Forlong - Rivers of Life

Serpent and Phallic Worship.
wearing no head-dress, their hair long and matted, and perpetually rolling their heads
from side to side,” all which is a very accurate description of the proceedings of Sivaik
votaries in some of their rites, and pointa to the dap when Hobal, whose image
Mahomed broke and turned out of the Al Kaba was Ab-Al (Abel of ancient Syrians),
that is Father El or the Lingam. The Imāms of Persia did anciently, and do still
honour all learned and inspired men by presenting them with a Pallium.
I give here from Dr Inman the Albe worn by the Roman priest at Mass; and
the Chasuble or very IOnish robe which he wears as a male; both are painfully
significant, and remind us of all those old tales as to the worship of Venus. which
coarse and illiterate ages delighted in. The ancient Pallium which Roman priest wore
some four centuries ago was this plain crux ansata, but in that now adopted, we lose the
cross bar. In this full-blown “Confessor,” taken from the Venice Missale Romanum of
1509, we see the perfect Phallic man, whose “royal part”—the head, with its tonsure as
representing the Sun—has passed through the circle or handle of the crux, for the head
of the Lingam is very commonly that of a man. 1 With this priest is the key and book and
all passports to eternity; he is the oracle; nay, to millions of ignorant ones the very God
Fig. 144.—ROMAN ALBE Fig. 145.—CHASUBLE Fig. 146.—ANCIENT PALLIUM Fig 147.—PRIEST IN ANCIENT PALLIUM
himself; and it is this idea which makes some of our English RituaIists teach that all
should, in adoration of the sacerdotal office, stand up when their priest enters. and more
especially when. going towards the Sanctuary or Ark of life! Teacbers and taugbt are
alike ignorant in almost all cases of the old signification of what they do and say; and
do not. therefore, see how necessary it is to put these old ideas and practices down; so I
must not be understood as bIaming any individuals, hierophants, neophytes, or the thoughtless,
gay, but still often, in their way, earnest and pious sonls who throng our priestly
1 See the highly coloured “Hindoo Pantheon” by E. A. Rodriguez. Madras 1841-45.
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