It is perhaps not remarkable that upright objects should be selected because
of their form as the simplest expression of phallic ideas. The simple
upright for purposes of sex worship is universally found. An upright conical
stone is frequently mentioned. Many of the stone idols or pillars, the
worship of which was forbidden by the Bible, come under this group.
Likewise, the obelisk, found not only in Egypt, but in modified forms in
many other countries as well, embodies the same phallic principle. The usual
explanation of the obelisk is that it represented the rays of the sun
striking the earth: when we speak of sun worship later, we shall see that
this substantiates rather than refutes the phallic interpretation. The
mounds of religious significance, found in many countries, were associated
with sex worship. The Chinese pagodas are probably of phallic origin.
Indeed, there is evidence to show that the spires of our Churches owe their
existence to the uprights or obelisks outside the Temples of former ages. A
large volume has been written by O'Brien to show that the Round Towers of
Ireland (upright towers of pre-historic times) were erected as phallic
emblems. Higgins, in the Anacalipsis, has amassed a great wealth of
material with similar purport, and he shows that such "temples" as that of
Stonehenge and others were also phallic. The stone idols of Mexico and Peru,
the ancient pillar stones of Brittany, and in fact all similar upright
objects, erected for religious purposes the world over, are placed in this
same category. We shall presently give a number of references to show that
the May-pole was associated with phallic worship and that it originated at a
very remote period.
We shall now quote from some of the authors who have contributed to our
knowledge of this form of symbolism, as thereby a clear idea of their
meaning may be set forth. These interpretations are not generally advanced,
and therefore we have added considerable corroborative evidence which we
have been able to obtain from independent sources.
In an Essay on the Assyrian "Grove" and other Emblems, Mr. John Newton sums
up the basis of this symbolism as follows: "As civilization advanced, the
gross symbols of creative power were cast aside, and priestly ingenuity was
taxed to the utmost in inventing a crowd of less obvious emblems, which
should represent the ancient ideas in a decorous manner. The old belief was
retained, but in a mysterious or sublimated form. As symbols of the male, or
active element in creation, the sun, light, fire, a torch, the phallus or
lingam, an erect serpent, a tall straight tree, especially the palm or fir
or pine, were adapted. Equally useful for symbolism were a tall upright
stone (menhir), a cone, a pyramid, a thumb or finger pointed straight, a
mask, a rod, a trident, a narrow bottle or amphora, a bow, an arrow, a
lance, a horse, a bull, a lion, and many other animals conspicuous for
masculine power. As symbols of the female, the passive though fruitful
element in creation, the crescent moon, the earth, darkness, water, and its
emblem, a triangle with the apex downward, "the yoni"--the shallow vessel or
cup for pouring fluid into (cetera), a ring or oval, a lozenge, any narrow
cleft, either natural or artificial, an arch or doorway, were employed. In
the same category of symbols came a boat or ship, a female date palm bearing
fruit, a cow with her calf by her side, a fish, fruits having many seeds,
such as the pomegranate, a shell, (concha), a cavern, a garden, a fountain,
a bower, a rose, a fig, and other things of suggestive form, etc.
These two great classes of conventional symbols were often represented IN
CONJUNCTION with each other, and thus symbolized in the highest degree the
great source of life, ever originating, ever renewed . . . . . . . . . . "A
similar emblem is the lingam standing in the centre of the yoni, the
adoration of which is to this day characteristic of the leading dogma of
Hindu religion. There is scarcely a temple in India which has not its
lingam, and in numerous instances this symbol is the only form under which
the god Siva is worshipped."
In "Ancient Sex Worship" we read, "As the male genital organs were held in
early times to exemplify the actual male creative power, various natural
objects were seized upon to express the theistic idea and at the same time
point to those points of the human form. Hence, a similitude is recognized
in a pillar, a heap of stones, a tree between two rocks, a club between two
pine cones, a trident, a thyrsus tied around with two ribbons with the ends
pendant, a thumb and two fingers. The caduceus again the conspicuous part
of the sacred Triad Ashur is symbolized by a single stone placed
upright,--the stump of a tree, a block, a tower, a spire, minaret, pole,
pine, poplar or pine tree."
Hargrave Jennings, the author of several books on some aspects of religions
of antiquity, among them one on phallicism deals freely with the phallic
principles embodied in these religions. As do many other writers, he
identifies fire worship with sex worship, and the following short paragraph
shows his conception of their interrelationship, as well as the significance
of the upright of antiquity. In the Rosicrucians he says: "Obelisks,
spires, minarets, tall towers, upright stones, (menhirs), and architectural
perpendiculars of every description, and, generally speaking, all erections
conspicuous for height and slimness, were representations of the Sworded or
of the Pyramidal Fire. They bespoke, wherever found and in whatever age,
the idea of the First Principle or the male generative emblem."
