As civilization advanced, the deification of sex was no longer frank and
open. It came to be carried on by means of symbolism. This symbolism was an
effort on the part of its originators to express the worship of the
generative attributes under disguise, often understood only by the priests
or by those initiated into the religious mysteries. The mysteries so
frequently referred to in the religions of antiquity are often some
expression of sex worship.
Sexual symbolism was very general at one time and remains of it are found in
most of the countries where any form of sex worship has existed. Such
remains have been found in Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, China, Japan, and
indeed in most countries the early history of which is known to man.
One important kind of symbolism had to do with the FORM of the object
deified. Thus, it appears that certain objects,--particularly upright
objects,--stones, mounds, poles, trees, etc., were erected, or used as found
in nature, as typifying the male generative organ. Likewise certain round
or oval objects, discs, certain fruits and certain natural caves, were
worshipped as representing the female generative organ. (The yoni of India.)
We also find that certain QUALITIES OF ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE nature were
equally venerated, not because of their form, but because they stood for
some quality desirable in the generation of mankind. Thus we find that some
animals--the bull because of its strength and aggressive nature, the snake,
perhaps because of its form or of its tenacity of life,--were male
representatives of phallic significance. Likewise the fish, the dolphin, and
a number of other aquatic creatures came to be female representatives. This
may be shown over and over again by reference to the antique emblems, coins,
and engravings of many nations.
Another later symbolism, which was adopted by certain philosophies, was more
obscure but was none the less of distinct sexual significance. FIRE is made
to represent the male principle, and WATER, and much connected with it, the
female. Thus we have Venus, born of the Sea, and accompanied by numerous
fish representations. Fire worship was secondary to the universally found
sun worship. The sun is everywhere the male principle, standing for the
generative power in nature. At one time the symbolism is broad, and refers
to generative nature in general. At another time it refers solely to the
human generative organs. Thus, the Greek God Hermes, the God of Fecundity in
nature, is at times represented in unmistakable priapic attitudes.
Still another symbolism was often used in India. This was the addition of a
number of members to the deity, possibly a number of arms or heads. This
was in order to express a number of qualities. Thus the deity was both
generator and destroyer, one face showing benevolence and kindness, the
other violence and rage. In many of the deities both male and female
principles were represented in one,--an Androgyne deity--which was an ideal
frequently attempted. The idea that these grotesque deities were merely the
expression of eccentricity or caprice on the part of their originator is not
to be entertained. Richard Payne Knight has pointed out that they occur
almost entirely on national coins and emblems, and so were the expression of
an established belief.
We shall refer first to the simpler symbols, that is those in which an
object was deified because of its form.