooinitsfirstbeginningwasduenottoanyneedofaweeklyrest-day(aneedwhichcouldneverbefeltamongnomadsavages，butwouldonlyoccurinsomekindofindustrialandstationarycivilization)，buttosomesuperstitiousfear，connectedwithsuchthingsasthechangesoftheMoon，andtheprobableILL-LUCKofanyenterpriseundertakenontheseventhday，oranydayofMoon-change。Itisprobable，however，thatastimewentonandSocietybecamemorecomplex，theadvantagesofaweeklyREST-DAY(ormarket-

day)becamemoreobviousandthatthepriestsandlegislatorsdeliberatelyturnedthetabootoasocialuse。[2]ThelearnedmodernEthnologists，however，willgenerallyhavenoneofthislatteridea。Asaruletheydelightinrepresentingearlypeoplesastotallydestituteofcommonsense(whichissupposedtobeamonopolyofusmoderns！)；

andiftheSabbath-arrangementhashadanyvalueorusetheyinsistonascribingthistopureaccident，andnottotheapplicationofanysaneargumentorreason。

[1]ForotherabsurdSundaytaboosseeWestermarckonTheMoralIdeas，vol。ii，p。289。

[2]ForatracingofthistaboofromuselesssuperstitiontopracticalutilityseeHastings"sEncycl。ReligionandEthics，art。“TheSabbath。”

Itistrueindeedthatataboo——inordertobeapropertaboo——mustnotrestinthegeneralmindonargumentorreason。Itmayhavehadgoodsenseinthepastorevenanunderlyinggoodsenseinthepresent，butitsfoundationmustrestonsomethingbeyond。Itmustbeanabsolutefiat——somethingofthenatureofaMystery[1]orofReligionorMagic-andnottobedisputed。Thisgivesititsblood-

curdlingquality。TherusticdoesnotknowwhatwouldhappentohimifhegarneredhiscornonSunday，nordoesthediner-outinpolitesocietyknowwhatwouldhappenifhespooneduphisfoodwithhisknife——buttheybotharestrickenwithasortofparalysisattheverysuggestionofinfringingthesetaboos。

[1]SeeWestermarck，Ibid。，ii。586。

Marriage-customshavealwaysbeenafertilefieldforthegenerationoftaboos。Itseemsdoubtfulwhetheranythinglikeabsolutepromiscuityeverprevailedamongthehumanrace，butthereismuchtoshowthatwidechoiceandintercoursewerecommonamongprimitivefolkandthatthetendencyoflatermarriagecustomhasbeenonthewholetoLIMITthisrangeofchoice。Atsomeearlyperiodtheforbiddalofmarriagebetweenthosewhoborethesametotem-nametookplace。ThusinAustralia“nomanoftheEmustockmightmarryanEmuwoman；noBlacksnakemightmarryaBlacksnakewoman，andsoforth。”[1]AmongtheKamilaroiandtheAruntaofS。Australiathetribewasdividedintoclassesorclans，sometimesfour，sometimeseight，andamanofoneparticularclanwasonlymarriageablewithawomanofanotherparticularclan——say(1)

with(3)or(2)with(4)，andsoon。[2]Customswithasimilartendency，butdifferentindetail，seemtohaveprevailedamongnativetribesinCentralAfricaandN。America。

Andtheregulationsinallthismatterhavebeenso(apparently)

entirelyarbitraryinthevariouscasesthatitwouldalmostappearasifthebarofkinshipthroughtheTotemhadbeentheEXCUSE，originatingperhapsinsomesuperstition，butthattherealandmoreabidingobjectwassimplylimitation。

Andthisperhapswasawiselinetotake。Atabooonpromiscuityhadtobecreated，andforthispurposeanycurrentprejudicecouldbemadeuseof。[3]

[1]Myth，RitualandReligion，i，p。66。

[2]SeeSpencerandGillen，NativeTribesofAustralia。

[3]TheauthorofTheMysticRoseseemstotakethisview。Seep。214ofthatbook。

Withusmodernsthewholematterhastakenadifferentcomplexion。Whenweconsidertheenormousamountofsufferinganddisease，bothofmindandbody，arisingfromthesex-suppressionofwhichIhavejustspoken，especiallyamongwomen，weseethatmereunreasoningtaboos——whichpossiblyhadtheirplaceanduseinthepast——canbetoleratednolonger。WeareboundtoturnthesearchlightofreasonandscienceonanumberofsuperstitionswhichstilllingerinthedarkandmustyplacesoftheChurchesandtheLawcourts。Moderninquiryhasshownconclusivelynotonlythefoundationalimportanceofsexintheevolutionofeachhumanbeing，butalsotheverygreatVARIETYofspontaneousmanifestationsindifferentindividualsandthevitalnecessitythattheseshouldberecognized，ifsocietyisevertoexpandintoarationalhumanform。Itisnotmyobjectheretosketchthefutureofmarriageandsex-relationsgenerally——asubjectwhichisnowbeingdealtwithveryeffectivelyfrommanysides；butonlytoinsistonourusingourgoodsenseinthewholematter，andrefusinganylongertobeboundbysenselesspre-judgments。

SomethingofthesamekindmaybesaidwithregardtoNakedness，whichinmodernCivilizationhasbecometheobjectofaveryseriousandindeedharmfultaboo；bothofspeechandact。Assomeonehassaid，itbecameintheendofthenineteenthcenturyalmostacrimetomentionbynameanyportionofthehumanbodywithinaradiusofabouttwentyinchesfromitscentre(！)andasamatteroffactafewdress-reformersofthatperiodwereactuallybroughtintocourtandtreatedascriminalsforgoingaboutwithlegsbareuptotheknees，andshouldersandchestuncovered！Publicfolliessuchasthesehavebeenresponsibleformuchofthebodilyandmentaldiseaseandsuppressionjustmentioned，andthesoonertheyaresenttolimbothebetter。Nosensiblepersonwouldadvocatepromiscuousnakednessanymorethanpromiscuoussex-

relationship；norisitlikelythatagedanddeformedpeoplewouldatanytimewishtoexposethemselves。Butsurelythereisenoughgoodsenseandappreciationofgraceandfitnessintheaveragehumanmindforittobeabletoliberatethebodyfromsenselessconcealment，andgiveititsdueexpression。TheGreeksofold，havingonthewholecleanbodies，treatedthemwithrespectanddistinction。