We might readily cite passages from the writings of a number of other
authors but the above paragraphs suffice to set forth the general principle
of this symbolism. As stated above, such interpretations have not been
generally advanced to explain such objects as sacred pillar stones,
obelisks, minarets, etc. It is readily seen how fully these views are
substantiated by observations from a number of independent sources.
In a book of Travel[6] in India we are able from an independent source to
learn of the symbolism of that country. The traveller gives a description of
the caves of Elephanta, near Bombay. These are enormous caves cut in the
side of a mountain, for religious purposes to which pilgrimages are made and
where the usual festivities are held. The worship of generative attributes
is quite apparent. The numerous sculptured female figures, as remarked by
the traveller, are all represented with greatly exaggerated breasts, a
symbolism which is frequent throughout oriental countries for expressing
reproductive attributes.
[6] Rousselet, India and its native princes.
In an inner chamber is placed the symbol which is held in particular
veneration. Here is found an upright conical stone standing within a
circular one. The stone is sprinkled with water during the festival season.
The writer states that this stone, to the worshippers, represents the male
generative organ, and the worship of it is not considered an impropriety. In
this instance we feel that the symbolism is very definite, and doubtless the
stone pillars in the other temples of India and elsewhere are of the same
significance.
A clergyman in the Chinese Review of 1876, under the title "Phallic Worship
in China," gives an account of the phallicism as he observed it at that
time. He states that the male sexual organ is symbolized by a simple mound
of earth and is so worshipped. Similarly, the female organ is represented
by a mound of different form and is worshipped as the former. The writer
states that at times these mounds are built in conjunction. He states this
worship is similar to that of Baal of Chaldea, etc., and that probably all
have a common origin. It appears to be a fundamental part of the Chinese
religion and the symbolism of the Chinese pagoda expresses the same idea. He
says that Kheen or Shang-te, the Chinese deities of sex, are also worshipped
in the form of serpents, of which the dragon of the Chinese is a
modification. This furnishes a concrete instance in which the mound of
earth is of phallic significance, and substantiates an interpretation of
serpent worship to which we shall presently refer.
Hoddard M. Westropp has given us an excellent account of phallic worship and
includes in his description the observations of a traveller in Japan at as
late periods as 1864 and 1869.
A temple near the ancient capital of Japan was visited by a traveller. In
this temple the main object of worship was a large upright, standing alone,
and the resemblance to the male generative organ was so striking as to leave
no doubt as to what it represented. This upright was worshipped especially
by women, who left votive offerings, among them small phalli, elaborately
wrought out of wood or other material. The traveller remarked that the
worship was most earnest and sincere.
The same traveller observed that in some of the public roads of Japan are
small hedged recesses where similar stone pillars are found. These large
pillars unquestionably represent the male organ. The writer has observed
priests in procession carrying similar huge phalli, painted in color as
well. This procession called forth no particular comment and so was
probably not unusual. It is stated that this is a part of the ancient
"Shintoo" religion of Japan and China. There are frequent references to
certain of the gods of the Ancients being represented in priapic attitudes,
the phallus being the prominent and most important attribute. Thus Hermes,
in Greece, was placed at cross-roads, with phallus prominent. This was
comparable to the phallus on Japanese highways. In the festivals of Bacchus
high phalli were carried, the male organ being represented about the size of
the rest of the body. The Egyptians carried a gilt phallus, 150 cubits high,
at the festivals of Osiris. In Syria, at the entrance of the temple at
Hieropolis, was placed a human figure with a phallus 120 cubits high. A man
mounted this upright twice a year and remained seven days, offering prayers,
etc.
In Peru in the Temple of the Sun an upright pillar has been described
covered with gold leaf, very similar to those existing elsewhere and to
which has been ascribed similar significance.
A number of writers have expressed the belief that the May-pole is an emblem
of ancient phallic worship. We know that May-day festivals are of the most
remote antiquity. We are indebted to R. P. Knight for a description of what
May-day was like about four centuries ago in England. The festival started
the evening before. Men and women went out into the woods in search of a
tree and brought it back to the village in the early morning. The night was
spent in sexual excesses comparable to those of the Roman Bacchanalia. A
procession was formed, garlands were added to the May-pole, which was set up
in the village square. The Puritans referred to it as an idol, and they did
not approve of the festivities. Until comparatively recent years there was
a May-pole in one of the squares of London, and Samuel Pepys,[7] writing of
his time, speaks of seeing May-poles in the front yards of the prominent
citizens of Holland. A festival much the same as this was held in Ancient
Rome and also in India. The May-pole properly pierces a disc and thus
conforms with the lingam-yoni of India. We also know that the first of May
was a favorite time for all nature worship with the ancients. For a number
of interesting suggestions the reader is referred to R. P. Knight, Worship
of Priapus, and Hargrave Jennings, Indian Religions (Page 66.)
[7] Pepys Diary.
