Forlong - Rivers of Life

Serpent and Phallic Worship.
100 of his volume in Symbolism, as to the figures—somewhat like squares within squares,
into which the Tortoise’s shell is divided, often standing in hieroglyph for the whole Tortoise-idea;
and in the same way a portion of the curly fleece of a Ram, standing for the
whole of that rampagious animal, on which, says Pausanias, “Venus is as often seen
standing, as on a Tortoise.” We are now commonly told that “the Golden
Fleece” was held to be an euphemism for that which over-shadowed the “Grove,”
and for that in which the “Tree” Was buried—the Lanugo; and so Mr. New-
ton in the Appendix assures us that the glans of the Phallus stands for the whole,
and its shape—so different from that of the column—is the reason of our constantly
having the cone, triangle or pyramid as the represantation of Priapus. The curious squares
on the back of the Tortoise may be the cause why labyrinths have been so common
about holy places, and why we still see in the East at doors of temples and houses
such quaint-looking labyrinthic figures. They possibly had to do with coils of the
Serpent; surely they were not meant to pourtray those social tanglements which sexual
matters usually evolve. We see the Tortoise over a closed ark covered with rectangles
on the glans of that wondrous phallus which Mr. Newton so clearly explains to us at
page 125 of Dr. Imnan’s Symbolism, and
also very cogent reasons for calling a
phallus a “Sun-Pillar or stone;” for
here it is crowned with Suns, whilst all
round the glans are Arks with solar-like
summits, Serpents, an excited Cock, &c.
I give here Dr. Imnan’s drawing of the
glans of another Phallus, on which we
also observe that Suns surround the
apex, whilst “beneath (says Mr. New-
ton) is the horse-show like head-dress of
Isis, and two altars marked with the
tortoise-emblem in front. Over both
rises the erect serpent, and upon one,
the arrow-headed cuniform cipher or
dart, both male symbols.” The Phallus
which appears in the British Museum
opposite to this, is a valuable contribution
Fig 88—GLANS OF ASYRIAN PHALLUS—BRIT. MUS.
to the study of the subject, and will well repay scrutiny. Its “Column of Life” is
formed in all its length—two and a half feet—by a majestic man armed with a bow and
two arrows, whose dress is elaborately studded with Yonis and Asyrian “Trees of Life.”
A prominent St. Andrew’s Cross is shown over his chest, into the centre of which point
two Phalli in conjunction with two ovals. Rampant winged lions are seen adoring
another Sri-Linga on his phallic head-dress, and his triangular arrow-heads are clearly
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