Tree worship is frequently mentioned in the religions of antiquity. We are
told that the mystic powers of the mistletoe comes from the fact that it
grows on the oak, a once sacred tree. The pine of the North, the palm and
the fig tree of the South, were sacred trees at one time. John Newton made a
study of tree worship, especially the Ancient Grove Worship of Assyria. He
shows that the object of veneration was a male date palm, which represented
the Assyrian god Baal. Sex was worshipped under this deity, and it is shown
that the tree of the Assyrian grove was a phallic symbol. Palm Sunday
appears to be a relic of this worship. In France, until comparatively
recent times, there was a festival, "La Fete des Pinnes," in which palms
were carried in procession, and with the palms were carried phalli of bread
which had been blessed by the priests.
Richard Payne Knight tells us that Pan was worshipped by the Shepherds under
the form of the tall fir, and Bacchus "by sticking up the rude trunk of a
tree." It is shown throughout these pages that sexual attributes were
worshipped under both these deities. In reference to other symbols, the
writer continues,[8] "The spires and pinnacles with which our churches are
decorated come from these ancient symbols; and the weather cocks, with which
they are surmounted though now only employed to show the direction of the
wind, were originally emblems of the sun; for the cock is the natural herald
of the day, and therefore sacred to the fountain of light. In the
symbolical writings of the Chinese the sun is still represented by a cock in
the circle; and a modern Parsee would suffer death rather than be guilty of
the crime of killing one. It appears on many ancient coins, with some
symbol of the passive productive power on the reverse; and in other
instances it is united with priapic and other emblems and devices,
signifying other attributes combined."
[8] Symbolic language of ancient art and mythology.
Dr. Thomas Inman has made a study to show how this phallic symbolism found
its way into ancient art, and even into some designs of modern times. Thus,
many formal designs are studied in which the upright plays a part; likewise,
the oval and the circle receive a similar explanation. The architectural
ornaments spoken of as eggs and anchors, eggs and spear heads, the so-called
honey-suckle ornament of antiquity, and the origin of some church windows
and ornaments, are all studied by this writer, and his text is accompanied
by illustrations. Hargrave Jennings has also traced the origin of the
symbols of Heraldry, the emblems of Royalty and of some church orders with
similar explanations.
We may add that the crux ansata of the Egyptians, the oval standing upon the
upright, or letter Tau, may be shown to be a sex symbol, the union of the
oval with the upright being of symbolic significance. The crux ansata is
found in the hand of most of the Egyptian deities. It is found in the
Assyrian temples and throughout the temples of India as well. Prehistoric
monuments of Ireland have the same design. Priests are portrayed in
adoration of the crux ansata before phallic monuments. This symbol, from
which our modern cross is doubtless derived, originated with the religions
of antiquity. Much additional evidence could readily be given to illustrate
this prehistoric origin. The present Christian symbol affords another
example of the adoption by a new religion of the symbols of the old.
Some reflection will show that the origin of many church customs and
symbols, and indeed of a great number of obscure customs and usages, may
quite properly be traced to the religions and practices of primitive races.
Lafcadio Hearn has insisted upon this in the interpretation of the art and
customs of the Japanese. He says,[9] "Art in Japan is so intimately
associated with religion that any attempt to study it without extensive
knowledge of the beliefs which it reflects were mere waste of time. By art I
do not mean painting and sculpture but every kind of decoration, and most
kinds of pictorial representation--the image of a boy's kite or a girl's
battledore not less than the design upon a lacquered casquet or enameled
vase,--the figure upon a workman's trowel not less than the pattern of the
girdle of a princess,--the shape of the paper doll or wooden rattle bought
for a baby, not less than the forms of those colossal Ni-O who guard the
gateways of the Buddha's temples," etc.
[9] Japan, an attempt at Interpretation.
In the above pages, we have given an account of the views of a number of
writers upon certain forms and symbols, and at the same time we have offered
considerable evidence in substantiation from independent sources. These
origins, found associated especially in art and religious usages, have not
been generally understood. Yet when we reflect upon the fact that many
religious customs are of great antiquity; that when once a certain form or
custom becomes established, it is well nigh ineffaceable, although subject
to great change or disguise throughout the centuries; when we reflect upon
these conditions, and realize the fact that sex worship with its
accompanying symbolism is found throughout primitive religions, we may then
more readily appreciate the entire significance of the above
interpretations.
It must, of course, be borne in mind that no one now gives these
interpretations to spires, minarets, and to the various monumental symbols
of which we have been speaking. We are here dealing exclusively with
pre-historic origins, not with present day meanings. The antiquity of
certain symbols is truly remarkable. The star and crescent, for example, a
well known conventionalized symbol, is found on Assyrian cylinders,
doubtless devised many centuries before Christ.
The full force and meaning of these various symbols may be very readily
grasped by reference to a number of designs, ancient coins, bas-reliefs,
monuments, etc., which have been reproduced in plates and drawings by C. W.
King, Thomas Inman, R. P. Knight and others. To these we refer the reader.
(TO BE CONCLUDED)